{"id":447,"date":"2022-09-23T20:35:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-23T20:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/?page_id=447"},"modified":"2026-02-04T17:58:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:58:12","slug":"lab-members","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Lab Members"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-475 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2022\/11\/Mickolajczyk_Keith-J-scaled-e1668100194116.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/h6>\n<h3>Keith J. Mickolajczyk, PhD<\/h3>\n<h6>Principal Investigator<\/h6>\n<h6>Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology<\/h6>\n<h6>Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School<\/h6>\n<h6>Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute, Cancer Pharmacology Program<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>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.<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Email: keith.mickolajczyk@rutgers.edu<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-701 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2025\/04\/thumbnail_GokerArpag_ProfilePhoto_300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Goker Arpag, PhD<\/h3>\n<h6>Research Associate<\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Bio: <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Email: ga552@rwjms.rutgers.edu<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-690 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2025\/04\/HC_2025_cropped_200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Heonhwa Choi, PhD<\/h3>\n<h6>Postdoctoral Fellow<\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Bio: <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">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&#8217; 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.<\/span><\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Email: hc924@iqb.rutgers.edu<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-509 size-full alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2022\/12\/Rutgers-University-Emblem.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Guy Adami<\/h3>\n<h6>QB Graduate Fellow<\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Bio: <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Pending<\/span><\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Email: ga533@rwjms.rutgers.edu<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-734 size-full alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2025\/07\/Ryan-Fink200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Ryan Fink<\/h3>\n<h6>MBS Graduate Fellow<\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Bio: Ryan is from Jackson, NJ. Ryan was a medical assistant\/phlebotomist before earning his Bachelor of Science,\u00a0<i>summa cum laude<\/i>\u00a0from 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.<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Email: ryan.fink@rutgers.edu<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-727 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2025\/07\/Emily-Kessler.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/>Emily Kessler<\/h3>\n<h6>Research Technician<\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Bio: <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">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.<\/span><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Email: emily.kessler@rutgers.edu<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-656 size-full alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2024\/06\/Haleema-Shahid.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Haleema Shahid<\/h3>\n<h6>Undergraduate Research Assistant<\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Bio: Haleema is originally from Lahore, Pakistan. She is majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and is interested in cancer biology. Outside\u00a0the lab, she enjoys walking, reading books, and discovering new places.<\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Email: hs1174@scarletmail.rutgers.edu<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-698 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2025\/04\/Malak-Elnaggar.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/>Malak Elnaggar<\/h3>\n<h6>Undergraduate Research Assistant<\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Bio: <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">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.<\/span><\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>Email: me645@scarletmail.rutgers.edu<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Lab Alumni<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Postdoctoral Fellows<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dr. Connie Mitra (22-24). Current role: Postdoctoral Fellow at Rutgers University<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Joshua Santiago (24) &#8211; Current role: Protein Biochemist at GSK<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Research Technicians<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Joshua McLeod (23-24)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Undergraduate Researchers<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Yusuf Zahran (22-23)<\/li>\n<li>Farah Nisar (22-23)<\/li>\n<li>Sonali Amin (23)<\/li>\n<li>Eunseo Jun (23)<\/li>\n<li>Alex Cedeno (24)<\/li>\n<li>Akhil Botadra (22-25)<\/li>\n<li>Abigail Rubino (22-25). Current role: Clinical Care Technician at RWJBH<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keith J. Mickolajczyk, PhD Principal Investigator Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute, Cancer Pharmacology Program &nbsp; Bio: Keith originally &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/\" class=\"\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2578,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-custom.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-447","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Lab Members - Mickolajczyk Lab<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lab Members - Mickolajczyk Lab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Keith J. 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Mickolajczyk, PhD Principal Investigator Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute, Cancer Pharmacology Program &nbsp; Bio: Keith originally &hellip; Read More","og_url":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/","og_site_name":"Mickolajczyk Lab","article_modified_time":"2026-02-04T17:58:12+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2022\/11\/Mickolajczyk_Keith-J-scaled-e1668100194116.jpg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/","url":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/","name":"Lab Members - Mickolajczyk Lab","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2022\/11\/Mickolajczyk_Keith-J-scaled-e1668100194116.jpg","datePublished":"2022-09-23T20:35:05+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-04T17:58:12+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2022\/11\/Mickolajczyk_Keith-J-scaled-e1668100194116.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/894\/2022\/11\/Mickolajczyk_Keith-J-scaled-e1668100194116.jpg","width":200,"height":300},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/lab-members\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Lab Members"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/","name":"Mickolajczyk Lab","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/447"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2578"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=447"}],"version-history":[{"count":109,"href":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":737,"href":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/447\/revisions\/737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/mickolajczyk-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}