Tatiana is a postdoctoral researcher in the Rongo lab. She received her B.A. in Natural Science from Fordham University. There, she first met the love of her life: C. elegans. She received training in C. elegans biology, molecular biology, and genetics at Columbia University in the Hobert lab, where she first studied dopaminergic neuron identity specification. She stayed with the worm through her Masters training in Biological chemistry at the University of Stavanger with Dr. Maria Doitsidou, where she studied a necrotic model of dopaminergic degeneration and lysosomal acidification. For her PhD in Neuroscience, she decided to branch out to the mouse model and worked with Dr. Mladen-Roko Rasin. There, she studied autism-related genes and proteins including: FoxP2, HuR, HuD, and Cugbp1. More broadly, she was focused on the question of post-transcriptional regulation of neocortical development, and how the multi-layered glutamatergic neurons in the neocortex acquire their identities. In her postdoctoral work, she comes full circle back to the worm. Currently, she is working on a project involving both the canonical and the HIF-1-independent hypoxia signaling pathways, with a focus on how neurons deal with hypoxic stress. She is broadly interested in neuronal regulation of physiological processes (brain-body), focussing on how neurons mobilize the rest of our tissues to do what is needed to survive. Outside of the lab, she can be found chasing after the males in her life: her toddler and her husband (luckily, both are a lot easier to find than C. elegans males!).

Jon received his B.S. in chemistry at Purdue University (2016) and completed his graduate studies (Ph.D.) with Dr. Oleh Khalimonchuk at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2021 studying mitochondrial heme transport and utilization. Jon joined the Rongo Lab as a post-doctoral associate in 2021. He is currently working on two projects: (1) Determining the mechanisms behind MTX-1 and MTX-2 (the metaxins) involvement in mitochondria motility in neurons and their role in mitochondrial protein import, and (2) Analyzing the genetic targets and their physiological impact for transcription factors in the BMP/TGF-β signaling pathway. When he is not in the lab, he enjoys cooking and playing sports.

Karen is currently a Senior pursuing a dual degree in Genetics and Public Health at Rutgers University-NB. She is working towards a career as a Genetic Oncologist. Karen joined the Rongo Lab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the summer of 2021. She is currently working on two projects: 1) Investigating BMP signaling (i.e., the Sma/Lon pathway) and it’s role in regulating the toxicity of A-beta protein; and 2) Analyzing the genetic targets and their physiological impact for transcription factors in the BMP/TGF-β signaling pathway. In her free time, Karen loves to bake and spent time with her family. On the weekends she works as a medical assistant at an urgent care in her town and is a Sunday School teacher at her church.