Chad Dashnaw Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
I was born and raised in upstate New York. In 2018, I moved to Texas to earn my Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Baylor University. My graduate research focused on characterizing the heterotypic interactions between wild-type and mutant superoxide dismutase 1 within soluble and amyloid forms of the protein. As a part of the Joachimiak lab, I will expand upon my knowledge of protein aggregation as I begin working with designing tau amyloid.
Klaudia Jaczynska, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
I am originally from Poland, where I studied biotechnology at the University of Warsaw. I earned my PhD working with José Rizo-Rey at UT Southwestern, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release. Currently, in the Joachimiak lab, I research how cells regulate amyloid formation to mitigate neurodegeneration, with a particular interest in substrate recognition by molecular chaperones. I appreciate beautiful things, such as NMR spectra and visual arts. In my free time, I volunteer at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth and enjoy following modern and contemporary art.
Parvathy Jayan, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Raised in Kerala, India, I received my Ph. D. from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram. My graduate research employed several biophysical approaches to study the structure and function of tau protein and VDAC (aka mitochondrial porin). In the Joachimiak lab, I study the aggregation and fibril structure of different tau constructs.
Daniel Kieffer
Graduate Student: Molecular Biophysics
I grew up in Wisconsin and earned my B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After working three years in industry, I joined the Joachimiak lab where I work on understanding how disease mutations convert RNP granule proteins from their biologoically relevant interactions to their pathological states. Outside the lab, I enjoy backpacking and disc golf.
Nabil Morgan
Research Assistant I
Born and raised in Palestine, I moved to the United States in 2017. I earned my bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Texas at Arlington. In the Joachimiak lab, I provide organizational as well as technical support. Outside the lab, I love traveling, hiking, and cardio.
Simran Rastogi
Graduate Student: Neuroscience
I was born and raised in India, completed my BS in Life-Sciences from University of Delhi, and MS in Biophysics from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi India. In Joachimiak's lab, I study about the J-domain proteins interactions with TDP-43 using cellular system and in-vitro approaches. Apart from this, the complexities of temporal and spatial of memory as well as molecular machinery fascinates me. Outside of lab, I read Urdu poetry, and get excited about Sufi music. My favorite free time activities are playing badminton, exploring places, and hiking.
Ruhar Singh, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Originally from Allahabad, India, I received my master’s in bioinformatics from the University of Allahabad, and my Ph.D. in computational biology and bioinformatics at Jawaharlal Nehru University. In my graduate work, I studied non-equilibrium and equilibrium dynamics simulation, pH- and temperature-dependent protein unfolding, and simulations of large biomolecular systems. In the Joachimiak lab, I focus on structure modeling of fibrils in neurodegenerative diseases. In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, biking and dancing Kathak.
Victoria Wiernikouskaja
Graduate Student Assistant
Born and raised in Belarus, I earned my B.S. and M.S. in Biotechnology from the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG&MUG in Gdańsk, Poland. In the Joachimiak Lab, I study the aggregation of TDP-43 and hnRNPA2 proteins.
Paweł Wydorski, M.S.
Graduate Student: Molecular Biophysics
I am from Poland and earned my B.S. in neurobiology and my M.S. in biotechnology from Jagiellonian University. I use biophysical and structural tools to characterize interactions between chaperones and different conformations of tau protein. I am also interested in whether pathological amyloid formation is affected by breakdowns in how chaperones recognize misfolded proteins. Outside the lab, I often get overexcited about food.