Team
Lab members can expect to work in a highly supportive and interdisciplinary environment with active collaboration both within the lab and with colleagues around the world. There will also be cookies.
Assistant Professor
Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
Alex S. Holehouse
Contact: alex.holehouse{at]wustl.edu (he/him)
Postdoc Washington University in St. Louis (Biomedical Engineering)
Ph.D. Washington University in St. Louis (Computational Biophysics)
Bioinformatician Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
M.Sc. Imperial College London (Computer Science )
M.Bioch. University of Oxford (Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry)
Hometown: “Northern Europe”
Favorite activity outside of lab: Playing ultimate frisbee and cooking for my hungry, hungry wife.
Favorite food: Ramen? Chicken Madras? Prosciutto? Too many options…
Random fact: I have auditory synesthesia (sounds have a 3D, textured colour associated with them).
CORI FELLOWS
Dr. Jackie pELHAM (cori fellow)
Contact: pelham{at]wustl.edu (she/her)
Research Interests: The intersection of intrinsic protein disorder with the regulation of circadian and cellular physiology
Education:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2022) with Jen Hurley
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute B.S. (Biology, 2016)
Hometown: Upstate New York
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Spending time with my husband and walks with my dog. Cooking while having a good glass of wine.
Favorite Food: Charcuterie and cinnamon buns
Random Fact: I played the tuba in middle and high school band.
Alex Keeley
(Cori Fellows Research Technician)
Alex works directly with Dr. Pelham in her capacity as an independent fellow
Contact: alex.k{at]wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: The evolution of cellular metabolism and biochemistry, and the roles and development of intrinsic disorder within the origins of life.
Education: University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, B.S. (Chemistry) 2022
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Rowing, cooking, or reading
Favorite Food: Anything Creole-adjacent
Random Fact: I collect uranium glassware and old radios
POSTDOCS
Dr. Ryan emenecker (postdoc)
Contact: remenecker{at]wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: How the properties of IDRs impact various aspects of biomolecular condensates.
Education:
Washington University in St. Louis, Ph.D. (Plant and Microbial Biosciences) with Lucia Strader and Alex Holehouse.
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, B.S. (Plant Biology) 2016
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, B.S. (Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development) 2016
Hometown: Neenah, Wisconsin
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Reading or working out
Favorite Food: Pizza
Random Fact: I am extremely colorblind.
Dr. Emery Usher (postdoc)
W.M. Keck Fellow
Contact: usher{at]wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: The impact and role of PTMs in tuning IDR conformational ensembles.
Education:
THE Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D. (Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology) 2022 with Scott Showalter
Clarkson University, B.S. (Chemistry) 2016
Hometown: Williston, Vermont
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Starting home improvement projects
Favorite Food: Cheese, broccoli, mini M&Ms
Random Fact: I have more than three cats.
Garrett Ginell (Postdoc)
Contact: g.ginell{at]wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: Applying and developing theoretical and computational methods to understand how function is encoded in intrinsically disordered regions
Education:
Washington University in St. Louis, Ph.D. (Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology) 2023 with Alex Holehouse
Cornell College, B.A. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Hometown: Naperville, Illinois
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Cycling, Running and Traveling
Favorite Food: Bread, Cheese, & Wine
Random Fact: I really enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book or TED talk.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Daniel gRIFFITH (GRADUATE STUDENT)
NSF Graduate Fellow
Graduate student in the Computational and Systems Biology graduate program
Contact: degriffith{at]wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: New methods for predicting transient secondary structure in disordered regions
Education:
B.S. Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
Hometown: Oregon, WI
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Biking, pick-up basketball
Favorite Food: Italian or Mexican food
Random Fact: I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to snow leopards. Not cats, but snow leopards specifically (it's a long story).
Aidan Flynn (Graduate student)
Graduate student in the Plant and Microbial Biosciences graduate program
Contact: aidanflynn{at)wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: New methods for exploring evolution in IDRs
Education:
B.A. Washington University in St. Louis (Microbiology)
Hometown: The never-ending amorphous blob that is Phoenix, Arizona
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Playing ultimate frisbee and (much to my players' chagrin) occasionally coaching it
Favorite Food: Gumbo
Random Fact: I really like bluegrass music!
Stephen Plassmeyer (Graduate student)
Graduate student in the Biophysics, Biochemistry, and Structural Biology graduate program
Contact: stephenplassmeyer{at)wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: Integrating high throughput experimentation and computation to predict and design biomolecular properties.
Education:
Truman State University, B.S. (Chemistry and Biology)
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Running, biking, and hiking with my dog around local parks.
Favorite Food: Noodle soup, broadly defined
Ramiz Somjee (graduate student)
Goldwater Scholar & MD/Ph.D. Graduate Student
Graduate student in the Medical Sciences Training Program
Contact: r.a.somjee{at]wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: Intrinsically disordered proteins and their role in biology and disease
Education:
B.S. Rhodes College (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Eating and outdoor active things. A true stalemate.
Favorite Food: The Bibimbap (a Korean rice dish) or Ruben sandwich from Kwik Check in Memphis TN.
Jeff Lotthammer (Graduate student)
NSF Graduate Fellow
Graduate student in the Computational and Systems Biology (CSB) graduate program.
