Lab Members

Amy S. Gladfelter
Professor of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University

A.B. Princeton University, 1996
Ph.D. Duke University, 2001

I find thinking about cells and training people to be scientists an absolutely fascinating, challenging and rewarding life. I love new microscopes, puzzling data and starting new collaborations.

Ameya Jalihal Ph.D.
B. Tech SASTRA University, India, 2015
Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2020

Cells are constrained by the rules of physics and chemistry, and yet are constantly pushing these limits to survive and thrive in challenging environments. In a fungal syncytium, the environment is sensed by many nuclei simultaneously, and they then have to respond to it by acting in concert. How do spatial organization, physical forces and chemistry of phase separation come together to build and protect the organism in such systems?

Zachary Geisterfer, Ph.D.
B.S. University of Hawai’i at Hilo, 2017
Ph.D. University of Wyoming, 2021

Molecular self-assembly is at the heart of many diverse biological processes, yet it’s not always clear how cells encourage self-assembling molecules to find one another at the right time and place, despite the hustle and bustle going on inside the cell. I’m interested in understanding more about the general mechanisms, both physical and biochemical, underlying the spatial organization of self-assembling networks, and how these types of interaction may influence cellular function and decision making.

Veronica Farmer, Ph.D.
B.A. Mount Holyoke College, 2013
Ph.D. Vanderbilt University, 2022

I am fascinated by understanding how small molecular differences can manifest dramatic changes to larger order dynamic architectures. Syncytial cells of the human placenta form elaborate three-dimensional structures necessary to support development of the fetus. I am interested in elucidating the role of the cytoskeleton in defining and maintaining these structures.

Audrey Williams, Ph.D.
B.A. Reed College, 2014
Ph.D. University of Chicago, 2023

I think about how fungal cells shape themselves, and how they adjust those shapes to survive in different (and often extreme) environments. As a window into these questions, I study the black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans, which is remarkable for both its wide environmental range and for its impressive morphological variability. I ask how genetic factors and environment-induced morphological plasticity each contribute to its ability to adopt different shapes.

Yuan Wang, Ph.D.
B.S. Peking University, 2017
Ph.D. Peking University, 2021

The establishment of distinct cytoplasmic zones that specialize in various functions is crucial for the efficient execution of intracellular reactions, particularly in giant syncytial cells containing billions of nuclei. I am interested in exploring the organization and distribution of nuclei within syncytial cells, as well as investigating the formation and dynamic regulation of intracellular functional partitions.

Liya Oster, Ph.D.
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles, 2018
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 2024

Survival of any organism requires the ability to respond and adapt to external stressors, including fluctuating temperatures, limiting nutrient conditions, or changing pH. Using the polyextreme tolerant yeast Aureobasidium pullulans, I am interested in studying how both individual cells and cell populations address these environmental challenges, and what molecules and mechanisms underlie these stress responses.