Principal Investigator

Oriana Fisher
Email: ofisher@wesleyan.edu | Phone: (860)-685-2443 | Office: Hall-Atwater 228
Professional Appointments
- 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
Education
- Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Yale University, 2015
- B.S./M.S. in Biochemistry, B.A. in English and American Literature, Brandeis University, 2009
Funding and Awards
- 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
Research Scientists

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
Postdoctoral fellows

Marissa Berry
B.S. in Biochemistry, St. Michael’s College
Ph.D. in Microbiology; The Ohio State University
Undergraduate students

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
Postdoctoral fellows
- Dr. Yuri Rafael de Oliveira Silva (2022-2024; now: Postdoc, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania)
Graduate students
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)
Undergraduate students
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)