PI
Christal Sohl
Hometown: Norman, Oklahoma
Degree/training: B.S., Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma; Ph.D., Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University; Postdoctoral training, Pharmacology, Yale University
Favorite non-science activity: Fitness/exercise, travel, and hiking in San Diego’s beautiful outdoors.
Favorite book/author: Impossible question! But if I go by re-read frequency, it’s Richard Bradford’s Red Sky at Morning, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Charles Dickens’s Pickwick Papers, and David Sedaris’s Me Talk Pretty One Day.
Scientist hero: Prof. Joan Steitz
What motivates me to do research? I have lost family and friends to cancer, and I strive to honor their memory in our work. My most important role as a PI is to mentor and empower our next generation of scientists, and this role has my heart.
Fun fact about me: For two years during my postdoc, I played the triple cello pans in a steel pan band. I am currently scratching the percussion itch by learning to play the tabla and tenor pan.
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PhD Students
Elene Albekioni
PhD student
Research focus: Understanding enzyme dynamics is critical for elucidating the key features of enzyme structure and function. By using spectroscopic tools tied to transient-state kinetics methods, I seek to understand how real-time structural changes in the human enzymes IDH1, a metabolic enzyme, and PolE, a leading strand polymerase, facilitate their vital enzymatic activities.
Hometown: Tbilisi, Georgia
Degree/training: B.S. Chemistry, San Diego State University Georgia
Favorite non-science activity: Playing video games and cooking
Favorite book/author: Antonio and David by Jemal Karchkhadze
Scientist hero: Rosalind Franklin
What motivates me to do research? I
Fun fact about me: Before I became a biochemist, I was a professional dancer
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Brittany Conley
PhD student
Research focus: Polymerase ε (PolE) is responsible for leading DNA strand replication in humans. Mutations in PolE drive cancers of the endometrium, stomach, and skin. These mutations can theoretically affect nucleotide incorporation, nucleotide excision, processivity, and overall fidelity. We use pre-steady-state kinetics experiments to determine the consequences of these mutations on robust, accurate DNA replication. I am interested in kinetically characterizing both exonuclease domain and polymerase domain mutants that drive tumors to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of tumor growth and development.
Hometown: San Diego, California
Degree/training: B.S., Biochemistry, Cal Poly, Pomona
Favorite non-science activity: Going to Disneyland with my family
Favorite book/author: The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
Scientist hero: Rosalind Franklin
What motivates me to do research? I am passionate about research because there are an unmeasurable number of diseases for which we have no treatments or poor treatments that amount to short-term remissions with poor quality of life. Research allows me to do my part to help.
Fun fact about me: I can live off of caffeine and 2 hours of sleep
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Grace Chao
PhD student (Biology)
Research focus: The conversion from isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate by IDH1 is the main source of NADPH in peroxisomes. Mutations in IDH1 prevent this conversion and can affect plasmalogen biosynthesis, β-oxidation of very long chain fatty acids, and α-oxidation of phytanic acid. I aim to use lipidomics and cellular assays to establish the peroxisomal consequences of IDH1 mutations that drive cancer.
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Degree/training: B.S., Bioengineering/Biotech UCSD; M.S., Biotechnology, UPenn
Favorite non-science activity: Socializing with the TV on my couch. Being overly gleeful at funny human antics like trying to name a ship Boaty McBoatface
Favorite book/author: Eating Animals (Jonathan Saffran Foer), the last ~1/3 of Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), and the first section of At the Bench (Kathy Barker).
Scientist hero:Dr. Jen Gunter and Dr. Mama Danielle Jones
What motivates me to do research?
Fun fact about me: Most of the time, you can see my heart beat pulse against my skin on my wrist. Freaky!
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Nini Mamasakhlisi
PhD student
Research focus: Human isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) is a mitochondrial metabolic enzyme that is commonly mutated in acute myeloid leukemia. Due to difficulties in heterologously expressing this protein, our understanding of its kinetic and structural features, both wild type and mutant forms, is limited. I seek to establish the key catalytic residues required for its conventional and neomorphic activities, and determine the static and dynamic structural features that support its function in health and disease.
