Translational Protein Therapeutics Lab

Current Group Members

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Current Members of the Lab


Ranya Al-Khaledy

Graduate Research Assistant
PhD Candidate, Chemical Engineering, UT Austin
M.S., Chemistry, University of Oregon
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University
alkhaler[at]utexas.edu
she/her/hers


Alessandra Araujo, Ph.D.

Research Associate
Ph.D., Immunology, University of Rochester
M.S., Animal Physiology, Southern Illinois University
B.S., Molecular Biology, University of Southern Florida
alessandra[at]austin.utexas.edu


Nick Azzi

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Chemical Engineering


Mark Badeaux, Ph.D.

Research Associate
Ph.D., Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas Health Science Center/MD Anderson Cancer Center
B.S., Microbiology, UT Austin
m.badeaux[at]utexas.edu


Sarah Bayne, PharmD

Graduate Research Assistant
Co-advised w/ Dr. Everett Stone
PhD Candidate, Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
Pharm.D., Drake University
B.A., Biochemistry, Augustana College


Sarita Bhetawal, M.S.

Research Engineering/Scientist Associate III
M.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas Arlington/UT Southwestern Medical Center
B.S. Biotechnology/Biochemistry, Minnesota State University
sarita.bhetawal[at]austin.utexas.edu


Kristin Connelly

Graduate Research Assistant
Co-advised w/ Dr. Jason Lavinder
Co-advised w/ Dr. Allison Seeger
PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering, UT Austin
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Boston University
kmconnelly[at]utexas.edu
she/her/hers


Elisa Contreras

Graduate Research Assistant
PhD Candidate, Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
Co-advised w/ Dr. Jason Lavinder
B.S., Biotechnology, Technological Institute of Santo Domingo
econtreras[at]my.utexas.edu


George Georgiou, Ph.D.

Professor
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Cornell University, 1987
gg[at]che.utexas.edu

More information here


Luke Hebert

Graduate Research Assistant
Co-advised w/ Dr. Allison Seeger
PhD Candidate, Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
B.S., Bioinformatics, University of St. Thomas, Houston
luke.hebert[at]austin.utexas.edu


Bart Herpers

Graduate Research Assistant
PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering, UT Austin
M.S., Drug Innovation, University Utrecht
B.S., Biotechnology, Wageningen University & Research
b.m.herpers[at]utexas.edu


Tae Hyun Kang, Ph.D.

Visiting Professor, Kookmin University
Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, UT Austin
M.A., Cell and Molecular Biology, UT Austin
M.S., Biotechnology, Yonsei University
B.S., Biotechnology, Yonsei University


Dae Sung Kim

Graduate Research Assistant
PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering, UT Austin
M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo
B.S., Biosystem Engineering, University of Manitoba
dkim2[at]utexas.edu


Elaine Knudson

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Chemical Engineering


Sean Knudson

Graduate Research Assistant
PhD Candidate, Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
B.S., Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Austin
seanknudson[at]utexas.edu


Sanghwan Ko, Ph.D.

Ph.D., Biochemistry, Kookmin University
M.S., Biochemistry, Kookmin University
B.S. Bio and Nano Chemistry, Kookmin University
sanghwanko[at]utexas.edu


Jason Lavinder, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Biochemistry, The Ohio State University
B.S., Biology, Wright State University
jlavinder[at]utexas.edu


Emily Lewis

Graduate Research Assistant, Dr. Everett Stone
PhD Candidate, Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin


Victoria Longo

Undergraduate Research Assistant


Jeffrey Marchioni, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, UT Austin
B.S., Bioengineering, Northeastern University
jeffrey.marchioni[at]utexas.edu
he/his/him


Christina Martins, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow w/ Dr. Jason Lavinder
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
M.S., Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
B.S., Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia
B.S., Biological Sciences, Centro Universitario de Patos de Minas
christina.martins[at]utexas.edu
she/her/hers


Ladan Mashouri

Graduate Research Assistant
Co-advised w/ Dr. Everett Stone
PhD Candidate, Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
B.S., Genetics, University of Isfahan
M.S., Genetics, Shahrekord University
ladan.mashouri[at]utexas.edu


Lizzie Minnich, CRA

Senior Grants & Contracts Specialist
Operations & Strategic Management Lead for the Georgiou Lab
Assistant to Dr. Georgiou
eminnich[at]che.utexas.edu
she/her/hers


Juyeon Park, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
B.S., Food Science and Biotechnology, Seoul National University
B.S., Biological Sciences, Seoul National University
juyeonpark[at]utexas.edu


Weiwei Peng, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Biomolecular Spectrometry and Proteomics, University Utrecht
M.S., Biotechnology, TU Dresden, IHI Zittau, Germany
B.S., Wuhan University
weiwei.peng[at]austin.utexas.edu


Max Rodnick-Smith, Ph.D.

