Andrew Flyak, PhD - Principal Investigator
Dr. Flyak, an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, began his research career in Ukraine. He earned a BS degree from the Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. He then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and joined the PhD program in Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University. While at Vanderbilt, he determined how Marburg and Ebola viruses are neutralized by antibodies isolated from survivors of these deadly infections. During his postdoctoral studies at the California Institute of Technology, he used human antibodies to overcome a long-standing hurdle in Hepatitis C virus vaccine design – the crystallization of an intact form of the Hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein.
contact: andrew.flyak [at] cornell.edu
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Postdoctoral Fellow
Xander was born and raised in the Ithaca, NY area and completed his bachelors at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. He went on to earn his PhD in chemistry and chemical biology in the labs of Dr. Andrew Fisher and Dr. Peter Beal at the
University of California, Davis where he used structural biology to develop site-directed RNA editing therapeutics. In the Flyak lab, he is interested in structurally characterizing broadly neutralizing antibodies to aid in the development of a vaccine for Hepatitis C.
Outside of the lab, Xander enjoys traveling to National Parks, hiking, weightlifting, gardening, and homebrewing craft beer.
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Postdoctoral Fellow
Rajat is from India and completed his PhD in computational biology at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He holds a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from the same institute. Rajat has extensive experience in computational drug discovery and characterizing the function of biomolecules, such as proteins and lipid membranes, using molecular simulations. At Flyak Lab, he aims to advance vaccine design for the hepatitis C virus through a multidisciplinary approach combining computational and experimental methodologies.
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BMCB Graduate Student
Sekyere Boateng is from Ghana, West Africa, and graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and biotechnology. He earned a master's degree in chemistry from Tennessee Technological University, where he worked in Dr. Zhan's lab, identifying novel protein-protein interactions in the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways. He is thrilled to be a part of the Flyak Lab and is looking forward to furthering his interests in structural biology and immunology.
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BBS Graduate Student
Anastasia (Stasha) Rup was born and raised in Vermont. She then completed her bachelor's at Rochester Institute of Technology. After graduation, she worked as a lab technician for two years at Cornell before joining the BBS PhD program. In the Flyak lab, she is interested in further characterizing B cells that generate broadly neutralizing antibodies in response to vaccines.
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BBS Graduate Student
Katelyn was born and raised in Camarillo, CA. She completed her undergraduate in Microbiology at the University of California, San Diego in 2023. While an undergraduate, she studied in a molecular biology lab and focused on elucidating mutant peroxisome production pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the Flyak lab, she hopes to understand the underlying relationship of chronic hepatitis C virus infection and the later development of B cell lymphoma, furthering her interests at the intersection of virology and immunology. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys yoga, rock climbing, reading, and tending her garden.
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BMCB Graduate Student
Rahul Ribeiro is from Rochester, NY, and he graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with Bachelor of Science degrees in Biochemistry and Economics. At Michigan, he did his undergraduate thesis in the lab of Dr. Kristen Verhey in the department of Cell and Developmental Biology, where he studied how siRNA knock-downs of microtubule associated proteins influence microtubule damage. He also worked in Dr. Dipankar Ray’s lab in the department of Cancer Biology, where he identified a novel interaction between the GRAIL and calcineurin proteins and how it might be related to EAC. He is excited to join the Flyak Lab and is interested in pursuing knowledge in immunology and structural biology of antibodies.
In his free time, Rahul enjoys being with friends, nature, running, cooking, sweets, Pokémon Go, and Fortnite.
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Research Technician
Benedito was born and raised in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. He attended the University of Massachusetts Boston where he studied Biology from the College of Science and Mathematics. As an undergraduate, he studied animal operant conditioning. After graduating he was a research assistant with Homology Medicines inc. studying the rare gene therapeutics treatments with the use of gene editing technology. PKU, a rare inborn error of metabolism caused by a mutation in the PAH gene, was the main disease of study. In the Flyak lab, his research interests include the mechanisms behind rapid response from human antibodies to neutralizing mutating viruses,
In his free time, Benedito enjoys running, cooking, gardening, and spending time with his pets.
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Research Technician
Bella was proudly raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she completed a trade program in biotechnology and researched the piRNA pathway in drosophila. She obtained her bachelor’s at Middlebury College with departmental honors in molecular biology and biochemistry, studying the microbial community of maple sap over the sugaring season during undergrad.
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Research Technician
SarahBeth was raised in Deerfield, NY and graduated from Russell Sage College for Women in Troy, NY with a double degree in biology and theatre, earning program and project honors. She comes to Cornell from Upstate Medical University where she had been a technician for many years. Her passion is microscopy and the translation of molecular biology into treatments to benefit humanity. She was most recently working with extracellular matrix degradation in metastasis of kidney cancer and is excited to translate her work into liver research. She loves being a technician and lab manager, which allows her to work at the bench, making beautiful science, and to have the opportunity to train students from whom she learns as much as she teaches.
In her free time, SarahBeth loves to design and make costumes for local theatre, and clothes for herself and her children. She also does far too many other crafts but believes it’s not hoarding if it’s craft supplies. She also is a passionate cheerleader for her children and their activities.
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Undergraduate Student
David is a freshman majoring in Global and Public Health Sciences. Aspiring to attend medical school, he has experience in Emergency Medical Services, as an Ophthalmology Technician, and in clinical/wet-lab research. Prior to joining the Flyak Lab, David conducted two independent glaucoma research projects: one focused on mRNA expression of gene therapy treatments, and the other on the effectiveness of antisense oligonucleotides within cultured human scleral fibroblasts. He has further interest towards global health and the implementation of more equitable healthcare research.
Alumni
| Name | Position | Dates | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimin Kim | Undergraduate Student | 2023-2025 | |
| Katherine McKane | Technician | 2023-2024 | Teachers College, Columbia University |
| Marty Schoenle | Postdoc | 2023-2024 | Research Scientist, TETmedical |
| Ryhl Charles | Undergraduate Student | 2023-2024 | |
| Kassandra Arias-Parbull | Summer Undergraduate Student | 2023 | Graduate School, Notre Dame |
| Tony Tan | Undergraduate Student | 2023 | Graduate School, Emory University |