CHAPPELL LAB TEAM MEMBERS

JAMES CHAPPELL
Assistant Professor | Biosciences | Rice University

James received his PhD from Imperial College London and performed post-doctoral research at Cornell and Northwestern University.
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​Office: 332 Keck Hall
Email: [email protected]

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LAB MANAGER

​DAISHA LEBEAU

In the lab: My research is focused on finding the best ways to help the lab run efficiently & effectively!
Outside of lab: I’m either painting, DIYing something in my apartment, or watching shows about space!
My favorite science fact: If we replaced our sun with a black hole of the same mass, all of the planets would continue to revolve around it at the same speed and distance as they do now.
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Email: [email protected]

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GRADUATE STUDENTS

MALYN SELINIDIS
Biochemistry and Cell Biology

In the lab: I work in both the Chappell and Silberg lab on developing true off states for bacterial signaling in soils.
Outside the lab: I'm often found hanging out with my dog, drawing, cooking, biking, or playing dungeons and dragons with friends
My favorite science fact: The state shell of Texas, the lightning whelk, is one of the few sinestral (left-handed) shells which means it spirals in a different direction than most other gastropods. What funky genes they have!

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MalynSelinidis

HANNAH LIM
Bioengineering

In the lab: I work in both the Chappell and Segatori Lab. I’m working on a project to implement and optimize various RNA sensors in mammalian cells to respond to inflammation signals and produce proteins of interest.
Outside of lab: I like to explore the city and hang out outdoors (picnic, camping,etc)! I also enjoy playing tennis and watching movies.
My favorite science fact:  The human body has more bacterial cells than human cells

Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-lim-0616/

DARREN SEET
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Bio.

​In the lab: I'm working on developing broad-range catalytic RNA tools for reprogramming target microbes within their natural communities. 
Outside of lab: You can often find me trying food or cooking/baking something new. I'm also really into music and play the drums and bass. 
Favorite science fact: Chocolate is a crystal! There are (at least) 6 different crystal forms, but we normally only like eating 1 of them. 

Email: [email protected]

ANIKA GUPTA
​Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Bio.

In the lab: : I’m working on using catalytic RNA to develop biosensors that can detect environmentally relevant contaminants.
Outside of lab: I love to cook and explore nature! My favorite natural wonders are trees and glaciers.
My favorite science fact:​ We know more about space than we do about the ocean.

Email: [email protected]​

LAVANYA KARINJE
​Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Bio.

In the lab: I work in both the Chappell and Stadler lab, and my current focus is on improving the RAM technology.
Outside of lab: I absolutely love cooking and watching sports (from F1 to cricket). I also make sure to catch up on my latest read, and spend time with my friends!
My favorite science fact: Prince Rupert’s drop.

Email: [email protected]

ELLA RAMAMURTHY
​Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Bio.

In the lab: I am working on creating ligand-activated splicing ribozymes to engineer probiotics to maintain homeostasis in the gut microbiome.
Outside of lab: You can often find me reading and crafting around the Houston parks or biking around the bayous to explore new bakeries! 
My favorite science fact: The world’s oldest cat lived to 38 years and was named Crème Puff.

Email: [email protected]
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ROBIN MO
Biochemistry and Cell Biology​

In the lab: Science 💪
Outside of lab: No Science ⛳️
My favorite science fact: 1,2,3,4,5,6 ....... 56,57,58,59, and 60. A blood cell just a made a complete tour of your body.

​Email: ​[email protected]

ELISE ZIMMERMAN
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Bio.

In the lab: I work on a new class of programmable, synthetic RNA-based therapeutics to address global health infectious disease challenges
Outside of lab: I love to try new restaurants and spend time with friends. We love to go dancing!
My favorite science fact: Humans can acquire genes from bacteria

​Email: [email protected]
Linkedin:www.linkedin.com/in/elise-h-zimmerman

AARON STIBELMAN
​Biochemistry and Cell Biology​

In the lab: I work in both the Chappell and Shamoo lab to discover emergent phenotypes that arise from engineered microbial communities.
Outside the lab: There’s an outside the lab?
My favorite science fact: The amount of bacterial cells that create our microbiome is about the same as the amount of our human cells, making us only about 50% human.

​Email: [email protected]

MOLLY STEPHENSON
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Bio​

In the lab: I work in both the Chappell and Shamoo lab to understand the regulatory complexity of secondary metabolism in bacteria and enable the design of synthetic communities with programmable metabolite outputs. 
Outside the lab: I enjoy reading, live music, and spending as much time as possible with my pet dogs, cats, and goats. 
My favorite science fact: Although black, green, and white teas all come from the same plant, variation in oxidation levels change their flavors, color, and caffeine content. 

Email: ​[email protected]

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HANEN SU
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Bio​

In the lab: I work in both the Chappell and Stadler labs on engineering stably maintained synthetic functions in microbial communities to enable controllable microbiome engineering.
Outside the lab: I like exercising (basketball, biking, gym, hiking), reading, listening to history and astrophysics podcasts, watching movies, and going on random side quests around the city :)  
My favorite science fact: There are an estimated 10^31 phage particles on the planet, or about a trillion phages for every grain of sand in the world. Also the science behind this superhuman defensive recovery by LeBron James.

Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanen-su/ 

CADEN SANKO
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Bio​

​In the lab: I’m working on enhancing the target specificity of trans-splicing ribozymes as well as
developing new methods for studying subviral RNAs using synthetic biology approaches.
Outside the lab: I love museums (especially contemporary art), and the outdoors. I also enjoy
playing TTRPGs with friends.
My favorite science fact: If you could somehow stack up every bacteriophage on earth the
structure you’d make would be about 100 million light years long.
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Email: [email protected]

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UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

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ALUMNI​

PhD/PostDocs students:

Lauren Gambill (2018-2022), Strand therapeutics,  /lauren-gambill-synthetic-biologist

Andrea Ameruoso (2017-2022),  NuProbe, /Andrea-Ameruoso

Maria Claudia Villegas Kcam (2017-2024), KU Leuven

Andrea Garza (2019-2024)​, Oak Ridge National Lab

Baiyang Liu (2017-2024), Columbia University, Wang Lab

UG researchers:
Rodolfo Gutierrez-Garcia, UG research, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
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Rishi Shridharan, UG research, Biochemistry and Cell Biology

​Annette J. Tsong, UG research, Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Katherine P. Cohen, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 2021

Pavithr Goli, Summer research high-school student for BIOC 110, 2019

Stephanie Ponce, Undergraduate of the NSF funded Bionetworks Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at Rice and BIOC 310 (Independent research) student, 2018-2019
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Anshul Bhatnagar, Rice Undergraduate and Century scholars program, 2017