Wang Lab Personnel » Center for NeuroGenetics » College of Medicine

Assistant Scientist

Belinda Pinto

Assistant Scientist (faculty)

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-9236

Email: belindapinto@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO BOX 103610
GAINESVILLE FL 326110001

Publications:

2020
Sleep disorders in myotonic dystrophies.
Muscle & nerve
2019
A CTG repeat-selective chemical screen identifies microtubule inhibitors as selective modulators of toxic CUG RNA levels.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
2019
Cell-type-specific dysregulation of RNA alternative splicing in short tandem repeat mouse knockin models of myotonic dystrophy.
Genes & development
2017
Impeding Transcription of Expanded Microsatellite Repeats by Deactivated Cas9.
Molecular cell

Grants:

Feb 2019 ACTIVE
Impeding transcription of expanded microsatellite repeats using deactivated Cas9
NATL INST OF HLTH NIA · Other

Patents:

Published April 2019
Compositions and Methods for Impeding Transcription of Expanded Microsatellite Repeats
#US-2021-0285010-A1

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Lab Manager

Kendra K Mckee

Lab Manager/Biological Scientist Ll

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-9236

Email: kmckee@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO BOX 103610
GAINESVILLE FL 326100001

Physical Address:: 2033 Mowry Road – CGRC Eric Wang Lab 215
GAINESVILLE FL 326100001

Lab Manager, University of Florida, Eric T. Wang Lab, Center for Neurogenetics

Publications:

2022
Mice lacking MBNL1 and MBNL2 exhibit sudden cardiac death and molecular signatures recapitulating myotonic dystrophy.
Human molecular genetics
2021
Ribonuclease recruitment using a small molecule reduced c9ALS/FTD r(G4C2) repeat expansion in vitro and in vivo ALS models.
Science translational medicine
2019
Precise small-molecule cleavage of an r(CUG) repeat expansion in a myotonic dystrophy mouse model.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
2019
Culturing C2C12 myotubes on micromolded gelatin hydrogels accelerates myotube maturation.
Skeletal muscle
2017
Whole Transcriptome Analysis of Notochord-Derived Cells during Embryonic Formation of the Nucleus Pulposus.
Scientific reports

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Post Doctoral Associate

Yu Zhou

POSTDOC ASO

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-9236

Email: yuzhou@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: 2033 MOWRY RD
GAINESVILLE FL 32610

Physical Address:: 2033 Mowry Rd.
Gainesville FL 32610

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Graduate Assistants

Ryan Hildebrandt

POSTDOC ASO

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-9236

Email: ryhildeb@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO Box 103610
GAINESVILLE FL 326110001

Physical Address:: 2033 MOWRY RD RM 215
GAINESVILLE FL 32610

Publications:

Grants:

Jan 2021 – May 2021
2021 Southeastern Translational Cell Biology Symposium
CHAN ZUCKERBERG INITIATIVE · Principal Investigator

Education:

2016-2022
PhD Medical Sciences (Genetics)
University of Florida
2011-2015
B.S. Psychology
Florida State University

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Alana P O'Brien

Ph.D. Candidate

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-8601

Email: aob730@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: 2033 MOWRY RD RM 236
GAINESVILLE FL 32610

Research Interests:

Genetics
Myotonic Dystrophy
RNA processing
Repeat Expansion Diseases

Publications:

2022
Molecular characterization of myotonic dystrophy fibroblast cell lines for use in small molecule screening.
iScience

Education:

2015-2019
B.S. in Biology
University of Florida

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Brittney A Otero

POSTDOC ASO

Department: Department of Neuroscience

Phone: (352) 627-9200

Email: brittotero@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO Box 100244
Dept of Neuroscience
GAINESVILLE FL 326103007

Physical Address:: GRINTER HALL115
GAINESVILLE FL 326110001

Publications:

