Leiser Lab Members

Scott F. Leiser, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator) 

Originally from California, Scott has been at U of M since 2016 as a faculty member and since 2003 as a student (he’s an alumnus of the prestigious Cellular and Molecular Biology program). In between the two, he spent 6 years as a Post Doc in the Kaeberlein lab at the University of Washington. Scott’s interest in studying aging stemmed from the fact that he looked like he was 45 at the age of 15. Scott describes his mentoring style as “made to order” (i.e. specific to each trainee) and strongly encourages a fun, optimistic, team-oriented environment. When not in lab, Scott spends most of his time with his family, watching football (go Seahawks!) and reading papers while walking on the treadmill. 

Safa Beydoun, Ph.D. (Research Investigator)

Safa received her Ph.D. in 2016 from Wayne State University and joined the lab in September of that same year. Her previous experience involved studies in folate restriction on colon carcinogenesis in mice. She is interested in serotonergic signaling and its role in C. elegans and mammalian aging. As the nicest member of the lab (and nicest person around), Safa helps train rotating graduate students and is generally viewed as the "lab mom". Away from the lab, Safa enjoys spending her free time with her husband and their two boys.

Megan Schaller (Graduate Student)

Meg is a senior graduate student in the department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. She was born in a cornfield and grew up in a tiny rural village in Illinois, where she then ventured to the “big city” of St. Louis to get her B.S. in Exercise Science in 2016 and M.S. in Exercise Physiology in 2018, both from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her dissertation project started by investigating intestinal permeability and immunity in the C. elegans intestine. In 2020, Meg took over managing the Leiser lab's mouse program when her project transitioned to studying how Fmo5 influences the intestinal barrier in mice. Outside of the lab, Meg is basically a grandma where her favorite activities are: napping, sewing, and pampering her many foster cats.  

Elizabeth (Dean) Kitto (Graduate Student)

Elizabeth is a PhD student in the department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with degrees in Biochemistry and in Neuroscience as well as a minor in Spanish Studies. Elizabeth is interested in understanding how the nervous system is involved in the regulation of aging and overall health. When she is not in the lab, Elizabeth enjoys backpacking, traveling, drawing, reading, and going to bed early.  

Angela Tuckowski (Graduate Student)

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down. I’d like to take a minute just sit over yonder, I'll tell you how I became a student in a town called Ann Arbor. In West Philadelphia, taught and trained, on the Drexel campus is where I'd spend most of my days. Not chillin' out, maxin’, or relaxin', or cool, just studyin' a crazy amount even outside of school. When a couple of guys who were up to some good, started recruitin' for a job way out in the suburbs. I got in one little interview and my mom got enlivened. She said, "you're movin’ with your student debt to Johnson and Johnson!!" I whistled while I worked, like a scientist baller. My lab coat said Big Ang and had rhinestones on the collar. If anything, I could say that this job was cool. But I thought nah forget it, yo homes, to Grad School! I pulled up to the BSRB one morn, and I yelled to Scott Leiser, “Yo homes, let me join!” Now I look at my lab bench, I'm ready to learn, to sit at my scope as the fresh student of worms.  

Faith Carranza-Connors (Graduate Student)

Faith is a PhD student in the Cellular and Molecular Biology program, and a dual Masters student in Bioinformatics. She graduated with a BS in Molecular Biology from Millersville University in 2019. She then studied Data analytics at the University of Pennsylvania where she researched molecular mechanisms of brain aging. Faith is interested in how FMO-2 impacts metabolism, and the downstream mechanisms of FMO-2 mediated longevity. Outside of the lab Faith enjoys baking, hiking, and spoiling her dog Cali. 

Faith maintains the lab garden with Madeline! 

Madeline Sykes (Graduate Student)

Madeline is a PhD student in the program of Molecular and Cellular Pathology. She is originally from Texas, but is slowly moving north to escape the heat. She graduated with a B.S. in Microbiology from Colorado State University in Fall of 2021 and joined U of M in 2022. Madeline is interested in exploring the role that Fmo5 plays in maintaining the murine intestinal epithelial barrier. She is very excited to see what new turns this project takes, but is already tired of being bit by the mice. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running, watching cheesy TV, and keeping her many (some might say too many) plants alive. 

Madeline coparents the lab garden along with Faith! 

