Group Members

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John E. Straub

SCI 501A/505 (office/lab)
Phone: 617.353.2500 (department office)
Fax: 617.353.6466 (department fax)
straub@bu.edu
Office Hours: by appointment

View Professor Straub’s education and honors on his faculty profile.
Explore Professor Straub’s relation to Gay-Lussac through his chemical genealogy.

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Conor Abraham (Graduate Student)

I am from Minnetonka, Minnesota and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. I joined the lab in 2020. My work in the Straub Group includes studies of the transmembrane domains of β-secretase and α-secretase, and the C99 fragment of Amyloid Precursor Protein. In addition, I explore the role of hydration and polyanions in determining the structure and stability of amyloid protein fibrils, with a special interest in fibrils formed by Serum Amyloid A protein.

Fiona Mon (Graduate Student)

I am from Ellicott City, Maryland. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland in Biochemistry. I joined the Straub group in 2022. My work is focused on modeling polymorphic structures of tau proteins to understand the role of hydration and polyanion interactions on nucleating amyloid formation. Additionally, I will be performing simulations of intrinsically disordered amyloid-forming tau protein monomers using coarse-graining strategies.

Sangram Prusty (Graduate Student)

I’m from Odisha, India, and completed my undergraduate studies at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, majoring in Chemical Sciences with a minor in Biological Sciences. I’m currently a joint PhD student under Prof. Straub and Prof. QC. My research explores the thermodynamic and kinetic principles governing protein–protein association and membrane phase separation, alongside the development of algorithms to elucidate optimal transition pathways and delineate precise dividing surfaces. I also investigate how depth-dependent membrane friction influences molecular isomerization as a model for tension-based probes. In my free time, I enjoy playing music and cooking.

Sonali Priyadarshini Nayak (Graduate Student)

I am from Odisha, India. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Systems Biology from the University of Hyderabad, India. During my undergraduate research, I worked on developing a mathematical model to study the immunosuppressive effects of steroids and cancer cells. I completed my master’s degree at the Max Planck School Matter to Life, with a focus on the physics of complex systems and biophysics at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Currently, I am a PhD student in the Straub group, where I work on understanding the biophysics of phase separation in ternary and quaternary lipid mixtures using multiscale modeling approaches—ranging from all-atom simulations to lattice models. Another aspect of my research focuses on the application of Generalized Langevin Equations to understand the role of friction and memory kernels in biophysical systems.

Pridhi Balhara (Graduate Student)

I am from Haryana, India. I received my B.Sc. (Honours) in Chemistry from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, followed by an M.Sc. in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, through the Erasmus Mundus program. Currently, I am pursuing a joint Ph.D. in the Straub Lab and the Cui Group, where my research in Prof. Straub’s group focuses on investigating the self-assembly kinetics of amyloid-beta aggregation using coarse-grained modeling strategies.

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Former Group Members

Postdoctoral Fellows

Seulki Kwon (2020-2023), Ryo Urano (2015-2017), Afra Panahi (2014-2017), Laura Dominguez (2012-2014), Edyta Malolepsza (2009-2012), Adam Moser (2009-2012), Jaegil Kim (2007-2011), Susan DeSensi (2007-2009), Naoyuki Miyashita (2005-2007), Hiroshi Fujisaki (2003-2007), Alan van Giessen (2002-2005), Javier Guevara (1998-2000), Diane Sagnella (1998-2000)

Graduate Students

Ayan Majumder (2019-2024), George Pantelopulos (2015-2021), Asanga Bandara (2014-2019), Qing Lu (2011-2015), Leigh Foster (2008-2014), Anna Victoria Martinez (2008-2013), Ping Zhang (2007-2012), Eva Rivera (2002-2009), Yong Zhang (2003-2008), Bogdan Tarus (2001-2006), Lintao Bu (1999-2004), Nicolae-Viorel Buchete (1996-2003), Troy Whitfield (1996-2001), Francesca Massi (1995-2001), Shuanghong Huo (1994-1999), Ioan Andricioaei (1994-1999), Patricia Amara (1991-1996), Jianpeng Ma (1991-1995), Ji-Kyung Choi (1994-1995)

Undergraduate Research Students

Yi-Chen Chen (2021-2023), Mari Nakamura (2021), Harrison Reiter (2019-2022), Jonathan Harris (2018-2022), Andrew Burwash (2016-2018), James Teruya (2016-2017), Longjiaxin “Elizabeth” Zhong (2015-2016), Emily Schmidt (2014-2015), Elizabeth Black (2014), Paola Velezy (2013-2014), Derrick Lewis (2011-2013), Lani Rush (2010-2012), Will Ginsberg (2008-2009), Janice Ye (2007-2008), Edwin Landaker (1994-1996), Sharon Motzkin (1994-1995), Ji-Kyung Choi (1991-1994), Alissa Rashkin (1990-1993), Deborah Pearlman (1990-1992)

High School Research Students

Celine Cheung (2023+2024), Nicole Qian (2023), Eric Hu (2014), Dheekshita Kumar (2014), Zachary Ziegler (2011-2012), Nikhil Pradhan (2004), Courtney Sargent (2003), Arnold Oh (2001), Shawn Anthonyz (2000), Elizabeth Faist (1999), Meagan Clement (1997), Jonathan Chu (1997), Brandy Evans (1996), Daniel Sharfman (1996), Eric Lo (1995)