Ileana M. Cristea, PhD
Henry L. Hillman Professor of Molecular Biology
Research Molecular Biologist:
Todd Greco, PhD
Princeton, 2009 - present
A biochemist and neuroscientist by training, Todd returned to his home state of New Jersey in 2009 to join the Cristea lab for his postdoctoral work. Currently a Research Molecular Biologist, he works on multidisciplinary projects that harness mass spectrometry and bioinformatics to study the dynamics of protein complexes. When he’s not studying how protein interactions influence the development of Huntington’s disease, he’s mentoring students in the principles of proteomics and biochemistry. In his spare time, Todd enjoys cooking simple yet flavorful meals while pondering the art of mass spectrometry maintenance.
Josiah E. (Jaime) Hutton, PhD
PhD @ Vanderbilt University
After surviving the humidity of Florida, the country music of Tennessee, and the brutal winters of Illinois, Jaime moved to New Jersey to further advance his training in analytical proteomics and to learn virology in the Cristea Lab. When not babysitting the mass spectrometers, Jaime enjoys exercising, board games with his friends, and giving attention to the best cat in the Cristea Lab.
Postdoctoral Scientists:
Joshua L. Justice, PhD
PhD @ University of Alabama at Birmingham
Joshua completed his Ph.D in Virology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (where he was born and raised) and joined the Cristea lab in 2019 to study how viral infections are detected and combated by the host cell. Joshua enjoys gardening, fine whiskey, and the occasional D&D campaign with his labmates.
Krystal Lum, PhD
From Queens, New York, Krystal is pursuing her longstanding interests in intrinsic and innate immunity using an interdisciplinary approach. Krystal has an affinity for bunnies and rescuing animals in need, fossil hunting, rockhounding, road cycling, playing Scrabble, puzzling, and landscape sketching.
_______________________________________________________________________
Graduate Students:
Bokai Song
Bokai is from Tianjin, China, and did his undergrad in Tsinghua University in Beijing before coming to the Cristea lab to pursue a PhD. He studies the function and regulation of the DNA sensor cGAS in innate immune signaling. Outside the lab, Bokai is a guitar and ukulele player.
Cora Betsinger
A lover of all things mitochondria, Cora is working to understand the battle between HCMV and host cells for control over cellular metabolism during infection. In her free time she loves hiking, camping, canoeing, trying new restaurants, knitting, and hanging out with her hamster (Sebastian).
Katelyn C. Cook
Making her way east from California, Nevada, Colorado, and finally to New Jersey, Katelyn is pursuing a PhD focused on exploring how intracellular pathogens remodel organelles to achieve infection. When she’s not at the bench, Katelyn fills her time with trail runs, gardening, strategy RPGs, cooking (pun intended), and cuddles with her cats.
Michelle Kennedy
In an unexpected turn of events, Michelle has become the resident coding guru of the lab and focuses on discerning biological meaning from large datasets. As a transplant from Colorado, when not glued to her computer and keyboard she enjoys exploring the outdoors, investigating the NJ craft brewery scene, and cuddling with her cats.
Dawei Liu
Undergrad @ UC Berkeley
After finishing his undergraduate work at UC Berkeley, Dawei came to Princeton to pursue his PhD. He focuses on the interactions between host and viruses, specifically how cells are able to sense invading viruses and mount effective innate immune responses. Dawei is a pro at badminton and an avid video game and board game player too!
William Hofstadter
Undergrad @ Northwestern University
Coming to Princeton from the Midwest and California, Will studies how viruses manipulate fundamental cellular processes. Outside of the lab, Will also enjoys exploring the outdoors, swimming, and reptiles.
Matthew Tyl
Undergrad @ University of Michigan
Hailing from the great state of Michigan, Matt is a lover of all posttranslational modifications (PTMs). He is investigating host-virus interactions at the PTM regulatory interface, focusing on sirtuins and novel PTMs. Outside of the lab, he enjoys exercising and playing games with friends.
Peter Metzger
Undergrad @ Georgetown University
Hailing from Minneapolis and Washington D.C., Peter is most interested in how virus-host interactions drive rearrangements in organelle structure and immune signaling during infection. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar, golfing, and baking high-fat confections.
Tavis Reed
Originally from Illinois, Tavis came to Princeton to pursue his PhD. He is interested in developing computational tools for proteomics and is co-advised by Olga Troyanskaya. In his free time, he enjoys being bad at video games and sleeping in late.
Ji Woo Park
Originally from Bucheon, South Korea, Ji Woo is interested in studying the role of mitochondrial morphology in innate immune response and metabolic regulation. Outside of the lab, he enjoys golfing, gardening, and trying new coffee beans from local roasteries.
James Kostas
Undergrad @ Northeastern University
James joins us at Princeton from The Bay State (sometimes called Massachusetts). Here in the Cristea Lab, his interests lie in understanding how viruses facilitate their spreading to nearby cells, specifically by hijacking signaling organelles called extracellular vesicles. Outside of the lab, James can be found making pizzas, taking weekend trips, or exercising his competitive spirit by playing games with friends.
_______________________________________________________________________
Undergraduates:
Corazón Núñez
Princeton '23
Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Corazón is an undergraduate student whose work focuses on immune signaling following viral infection. In her free time, she is a member of multiple student dance groups and enjoys baking and crocheting.
Cody Mui
Princeton '23
From the suburbs of Chicago, Cody is eager to join the Cristea lab. Although he does not yet know what he wants to research, Cody is eager to jump in and learn the workings of the lab. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music from classical to kpop, jogging around campus, and eating different foods.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Lab Alumni:
Former Postdocs:
Joel Federspiel, PhD - Senior Scientist @ Pfizer, Drug Safety Research and Development Group, Boston, USA
Yutaka Hashimoto, PhD - Assistant Professor @ Nagoya City University, Japan
Rommel Mathias, PhD - Assistant Professor @ Monash University, Australia
Yuan-Chin Tsai, PhD - Assistant Professor @ Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
Preeti Joshi, PhD - Senior Scientist @ Biogen, USA
Yang Luo, PhD - Research Scientist @ The Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center
Former Grad Students:
Timothy Howard, PhD - Associate @ ClearView Healthcare Partners, Newton, MA, USA
Xinlei Sheng, PhD - Postdoc in Zhao Lab @ U Chicago, Chicago, USA
Laura Murray-Nerger, PhD - Postdoc in Gewurz Lab @ Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
Krystal Lum, PhD - Postdoc in Weitzman Lab @ U Penn, Philadelphia, USA
Pierre M Jean Beltran, PhD - Postdoc in Carr Lab @ Broad Institute, Boston, USA
Elizabeth Rowland, PhD - Associate @ McKinsey & Co., Philadelphia, USA
Marni Crow, PhD - Associate Medical Director @ VMLY&R, New Jersey, USA
Benjamin Diner, PhD - Senior Scientist @ Editas, Boston, USA
Amanda Guise, PhD - Postdoc in Steen Lab @ Harvard University, Boston, USA
Hanna Budayeva, PhD - Senior Scientist @ Gentech, USA
Tuo Li, PhD - Postdoc in Chen Lab @ UT Southwestern, USA
Yana Miteva, PhD - Postdoc in Baer Lab @ Columbia University, USA
Danielle Rowles, PhD - Research Scientist @ QPS Delaware, USA
Val Carabetta, PhD - Assistant Professor @ Cooper Medical School, USA
Former Technicians:
Fang Yu - Research Scientist @ Fudan University, China
