People
Dr. Ajay Srivastava (Principal Investigator): Dr. Srivastava completed his PhD from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, AB Canada in Molecular Biology and Genetics where he studied how organs developed in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. He particularly focused on the role of scalloped and vestigial genes during wing development, under the mentorship of Dr. John Bell. He subsequently moved to the Department of Genetics and HHMI at Yale University for a Postdoctoral stint in the laboratory of Dr. Tian Xu. Here he studied the role of Matrix Metalloproteases during normal development and tumorigenesis. He also aided in the effort to screen for mutations that cooperated with oncogenic Ras to promote metastatic behavior. He joined WKU in 2010 as an Assistant Professor in the tenure track and received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 2016. In 2020 he was promoted to full Professor in the Department of Biology. Dr. Srivastava serves on the Editorial Boards of Scientific Reports and PLOS One journals. In 2023 he was appointed as an Associate Editor for the journal "Heliyon" published by the Cell Press.
Oguntoyinbo Oluwatobiloba, Graduate Student at WKU: Tobiloba joined the Srivastava Lab in Fall 2022 and is interested in studying the role of a Cathepsin in tumor development.
Rangana Ratnayake, Graduate Student at WKU: Rangana joined the Srivastava Lab in Spring 2024 and is interested in understanding the regulation of Cathepsins.
Olivia Cooke: Olivia is a graduate student in Public Health and volunteers in the Srivastava Lab. She is interested in tumor metastasis using the Drosophila model.
Jada Scott, Undergraduate Student at WKU: Jada is an Honors college thesis student who is characterizing an antibody against a Basement Membrane protein.
Rylee Wallace, Undergraduate Student at WKU: Rylee is an Honors college thesis student who wants to explore the regulation of a developmental gene in Drosophila.
Brandon Brion, Undergraduate Student at WKU: Brandon is an undergraduate student who is interested in Drosophila wing development.
Jacob Thomas, Gatton Academy Student: Jacob is a Gatton Academy junior interested in further characterizing the role of a V-type ATPase in development.
Landon Carlton, Gatton Academy Student: Landon is a Gatton Academy junior interested in the contributions of a V-type ATPase during Drosophila wing development.
Emma Hyman, Gatton Academy Student: Emma is a Gatton Academy junior interested in larval development of Drosophila.
Ibrahim Ali, Gatton Academy Student: Ibrahim is a Gatton Academy junior interested in utilizing the Atomic Force Microscope for measurements during larval development of Drosophila.
Zachary Vandermolen, Gatton Academy Student: Zachary is a Gatton Academy senior interested in Air Sac Primordium development in Drosophila.
Sydney Putnam: Sydney is a Gatton Academy senior interested in V-Type ATPases and their role in Drosophila Development.
Srivastava Lab in the Spring of 2011
Jordan Olberding, Katie Melton, Patrick Webb, Alex Compton, Chelsey Faulk, Meliha Hrustanovic, Sean Shannon, Ajay Srivastava
Srivastava Lab in the Fall of 2011
L-R: Jordan Olberding, Katie Melton, Samantha Hawtrey, Gillian Jones, Alex Compton, Kelsey Kaetzel, Sean Shannon, Ajay Srivastava
Gillian Jones and Jordan Olberding at the Ogden College Awards Ceremony, Spring 2013
Jordan Olberding, Gillian Jones and Bradley Blankenship at the Srivastava Lab Meeting, Spring 2013
Srivastava Lab, Fall 2014
L-R: Jessica Ross, Ananya Sharma, Elizabeth Oates, Noel Maxwell, Qian Dong, Christopher Fields, Aiste Dobrovolskaite, Mayank Kapadia
With Qian Dong at her Graduation, Summer 2015
Christopher Fields at the KAS Annual Meeting, Fall 2015
Sayo Aromiwura at the bench in the Srivastava Lab, Fall 2016
With Ananya Sharma at her Gatton Academy Graduation, Summer 2015
Fly Room, 2016, Pictured Sayo Aromiwura
With Big Red and Melanie Redden at the Ogden Award Ceremony, Spring 2017
At the SE Regional IDEA Meeting with L-R, Sayo Aromiwura, Dane Flinchum and Nathan Powers
Srivastava Lab Lunch Outing, Fall 2014
L-R: Qian Dong, Ajay Srivastava, Mayank Kapadia, Jessica Ross, Christopher Fields
Srivastava Lab Holiday Lunch, Fall 2016
L-R: Nathan Powers, Dane Flinchum, Sayo Aromiwura, Mackenzie Armstrong, Aref Ranjbar, Ajay Srivastava
Sayo Aromiwura, Nathan Powers and Dane Flinchum Presenting their Posters at SE Regional IDEA Meeting, Morgantown, WV, Fall 2017
Sayo Aromiwura presenting her thesis research at the 59th Annual Drosophila Research Conference held in Philadelphia, PA from April 11-15, 2018
Hasan Salim, A Gatton Academy student presenting his research at the Experimental Biology 2018 meeting held in San Diego, CA from April 22-25, 2018
Srivastava Lab, Fall 2018
L-R: Emmi Vantrease, Hannah Watkins, Brendan Hansen, Nathan Powers, Anas Gondal, Usman Salim, Ajay Srivastava, Aref Ranjbar
Aref Ranjbar at his Graduation, December 2018
Final Fall 2022 Srivastava Lab meeting
Annah Hopkins in the Lab - Spring 2023
