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.

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.

Undregrad Student

Aishatou Tunkara

Aishatou is an undergraduate student at the City College of New York, majoring in biochemistry. She was born and raised in the Bronx, and her family is from Gambia. Throughout her academic journey, she has participated in sports, and tutored students at the Writing Center. She hopes to continue to help others through her passion for science. Aishatou loves spending time with friends and family, and aspires to become a researcher. She also loves music and horror films.

Aishatou joined the Vallese Lab in November 2024

Federal Work Study (FWS)

The City College of New York, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Undergraduate majoring in Biochemistry

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.

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