Principal Investigator
Oriana Fisher
Email: ofisher@wesleyan.edu | Phone: (860)-685-2443 | Office: Casper Life Sciences, 307
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
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
Graduate students
Akanchhya Khanal
B.Sc. in Biotechnology, Chulalongkorn University
M.S. in Biotechnology, Brandeis University
Fisher Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral fellows
- Dr. Daniel Zhitnitsky (2024-2026; now: University of Rochester)
- Dr. Yuri Rafael de Oliveira Silva (2022-2024; now: Postdoc, Universidade de São Paulo)
Graduate students
Wesleyan University
- Oscar Galdamez (Spring 2026 rotation; now: Padilla Lab)
- 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
- 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)
- Nina Bautista, Lehigh University ’24 (Spring 2024; now: NIH postbaccalaureate program)
- Hailey Price, Lehigh University ’25 (2023-2024; now: M.Sc. student in Biotechnology, Johns Hopkins University)
- Christopher Jennings, Lehigh University ’26 (2023-2024; now: MD student, University of Virginia)
- Mu Hu, Lehigh University ’23 (2022-2023; now: PhD student in Biochemistry, McGill University)
- Jueun (David) Han, Lehigh University ’23 (2022-2023)
- Emerald Kan, Lehigh University ’23 (2021-2023; now: laboratory manager, Baylor College of Medicine)
- Dia Zheng, Lehigh University ’23 (2021-2023; now: MD student, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine)
- Jing Guo, Lehigh University ’22 (2020-2022; now: PhD student in Microbial Pathogenesis, Washington University in St. Louis)