@ Brown University
ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Alexandra obtained her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science an Art, and then her doctoral degree in Molecular Biophysics from The Rockefeller University. She conducted postdoctoral studies in the group of HHMI investigator, Dr. Niko Grigorieff, first at Brandeis University and later at the HHMI Janelia Farm Research Campus as a Damon Runyon Fellow. She is the recipient of a At the Interfaces Award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a Medical Research Award from The Rhode Island Foundation, a Salomon Faculty Research Award from Brown University, and awards from the German Society of Biochemistry, The International Brain Organization and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. She is excited about structural biology, responses to stress and DNA damage, microtubules and things biochemical.
E-mail: alexandra_deaconescu[at]brown.edu
Phone: (401) 863-3215
Alexandra Deaconescu,
B.E., Ph.D.
MEMBERS
Christiane Brugger, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
E-mail:
christiane_brugger[at]brown.edu
Phone: (401) 863-6729
Christiane is a native of Austria, where she obtained both a bachelor's and master's degree in Biotechnology from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Vienna). She then completed her doctoral degree in structural biology at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), where she worked on chromatin remodelers in the group of Thomas Schalch. Her scientific interests in the lab center on the regulation of transcription-repair coupling factors. Christiane is co-author on our papers published in Genes & Development (2019), Protein Science (2021) and Frontiers in Genetics (2022), and a first author on our papers in Nature Communications (2020), Bio-protocol (2021) and Biorxiv (2022; 2023).
Rebecca Kim
Research assistant
E-mail: Rebecca_kim[at]brown.edu
Phone: (401) 863-6729
I grew up in both New Jersey and South Korea, and now I am studying for my ScB in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Brown University. I developed an interest in structural biology during a summer internship working in the Tsai Lab at the Baylor College of Medicine and am excited to continue my work in this area with the Deaconescu group. In my free time, I like to swim, draw, and ride my cruiser! I have a strong interest in ClpXP biology.
Kaylin Fortes
Research assistant
E-mail:
kaylin_fortes[at]brown.edu
Phone: (401)863-6729
I graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in biochemistry. I have a passion for research and promoting the visibility of underserved identities. In my free time, I enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, and playing board games. In the lab, I am focusing on the structure and function of new ClpXP anti-adaptors and also enjoy helping everyone along!
Christopher Pawul
Undergraduate Researcher
E-mail:
christopher_pawul[at]brown.edu
Phone: (401) 863-6729
Ange Karondo
Undergraduate Researcher
E-mail:
zelie_karondo[at]brown.edu
Phone: (401) 863-6729
Tammy Glass
Administrative Assistant
E-mail:
tammy_glass[at]brown.edu
Phone: (401) 863-7446
I am a junior from Killingly, CT concentrating in biological physics (and possibly applied math). Structural biology interests me because of the powerful predictions and perspectives the field offers for protein function. In the lab, I am interested in how bacteria respond to phosphate starvation and hope to learn some cryo-EM. In my free time, I enjoy reading, weight lifting, and playing trombone as part of the Brown Band and The Bear Bones
Originally from Burundi, located in East Africa, Ange is a student at Brown University and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as well as a Certificate in Data Fluency. Influenced by her origins and the different people who populate her life, Ange has different interests that touch on tropical infectious diseases and tissue engineering, and likes to explore the ethical questions that these interests raise. Her research in the Deaconescu lab focuses on understanding the role of the Mfd protein in mutagenesis. In her spare time, Ange enjoys walking for hours admiring nature and dancing when there are no more restaurants to try, all three her favorite elements when it comes to exploring another culture.
Tammy is invaluable to the lab and we could not do without her!