Gustavo M. Silva, PhD
Head of the laboratory
Gustavo is a biologist, who obtained his undergraduate and PhD degrees from the University of Sao Paulo, and had his postdoctoral training in the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology at New York University. His research interests revolve around the role of protein ubiquitination in cell fate, aging, and neurodegeneration.
Beyond science, Gustavo enjoys listening to music, playing/watching soccer/combat sports, cooking and trying new flavors, and reading sociology. He tries to do at least three of the items at a time.
contact: gustavo.silva[at]duke[dot]edu
Margaret (Meg) Atchison
Administrative Assistant
Meg (BA, Psychology, NC Wesleyan) has 16 years of experience in administrative positions at Duke in both the School of Medicine and University. She enjoys helping students and faculty at Duke to shine by taking care of the administrative work so that they can focus on the research!
When she is not working, she enjoys creating, gardening, fitness, and spending time with friends and family.
contact: margaret[dot]barker[at]duke[dot]edu
Géssica Cabral Barros, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow
Géssica received her bachelor’s in Biochemistry and her Master’s degree in Agricultural Microbiology from the Federal University of Viçosa. She obtained her PhD degree in Biological Chemistry from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Her current interest is to understand the role of ribosome ubiquitination in translation control under oxidative stress conditions.
Outside of the lab, Géssica enjoys going to the gym, watching movies and spending time with her family and friends.
contact: gessica.cabral.barros[at]duke[dot]edu
Tonie Farris, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow
Tonie received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Tennessee State University. She obtained her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Meharry Medical College. Her research interest are in understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms of developmental and age-related neurological diseases.
In her free time, Tonie enjoys spending time with family, spending time in nature, gardening, and listening to music.
contact: tonie.farris[at]duke[dot]edu
Shannon Dougherty
Graduate Student
Shannon received her bachelor’s degrees in Molecular Biology and Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and is a pursuing a doctoral degree through the Duke University Biology Department. She is currently interested in using mass spectrometry to monitor ribosomal ubiquitination during oxidative stress.
Outside of the lab, you are likely to find Shannon taking hikes with her dog, exploring Durham with friends, or curled up on the couch with a good book.
contact: shannon.dougherty[at]duke[dot]edu
Austin Maduka
Graduate student (NIH F30 Predoctoral MD/PhD fellow)
Austin received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and is pursuing his MD and PhD degrees through the Duke Medical Scientist Training Program. He is currently interested in how oxidative stress impacts translational control through ubiquitin in mammals, and the implications in disease.
In his free time, Austin enjoys running, discovering new music/chasing concerts, and watching random shows on Netflix.
contact: austin.maduka[at]duke[dot]edu
Clara dos Santos
Graduate Student
Clara received her bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and is pursuing her doctoral degree through the Program in Biology at Duke. She is interested in understanding the connection between enzymes responsible for ubiquitination and energetic metabolism in the context of oxidative stress.
Besides lab work, Clara enjoys cooking, hanging out with friends and exploring new cultures.
contact: clara.dossantos[at]duke[dot]edu
Chia-Yu Chen
Biostatistician
Chia-Yu holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Biochemistry and Biology from National Taiwan University. She pursued her Ph.D. in computational microbiology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and is currently awaiting the defense. Her current interest involves applying bioinformatic tools to omics data for a deeper exploration of cellular biology.
In her free time, she enjoys reading and traveling
contact: chia-yu.chen[at]duke[dot]edu
Blanche Cizubu
Research Scientist/ Lab Manager
Blanche obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She is always exploring new interests but is currently working on the deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp2 and how it regulates translation during stress. She is considering obtaining her CCRP certification and transitioning into clinical research.
In her free time, Blanche enjoys reading, talking to her family, exploring new places, and watching her comfort TV shows.
contact: blanche.cizubu[at]duke[dot]edu
Rachel Field
Undergraduate Student
Rachel is a senior at Duke University, majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry and political science. Rachel plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in biomedical research. She is interested in understanding processes and pathways that direct development and how their malfunction contributes to neurological and developmental disorders. At the Silva lab, she explores this in the context of X-linked intellectual disability type Nascimento.
