Trainees


Jennifer (Jenny) Miller | Graduate Student | 2023–2026

Kayla Komondor | Graduate Student | 2019–2024 | Ph.D. 2024
Dissertation: Fertilization Unconventionally Activates Phospholipase C During the Fast Block to Polyspermy in the African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis
Awards: NIH Graduate Fellowship | NSF GRFP Honorable Mention | SSR Travel Award (2022) | Biophysical Society Travel Award (2024)

Rachel Bainbridge | Graduate Student | 2017–2022 | Ph.D. 2022
Dissertation: Signaling Mechanisms of Polyspermy Blocks
Awards: Mellon Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship | NIH Predoctoral Fellowship | Outstanding Presenter, Pitt Grad Expo (2021) | Mary P. Edmonds Award for Outstanding Publication (2021) | Elizabeth Dillon Travel Award (2022)

Maiwase (Wase) Tembo | Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Fellow | 2015–2021 | Ph.D. 2020
Dissertation: Uncovering the Signaling Mechanisms of TransMEMbrane 16A
Awards: American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship | Biophysical Society Student Research Achievement Award (2019, 2020) | CPLC Summer School Fellowship (2018) | Biophysical Society Travel Grant | Outstanding Presenter, Pitt Grad Expo

Katherine (Katie) Wozniak | Graduate Student | 2014–2019 | Ph.D. 2019
Dissertation: Polyspermy Blocks Used by the African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis
Awards: Mellon Fellowship | Margaret A. Oweida Fellowship | Larry Ewing Trainee Travel Fellowship, SSR | Biophysical Society Travel Grant | Outstanding Presenter, Pitt Grad Expo


Senior Scientists

Joel Rosenbaum | Research Assistant Professor | 2019–2024 | Ph.D. 2011


Research Technicians

Kloee Connelly | Research Technician | 2025–2026

Abigail (Abi) Trauffer | Research Technician | 2025–2026

Kamillia Czachor | Research Technician | 2024–2025

Maia Genta | Research Technician | 2024–2025

Dominique Summerville | Research Technician | 2019–2022

Brianna Mayfield | Research Technician | 2015–2016


Undergraduate Students

Aidan Feehan | Undergraduate Technician | 2025

Kayla Roundtree | Undergraduate Researcher | 2024–2025

Imaan Saeed | Undergraduate Technician | 2024

Aileen Li | Undergraduate Technician | 2024

Nathaniel Ratica | Undergraduate Researcher | 2024

Sophia Mancinelli | Undergraduate Researcher | 2024–2025

Kloee Connelly | Undergraduate Researcher | 2024–2025

Alec Roces | Undergraduate Technician | 2024

Helena Orth | Undergraduate Researcher | 2023–2026

Sara Carlton | Undergraduate Researcher | 2023–2025

Melissa Akay | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022–2023

Angela Cecco | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022–2023

Shreeya Mamidipaka | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022–2023

Khaalis Harris | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022–2024

Risha Musuku | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022–2023

Olivia Brado | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022–2023

Julia Schack | Undergraduate Researcher | 2021–2024

Paushaly Sau | Undergraduate Researcher | 2020–2022

Beatrice Milnes | Undergraduate Researcher | 2020–2022

Sarah Khanzada | Undergraduate Researcher | 2020–2023

Eirlys Barbara | Undergraduate Researcher | 2020–2023

Cam Sherlock | Undergraduate Researcher | 2020–2021

Ethan Lorence | Undergraduate Researcher | 2019–2020

Joseph Brigidi | Undergraduate Researcher | 2019–2020

Madison Boehm | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018

Madelyn Czekalski | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018–2019

Catherine (Cat) Luu | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018–2019

Meghan Hanson | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017–2020

Melania Linderman | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017–2018

Srikavya Pasumarthy | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017–2019

Alexis Duray (Jancosko) | Undergraduate Researcher | 2016–2017

Bennett Wisner | Undergraduate Researcher | 2016–2018

Monica Sauer | Undergraduate Researcher | 2016–2018

David Leftwich | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015

Danielle Berlin (Buglak) | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015

Marc Napolitano | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015–2017

Philip Carlucci | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015–2016

David Beleny | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015–2017