I was born and raised in Kenya, and received my bachelor’s degree at Colby College in Maine, where I was introduced to biomedical research at Dr. Tariq Ahmad’s lab. After graduating from Colby, I joined Dr. Catherine Nutt’s lab at Massachusetts General Hospital as a research assistant to study the effects of IDH mutations on formation and progression of secondary gliomas, an experience that cemented my interest in biomedical research. I received my PhD at Washington University in Saint Louis, where I worked with Dr. Zhongsheng You to understand DNA and RNA surveillance mechanisms in normal physiology and disease. I particularly focused on an RNA surveillance mechanism known as nonsense mediated RNA decay (NMD). We successfully performed a genome-wide CRISPR KO screen to identify novel factors that promote NMD and identified NMD as a novel target for developing therapies for cancers harboring mutations in key splicing factors that seem to promote NMD. I joined the Schaffer lab in June 2020 as a postdoctoral research fellow to study the role of translation regulation in normal metabolism and diabetes. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, cooking, and many outdoor activities, such as running, hiking, canoeing, wine-tasting, apple-picking, and sightseeing. 

Albert recently received a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Boston University School of Medicine, where he studied mouse models of type 1 diabetes. He has a longstanding interest in metabolism and is now exploring the mechanisms that link snoRNAs and metabolic regulation.

I come from the middle of China, near the Yellow River. After receiving my degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in China, I began studying diabetes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 2014, I was recruited to the University of Montreal as an Invited Researcher. There, I ultimately obtained a PhD degree in Biomedical Science related to diabetic kidney disease. I joined the Schaffer Lab as post-doctoral Research Fellow in April 2022, where I am studying the role of RNASET2 in lipotoxicity. Outside of lab, I like writing, reading and exercising.

I was born in Puerto Rico, where I studied Biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM). I then transferred to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City, where I finished my bachelor's degree. There, I worked under the supervision of Dr. Soledad Funes at the Institute of Cellular Physiology studying the interplay between mitochondrial stress response and longevity in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I did my Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne, Germany working under the mentorship of Prof. Adam Antebi. For my doctoral thesis, I worked with the nematode C. elegans studying the role of the MondoA/Myc transcriptional network effects in metabolism and organellar communication during aging. I joined the Schaffer Lab in January 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow with the aim of furthering our understanding of snoRNA regulation of mitochondria under lipotoxic stress employing cell culture and mouse models. Besides science, I enjoy crochet, video games, and traveling.

I was born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, where I was first introduced to research by Dr. Christian Happi and Dr. Onikepe Folarin, studying gene mutations that lead to resistance to anti-malaria drugs in Plasmodium falciparum. I received my bachelor's degree from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, where I performed undergraduate research on telomerase and aging with Dr. Gabriele Saretzki at the Institute for Aging and Health. For my undergraduate thesis project, I studied the effects of self-assembling peptide amphiphiles on the growth of mesenchymal stem cells in Dr. Che Connon's laboratory at the Institute of Biosciences. I received my Ph.D. in Cancer Pharmacology in the Fall of 2023 at Auburn University, USA, working in Dr. Alexei Kisselev's laboratory, where I determined that some Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors inhibit the mammalian proteasome. During this project, I also discovered that snoRNAs are involved in the response of cancer cells to proteasome inhibition. I will join the Schaffer Lab in the Spring of 2024 as a postdoc. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, exploring, and working out at the gym.

I grew up in the Greater Boston Area and later attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Ma where I graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology with a minor in Spanish. During my undergraduate career, I joined Dr. Yasu Morita's lab where I studied the biosynthesis of cellular envelope components in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In particular, I focused on the biosynthesis of lipomannan and lipoarabinomannan using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a model organism. I also played the sousaphone in the UMass Minuteman Marching Band and I worked as an EMT. I joined Dr. Jean Schaffer's lab in the summer of 2021 where I began my current studies on the impact of excess lipids on cellular translation. Outside of the laboratory, I enjoy activities such as listening to music, hiking, running, and playing tennis. 

I grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and will complete a bachelor’s degree in biology and applied-math economics at Brown University in 2022. As an undergraduate student, I joined Dr. Elena Oancea’s Lab as a research assistant and technician. The project I worked on involved the interactions of receptors in the hypothalamus and their impact on energy intake and metabolism. I will be joining the Schaffer Lab as a post-bac in the summer of 2022. Outside of science, I enjoy collecting coins, playing the euphonium and cooking.

I am from Rockville, Maryland, and graduated from Amherst College with a degree in biology. At Amherst, I worked in Dr. Caroline Goutte’s lab studying the intramembrane protease complex gamma-secretase, which is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. I focused on the APH-2 subunit and used genetic tools in C. elegans to explore the subunit’s function. I joined the Schaffer lab as a post-bac in September 2022 and I am working on translation regulation in pancreatic beta cells. Outside of lab, I enjoy hiking and reading. I was also part of the varsity swim team at Amherst.