Hometown: Tbilisi, Georgia
Degree/training: B.S. in Chemistry, SDSU Georgia
Favorite non-science activity: Traveling, playing board games
Favorite book/author: Vazha-Pshavela
Scientist hero: Robert S. Mulliken
What motivates me to do research? There’s nothing more satisfying than discovering something new. It’s the joy of contributing to scientific progress and benefiting society as a whole.
Fun fact about me: I can sleep 18 h in a day without waking up
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MS Students
Darius Hyde
MS student
Research focus: Though isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) catalysis has been extensively studied in bacteria, the chemical details in humans, which have unique regulatory strategies from microbes, are less understood. I use site-directed mutagenesis to design mutants that will help us probe wild type IDH1 catalysis.
Hometown: Merced, California
Degree/training: SDSU Undergraduate in Biochemistry
Favorite non-science activity: Football
Favorite book/author: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
Scientist hero: Neil deGrasse Tyson
What motivates me to do research?
Fun fact about me: I have a hole in my heart, it is a condition known as patent ductus arteriosus.
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Aaron Le
MS student
Research focus: Mutant IDH is an important anti-cancer therapeutic target, and establishing selectivity features is critical for developing inhibitors that are efficacious and less toxic. I am interested in using biochemical techniques to understand inhibitor binding selectivity to mutant IDH1 and kinetic differences among tumor-driving mutants in IDH2.
Hometown: South Vietnam
Degree/training: B.S., Biochemistry, SDSU
Favorite non-science activity: Video games, reading (sometimes)
Favorite book/author: I just read They Both Die at the End, by Adam Silvera. Strongly recommend for LGBTQ books and how to value time.
Scientist hero: Marie Curie (1st woman that won the Nobel Prize)
What motivates me to do research?
Fun fact about me: My personality type is INFP, which means I feel motivated by helping others, so feel free to ask for help. It also says that my work efficiency rises from positive feedback; thus don’t hesitate to compliment me to increase my efficiency!
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Undergraduates
Sean Alfaro-Cunningham
Biochemistry major
Research focus: Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) lead to the generation of a neomorphic activity, the production of D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG). D2HG can serve as a competitive inhibitor of enzymes that use a structurally similar metabolite, α-ketoglutarate, that can ultimately lead to tumor formation. I am interested in identifying new pathways that may be affected by D2HG production by examining the consequences of treating α-ketoglutarate-dependent enzymes with D2HG.
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas
Degree/training: Chemistry – Emphasis in Biochemistry
Favorite non-science activity: Football
Favorite book/author: “The Count of Monte Cristo”
Scientist hero: Carl Sagan
What motivates me to do research?
Fun fact about me: My mom named me after Sean Connery
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Visiting Summer Students (2024):
Melina Urquidez, Grace Viljoen
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Alumni: Graduate Students
Amanda Coale (SohlMate 2019-2020), MS 2020 (Engineering). Engineer at Biolinq.
Adam Grunseth (SohlMate 2016-2018), BS 2015.
Ngoc “Jade” Huynh (SohlMate 2018-2021) MA 2021. Technician at University of San Diego.
Dr. Lucas Luna (SohlMate 2015-2021) PhD 2021. Scientist at Singular Genomics.
Dr. Diego Avellaneda Matteo (SohlMate 2015-2020), PhD 2020. Scientist at Debut Biotech.
Ashfeen Nawar (SohlMate 2021-2024), MS 2024. Life Science Research Professional at Stanford University.
Phuc Phan (SohlMate 2019-2020), MS 2021 (Engineering).
Kate Sabo (SohlMate 2019-2022) MS 2022. Analyst at Kern Regional Crime Lab.
Anna Uvarova (SohlMate 2015-2017), MS 2017. Scientist at Novartis.
Dr. Joi Weeks (SohlMate 2018-2020), PhD 2020. Passed away in 2020.
