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Wei Dai, Ph.D.Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University Wei received her PhD degree from Baylor College of Medicine studying the Bordetella bacteriophage using an integrated approach combining single particle cryoEM and cryoET. As a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Wah Chiu at the National Center for Macromolecular Imaging, she applied these biomaging workflows to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's Disease. |
Post Doctoral Researchers
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Cuauhtemoc Ulises Gonzalez, Ph.D.Ph.D.; Molecular and Translational Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth
Ulises obtained his PhD from MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences where he investigated the structure-function of ionotropic glutamate receptors using patch-clamp electrophysiology and smFRET. As a postdoc in the Dai Lab, he plans to investigate Huntington’s Disease using a range of interdisciplinary approaches. Outside the lab, Ulises enjoys playing volleyball and soccer, and unwinding with science fiction books, movies, and TV shows. |
Graduate Students
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Nora JaberPh.D. Candidate; Molecular Biosciences Program with a Biochemistry Concentration, Rutgers University
B.A. Biological Sciences, Hunter College CUNY As an undergraduate, Nora was a research assistant in the Gardner Lab at CUNY, performing biochemical assays to study a blue light-sensitive GPCR that was found in pathogenic fungi. In 2019, she joined the Sternberg Lab as a Lab Manager at Columbia University Medical Center where she tested transposition efficiencies and orthogonality of CRISPR type I-Fv homologs of E. coli transposase Tn7. Now in the Dai lab, Nora focuses on membrane-protein interactions, spanning various projects, but mainly focusing on the Huntington's project. Outside the lab, Nora enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and going on hikes. |
Undergraduate Students
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Sanjna SharmaMajor in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and History, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Sanjna joined the Dai Lab in Summer 2024 as an undergraduate research assistant. |
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Jason HongMajor in Cell Biology & Neuroscience, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Jason joined the Dai Lab in Spring 2025 as an undergraduate research assistant. |
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Diyanshi ShahMajor in Cell Biology & Neuroscience, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Diya joined the Dai Lab in Spring 2025 as an undergraduate research assistant. |
Lab Pets
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Mother GooseThe mother goose returns yearly to lay her eggs. She stays during the spring for a few months before departing to Canada. *honk*
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LollipopDespite his appearance, Lollipop is secretly Dr. Dai's dog. Unwaveringly loyal and clumsy, he regularly inhabits the cat tree in Dr. Dai's office.
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BurberryBurberry is Nora's bougie cat. She only accepts the finest of treats, such as wild-caught sardines and tuna. Besides her snobbish attitude, she is extremely affectionate and demands cuddles.
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Lab Alumni
- Cynthia Pang
- Anusha Puri
- Dr. Yun-Kyung Lee, PhD - Research Scientist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Dr. Jennifer Jiang, PhD - Patent Agent at Sun Chemical
- Jeff Cheng
- Gigi Lin
- Reem Esseghir - BA/MD Candidate at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
- Joyce Kong - Pharm.D. candidate at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
- Kyle Nunn
- Joseph Gambino
- Thomas Newton - PhD Student at Columbia University
- Elizabeth Levendosky - Research Technician at Saligrama Lab
- Nikhita Nambiar - Rowan Medical School
- Kevin Huynh - FIB/SEM Laboratory technician at Columbia University
- Niki Boparai
- Arianna Horgan - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
- Uttara Hardikar
- Eric Keller - Cell Specialist at Novartis
- Melissa Banal - Hackensack Meridian Medical School
- Laura Bernard
- Dr. Zhiyong Bai, PhD - Postdoctoral Researcher at Runnels Lab
- Dr. Paul Castellano, PhD - Associate Medical Director at VMLY&R
- Dr. Xuyuan Kang, PhD - Assistant Professor at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in Changsha, China