Sarah Easow (Graduate Student)

Sarah is a PhD student in the department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. Following her youth in the “Happiest City in America”, (Fremont, California), she journeyed to the University of California, Riverside to complete her B.S in Neuroscience in Fall, 2020. She then worked as a research specialist at UCSF studying regenerative and stem cell biology in the auditory and vestibular systems. Currently, Sarah is interested in how sensory perception modulates health and longevity. When she’s not in the lab, you’ll find her watching Spongebob with her cat Minty, making art and music, learning dances, and consuming copious amounts of bubble tea. 

Aditya Sridhar (Undergraduate)

Aditya hails from the Village of Briarcliff Manor, voted “most boring town in New York” (it’s true look it up). He joined the lab in 2022 as a research assistant and is here at Michigan studying MCDB. Outside of lab you can find him playing volleyball, watching hockey (LGR!) or riding calls as a FF/EMT. 

He maintains that if Coconut was stuck in a tree he would not save her. 

Danielle Shave (Undergraduate)

Dani joined the Leiser Lab in fall of 2022, and works as an undergraduate researcher. She is from Rochester Hills (an actually interesting town not in New York!). She is a sophomore majoring in Biochemistry, while also juggling poetry and French minors. When not spending time with her best friend, the lab plate-pouring machine, Dani loves reading and writing, as well as playing with her dog, Coconut, whom she would be more than happy to spend hours talking with you about, and showing pictures of.  

Janvi Desai (Undergraduate)

Janvi joined the lab in the Fall of 2022 as a research assistant through UROP. She is a pre-med student majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Outside of the lab, Janvi enjoys baking, listening to music, and watching anime and K-Dramas. 

Amara Bugarin-Lapuz (Lab Tech)

Alyssa Elia (Undergraduate)

Alyssa joined the lab in the Fall of 2022 as a research assistant through UROP. She has always had a passion for conducting scientific experiments with her toy microscope from a young age, and is beyond ecstatic to see the process come to life in our lab! She is majoring in Biology, Health, and Society and aspires to become a physician. Outside of the lab, Alyssa enjoys reading fictional novels, working out, and actively partaking in different clubs with her friends!  

Mira Bhandari (Lab Tech)

Mira is originally from the Little Apple: Manhattan, Kansas. She majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and joined the lab to work with her favorite model organism, C. elegans! In her free time, Mira enjoys hiking, crocheting, and catching new movies at the State Theater.  

Shijiao Huang, Ph.D. (Research Investigator)

Shijiao received her Ph.D. from Peking University in 2012 and spent five years in the lab of Dr. Yanzhuang Wang in MCDB at U of M. She moved over to our lab in September of 2017 to pursue her lifelong goal of slowing aging. Shijiao's projects focus on worms and tissue culture, studying the metabolic and stress resistance differences in cells with FMO perturbations. Also, using worms to study small molecular inducers of fmo-2  and cell signaling downstream of hypoxia and dietary restriction. In her free time, Shijiao spends her time with her husband and their adorable girls.

Dr. Huang is now an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University!

Emily Wang (Lab Tech)

After graduating from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in MCDB, Emily came to the Leiser Lab in April 2022 to pursue translational science following three years of work on organelle traffic and signaling in yeast. She takes her role as the most talented, smartest, most wonderfully collaborative lab technician ever very seriously. Her passions include ER stress, arguing with Meg, and discussing yarn with Rebecca. When she's not doing science, you can find her assisting the elderly (Ajay) and eating handfuls of Scott's kids' Halloween candy.

Emily is currently pursuing her PhD in the CDB program at the University of Michigan! 

Moyang Xu (Undergraduate)

Moyang joined the lab in the Fall of 2021 as a research assistant (finally, after a year of miserably staying at home taking online courses). She majors in neuroscience and has a minor in linguistics. Outside of school and lab, Moyang likes playing board games with friends, cooking and practicing her driving skills. 

Moyang is currently a medical student at Peking Union Medical College in Beijing!

Cassie Tian (Undergraduate)

Cassie joined the lab in the fall of 2019 as a research assistant through UROP. She is planning to double major in Biomedical Engineering and Cell and Molecular Biology. Outside of the lab, Cassie enjoys playing video games, playing badminton, listening to K-pop and C-pop, and drinking bubble tea. 

