NJBB Scholars gain hands-on research experience and mentorship from experts in their field. Learn more about the mentors and leadership in this program.
TCNJ Faculty Research Mentors
Joe Baker
Research Interests:
- Development and application of computational methods to study the structure, dynamics, and function of complex biomolecular systems like bacterial protein filaments called pili
- Properties of ionic liquids and the influence that they have on protein and biomembrane structure and dynamics
- Implications for the development of new ways to prevent and treat bacterial infections
Tools and techniques used:
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
- Computational Chemistry and Physics
- Computer Science and Programming
Nicholas Battista
Research Interests:
- Mathematical modeling of organismal systems
- Comparative biomechanics
- Leveraging machine learning to study complex systems
Tools and techniques used:
- Numerical differential equations and high-performance computing
- Computational fluid dynamics
- Computational optimization
- Surrogate modeling frameworks (e.g., neural networks, polynomial chaos expansions)
Michelle Bunagan
Research Interests:
- Probing the effect of environment in determining conformations of intrinsically disordered proteins
- Using surfactants and polymer-based structures to mimic dehydration conditions for proteins
- Development of polymer-focused laboratories for Physical Chemistry coursework
Tools and techniques used:
- Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy
- Fluorescence Spectroscopy
- UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy
Wendy Clement
Research Interests:
- Evolution of plant diversity using phylogenomics
- Evolution of fusion in honeysuckles
- Plant-insect interactions among plants, pollinators, and their herbivores
Tools and techniques used:
- Lab work and microscopy
- Genomics and bioinformatics (using the TCNJ high performance computing cluster)
- Field work and studies of natural history specimens
KT Elliott
Research Interests:
- Bacterial Genetics
- Ribosomal RNA
- Large Mutations
Tools and techniques used:
- Molecular Biology
- Microbiology
Levi Ekanger
Lab Website
Research interests:
- Modeling metalloenzymes with metal complexes
- Mammalian cysteamine dioxygenase reactivity
- Detection of radical species
- Reaction kinetics
Tools and techniques used:
- Inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry
- Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy
- High performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry
- UV-Visible spectroscopy
Jeffery Erickson
Research Interests:
- Maturation of cardiorespiratory control in neonatal animals
- Role of serotonin in cardiorespiratory maturation
- Serotonin-deficient animal models for SIDS
Tools and techniques used:
- Whole-animal measurement of breathing and heart rate
- Electrophysiological measurement of neural circuits
- Immunohistochemistry
Jana Gevertz
Research Interests:
- Understanding heterogeneous response to treatment among cancer patients
- Making robust predictions about cancer progression
- Informing experimental design
Tools and techniques used:
- Mathematical Modeling
- Computer Programming
- Data Science
Rebecca Hunter
Research Interests
- Developing New Tools for Chemical Measurement
- Method development of portable, paper-based analytical devices for low-resource settings
- Design of 3D polymer sensors for probing cell signaling
- Optimization of traditional analytical methods for complex samples
Tools and techniques used:
- Electrospinning
- Colorimetry using smart phone cameras
- Modern analytical tools (electron microscopy, electrochemistry, chromatography, mass spectrometry)
Tracy Kress
Research Interests:
- Regulation of gene expression using bakers yeast as a model organism
- Coupling between transcription and RNA processing
- Functions for prion-like proteins in regulating RNA splicing
Tools and techniques used:
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
John Nardini
Research Interests:
- Mathematical modeling of biological processes (wound healing and cancer progression)
- Developing methods to connect math models to biological data
- Incorporating machine learning into the math modeling process
Tools and techniques used:
- Differential equations
- Agent-based modeling
- Neural networks and other machine learning methods
Giovanny Parada
Research Interests:
- Understanding how the movement of electrons and protons enables metabolic processes
- Thermodynamics and kinetics of proton-coupled electron transfers
- Characterization of intermediates in hydrocarbon electrosynthesis
Tools and techniques used:
- Organic and inorganic synthesis
- Electrochemistry
- Miscellaneous chromatographies and spectroscopies
Nina Peel
Research Interests:
- Regulation of microtubules by the post-translational modification glutamylation
- The redundancy of function among the five glutamylating TTLL enzymes
- The functions of the deglutamylating enzyme CCPP-1 in non-neuronal cells
Tools and techniques used:
- Genetics
- Microscopy
- Molecular biology
NJBB Scholars Program Leadership
TCNJ
Principal Investigators (PIs)
- Wendy Clement, PhD, Professor of Biology
- Joe Baker, PhD, Professor of Chemistry
- Sunita Kramer, PhD, Dean, School of Science and Professor of Biology
Program Coordinator
Jen Aleman, PhD, Science Grant Writer, School of Science Dean’s Office
Brookdale Community College
Principal Investigator (PI)
Jim Crowder, PhD, Dean, STEM Institute
Program Coordinator
Nancy Cizin, Assistant Professor of Biology
Mercer County Community College
Principal Investigator (PI)
Patrick Natale, Assistant Professor of Biology
Program Coordinator
Nichol Killian, PhD. Assistant to the Dean of Math, Sciences and Health Professions
The NJBB Scholars Program is supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T34GM154615.