Rodoniki Athanasiadou

I’m a Molecular Biologist and Applied Data Scientist with a strong commitment to advancing the integration of machine learning in the fields of healthcare and biomedicine. In August 2023, I assumed the role of Senior Research Associate on Dr. John LaCava’s team at The Rockefeller University, where I lead the dry lab. My primary focus is harnessing the power of machine learning as a dynamic tool for hypothesis generation within the established scientific research framework.

I have a PhD from the University of Edinburgh in Molecular Biology and extensive experience on the application of machine learning in biomedicine both in academia and industry. More details about my professional experience can be found in my LinkedIn profile.

Mathias I. Nielsen

I have a background in glycobiology and glycoproteomics and I earned my PhD at the Copenhagen Center for Glycomics at the University of Copenhagen under the supervision of Prof. Hans Wandall. I joined John’s team at Rockefeller University as a postdoctoral associate in January 2023, and in my research I will use different applications of mass spectrometry to study the fundemental biology of LINE-1 proteins and their involvement in various diseases.

Omar Bringas

I earned my Master’s degree in Mexico and then I joined John’s groups to do my PhD. I am interested in RNA biology and the interactions between proteins and other macromolecules. I am currently studying the interactions between IGF2 binding proteins and LINE-1 retrotransposons. I am also interested in mass spectrometry and data analysis.

Apostolos Mourtzinos

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. In 2020, I joined the Laboratory of Macromolecules and Interactomes in Groningen, NL as a lab technician. A year later I got enrolled in a 2-year Master’s program in Molecular Medicine and Innovative Treatment at the University of Groningen, which I started in parallel with my position as a lab technician at the LaCava Lab.

Currently, I am conducting my PhD at John’s team at the European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA) and The Rockefeller University, researching the contribution of LINE-1 retrotransposons in neurodegenerative diseases. My scientific interests focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms of various diseases through investigating macromolecular interactions.

Hua Jiang

I earned an MS degree in Biology from Queens College of The City University of New York (CUNY). I joined the Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology at The Rockefeller University in 2006. Since that time, I have been a project coordinator for the National Center for Dynamic Interactome Research.

I started working with John in 2008, when he was a recently-joined post-doctoral associate in the same lab, and we have continued working together ever since. In my capacity on John’s team, I am a Research Specialist working on the biochemical characterization of L1 ribonucleoproteins.

Mohammed Hanzala

I obtained my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Life Sciences with a major in Biotechnology from India. Thereafter, I joined the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, as a Junior Research Fellow where I delved into the fascinating realm of mass spectrometry-based proteomics while actively contributing to a project focused on identifying diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for Celiac disease.

In May 2023, I joined LaCava’s laboratory at the European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA) as a mass spectrometry researcher, and I am thrilled to engage with the interdisciplinary domains of molecular biology and analytical chemistry. I am also eager to expand my knowledge by exploring the computational aspects of proteomics.