Contact: j.lotthammer{at)wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: Statistical Mechanics, Molecular Simulations, Protein Bioinformatics and Machine Learning. Currently interrogating IDR function through the integration of theory, computational modeling, and machine learning.
Education:
THE Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, B.S. (Biochemistry)
Hometown: Springboro, Ohio
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Hiking, kayaking, spending time at the lake, board games, and hanging out with my friends.
Favorite Food: Chinese, Italian, or Indian food
Borna Novak (Graduate student)
MD/Ph.D. Graduate Student
Graduate student in the Computational and Systems Biology (CSB) graduate program.
Contact: bnovak{at)wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: IDR-associated peptide protein interactions through simulations.
Education:
University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, BS, Biochemistry
Hometown: Čakovec, Croatia
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Playing tennis, other activities in the Forest park
Favorite Food: Döner kebab
Random Fact: Currently learning how to cruise on a skateboard
Nick Razo (Graduate student)
Ph.D. Graduate Student
Graduate student in the Biophysics, Biochemistry, and Structural Biology graduate program (BBSB) graduate program.
Contact: n.j.razo{at)wustl.edu (he/him/they)
Research Interests: New methods to quantify uncertainity in disorder with applications to women’s health.
Education:
Missouri University of Science and Technology - BA Physics (2021)
Joliet Junior College – AS Science
Hometown: Joliet, IL
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Getting out and seeing nature by (including but not limited to) running, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, paddle boarding, photography, and climbing
Favorite Food: Green Bean Casserole (a requirement at all Thanksgiving spreads)
Random Fact: I play quite a few instruments like guitar, bass, uke, and lyre harp
Caelan Miller (Rotation student)
Ph.D. Graduate Student
Graduate student in the Molecular Microbiology & Microbial Pathogenesis (MMMP) graduate program.
Contact: caelanjmiller{at)wustl.edu (he/him)
Research Interests: Computational biology and genetics/genomics
Education:
Washington University in St. Louis - BA Microbiology (2021)
Hometown: Jonesboro, AR
Favorite Activity Outside of Lab: Video games, Working Out and Home Networking
Favorite Food: Tex-Mex
Random Fact: I was a patient for the Phase 3 Trial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
YOU?!?!?
For undergraduate students:
General: In general, we are looking for undergraduates with strong programming skills who want to apply their abilities to real-world biological questions. A range of projects (from software engineering to machine learning) are available, and we can tailor projects to your interests, goals, and long-term career objectives.
Current status for undergrads: As of January 2024, we are not looking to hire new undergraduate students for the foreseeable future to limitations in space!
For graduate students:
Current status: The lab is looking to hire one or two grad students who will focus on computational work in the 2023-2024 academic cyle. We have a range of burgeoning projects with particular areas of focus in deep learning (large language models in particular), new methods development, and molecular simulations. If you’re interested, the most important factors are that you’re curious, excited about science, and willing to work as part of an interdisciplinary team.
General: A background in computational biology and/or biophysics is helpful but definitely not essential. More important is a track record of inquiry, good quantitative skills, self-motivation, and strong communication skills.
Current graduate students at WashU: Students in any graduate program at WashU (DBBS/BME/Physics/CS etc.) should contact Alex to set up a time to meet and discuss rotation projects. We are particularly focused on hiring computational students at this time. Space in the lab is limited, so if you are interested, please contact Alex early!
Prospective graduate students: If you would like to complete graduate work with Alex, you should apply to one of the DBBS programs. Feel free to contact Alex directly for more information on the graduate programs at Wash U. For international students especially, I am happy to provide advice and feedback as needed. THE DEADLINE IS NOV. THE YEAR BEFORE THE FALL START DATE.
For postdocs/research scientists:
Current status: As of January. 2024, we are not actively looking to hire any additional postdocs or research scientists. That said, if you feel you are a particularly good fit, and can explain why your background and interests align with the lab’s work please reach out.
General: If you believe you’d be a good fit for the lab, please contact Alex and clearly state:
Your prior work and projects
Why you’d be a good fit for the lab, and
Types of questions/directions you’re interested in pursuing
LAB ALUMNI
Graduate students
Dr. Jhullian “J” Alston (F99/K00 NCI Fellow)
Co-advised with the Soranno lab
Time in lab: 2020 – 2023
Thesis title: Combining simulations and single-molecule spectroscopy to understand SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein-RNA interactions
Next steps: Postdoctoral work with TJ Ha
Links: Google Scholar, Twitter
Bioinformatics research associates
Ishan Taneja
Time in lab: May 2020 to July 2021
Work in lab: Simulations of IDRs adjacent to folded domains
Next steps: Graduate work at Scripps (with the incomparable friend and colleague Keren Lasker!)
Links: Google Scholar, Lasker lab
Long-term undergrads
Shubhanjali ‘Shubh’ Minhas
Time in lab: May 2020 to August 2023
Work in lab: Impact of mutations on IDR behavior
Next steps: Medical student at the greatest medschool in the world (Washington University School of Medicine)!
Rotation students
Madison Stringer (2023) - now in Soranno lab!
Nathan Zelt (2021) - now in Robertson lab!
Isaac Plutzer (2020) - now in Major lab!
Undergraduates
Ethan Bartlett (June 2023 – August 2023)
Cydne Ratliff (June 2020 - Dec 2020)
Esther Faronbi (June 2020 - June 2021)