Group members
Xiaoxin Zhao, Ph.D. student.
MS in Chemistry from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ. Joined Fall 2018.
​
Contact: xzhao55@binghamton.edu
​
​
Erion Sulaj
Undergraduate Student
BS in Biochemistry 2023. Currently he is completing the MBA program and applying to Medical School. He joined in Spring 2020.
​
​
Dr. Sozanne Solmaz
Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry, Principal Investigator
Biosketch
Sozanne received her M.S. degree in Biochemistry from the Leibniz University of Hannover, in 2001, for which she worked with Nobel laureate Robert Huber, Ph.D., at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany. She received her Ph.D. degree in 2006 from the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, for which she was a Ph.D. student with Nobel laureate Hartmut Michel, Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, supervised by Carola Hunte, Ph.D. As a Postdoctoral Researcher with Nobel laureate Gunter Blobel, Ph.D., at Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the Rockefeller University in New York, she has investigated the structure of the nuclear pore complex. In 2014, she started as an Assistant Professor in Biological Chemistry at Binghamton University and was promoted in 2020 to Associate Professor with tenure. Her lab investigates nuclear positioning pathways that are essential for brain development and the associated neuromuscular diseases. In her free-time she enjoys white-water kayaking and skiing. Contact: ssolmaz@binghamton.edu
Estrella Rodriguez Castro, Ph.D. student of the BCCB program.
B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from California Lutheran University and McNair alumni. Joined in Fall 2022.
​
Contact: epalaci2@binghamton.edu
​
​
Ella Pipes
Undergraduate Student
Chemistry major. She joined in Spring 2022.
​
​
Mrunmayee Ramteke, Ph.D. student of the BCCB program.
M.S in Biotechnology from Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Pune University, India. Joined in Fall 2022.
​
Contact: mramtek1@binghamton.edu
​
​
Samantha S. Sylvain
Undergraduate Student
​
Biochemistry Major with writing studies minor and McNair Scholar. Joined Summer 2022.
​
​
FORMER Group members
Dr. Crystal R. Noell
​
2015 - 2021, she graduated with a Ph.D. in 2021.Crystal is currently a Postdoctoral Associate with Dr. William Hancock at Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA. Her B.S. in Chemistry was from Western Carolina University.
​
​
Dr. Heying Cui
​
she graduated with her Ph.D. in 2022. Heying is currently a Industry Postdoctoral Associate at the Boston Institute of Biotechnology, Southborough, MA. Her B.S. in Horticulture was from Jilin University in China.
​
​
Rachael P Behler, M.S.
Masters thesis in Chemistry 2019. Masters and undergraduate student, 2017-2019. Currently she is a Ph.D. student at Rutgers University.
​
​
Group members
Xiaoxin Zhao
Ph.D. student.
MS in Chemistry from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ. Joined Fall 2018.
​
Contact: xzhao55@binghamton.edu
​
​
Erion Sulaj
Undergraduate Student
BS in Biochemistry 2023. Currently he is completing the MBA program and applying to Medical School. He joined in Spring 2020.
​
​
Dr. Sozanne Solmaz
Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry, Principal Investigator
Biosketch
Sozanne received her M.S. degree in Biochemistry from the Leibniz University of Hannover, in 2001, for which she worked with Nobel laureate Robert Huber, Ph.D., at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany. She received her Ph.D. degree in 2006 from the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, for which she was a Ph.D. student with Nobel laureate Hartmut Michel, Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, supervised by Carola Hunte, Ph.D. As a Postdoctoral Researcher with Nobel laureate Gunter Blobel, Ph.D., at Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the Rockefeller University in New York, she has investigated the structure of the nuclear pore complex. In 2014, she started as an Assistant Professor in Biological Chemistry at Binghamton University and was promoted in 2020 to Associate Professor with tenure. Her lab investigates nuclear positioning pathways that are essential for brain development and the associated neuromuscular diseases. In her free-time she enjoys white-water kayaking and skiing. Contact: ssolmaz@binghamton.edu
Estrella Rodriguez Castro
Ph.D. student BCCB program.
B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from California Lutheran University and McNair alumni. Joined in Fall 2022.
​
Contact: epalaci2@binghamton.edu
​
​
Ella Pipes
Undergraduate Student
Chemistry major. She joined in Spring 2022.
​
​
Mrunmayee Ramteke
Ph.D. student BCCB program.
M.S in Biotechnology from Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Pune University, India. Joined in Fall 2022.
​
Contact: mramtek1@binghamton.edu
​
​
Samantha S. Sylvain
Undergraduate Student
​
Biochemistry Major with writing studies minor and McNair Scholar. Joined Summer 2022.
