Current

Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Ryo Kawamura, Ph.D., Experiment, Single-DNA studies of protein-DNA interactions.

Graduate Students
Mr. Ron Biggs, Graduate Research Assistant, Experiment, Mitotic chromosome mechanics.

Undergraduate Students
Ms. Cameron Herman, Experiment, Nuclear structure and mechanics (2017-, B.S. NU 2021).
Ms. Jimena Collado, Experiment, Nuclear structure and mechanics (2019-, B.S. NU 2022).



Marko Group, July 2019. From left to right: Andrew Stephens, Ron Biggs,
Tim O'Gallagher, Jimena Collado, John Marko, Cameron Herman,
Stephanos Nimidos (visiting scientist), Ryo Kawamura.


Marko Group, August 2018. From left to right: Lindsay Schwarz, Viswajit Kandula,
Cameron Herman, Andrew Stephens, Aykut Erbas, John Marko, Sumitabha Brahmachari,
Charlie Zoller, Ryo Kawamura, Ron Biggs.


Marko Group, January 2016. Front row: Tetiana Zaichuk, Drew Stephens, Jess Hornick;
Middle row: Rebecca Giuntoli, Ed Banigan, Ramsey Kamar, Yujia Chen (IBiS rotation student);
Back row: Sumitabha Brahamchari, Patrick Liu, John Marko, Ross Keenholtz,
Ron Biggs, Suchie Bhattacharia. Not included: Adrienne Eastland.


Alumni

Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Simona Cocco, Ph.D., statistical physics of DNA, theory (00-01) , now in CNRS, ENS-LPS, Paris
Dr. Ranjith Padinhateeri, Ph.D., statistical physics of DNA, theory, (05-07), now faculty at IIT, Mumbai
Dr. Lisa Pope, Ph.D., single chromosome and chromatin fiber micromanipulation, (03-05), now in biomedical research industry
Dr. Sumithra Sankararaman, Ph.D., theory of single-DNA experiments, (03-05), now research scientist at Washington University, St. Louis MO.
Dr. Bernhard Schnurr, Ph.D. single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions, experiment, (04-06).
Dr. Elnaz Alipour-Assiabi, Ph.D. (single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions, 07-09, now at University of Toronto).
Dr. John Graham, Ph.D., single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions, experiment (05-12).
Dr. Hua Bai, Ph.D., single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions, experiment (10-13).
Dr. Jessica Hornick, Ph.D., Experiment, Metaphase chromosome organization (14-16).
Dr. Ramsey Kamar, Ph.D., Experiment, Single-molecule studies of protein-DNA interactions (13-16).
Dr. Ross Keenholtz, Ph.D., Experiment, Single-molecule studies of DNA-protein interactions (13-16).
Dr. Edward Banigan, Ph.D., Theory, Statistical physics applied to molecular and cell biology (13-16), now at MIT.
Dr. Aykut Erbas, Ph.D., Theory, Protein-DNA interactions (16-18), now faculty at Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
Dr. Andrew Stephens, Ph.D., Experiment, nuclear structure and mechanics (13-19), now faculty at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Doctoral Students
Dr. Michael Poirier, Ph.D., chromosome physical properties, experiment (Ph.D. Physics 01), now faculty at Ohio State University
Dr. Abhijit Sarkar, Ph.D., DNA micromanipulation theory (Ph.D. Physics 02), faculty at Virginia State University, now faculty at Catholic University of America, Washington DC
Dr. Yan Jie, Ph.D., single-DNA experiments and theory (Ph.D. Physics 05) now faculty at National University of Singapore, Singapore
Dr. Dunja Skoko, Ph.D., single-DNA experiments (Ph.D. Physics 06), postdoctoral researcher at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda MD, now researcher at King's College, Dublin, Ireland
Dr. Ryo Kawamura, Ph.D., eukaryote chromosome structure (Ph.D. Physics 08), researcher at National University of Singapore, Singapore, and at Northwestern
Dr. Hua Bai, Ph.D., single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions (Ph.D. Physics 10), now in industry.
Dr. Botao Xiao, Ph.D., single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions (Ph.D. Physics and Astronomy 11), now faculty at School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Dr. Houyin Zhang, Graduate Research Assistant, theoretical study of protein-DNA interactions (Ph.D. Physics and Astronomy 12), postdoc at Baylor Medical College, researcher at Stanford, now in industry.
Ms. Mingxuan Sun, Graduate Research Assistant, Experiment, Single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions (Ph.D. IBiS 14), postdoc at UC Berkeley.
Ms. Nastaran Hadizadeh Yazdi, Graduate Research Assistant, Experiment, Chromosome structure (Ph.D. Physics and Astronomy 14), postdoc at UC Davis, now in industry.
Ms. Adrienne Eastland, Graduate Research Assistant, Experiment, Mitotic chromosome structure (Ph.D. IBiS 16).
Mr. Sumitabha Brahmachari, Graduate Research Assistant, Theory, DNA mechanics and topology (Ph.D. Physics and Astronomy 18), now postdoc at Rice University.