Grace Wells (SohlMate 2016-2020), MS 2018. Scientist at Enlaza.
Zeqing “Ruth” Xu (SohlMate 2017-2019), MS 2019. Scientist at Illumina.
Alumni: Undergraduate Students
Sati Alexander (SohlMate 2018-2020), BS 2020. PhD student at Augusta University.
Celena Anaya (SohlMate 2017), BS 2018. Scientist at Trilink Biotechnologies.
Stacy Anselmo (SohlMate 2015-2017), BS 2017. Scientist at Eton.
Marissa Balagtas (SohlMate 2022-2023), BS 2023. PhD student at UCLA.
Carlos Bobadilla (SohlMate 2016), BS 2017 Scientist at Illumina.
Danielle Caliger (SohlMate 2019-2021), BS 2021. PA student at University of the Pacific.
Nalani Coleman (SohlMate 2019-2022), BS 2022. PhD student at UCLA.
Esteban Delgado (SohlMate 2018), BS 2020. PhD student at UCSD.
Jeon Erik Fonbon (SohlMate 2017-2018), BS 2018.
Eric Gonzalez (SohlMate 2015-2017), BS 2017. MS at UCSF. Advisor at SDSU.
Darius Hyde (SohlMate 2023-2024), BS 2024. MS student at SDSU.
Madison Kennedy (SohlMate 2015-2018), BS 2018. PhD at U Washington 2023. Research Coordinator, Institute for Protein Design, U Washington.
Rachel Khoury (SohlMate 2021-2023), BS 2023. Applying to PhD programs.
Aaron Le (SohlMate 2023-2024), BS 2024. MS student at SDSU.
Zach Lesecq (SohlMate 2017-2018), BS 2018. MD student at California U Science and Medicine.
Dania Meza-Acosta (SohlMate 2018), BS 2022. Scientist at Illumina.
Chelsie Miller (SohlMate 2021-2023), BS 2023. PhD student at Colorado U.
Precious Moman (SohlMate 2016-2017), BS 2018. MD student at UCLA.
Michelle Nguyen (SohlMate 2018), BS. PharmD student at UCSF.
Tin Duc Nguyen (SohlMate 2019), BS 2021 (UCSD). Applying to PhD programs.
Dahra Pucher (SohlMate 2019), current USC undergraduate.
Divine Pungi (SohlMate 2022-2023), current PhD student at Wayne State.
Giovanni Quichocho (SohlMate 2017-2020), BS 2020. PhD student at the University of Utah.
Andrea Ruiz (SohlMate 2016), SDSU undergraduate.
Jorge Sandoval (SohlMate 2016), BS 2019.
Anup Sarakki (SohlMate 2016), MS 2018. Scientist at Alkahest.
Michelle Scott (SohlMate 2018-2019), BS 2019. PhD student at Vanderbilt University before passing away in 2020.
Jennifer Schenkenfelder (SohlMate 2021-2022), BS 2022. Clinical Research Associate at Parexel
Nicole Sierra (SohlMate 2021-2024), BS 2024. PhD student at Penn State.
Caroline Stack (SohlMate 2021-2022), BS 2022. MBA student at Boston University.
Lexy Strom (SohlMate 2018-2021), BS 2021. PhD student at Stanford.
Ella Thornberg (SohlMate 2019-2021), BS 2021. Account Executive at Advanced Healing and Hemostasis.
Viraj Upadhye (SohlMate 2017-2020), BS 2020. PhD student at Cornell.
Vinnie Widjaja (SohlMate 2018-2021), BS 2021. PhD student at Brown.
Yunjin Wu (SohlMate 2016), BS 2016, MS 2018. Scientist at Wuxi AppTec.
Tony Zamro (SohlMate 2019), BS 2019. Research Associate at HD Biosciences.
Elan Zora (SohlMate 2018). BS 2019. Applying to medical school.
Alumni: Postdocs
Mowaffaq Adam (SohlMate 2021-2024). ASBMB Policy Fellowship/training