Meet Our Team
Alakananda Das, Ph.D.
Ph.D.: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Year started in lab: 2016
Project Title: Studying the relationship between integrins, ion channels and extracellular matrix in C. elegans touch sensation.
Expertise: Worm genome editing, protein structure and function.
I am interested in studying the molecular basis of how cells sense and interact with their environment. In particular I am studying the process of mechanosensation in worms. I want to work out the molecular details of whether there is a cross-talk between different kinds of cellular mechanoreceptors and the degree of their interdependence.
Sylvia Fechner, Ph.D.
Ph.D.: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University
Year started in lab: 2014
Project Title: Investigating the stoichiometry of the ion channel pore units underlying touch sensation with structural-functional studies
Expertise: Patch-Clamp experiments with tiny cells from sperm to neurons
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As I became really fond of ion channels, I decided to do my PostDoc in the lab of Dr. Miriam Goodman at Stanford. Here, I study the role of ion channels and their stoichiometry in touch receptor neurons of the nematode C. elegans. I use piezoresistive cantilevers to apply controlled mechanical loads combined with the patch-clamp technique to record the neurons’ response (setup name: FALCON). From whole brain recordings, via patch-clamping zebrafish sperm to mechanosensitive neurons in C. elegans, I am curious what the future targets will be.
Ehsan Rezaei, Ph.D.
Ph.D.: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Year started in lab: 2017
Project Title: Empirical and Computational Studies of Force Transmission During Touch.
Expertise: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), micro/nanoscale measurements.
The importance of touch is evident in our everyday lives, eating and typing are two simple tasks that depend on tactile feedback, yet the physics of touch sensation is not properly understood. To Study the touch sensation C. elegans with only 6 touch receptor neurons can be an excellent model. Using this animal as model, applying Finite Element (FE) as computational approach, and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) as measurement technique we expect to understand sense of touch in more details.
Lingxin Wang, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Michigan State University
Year started in lab: 2017
Project Title: Identifying potential small molecules compounds for the treatment of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy.
Expertise: ion channel physiology and pharmacology, electrophysiology, pre-clinical drug discovery
My primary goal of joining the Goodman Lab is to explore the molecular mechanisms of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) using C. elegans as animal model. Chemotherapy is one of the most effective ways to treat different types of cancer. About 20%-70% of cancer survivors receiving chemotherapy also developed peripheral neuropathy, which severely impacted their quality of life. However, the mechanism of CIPN is far from clear and there is no approved drug for the treatment of CIPN. The unique biology and compact genome of C. elegans make it a perfect animal model to explore the underling mechanisms of drug effects on animal neurosensation. The ultimate goal of my project is to find potential small molecule compounds for the treatment of CIPN.
