Lab Members
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Mary Munson, Ph.D.Professor and Vice Chair of Diversity and InclusionAssistant Vice Provost for Health EquityOffice: LRB 905 Tel: 508-856-8318 In addition to her passion for research, she is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in academia, as well as training and mentoring the next generations of outstanding scientists. In recognition of her work in these areas, she received the 2022 Chancellor's Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion (link), and was appointed as Vice Chair for Diversity in BMB, and as the Assistant Vice Provost in the Office of Health Equity. She is the current faculty advisor for the student SACNAS chapter. She is a leader of the Diversity Action committee in the BMB department, where the new departmental Diversity-Equity Action Plan is being developed. She also organized and leads the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Faculty Focused on Inclusive Excellence (FFIE) community, to engage and educate Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences faculty to promote diversity, equity and inclusion on our campus, in our labs, and in our broader scientific communities. She is a Trained Facilitator for “Entering Mentoring,” a program sponsored by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) to enable her to be a strong and supportive mentor and trainer to enhance mentoring and support mentees to reach their full potentials in exciting and successful scientific careers. She recently became a trained facilitator for Restorative Justice. She is a co-leader for the Investigator Career Advancement Program for fostering the success of our tenure-track junior faculty (iCAP). She is also the recipient of several Dean’s awards for her outstanding contributions to curriculum development and student mentoring over the years. She is currently the co-chair of the American Society for Cell Biology's Women in Cell Biology committee and a co-investigator of the ASCB’s AMP MOSAIC program for select K99/R00 scholars. She was elected in 2022 as a Fellow of the ASCB. |
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Natasha Buwa, Ph.D.Postdoctoral Fellow Natasha completed her PhD from IISER, Pune, India before joining the lab as a postdoc. In the lab, she is trying to understand the structure and function of the exocyst complex in exocytosis. Natasha thinks curiosity can only kill ignorance, which is sometimes made to look like a cat.
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Melonnie Furgason, Ph.D.Senior Research Scientist I graduated from Spring Arbor University in 2001 with a major in Biochemistry and minor in Math. I earned my Ph.D. In Biomedical Sciences from the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2009 in the Munson lab studying the role of yeast Vps45p in membrane fusion. I spent 3.5 years as a postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department. In 2013 I became a faculty member at Kettering College. In October of 2022 I returned to the Munson lab as a Senior Research Scientist. My area of interest focuses on how variants of human VPS45 affect its role in SNARE assembly. Favorite lab equipment: FPLC (more like a love/hate relationship)
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Narendar Kolimi, Ph.D.Postdoctoral Fellow Narendar completed his Ph.D. in the Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India. He recently joined the lab and is interested in working on the structural and functional role of the exocyst complex which plays a crucial role in various biological processes including exocytosis. Favorite Lab Equipment: PCR Interests: Travelling and Rubik's Cube
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Kristyn NorrisGraduate StudentI graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Biochemistry (2016). In lab, I work on the VPS45 project, connecting genotype and phenotype on a variety of different levels. I perform characterization and functional analysis of neutrophils and other cell types that have been modified using CRISPR/Cas9. I am also studying the VPS45 protein and how the mutations are affecting it using an array of biochemical techniques to look at function and conformation. Favorite Lab equipment: that one pipette aid that actually works |
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Peter Opara-NadiResearch Associate
Before coming to UMASS Chan, I earned my B.S. in Biology and minored in Chemistry at Georgia College & State University (2021). In lab, I am currently working to answer the fundamental mechanistic questions regarding proteins that regulate membrane trafficking and the consequences of mutations. Favorite lab equipment: Drummond motorized pipette controller
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Helen MaganaGraduate Student
I graduated with my B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from Rhode Island College in 2020. Specific mutations in VPS45 cause a rare, severe congenital neutropenia. I hope my research can inform us about VPS45 function and regulation in endocytosis and how mutations effect this process. Favorite Lab Equipment: the rusting microwave and the step stool
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Havi FisherPREP Student
After completing a B.S in Integrated Biology and Chemistry at The Evergreen State College (2022), Havi was accepted as an NIH-PREP scholar at UMass Chan. They currently work on understanding the function of the exocyst complex in exocytosis. In addition to their work in the lab, they are dedicated to advocating for health equity, diversity, and disability inclusion within medicine and science.
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