Team

Current Members

Members gallery

Vladimir I. Gelfand, PhD (Principal Investigator)

Leslie B. Arey Professor of Cell, Molecular and Anatomical Sciences

Received her bachelor degree in Biological Sciences at Peking University (China) and her PhD degree in Genetics at the University of Chicago. Her undergrad thesis focused on expression and characterization of the Spike protein of SARS-COV virus in insect cells and mammalian cells; her doctoral thesis investigated the role of the small GTPase Rac in the germ line stem cell asymmetric cell division and self-renewal. In the Gelfand lab, Wen is interested to understand how the cytoskeletal components polarize large cells, such as neurons, and oocytes, in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster (AKA fruit flies).

Anyuta Serpinskaya (aka Anna Gelfand), PhD (Research Specialist)

email: a-gelfand@northwestern.edu

Margot Lakonishok, PhD (Research Specialist)

email: m-lakonishok@northwestern.edu

Bhuvanasundar Ranganathan (Research Associate)

Bhuvan obtained Ph.D. in biological sciences in 2016, from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India. Doctoral work is focused on the biochemical and biophysical characterization of the enzyme Lysyl oxidase (LOX). Then moved to the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore in 2017, where he worked as a post-doctoral fellow and studied the anti-angiogenic properties of ADAMTS5 protein. Currently studying the dynamics of vimentin intermediate filament. Towards that, exploring how vimentin filaments interact with other cytoskeletal components such as microtubule, actin, and motor proteins for its dynamics. He enjoys playing with a microscope and taking images.

email: bhuvan@northwestern.edu

Fiona Ann Nicdao - Research Technologist

Anika Ayyalaraju (Research Technologist)

Anika earned her B.S. in Microbiology with a research distinction and a minor in pharmaceutical sciences from The Ohio State University in Columbus. Her undergraduate thesis titled “Neurotensin modulation of ultra-sonic vocalizations in neonatal sepsis model” focused on her passions in neuroimmunology and translational science. In the Gelfand lab, she aims to explore the field of Cell & Developmental Biology.

Outside of the lab, Anika enjoys playing dungeons and dragons, working out, playing veena, and watching horror movies. While her initial inspiration for biomedical research stemmed from zombie films, she has learned to not fall down the path of a crazy mad scientist that brings about the end of the world.

Email: anika.ayyalaraju@northwestern.edu

Alumnus

Featured

Urko del Castillo, PhD

Associated with Gelfand’s lab from 2011 to 2020 as Post doctoral research fellow. Currently, he is working as Research Associate at Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, New York.

Rosalind Norkett, PhD

Associated with Gelfand’s lab from 2016 to 2020 as post doctoral fellow. Currently, senior research scientist at Francis crick institute in London, England

Jonathan R. Brent, MD-PhD (Research Fellow)

Jonathan is interested in translating discoveries underlying the basic mechanisms of motor neuron disease into treatments for the disease. His current research focuses on the role of cytoskeletal dynamics and axon transport in diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. He received his MD.PhD. at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where his doctoral thesis investigated the convergent roles of TDP-43 and FUS/TLS in ALS. Later, he came to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he pursued Neurology Residency and Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship. He was awarded the NIH R25 research training fellowship. He is currently Instructor of Neurology at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine.

email: jonathan.brent@northwestern.edu

Sun Kim, PhD

I joined the Gelfand lab in June of 2022. I am interested in understanding how microtubules are spatiotemporally regulated during oogenesis using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. I live with two furry family members, Kimchi and Somang, from South Korea. I enjoy cuddling with my dogs, cooking, and reading (non-scientific books) in my free time.

Shannon Liang

A Chicago native, Shannon earned her B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Her undergraduate thesis focused on identifying domains of NOTCH1-collaborating transcription factor Ets1 that are important in T-ALL. Her project in the Gelfand lab aims to elucidate the role of microtubules during tracheal development in Drosophila. When she is not taking care of her flies, Shannon enjoys working out, playing the violin, and sewing.

Now a Graduate Student at Duke University. (2026)