Lab members
Francesca Vallese, Ph.D
Assistant professor
CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, Structural Biology Initiative
City College of New York, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Francesca Vallese completed her studies at the University of Padova, Italy. During her PhD, she focused on studying the structure and interactions of proteins involved in hydrogen production. Her initial postdoctoral research was conducted in the laboratory of Prof. Giuseppe Zanotti, where she acquired expertise in purifying membrane proteins and X-ray crystallography. During her postdoc, she was a visiting student in Dr. Baumeister's lab at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry and collaborated with Novartis (Basel) and BioGUNE (Bilbao). As an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University in Oliver Clarke's lab, she has become an expert in single-particle cryo-EM.
Francesca loves new adventures, and she is always ready for new challenges. In her free time she loves hiking and snorkeling and spend time in the nature.
Mansoore Esmaili, Ph.D
PostDoc
Mansoore obtained her PhD in membrane protein Biochemistry from the University of Alberta, Canada, working on polymer-based nanodiscs for the isolation of native membrane proteins. She received postdoctoral training and worked at Regeneron structural biology division. She is specifically interested in the structural characterization of membrane proteins in their native context using cryo-ET.
Sebastiano Nigris, Ph.D
Research Assistant - Lab Manager
Sebastiano graduated in Biotechnology and earned his PhD in Evolutionary Biology at the University of Padova (Italy), where he studied plant-microbe interactions with a focus on the effects of beneficial bacteria on root structure. After his PhD, he moved to the Botanical Garden of Padova to investigate the molecular pathways involved in ovule and seed development in Ginkgo and other gymnosperms, gaining considerable experience in plant cell biology and evolutionary developmental biology studies. He also explored the molecular effects of plant microbiota on root development to create biofertilization strategies for more sustainable agriculture. His research philosophy is, “Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution”.
Sebastiano loves plants and flowers and enjoys traveling and reading good books.
Dayangi Perera
Dayangi obtained her Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2023. Before moving to New York, she worked as a teaching assistant in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Colombo. She joined the Biochemistry PhD program at CUNY Graduate Center in Fall 2024. As the first graduate student of the Vallese Lab, she is excited to contribute to meaningful discoveries that advance our understanding of membrane protein complexes.
She loves cats and enjoys cooking and spending time in nature during her free time.
Graduate Student
Biochemistry PhD program at CUNY GC
Undregrad Student
Najiha Uddin
Najiha is a first-generation pre-medical student at the City College of New York. She has years of direct patient care experience and is especially passionate about one day contributing to a framework that provides equal access to quality healthcare for all. As an avid advocate and crisis volunteer, she is also dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Najiha is eager to explore structural biology research to enhance her understanding of disease progression.
Najiha enjoys yoga and reading up on art history in her free time. She’s also a huge fan of psychological thrillers and rom-coms.
Summer ORCA Program
The City College of New York, Division of Science
Undergraduate majoring in Biology
Zarin Ferdous Maisha
Zarin Ferdous Maisha is an undergraduate at City College of New York, majoring in Biotechnology. She was born in Bangladesh and moved to the United States in 2020. She has always been interested in performing lab experiments, and her interest in working in a research lab grew strong after COVID-19. She wants to be a researcher and contribute to helpful discoveries.
Zarin loves spending time with her family and friends, watching thrillers and action movies, and riding her bike.
Independent Study
The City College of New York, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Undergraduate majoring in Biotechnology