Cassie is currently a medical student at UPenn!

Tae Hyun Heo (Undergraduate)

Tae joined the Leiser lab in the Winter of 2023 as a research assistant. He firmly believes that "Lazy people change the world". 

Lanny Lo (Undergraduate)

Fallan Sherman (Undergraduate)

Joy Mecano (Undergraduate)

Joy joined the lab in summer of 2018 as a lab helper/research assistant. She's a senior double majoring in Spanish and Cellular and Molecular Biology. Outside of the lab, Joy likes hanging out with Gabby and the Filipino American Student Association (FASA). She also enjoys watching anime and Netflix. 

Marshall Howington VII (Graduate Student)

Marshall Howington, the seventh of his name, grew up on the family "farm" in the south, descendent of a long line of Howingtons. Marshall lived in Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and North Carolina. He spent six years in the Army (he may say six years too long) as a psychological operations soldier, and he has a BA in Financial Economics and a BS in Chemistry from Methodist University and UNC-Charlotte, respectively. He’s a fourth year student in the Cellular and Molecular Biology PhD program. Outside of lab, he enjoys reading fantasy books, hiking and working out, and he volunteers for a non-profit consulting firm called miLEAD. 

Dr. Howington is now a successful NextGen Therapies Senior Consultant at Deloitte!

Hyo Sub Choi (Graduate Student)

Hyo is a PhD student who received his B.S. from Boston College and joined the lab in April of 2017. Hyo's project involves elucidating the molecular mechanisms and targets of FMO enzymatic activity. He is most interested in identifying substrates and metabolic changes brought about by FMO perturbations, but is also identifying new stress response genes in C. elegans. Outside the lab, Hyo's #1 hobby is working as a psychic detective who solves crimes and enacts justice for the wronged.  

Dr. Choi went on to Medical School to become a double successful Dr.!

Hillary (Miller) Warrington (Graduate Student)

Hillary is a PhD student at the University of Michigan working towards a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB). She joined the lab in April 2016 after her rotation. She received her B.S. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Washington where she worked in Dr. Matt Kaeberlein's lab . During her time at UW, she became deeply interested in understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms on aging. Currently, she is working on uncovering the mechanisms of serotonin-based signaling in food perception and DR-mediated longevity . You can catch Hillary outside of the lab at Vault of Midnight buying the newest trades of her favorite comics or at home drinking home-brewed beer with her dog Happy.

Dr. Warrington is a successful Scientist at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson! 

Abrielle Fretz (Research Tech)

Brie graduated from high school when she was 16 and went on to complete a BS in Biology from Michigan in 2018. She conducted research in the Leiser lab for a year and completed the MS physiology program in July 2019. She continues to complete her research in the lab and is applying to medical school. Outside of lab, Brie volunteers at Tiny Lions Cat Cafe and is a member of the Michigan Ice Carving Team. 

Buraq Oral (Undergraduate)

Buraq is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, intending to major in molecular, cellular, & developmental biology and minor in German. He joined the lab in the fall of 2019 as a research assistant through UROP. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing soccer, trying new things, and relaxing with friends. 

Ethan Ruwe (Undergraduate)

Ethan joined the lab in the fall of 2018 as a research assistant through UROP. He is aspiring to major in Neuroscience. Outside of the lab, Ethan enjoys sports such as Hockey and Soccer, and loves movies of all kinds. He also enjoys any cabin activity and visiting the great lakes of his home state: Minnesota 

Gabrielle Dela-Cruz (Undergraduate)

Gabby joined the lab as a lab assistant in summer 2017. She came back in summer of 2018 as part of the SURF program to work on a research project with Safa. Gabby is a junior studying neuroscience and psychology. She loves dogs and children but she is not allowed to have them. Outside of the lab, Gabby likes to hang out with Joy and other friends from FASA!    

Joseph Kruempel (Postdoc)

Joe received his PhD in 2018 from the University of Michigan, where he studied how FoxO transcription factors control developmental diapause and adult longevity. He identified an enzyme in the carboxylesterase family that is necessary for the long lifespans of roundworms with reduced insulin signaling. Joe joined the Leiser lab in spring 2018 as a postdoc. His work focuses on how conserved genes that act in tandem to control the cellular response to changing oxygen availability (the “hypoxic response”) have differing roles in determining adult longevity. When not in lab he enjoys hiking, board games, and spending time with his family. 

