People in the lab

Siarhei Kharytonchyk

Research Investigator 

Siarhei is from Minsk, Belarus where he received his Ph.D.  Afterward he spent time in Aarhus, Denmark before landing here in Michigan.  He's interested in the molecular biology of retroviruses from a large range of hosts.  Although Retrovirology is his passion, he also enjoys fishing and other outdoor activities.  He says that Michigan is a great place for all of these things!

John Collins

(Retired)

Research Lab Specialist Senior

John grew up in Michigan and received his Bachelors here in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan.  His interests are in the sciences but he also likes to play guitar and work in the dirt. John's now a lab member emeritus, but for the time being we keep him here to justify our occasional need to call him out of retirement to help keep the lab running.  He adds that he's a year or two younger than Methuselah.

Cleo Burnett

Lab Technician

Cleo is from New York and received her Bachelors at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. She spent her childhood pipetting media for fun in her mother's bone marrow transplant lab, and this turned into an interest in biology lab work. When she's not in the lab, she spends her time playing video games and drawing.

Edmond Atindaana

 (Alumni)

Graduate Student

Edmond is from Bolgatanga in Ghana. He graduated with a B.Sc  Biochemistry from the University for Development Studies and masters from the University of Ghana. He seeks to understand why some HIV infections lead to latency.  Edmond says that he likes to venture into the unknown by way of fun and he loves science because that is what it is all about! When he's not in the lab, he likes to keep active with soccer, floor hockey or volleyball.

Kamya Gopal

(Alumni)

Graduate Student 

Kamya grew up in Pittsburgh and went on to attend college at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She received a B.Sc in Biochemistry and certificates in Computer Science and German. She studied DNA damage and repair in her undergraduate lab, but now her focus has shifted to RNA. She is interested in investigating the structural dynamics of HIV-1 RNA. When she’s not at lab, she likes to spend her time learning new languages, practicing calligraphy, and enjoying nature.

Shelby Kesterson

Postdoc Research Fellow

Shelby got her BS in Biology and her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Toledo. After graduating in 2021, Shelby has worked as a post doc at the University of Toledo and Michigan State University. Shelby enjoys spending time with her family, going for bike rides and binge watching Netflix. 

Yvonne Twumwaa Antwi

Yvonne is an exchange student from the University of Ghana (WACCBIP) and currently second-year MPhil student specializing in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases. Her research explores how HIV integration sites and cell type influence the variability of HIV gene expression. In her free time, she enjoys good music and Ghanaian cuisine.

Abigail Adugbe

Abigail is from Nigeria and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Ghana, specializing in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases. She is currently an exchange student in the Telesnitsky Lab at the University of Michigan, where her research focuses on how cis-regulatory elements within the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) control viral gene expression, transcriptional flickering, and latency. Outside of the lab, Abigail enjoys spending time in nature, especially at the beach and other scenic outdoor spots, and relaxing with her family.