In her free time, she loves to hike, read, do yoga, garden, and watch/tent for Duke basketball games!
contact: rachel[dot]field[at]duke[dot]edu
Alyssa Estrada
Undergraduate Student
Alyssa is a junior at Duke University, majoring in computer science and planning to pursue a career in medicine. With interests in both computer science and molecular biology, Alyssa takes an interdisciplinary approach to her research and is primarily focused on using computational methods to discover and understand translational regulation of cells. Alyssa’s goal as a future physician is to help technology shape the future of medicine by integrating it into her own practice.
In her free time, Alyssa enjoys attending concerts, traveling, reading, and hiking!
Contact: alyssa.estrada[at]duke[dot]edu
Jorge Mato Frontela
Undergraduate Student
Jorge Mato started his undergraduate studies at the University of Havana and transferred to Duke University to finish his bachelor's degree in Biology with a concentration in Biochemistry and minoring in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. He is interested in emerging omics science like Proteomics and Metabolomics and how they can be used to get a deeper understanding of how cell regulate their processes as a whole.
In his free time, Jorge likes going social dancing in the Triangle salsa scene, rehearsing and performing with dance clubs on campus, travelling, and watching shows on Netflix and Hulu.
Joy Buchi-Ahiabuike
Undergraduate Student
Joy is a senior at Duke University, majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry. Her interests in molecular & cellular biology include how signaling pathway dysfunction impacts both organismal health and disease. She plans to attend medical school and become a physician, centering the biopsychosocial model of health in her practice.
In her free time, Joy enjoys singing, reading/writing poetry, and photography.
Silas Pontes de Almeida
Visiting Scholar
Silas received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the State University of Campinas, Brazil, and is pursuing his master’s degree through the Program in Molecular and Morphofunctional Biology at the State University of Campinas. He is currently interested in how mutations in ubiquitin-related proteins can disrupt their structure and function, leading to the X-linked intellectual disability type Nascimento.
In his free time, Silas enjoys watching movies and series, listening to music, and spending time with his cat.
Lubhanshi Garg
Visiting Scholar
Lubhanshi is a Ph.D. candidate at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, where her thesis explores the specificity of effector
proteases for host proteins vital to proteasomal degradation pathways. As a visiting Fulbright Fellow in the Silva lab, she is interested in determining the structural basis for linkage-specific recognition of ubiquitin chains by bacterial DUBs and their regulation under oxidative stress. Outside of her research, she enjoys cooking, listening to music, and occasionally sketching. She likes to spend time in nature with friends and family.
Alumni
Elizabeth Lynfatt
Undergraduate Student (Summer 2024)
Ömür Kayikçi, PhD
Lab Manager (2023-2024)
Sofia Guerrero
Undergraduate Student (2020-2024)
2023 Goldwater Scholar | PhD at Stanford Neuroscience
Dinachi Okonkwo
Undergrad (2021-2023)
2022 Duke Faculty Scholar
Wigdan Hissien
Undergrad (summer 2023)
Vanessa Simões, Msc
Lab Manager (2017-2022)
Associate Consultant at Mckinsey & Co
Natori Maske
Lab Technician (2021-2022)
Lana Harley
Lab Technician (2019-2021)
Nate Snyder, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow (2018-2021)
Max Bucklan
Undergraduate Student (2019-2021)
PhD student at Duke UPGG
Julia Marshall
Undergraduate Student (2018-2020)
Andrew Gorman, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow (2018-2019)
Brian Gregory, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow (2019)
M. Sapphire Bowen-Kauth
Summer Undergraduate Student (2019) - SROP
MD/PhD Student UNC CH
Valeria Santa Melendez
Summer Undergraduate Student (2018) -SROP
PhD student at Purdue