Hou Research

Thomas Christian, MS
Senior Research Associate

I am interested in understanding the molecular and structural mechanisms of tRNA methyltransferases. I would like to determine how specific methyltransferases recognize their tRNA targets and to explore strategies that these enzymes catalyze methyl transfer.

Isao Masuda, PhD
Research Instructor

I am interested in the mechanism of translational frameshifting, a non-standard phenomenon in decoding genetic codes into proteins. I am going to examine how the tRNAs and ribosomes are involved in frameshifting using both molecular biological and biochemical approaches.

Sunita Maharjan, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

I am interested in mitochondrial biology associated with tRNA mutations and neurodegenerative disease.

Yuko Nakano, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow

I am interested in the diverse post-transcriptional epigenetic modifications on tRNAs and how they regulate codon-specific gene expression.

Yuka Yamaki, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow

I am interested in the function of the post-transcriptional modifications in RNAs. I would like to clarify the interaction between molecules that changes depending on the presence or absence of modifications.

Ateesha Negi, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Jefferson College of Life Sciences

I am interested in using Nanopore long-read sequencing to explore how the dynamic world of RNA modifications within the Transcriptomics of neuron cells impact human health and disease

Hongjuan Guo, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Jefferson College of Life Sciences

I am interested in post-transcriptional modifications of tRNA in human health and disease.

Henri McGuigan
PhD Candidate, Jefferson College of Life Sciences

I am interested in developing cell-permeable, potent, and selective inhibitors that target bacterial tRNA methyl transferases. I am interested in using these inhibitors to regulate tRNA-dependent gene expression.

Thomas Grant
Research Technician
MS Student, Cell & Developmental Biology at Jefferson College of Life Sciences

I am interested in the fundamental biology of tRNA and their post-transcriptional modifications.

Ana Bassler
Research Technician

I am interested in pushing the frontier forward on direct RNA sequencing using the Nanopore technology.

Lily Tayag
Undergraduate Student, Jefferson College of Health Professions

I am interested in the epigenetic markers associated with autoimmune diseases and gene therapy’s potential for treatment of such disorders.