People
Principal Investigator
Nima Mosammaparast, M.D., Ph.D.
Nima grew up in upstate New York after his family emigrated to the U.S. from Iran in 1985. He studied molecular biology at the University of Rochester, graduating in 1998. He then went on to receive his MD and PhD (in microbiology) from the University of Virginia, where he studied the mechanisms of histone nuclear import and chromatin assembly with Lucy Pemberton. In 2006, he moved to Boston for residency training and was a post-doc in Yang Shi’s lab, at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, where he focused on chromatin associated factors in the DNA damage response. He moved to Washington University as an Assistant Professor in 2012. He is currently a Professor of Pathology & Immunology and co-leads the DNA Metabolism & Repair program as part of the Center for Genome Integrity. When not thinking about science, he likes running, biking, cooking, and hanging out with his wife Sara and daughter Ida.
Email: nima@wustl.edu
Postdoctoral
Research Associate
Research
Technician
Mohamed Ashour, Ph.D.
Mohamed earned his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry in 2008. He has done his graduate work in Egypt in Sharif El-Khamisy’s lab, where he was investigating the relationship between topoisomerase enzymes and genomic instability. Now, Mohamed is working as a postdoc in the Mosammaparast lab at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he is continuing his research on the relationship between cancer and DNA damage during replication. Mohamed is passionate about sports and enjoys playing soccer during his free time.
Email: ashour@wustl.edu
Monika Bhowmik, M.Sc.
Monika received her master's degree in microbiology from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 2016. After completing her education, she worked for a year as a junior microbiologist in the quality control department of ANA laboratories, and then moved to Tel Aviv University in Israel. There, she specifically focused on the cross-talk between MET activation and inhibition and its effect on sarcoma cell motility, metabolism, and energetics. Monika’s research focuses on telomere function, particularly the telomerase-independent pathway called alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) and other factors involved in DNA replication and genome integrity. Monika's hobbies are cooking and visiting new places.
Email: bhowmik@wustl.edu
Kristen Casey
Kristen is in her final year of undergraduate studies at Washington University, majoring in biochemistry.
Email: kristen.c@wustl.edu
Instructor
Ning Tsao, Ph.D.
Ning received his Ph.D. degree from the Graduate Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at National Taiwan University, College of Medicine in 2015. After military service and two short periods of postdoctoral training at Academia Sinica in Taiwan and Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Ning joined the Mosammaparast Lab as a Staff Scientist in 2019 and is now an Instructor. Ning’s research interest focuses on the molecular mechanisms of DNA repair and chromatin regulation. His current project is to investigate the role of an E3 ligase in sensing alkylation damage in the cells. When not doing science, Ning enjoys hiking, backpacking, and playing basketball.
Email: ntsao@wustl.edu
Undergraduate Student
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Research Technician
Undergraduate Student
Shalini Gupta, Ph.D.
In 2023, Shalini completed her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the Institute of Microbial Technology in Chandigarh, India. Her research delved into the exploration of nuclear receptors and their impact on differentiation and regeneration. She was honored with a Young Researcher Award in the same year. Following the completion of her doctorate, she joined Dr. Nima Mosammaparst's lab as a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University. Her current research interests are exploring the impact of DNA damaging agents on chromatin regulation and spliceosomal mobilization. When not engaged in scientific pursuits, she enjoys traveling and exploring new places. .
Email: gshalini@wustl.edu
Mohanna Houshangi, Pharm.D., MLS.
Mohanna is a pharmacist who graduated from the University of Health Science and Pharmacy in St. Louis, complemented by a Master of Legal Science in healthcare regulation from Texas A&M University. Currently engaged in a postdoctoral position at Washington University, she dedicates her research to advancing targeted therapies and clinical development in cancer, leveraging cutting-edge gene editing technologies. Mohanna's future research objective is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of developed targeted therapies using CRISPR technology in clinical trials. Besides her scientific endeavors, Mohanna enjoys camping in the Rockies and Utah deserts. When not working, find her by the fire, reading history & poetry books.
Email: mohanna@wustl.edu
Simi Olabode
Simi received her bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2023, where she studied Music and Biology. She joined the lab as a research technician in the summer 2023 and is hoping to pursue her PhD in the near future. When she's not in the lab, she's probably playing her guitar, crocheting, or trying out new recipes.
Email: jolabode@wustl.edu
Julia Trost
Julia is a second year majoring in Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. She joined the lab in fall of 2023 and is interested in pursuing an MD after receiving her undergraduate degree. In her free time, she enjoys running, playing the piano and watching baseball.
Email: j.d.trost@wustl.edu
Mosammaparast Lab Alumni
Sherri Bagherzadeh, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Fellow, 2017-2019). Senior Scientist, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Washington, D.C.)
Joshua Brickner, Ph.D. (Molecular Cell Biology Ph.D. student, 2013-2019). Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University.
Andrea Byrum, Ph.D. (Molecular Genetics & Genomics Ph.D. student, 2014-2019). Postdoctoral Fellow, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH.
Mona Majid (Research Technician 2012-2015, 2018-2020). Washington University Brown School of Social Work.
Fadhel Mansoori, (Research Technician 2021 - 2023) - Medical Student, Texas Christian University School of Medicine.
Miranda Mudge (Research Technician, 2015-2018). Ph.D. candidate, Molecular and Cellular Biology program, University of Washington.
Lane Parmely, MD5 Predoctoral Trainee (2022-2023). Medical Student, Washington University in St. Louis.
Rebecca Rodell (Research Technician 2019-2021). Ph.D. candidate, Chemical and Systems Biology program, Stanford University.
Timur Rusanov (Research Technician 2020-2021). M.D./Ph.D. candidate, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Jennifer Soll, Ph.D. (Molecular Genetics & Genomics program 2013-2019; postdoctoral fellow 2019-2022). Postdoctoral Research Associate, Washington University, MO.
Hua Sun, Ph.D. (Staff Scientist 2020-2022) - Lead Bioinformatics Research Scientist, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Brittany Townley, Ph.D. (Molecular Cell Biology Ph.D. student 2017-2022). Postdoctoral Fellow, WUGEN, St. Louis MO.
Yu Zhao, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Fellow, 2013-2018) – Research Associate Professor, Hunan Normal University, China.