Nelli Khudaverdyan is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB) and Founder and President of the BcMBGSA. She studies chromatin regulation and epigenetic mechanisms underlying gene silencing, with a focus on the structural and biochemical characterization of chromatin-modifying enzymes in Dr. Jikui Song’s lab. She holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and Neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside and is actively involved in graduate student leadership, outreach, and science policy initiatives. Outside the lab, she enjoys mentoring students, reading, writing, and spending time outdoors with her dog Oliver. 

Briana is a second year PhD student in the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology program. She is a student in Dr. Megan Norris’s lab, where she studies the mechanisms behind RNA localization in development and disease. Briana obtained her B.S. in Forensic Science in 2023 from the University of New Haven in Connecticut, where she learned how modern science and good, old-fashioned detective work can go hand-in-hand to uphold the pillars of the criminal justice system. In her free time, she loves to run, swim, and read countless romantasy books.

Emily is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB). Emily studies protein dynamics and protein-drug interactions in Dr. Chia-en Chang’s lab. Emily loves swimming at the beach, hiking, gardening, and cooking. 

Michelle is a first-year PhD student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program. She earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she studied proteomics, inflammation, and protein crosslinking using mass spectrometry. She is interested in understanding how proteins and cellular pathways change in disease. Outside of the lab, Michelle loves traveling, trying new coffee places around Southern California, and spending time with her husband and her cat. 

Yogeshwari (Anu) Oka is a first-year PhD student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB) at UC Riverside. She earned her BS in Biochemistry and MS in Biology from Fresno State. Her previous research focused on immunotherapy, investigating how a monoclonal antibody could inhibit cancer-promoting signaling and immunosuppression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. She is currently rotating in Dr. O’Leary’s lab, where she hopes to deepen her understanding of protein interactions and kinetics. Outside of research, Anu enjoys hiking and spending time with friends.

Pratyasha Mishra is a PhD candidate in the Dept. of Biochemistry. Her research focuses on studying a novel mechanism termed “bioresonance”  which describes enzyme specificity for its substrates.

You can drop her an email at pmish004@ucr.edu

Avrie is a PhD student in the Botany & Plant Sciences department, where she studies the biosynthetic pathway of cardiac glycosides in Apocynaceae under Dr. Adam Jozwiak. Avrie obtained her B.S. in Biology from Louisiana State University, Alexandria, where she found her love for research, botany, and biochemistry. Outside of the lab, she likes to paint, read, attend live music events, and travel. 

Kevin is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate program. He is in the laboratory of Dr. Russ Hille and works on gaining a biophysical understanding of ancient energy conservation mechanisms, focusing on those involving FAD cofactors known as Flavin-Based Electron Bifurcation. Work in the laboratory involves a myriad of spectroscopic and kinetic approaches involving stopped-flow, electron paramagnetic resonance, and UV/Visible spectroscopy. Outside of lab, Kevin loves photography, finding new places to eat, and going to the beach for some good sushi. 

Daniel is a second-year PhD student in the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology program. He is in Dr. Jikui Song’s lab studying DNA methylation by de novo methyltransferases using structural biology techniques. Daniel obtained his B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from UC Santa Cruz, where he did research on cell-cycle progression and competed in the 2023 iGEM Synthetic Biology competition, addressing algal blooms using synthetic biology techniques. Some of his hobbies include taking strolls in nature, looking for new restaurants, and playing video games with friends.

Megan is a first-year Master’s student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a strong interest in the molecular mechanisms that underlie human health and disease. She is currently rotating in Dr. Song’s lab, where she participates in research on DNA methyltransferases. She earned her B.S. in Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics from UC Santa Cruz, where her undergraduate research focused on antibiotic resistance. In her free time, she enjoys reading novels, swimming in the ocean, and spending quality time with loved ones. 

Carlos is a first-year PhD student in the Biophysics program, born & raised in S.Central LA. He is currently rotating in the lab of Dr. Jernej Murn, investigating pseudouridylation in tRNA and its impacts across different neuronal cell types. Carlos earned a B.S. in Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics from UC Santa Cruz, where he conducted research on spliceosome inhibition in a “humanized” yeast strain developed in the Ares Lab at the UC Santa Cruz RNA Center. An enthusiast of music, biochemistry, and engineering, Carlos explores the intersection of these interests by creating electronic music using biofeedback from fungi and plants in his free time.