Research Associate w/ Dr. Everett Stone
Ph.D., Chemistry, The University of Oregon
maxrs[at]utexas.edu


Allison Seeger, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist
Ph.D., Medical Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat,
Munich, Germany
allison.seeger[at]austin.utexas.edu


Maia Stern

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Biomedical Engineering


Everett Stone, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor
Ph.D., Cellular & Molecular Biology, UT Austin
stonesci[at]utexas.edu

2017 Emerging Inventor of the Year


Anika Tahsin

Graduate Research Assistant
Co-advised w/ Dr. Jason Lavinder
PhD Candidate, Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
M.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh


Douglas Townsend

Graduate Research Assistant
Co-advised w/ Dr. Jason Lavinder
PhD Candidate, Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
B.S., Chemistry, Northeastern University
douglas.townsend[at]utexas.edu


Willam N. Voss, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
B.A. Biology, Reed College
wnv[at]utexas.edu


Makiko Watanabe, DVM, PhD

Senior Research Scientist
D.V.M., Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University
Ph.D., Medicine, Osaka University
makiko.watanabe[at]austin.utexas.edu


Chloe Wilk

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Neuroscience


Rocio Zapata-Bustos, Ph.D.

Laboratory Manager
Research Engineering/Scientist Associate II
Ph.D., Molecular Biology, IPICYT, San Luis Potosí, México
M.S., Molecular Biology, Molecular Biology, IPICYT, San Luis Potosí, México
B.S., Pharmaco-biological Chemistry, IPICYT, San Luis Potosí, México
rocio.zapatabustos[at]austin.utexas.edu

The Institute Joins Universal Influenza Vaccine Consortium

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The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has initiated the Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers (CIVICs) program, a new network of research centers that will work together in a coordinated, multidisciplinary effort to develop more durable, broadly protective and longer-lasting influenza vaccines. NIAID will provide up to approximately $51 million in total first-year funding for the program, which is designed to support the CIVICs program centers over seven years.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-forms-new-collaborative-influenza-vaccine-research-network

Dr. Everett Stone Competes on Forged in Fire on the History Channel

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Our very own Dr. Everett Stone recently competed on the TV show Forged in Fire on the History Channel. Congratulations Dr. Stone!

The full episode can be viewed here:

https://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire/season-6/episode-30

photo credit: Marsha Miller

Dr. Stone was recently featured in the Texas Scientist Magazine. https://cns.utexas.edu/news/the-tool-maker-the-double-life-of-everett-stone

New cancer treatment uses enzymes to boost immune system and fight back

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In our most recent paper, we show that administration of a pharmacologically optimized enzyme (PEGylated kynureninase; hereafter referred to as PEG-KYNase) that degrades Kyn into immunologically inert, nontoxic and readily cleared metabolites inhibits tumor growth. Enzyme treatment was associated with a marked increase in the tumor infiltration and proliferation of polyfunctional CD8+ lymphocytes. We show that PEG-KYNase administration had substantial therapeutic effects when combined with approved checkpoint inhibitors or with a cancer vaccine for the treatment of large B16-F10 melanoma, 4T1 breast carcinoma or CT26 colon carcinoma tumors. PEG-KYNase mediated prolonged depletion of Kyn in the TME and reversed the modulatory effects of IDO1/TDO upregulation in the TME.

https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.4180

http://www.worldpharmanews.com/research/4522-new-cancer-treatment-uses-enzymes-to-boost-immune-system-and-fight-back

GRA George Delidakis wins Poster Prize at EMBO Antibodies Conference

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GRA George Delidakis recently attended the EMBO Antibody and Complement: Effector functions, Therapies and Technologies Conference in Girona, Spain and was awarded one of two Poster Awards.

The Conference was attended by an international group of faculty, students, and scientists from the biotech industry who work on understanding the diverse and complex roles of antibodies in the context of the broader immune system. In his poster, he presented our lab’s work on generating a panel of engineered antibodies which -unlike wildtype antibody- display unique specificity to each member of the Fc gamma receptor family, a family of receptors that are critical in linking the innate and adaptive branches of immunity. For his presentation, he was awarded one of the two Poster Awards, along with a cash prize.

The research was sponsored by the Clayton Foundation for Research.

Congratulations George!