Lab Members
Keith J. Mickolajczyk, PhD
Principle Investigator
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
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: Pending
Akhil Botadra
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Bio: Akhil is originally from Hillsborough, NJ. He is majoring in Biotechnology, and is interested in biophysics and laser microscopy. Outside the lab, he enjoys reading biographies, playing with his dogs, and learning new things.
Email: yz1162@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Abigail Rubino
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Bio: Abigail is originally from Wall, NJ. She is majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and is interested in cancer biology and ribosome biogenesis. Outside the lab, she enjoys music, physical activity, and EMT volunteering.
Email: air47@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Alexander Cedeno
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Bio: Alexander hails from Camden, New Jersey. He is majoring in Biomedical Engineering, and is interested in microfluidics, bioinstrumentation and kinematics in biology, as well as tissue engineering in artificial organs. Outside the lab, he spends his time perfecting the art of voice acting and digital illustration.
Email: ej271@scarletmail.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)