People

Principal Investigator

Oriana Fisher

Email: ofisher@wesleyan.edu | Phone: (860)-685-2443 | Office: Hall-Atwater 228

  • Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, 2024-present
  • Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Lehigh University, 2019-2024
  • NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University, 2015-2019
  • Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Yale University, 2015
  • B.S./M.S. in Biochemistry, B.A. in English and American Literature, Brandeis University, 2009
  • NIH R35 MIRA, 2023-2028
  • NSF LEAPS-MPS, 2021-2024
  • NIH Ruth L. Kirchstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow, 2016-2019
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellow, 2010-2015

Current Lab Members

Daniel Zhitnitsky

B.Sc. in Biology, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

M.Sc. in Microbiology, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Marissa Berry

B.S. in Biochemistry, St. Michael’s College

Ph.D. in Microbiology; The Ohio State University

Furuzon Atobekova

Major in MB&B

Wesleyan University, class of 2027


Jai Tavera

Major in MB&B

Wesleyan University, class of 2027

Abigail Oduro

Major in MB&B, Neuroscience

Wesleyan University, class of 2027


Flora Wang

Major in MB&B

Wesleyan University, class of 2028


Fisher Lab Alumni
  • Dr. Yuri Rafael de Oliveira Silva (2022-2024; now: Postdoc, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania)

Wesleyan University

  • Arianna McDaniels (Spring 2025 rotation; now: PhD student, Padilla Lab)
  • Samantha Palermo (Fall 2025 rotation; now: EMT/paramedic)

Lehigh University

  • Jessica Mickno, M.S. in Chemistry (2021-2023)
  • Aarshi Singh (2021-2022)
  • Madhura Damle (2020-2021)

Biochemistry Opportunities for Undergraduate Scientists (BOUNDS) Program

  • Samuel Geathers, Cabrini College ’24 (Summer 2023; now: research technician, Thomas Jefferson University)
  • Elisa Daniela In Dallo, Lycoming College ’24 (Summer 2023; now: PhD student in MBSB program, University of Pittsburgh/Carnegie Mellon)

Lehigh University

  • Nina Bautista, ’24 (Spring 2024)
  • Hailey Price, ’25 (2023-2024)
  • Christopher Jennings, ’26 (2023-2024)
  • Mu Hu, ’23 (2022-2023; now: PhD student in Biochemistry, McGill University)
  • Jueun (David) Han, ’23 (2022-2023)
  • Emerald Kan, ’23 (2021-2023; now: laboratory manager, Baylor College of Medicine)
  • Dia Zheng, ’23 (2021-2023; now: MD student, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine)
  • Jing Guo, ’22 (2020-2022; now: PhD student in Microbial Pathogenesis, Washington University in St. Louis)