Master's Students
Yan Pan, M.S., DNA physical properties, experiment, (MS Physics 01), currently software engineer, Illinois USA
Chee Xiong, M.S., chromosome structure and dynamics, experiment, (M.Eng. Bioeng 05), now Development Associate II at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Cheshire CT

Research Associate Professor
Dr. Tetiana Zaichuk, Ph.D., Experiment, Biophysics of chromatin and chromosome organization (12-18).

Research Technicians
Ms. Rebecca Giuntoli, Experiment, Single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions (13-16) and lab coordinator, graduate student in Biochemistry at Emory University.
Mr. Patrick Liu, Experiment, Nuclear structure and mechanics and research technologist, now graduate student at Oxford University.

Undergraduate Students
Ms. Caiti Hamill-Thompson, undergraduate researcher (BS 00), went to Northwestern U biology Ph.D. program
Dr. Ajay Nemani, undergraduate researcher (BS 00), went to UIC MD-Ph.D. program
Ms. Tamar Monhait, undergraduate researcher (B. Eng. EECS 01)
Mr. Mazen Albaghdadi, undergraduate researcher (B. Eng. Bioeng 02)
Mr. Prateek Gupta, undergraduate researcher (B. Eng. Bioeng 02), went to UIC Mech. Eng. Ph.D. program
Mr. Hannah Lazarus, single-DNA experiments, (B. Eng. Bioeng 05), went to graduate studies at U Cal Irvine
Dr. Lance Min, experiment chromosome experiments, (B.S. Physics NU 07), Ph.D. study at UIUC.
Mr. James Kath, experiment, single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions, (B.S. Physics NU 09), Ph.D. Harvard U.; postdoc, Northwestern; now in industry.
Mr. Spencer Moon, experiment, single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions, (B.S. NU 13).
Mr. Nick Palumbo, experiment, single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions, (B.S. NU 16).
Mr. Terry Park, experiment, single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions, (B.S. NU 15).
Mr. Antonios Varelas, Experiment, Single-DNA study of protein-DNA interactions (B.S. NU 15).
Mr. Ryan Wexler, Experiment, Nuclear structure and mechanics (B.S. NU 18)
Mr. Patrick Liu, Experiment, Nuclear structure and mechanics (B.S. NU 18)
Mr. Viswajit Kandula, Experiment, Nuclear structure and mechanics (2017-2019, B.Eng. NU 2019).
Ms. Lindsay Schwartz, Experiment, Single-DNA studies of protein-DNA interactions (Summer 2018, B.S. Whitman College 2019)
Mr. Charles Zoller, Experiment, Single-DNA studies of protein-DNA interactions (Summer 2018, B.S. UIUC 2019)
Mr. Tim O'Gallagher, Experiment, Single-molecule studies of protein-DNA interactions (2019-, B.S. NU 2022).

Long-Term Visitors
Dr. Christian D. Adams, Ph.D., Tn5 transposase-transposon interactions, (Ph.D. Biochemistry, U Wisconsin Madison 07), now at Genentech, San Francisco CA
Mr. Felix Zoergiebel, magnetic tweezer studies of protein-DNA interactions, work towards Diplomarbeit, at Georg-August-Universitat, Gottingen, Germany 08.
Dr. Morten Christensen, Ph.D. (structure of mitotic chromosomes) Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany (06-10).
Prof. Sebastien Neukirch, Ph.D. (theory of single-DNA manipulation experiments) Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, (08-15).
Prof. Jia Yu, Ph.D., College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University (single-DNA studies of protein-DNA interactions) (16-17)