2022
A comprehensive atlas of fetal splicing patterns in the brain of adult myotonic dystrophy type 1 patients.
NAR genomics and bioinformatics
2021
Transcriptome alterations in myotonic dystrophy frontal cortex.
Cell reports
2019
Cell-type-specific dysregulation of RNA alternative splicing in short tandem repeat mouse knockin models of myotonic dystrophy.
Genes & development

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Keril K Poukalov

GRADUATE AST-R

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (941) 330-5717

Email: kiril.poukalov@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO Box 100229
GAINESVILLE FL 32610

Physical Address:: 2033 MOWRY RD
GAINESVILLE FL 32608

Grants:

Oct 2019 – Apr 2021
Distinguished Lectures in Neurodegeneration and Developing Therapies
SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOU · Principal Investigator

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Zoe J Scherzer

GRADUATE AST-R

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-8601

Email: zoejstar@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO Box 100229
GAINESVILLE FL 32610

Physical Address:: 001 REID HALL
GAINESVILLE FL 32608

Grants:

Jan 2022 ACTIVE
Investigation the contribution of circadian disruption in DM-associated sleep disorders
MYOTONIC DYSTROPHY FOU · Principal Investigator

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Danielle Adekunle, BSc. Joint with Phil Sharp at MIT

Research Assistants

Senior Lab Tech

Leanne M Adams

SR LAB TCH

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-8213

Email: leanne.adams@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: P.O. Box 103610
GAINESVILLE FL 32610

Physical Address:: TALLA
GAINESVILLE FL 32611

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Biological Scientist

Carmen Valero Quiros

Biological Scientist IV

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-9236

Email: mvaleroquiros@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO BOX 103610
GAINESVILLE FL 326100001

Physical Address:: 2033 MOWRY RD # LAB215
CANCER AND GENETICS RESEARCH COMPLEX
GAINESVILLE FL 326103010

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Juan D Arboleda

Graduate Research Assistant

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-9236

Email: jarboleda@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO BOX 103610
GAINESVILLE FL 326100001

Physical Address:: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
GAINESVILLE FL 326070001

Publications:

2019
Culturing C2C12 myotubes on micromolded gelatin hydrogels accelerates myotube maturation.
Skeletal muscle
2018
An engineered RNA binding protein with improved splicing regulation.
Nucleic acids research
2017
Impeding Transcription of Expanded Microsatellite Repeats by Deactivated Cas9.
Molecular cell

Education:

2013-2017
Biology, B.S.
University of Florida

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Hailey R Olafson

OPS

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Phone: (352) 273-9236

Email: olafsohr@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO BOX 103610
GAINESVILLE FL 326110001

Publications:

2022
Mice lacking MBNL1 and MBNL2 exhibit sudden cardiac death and molecular signatures recapitulating myotonic dystrophy.
Human molecular genetics
2021
Ribonuclease recruitment using a small molecule reduced c9ALS/FTD r(G4C2) repeat expansion in vitro and in vivo ALS models.
Science translational medicine
2021
Repeat length increases disease penetrance and severity in C9orf72 ALS/FTD BAC transgenic mice.
Human molecular genetics
2021
High-content image-based analysis and proteomic profiling identifies Tau phosphorylation inhibitors in a human iPSC-derived glutamatergic neuronal model of tauopathy.
Scientific reports
2019
Transcriptome alterations in myotonic dystrophy skeletal muscle and heart.
Human molecular genetics
2019
Precise small-molecule cleavage of an r(CUG) repeat expansion in a myotonic dystrophy mouse model.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

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Lab Technician

Derek R Muscato

Laboratory Technician III

Department: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Email: derekmuscato@ufl.edu

Publications:

2022
Skeletal myopathy in a rat model of postmenopausal heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
2021
Nox4 Knockout Does Not Prevent Diaphragm Atrophy, Contractile Dysfunction, or Mitochondrial Maladaptation in the Early Phase Post-Myocardial Infarction in Mice.
Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology

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Lab Personnel

Not Pictured:

Elena Mariel Encinas

Yidan Lu

Matthew Menzel

Laura Vargas