Lab Members
Keith J. Mickolajczyk, PhD
Principle Investigator
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute, Cancer Pharmacology Program
Bio: Keith originally comes from Glen Rock, NJ. He did his PhD with Will Hancock at Penn State University, and his postdoc with Tarun Kapoor at Rockefeller University. Keith founded the Mickolajczyk Lab in fall 2022. Outside the lab, he enjoys history, hiking, and Yankees baseball.
Email: keith.mickolajczyk@rutgers.edu
Goker Arpag, PhD
Research Associate
Bio: Goker is originally from Tekirdag, Turkey. He earned his PhD in Physics at Worcester Polytechnic, where he studied cytoskeletal motors with Erkan Tuzel. To get wet-lab experience, he joined Marija Zanic’s lab at Vanderbilt as a postdoc and dove into microtubule dynamics. Before joining the Mickolajczyk Lab, he was an Assistant Professor at Kadir Has University back in Istanbul, Turkey. Outside the lab, Goker enjoys reading e-books, listening to music, and spending time outdoors.
Email: ga552@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Heonhwa Choi, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Bio: Heonhwa is originally from Seoul, South Korea. He earned his PhD in Nanoscience from the University of Science and Technology (KRISS Campus), where he studied superconducting microrings’ magnetic properties with an ultrasoft micro-cantilever and innovative techniques. Before joining the Mickolajczyk Lab, he worked on cryo-electron microscopy and low-temperature physics at Rutgers University and KRISS. Outside the lab, he enjoys camping in nature, playing golf, and watching musicals.
Email: hc924@iqb.rutgers.edu
Guy Adami
QB Graduate Fellow
Bio: Pending
Email: ga533@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Ryan Fink
MBS Graduate Fellow
Bio: Ryan is from Jackson, NJ. Ryan was a medical assistant/phlebotomist before earning his Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude from Monmouth University. At Monmouth, Ryan studied RNA structure and antisense oligo therapeutics with Martin Hicks. Then, Ryan spent two years in the lab of Zissimos Mourelatos at UPenn developing assays to measure mRNA decay and piRNA biogenesis. Ryan began his PhD at Rutgers in 2022, spending two years with Lisa Denzin before joining the Mickolajcyzk lab in 2025. Ryan is generally interested in RNA therapeutics. Outside the lab, Ryan enjoys his wife and kids, and baseball.
Email: ryan.fink@rutgers.edu
Emily Kessler
Research Technician
Bio: Emily is from Scotch Plains, New Jersey. She earned her BS in Biochemistry from Lafayette College. Outside the lab, she enjoys watching TV, cooking, and spending time with friends.
Email: emily.kessler@rutgers.edu
Haleema Shahid
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Bio: Haleema is originally from Lahore, Pakistan. She is majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and is interested in cancer biology. Outside the lab, she enjoys walking, reading books, and discovering new places.
Email: hs1174@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Malak Elnaggar
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Bio: Malak is originally from Cairo, Egypt and currently resides in East Brunswick, NJ. She is majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, with a particular interest in ribosome biogenesis. Outside the lab, she enjoys baking, painting, and photography.
Email: me645@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Dr. Connie Mitra (22-24). Current role: Postdoctoral Fellow at Rutgers University
- Dr. Joshua Santiago (24) – Current role: Protein Biochemist at GSK
Research Technicians
- Joshua McLeod (23-24)
Undergraduate Researchers
- Yusuf Zahran (22-23)
- Farah Nisar (22-23)
- Sonali Amin (23)
- Eunseo Jun (23)
- Alex Cedeno (24)
- Akhil Botadra (22-25)
- Abigail Rubino (22-25). Current role: Clinical Care Technician at RWJBH