Current Group Members

Debbie is from St. Louis Missouri and is a proud graduate of Ladue Horton Watkins High School (everyone in STL always asks - where did you go to high school?).  After obtaining her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans, she moved to Boston to complete her PhD studies in the laboratory of JoAnne Stubbe in the Department of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  In the Stubbe lab, Debbie investigated ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) from yeast, unraveling the multilayered regulation of RNR activity including diiron cofactor biosynthesis.  After MIT, she moved across the river to Harvard Medical School for her postdoc with  Suzanne Walker in the Departments of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Debbie investigated the mechanism and inhibition of bacterial cell wall biogenesis.  She joined the faculty in the Department of Chemistry in 2010 where her lab uses chemical biology approaches to understand the mechanism of iron sulfur cluster biogenesis.  She notes that with each move during her time in Boston, she has gotten closer to Fenway Park - GO SOX!  When she’s not in lab or watching the Sox, she keeps busy with her role as Mom to three really super men - Charlie, Daniel and Owen.

Wen Yi was born in Singapore. She completed her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the National University of Singapore with Prof. Shu-Sin Chng, where she studied how biological membranes are assembled and focused on phospholipid trafficking in Gram-negative bacteria. Currently, Wen Yi is a Postdoctoral Associate Lecturer, teaching Biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Boston University. Besides teaching, Wen Yi also conducts research in the Perlstein Lab, studying the assembly scaffold of the CIA pathway. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, birdwatching, wildlife photography and simply being surrounded by nature.

Jackson earned his B.S. in Chemistry in 2016 and his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2019 at Penn State University. While at Penn State, he worked for Dr. Squire Booker studying radical SAM enzymes and Dr. Joey Cotruvo studying lanthanide-dependent proteins to gain insight into how biology selectively recognizes low abundance lanthanides over high abundance metals. Currently, Jackson is a 5th-year graduate student studying the trafficking protein of the CIA pathway, Nar1,  to elucidate how it delivers its Fe-S cluster(s) to the late  stages of the pathway for maturation of Fe-S apo-proteins. Outside of lab, Jackson enjoys drinking coffee, playing video games/watching kdramas, and reading. 

Anastasiya has graduated from Belarusian State University (BSU) (Minsk, Belarus) where she earned her B.S in Chemistry in 2015 and M.S. in Analytical Chemistry in 2016. During her study at BSU, she worked on a project devoted to the chemical variability of essential oil composition from medicinal plants growing wild on the territory of Belarus and the development of methods for its selective extraction. After graduation, she worked on the development of software packages for forensic specialists. She joined Perlstein Lab in December 2019 and currently, she is working on how apo-proteins are recognized in the late step of the CIA pathway. When not conducting experiments, she enjoys spending time with her little son.

Christina grew up in Marshfield, MA. She earned her B.S. in biochemistry (with an emphasis in neuroscience) from Trinity College, where she worked under Dr. Michael Puljung to probe ATP-sensitive ion channels with fluorescent, non-hydrolyzable nucleotides. 

Hannah is a first year graduate student in Chemistry from West Hartford, Connecticut. She earned a B.A. in chemistry from Bryn Mawr College where she studied the substrate specificity of enzymes of the HMG-CoA Reductase metabolism pathway using X-ray crystallography. When not in the lab she enjoys listening to music and podcasts while going on walks to explore Boston.

Melissa earned her B.A. in Chemistry, with a specialization in Biochemistry, along with a minor in French Studies, from Boston University in 2023. During her academic career, she worked on various research projects focused on biochemical education and protein biochemistry. Currently, Melissa is working in the Perlstein Lab to better understand scaffold protein interactions within the CIA pathway. When not doing research, she dedicates time to mentoring Organic Chemistry students in the teaching labs at BU. Melissa also enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and dog in her hometown of Westchester, New York.

Kaz Kondo grew up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. After earning his B.A. in Chemical Biology from Boston University in 2023, he returned to the university to pursue his interests in biochemical research and science education as a post-baccalaureate academic fellow. Kaz is currently working in the Perlstein Lab to better understand protein structures in the CIA pathway

Soyoon Kang is currently a senior studying for her B.A. in Chemistry: Chemical Biology at Boston University. She is from South Korea and studied high school in Appleton, Wisconsin. She joined the Perlstein lab in Spring 2022 and is currently working on isolating DNA Primase subunits, Pri1 and Pri2, to study the interaction with CTC. During her free time, she enjoys cooking and eating Korean foods. In the future, Soyoon hopes to work in the pharmaceutical industry.

Beatrice grew up in Singapore and is a senior studying Chemistry with a minor in Biology at Boston University. She joined the Perlstein Lab in 2022 and has been conducting research under the guidance of Jackson. Currently, Beatrice is working on characterizing human Nar1 to determine its transport mechanism of iron-sulfur clusters. Outside of lab, she enjoys playing Monopoly and the New York Times mini-games. Following graduation, Beatrice hopes to attend graduate school for Chemistry and adopt a cat. 

Mark is a sophomore studying Chemical Biology And Data Science at Boston University. He joined the Perlstein Lab in 2023. When not in the lab, he loves going to every concert he can and trying out all the coffee shops of Boston. Additionally, he is part of BU’s improv group Liquid Fun. 

Rosie joined in the Perlstein lab in January 2017. She enjoys playing tug of war, barking at other dogs, and belly rubs. She knows sit, lay down, and paw, and loves to greet her lab mates with hugs and kisses. Rosie currently works on developing a nap cycle schedule between classes and investigating the bone-to-bite ratio of each chew toy in the office.