​
​
FORMER Group members
Dr. Crystal R. Noell
​
2015 - 2021, she graduated with a Ph.D. in 2021.Crystal is currently a Postdoctoral Associate with Dr. William Hancock at Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA. Her B.S. in Chemistry was from Western Carolina University.
​
​
David Moraga
Undergraduate Researcher and McNair Scholar, 2019 -2021. Biochemistry major. Currently he is pursuing a Ph.D. at Cornell University.
​
Lindsey A Sherwood
​
Undergraduate Researcher, Biology major, 2021.
Blaine Russ
Undergraduate Researcher, 2018-2019. Currently he is an M.D. student at SUNY Downstate Medical School.
Dr. Amanda H. Ceravolo
​
Undergraduate Researcher, 2014-2016. She received her M.D. degree at Weil Cornell Medical School in NYC and is practicing as a physician. https://wccc.weillcornell.org/news/director-spotlight-amanda-ceravolo
Dr. Heying Cui
​
She graduated with her Ph.D. in 2022. Heying is currently a Industry Postdoctoral Associate at the Boston Institute of Biotechnology, Southborough, MA. Her B.S. in Horticulture was from Jilin University in China.
​
​
Jaqueline B Zahn
B.S. in Chemistry with Honors, 2019. Honors thesis in Chemistry 2019. Undergraduate researcher 2017-2019. Currently she is a J.D. student at Brooklyn Law School.
​
​
Victoria Sanberg
Undergraduate Researcher, Biochemistry major, 2021 - 2022.
Kyle M. Loftus
Undergraduate Researcher 2014-2017 and Research Technician 2017-2018. He received a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at Columbia University and is pursuing his residency.
Rachael P Behler, M.S.
Masters thesis in Chemistry 2019. Masters and undergraduate student, 2017-2019. Currently she is a Ph.D. student at Rutgers University.
​
​
Raveena D Badal
Undergraduate Researcher from Broome Community College, 2019 – 2020.
​
Robby Volodarsky
Undergraduate Researcher, 2018-2019. Currently he is an M.D. student at Drexel University.
Dr. Sara K. Foreman
Undergraduate Researcher, 2015-2016. She received her Ph.D. degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Prof. Dr. Megan Kizer
​
Undergraduate Researcher, 2014-2015. She graduated with a Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and pursued her postdoctoral training at Harvard University. She started her own lab for Glyco Technologies as an Assistant Professor at Brown University, Providence, RI in 2023. Website: https://sites.brown.edu/glycotech/
​
Caroline Irwin
Undergraduate Researcher, 2015-2016.
Now a Pharm.D. student at SUNY Buffalo.
​
Dylan Pereiras
Undergraduate Researcher, 2014-2017.
​
Ayesha Siddiqua
Undergraduate Researcher, 2017-2018.
​
​
Student's Awards
​
Kyle Loftus:
Honorable Mention for the Goldwater fellowship 2016; Outstanding Graduating Biochemistry Senior 2017; Summer Artists and Scholars Program, Harpur College, 2015.
​
Megan Kizer:
Alumni Research Award, Department of Chemistry, Harpur College, 2015.
​
Amanda Ceravolo:
Award for Outstanding Graduating Biochemistry Senior 2016; Undergraduate Award to Support Research and Creative Work, Harpur College, 2014; Nominated for the Goldwater fellowship, 2014.
​
Rachael Behler:
Summer Artists and Scholars Program, Harpur College, 2018. Michael Starzak Summer Research Grant, 2019.
​
Heying Cui:
Travel award from the Binghamton University Graduate School, 2018.
​
David Moraga:
McNair Scholars Summer Research Fellowship, 2020.
​
Student's Theses
​
Rachael Parvati Behler, INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF NESPRINS AND BICAUDAL D2 IN NUCLEAR POSITIONING PATHWAYS, Masters Thesis, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Chemistry in the Graduate School of
Binghamton University, State University of New York, 2020
Dr. Crystal Renea Noell, Investigating cargo-recognition and activation of dynein adapter protein BicD2 and its role in neuromuscular diseases, dissertation, Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biological Chemistry in the Graduate School of Binghamton University, State University of New York, 2021.
Dr. Heying Cui, MECHANISTIC INSIGHTS INTO AUTO-INHIBITION OF THE DYNEIN ADAPTOR BICAUDAL D, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry in the Graduate School of Binghamton University State University of New York 2022.
Jacqueline Brigitte Zahn, BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF KINESIN-1 LIGHT CHAINS, Undergraduate Honors thesis, submitted in partial fulfillment of degree requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in the undergraduate school of Binghamton University, State University of New York, 2020.