Nia Watkins (Undergraduate)

Nia joined the lab in the fall of 2018 as a lab helper. She plans to major in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN). In her free time, Nia enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, and watching movies. 

Shannon Miller (Roton)

Shannon is a rotating PhD student in the molecular and integrative physiology graduate program. She grew up in Apple Headquarters, USA (Cupertino, CA) but moved to Colorado where she earned a B.A. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and a minor in Business from University of Colorado Boulder in 2018. She is interested in understanding mechanisms that mediate and mitigate aging and how this information can be used to potentially ameliorate the aging process in humans. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, skiing/snowboarding, smothering her cat with affection, and becoming overly invested in the current Bachelor/Bachelorette season. 

Noah Nelson (Roton)

Noah is a graduate student at UM working toward his PhD in Molecular and Integrative Physiology. He received both his BS and MPH from the University of Michigan and previously worked in the Craniofacial Research Laboratory under Dr. Steven Buchman studying therapies to overcome radiation damage during tissue repair. His primary research interests involve the intersection between metabolism and disease development. When he's not in lab, Noah enjoys hanging out with his son and fiancee and working on his house.   

Lyndsay White (Undergraduate)

Lyndsay joined the lab in the fall of 2018 as a research assistant through UROP. She plans to major in Biology, Health, & Society. Outside of studying for classes and researching, Lyndsay enjoys playing basketball, listening to music, and watching Netflix.

Dalia Marakby (Undergraduate)

Dalia Marakby is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan majoring in a biological science and minoring in German on the pre-med track. She joined the lab in the fall of 2018 as a research assistant through UROP. She enjoys running, reading, swimming, and watching The Office. 

Ian Michelson (Undergraduate)

Ian joined the lab in spring of 2017 after a successful fraternity career. As lab helper, Ian worked tirelessly and cheaply until he realized that wasn't normal, and has since settled into a more normal role as lab helper/researcher. Ian wins the lab award for most prepared for a photo and biggest smile.

Sylvia Emly (Roton)

Sylvia is a graduate student at UMich, working towards her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology.  She received her BSc in Molecular Biology from the University of South Florida, and worked as a technician in Dr. Younghoon Kee’s lab studying the molecular mechanisms of cancer and the DNA damage response. She is currently rotating in the lab, and is interested in clearly defining the aging process, and discovering ways to extend lifespan. In her free time, when she’s not walking her dog [and cat], Sylvia enjoys crocheting & knitting winter-weather gear, and gardening during the spring. 

Michaela Flonard (Roton)

Michaela is a rotating PhD student in the neuroscience graduate program. Although she got to see a lot of the U.S as a military brat, she ended up in Oklahoma to get her B.S. from the University of Tulsa. Michaela is interested in the neuronal mechanisms behind longevity. Outside of lab, Michaela is either traveling, writing, or practicing jiu-jitsu (it's mostly the latter). 

Craig Dobry, MS (Lab Manager)

Craig has been working in science for longer than some members of the lab have been alive. Since obtaining his masters in 1991, Craig has spent the better part of the past 30 years working at University of Michigan, and is skilled in cell culture, molecular biology, lab management, and sarcasm. Craig manages the lab, trains undergraduates, manages lab helpers, and runs small projects involving tissue culture and nematodes. Craig joined the lab in February 2016 and is the go-to guy for all lab administrative needs.

Josh Lee (Undergraduate)

Josh (Kun-Soo) Lee immigrated from South Korea as a child, and emigrated to the Leiser lab in 2016.  Once a lab helper, Josh is now the injection right hand of Hillary and well-versed in all things worm. He started research because of his desire to experience, first-hand, many of the things he learned about in class. In his free time he enjoys playing basketball, Pokemon Go, and "studying."

Morgan Vandevelde (Undergraduate)

Morgan joined the lab in fall of 2017 as a lab helper/research assistant, and works with Safa on molecular biology projects. She wins the award for least happy to take an impromptu picture.

Seth Kattapong-Graber (Undergraduate)

Seth joined the lab as a volunteer in summer 2017 and transitioned to lab helper in the fall of that same year.