People

Emrah Altindis, Ph.D

Principal Investigator

Dr. Emrah Altındiş is an Assistant Professor at Boston College Biology Department and an adjunct faculty member of Joslin Diabetes Center (affiliated with Harvard Medical School). His research is focused on (i) functional characterization of viral hormones and (ii) potential role of gut microbiome on onset of Type 1 Diabetes autoimmunity. Dr. Altindis’ primary goal and passion is to make significant contributions to our understanding on host and microbe interactions within the context of viral hormones and determine their role in human health and disease.

Email me: altindis@bc.edu

Khyati Girdhar, Ph.D

Post Doctoral fellow

Dr. Girdhar received her MSc. in Chemistry National institute of Technology (NIT) Jalandhar, India. She started her Ph.D. in Indian institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, India in the field of medicinal chemistry where she designed a small molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist for the treatment of diabetes. She also owns a patent for designing that molecule. After completing her Ph.D she joined as postdoctoral fellow in University of Michigan for several months. She joined the Altindis lab in October 2020 and is working in the field of autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and Celiac disease exploring the role of the gut microbiome in the onset of autoimmunity. She has extensive experience in several in-vitro experiments, in-vivo handling and ex-vivoexperiments. She has also experience in the field of molecular biology and organic synthesis.

Email me: girdhar@bc.edu

Aurelien Chuard, Ph.D

Post Doctoral fellow

Dr. Chuard received his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Microbiology & Immunology from Bordeaux University (France). During his Ph.D. at the National Institute of Agronomics Research, he has worked on molecular aspects involved in the horizontal transmission of the avian Marek’s Disease Virus. In 2021, he joined Altindis lab with his molecular virologist background to unravel the associated functions of the viral insulins (VILPs) encoded by Iridioviruses.

Email me: chuard@bc.edu

Audrey  Randall

Graduate Student

Audrey received her Bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Maryland – College Park. After working as a student technician at the US Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases she decided to pursue a PhD in biology at Boston College. She joined the Altindis lab in April 2022 and is now studying the roles of Parabacteriodes distasonis in autoimmune disease onset.

Email me: randalau@bc.edu

Dogus Dogru, MSc

Graduate Student

Dogus received his BS degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. He then pursued his Master’s degree in Computational Sciences and Engineering at Koc University in Istanbul, Turkey. He then worked as a bioinformatics research technician in Altindis lab at Boston College. Here, he analyzed bulk RNA sequencing data from mouse tissue samples to perform differential gene expression and pathway analysis. His present works as a graduate student in the Altindis lab include 16S RNA sequencing analyses of the human gut microbiome and investigation of evolutionary relationships of insulin signaling ligands and receptors.

Email me: dogru@bc.edu

Katherine Truelson

Graduate Student

Hi, I’m Kat! I’ve been working in the microbiology field since 2016 when I began working in the laboratory of Dr. James Kirby studying antimicrobial resistance at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA, while I completed my undergraduate degree at Boston University. I obtained my degree in biology, specializing in cellular biology, molecular biology, and genetics. After graduating in late 2017, I worked at the sequencing core at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, MA before finding a position with Dr. Howard Shuman at the University of Chicago studying the pathogenesis of Legionella pneumophila. After 2.5 years with Dr. Shuman, I moved back to Boston to continue my research on antimicrobial resistance in clinical bacterial isolates while searching for a graduate program. I am fascinated by the pathogenicity of microbes in various disease states, and that is why I am spending my Ph.D. studying how microbial molecular mimics trigger the autoimmune response in type 1 diabetes onset. 

Email me: truelson@bc.edu

Julianne Cutone

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Julianne Cutone, class of 2024, Biology major joined the Altindis lab in the fall of 2020 . Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing tennis and running. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in research.

Email me: cutonej@bc.edu

Kalaimagal Nesarajah

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Kalai, class of ‘25, joined the Altindis lab in Fall 2022 and works under Dr. Aurelien Chuard’s supervision. Kalai is a biology major concentrating in physiology and organismal biology, plays the French horn in the University Wind Ensemble, is a member of BC’s Bollywood fusion dance team, Masti, is vice president of Timmy Global Health, and works as an EMT. In the future, Kalai wishes to pursue a career in medicine.

Email me: nesaraja@bc.edu

Lukas Rhodes

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Lukas Rhodes, class of 2026, joined the Altindis lab in the Fall of 2023 and now works under Dr.Khyati Girdhar. Lukas is a Biology major on the Pre-Med track. He is the vice president of the Boston College chapter of the Diabetes Link and a member of Boston College’s MedLife Club. Lukas is a patient care technician at UPMC West Shore Hospital in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He hopes to pursue a career in medicine and attend medical school after college. Lukas’ interests include research, nature, basketball, and meeting new people.

Email me: rhodeslu@bc.edu

Sofia Pansini

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Sofia Pansini, class of ’26, joined the Altindis lab in Fall 2023 and works under Dr. Mahya Shariat Razavi and Katherine Truelson. Sofia is an English major with a minor in Global Public Health and the Common Good. She is co-president of the Diabetes Link, a member of BC’s MEDLife club, and an advocate for wellness surrounding type 1 diabetes. During high school, Sofia researched the role of CRISPR gene editing in stem-cell derived beta cells to treat type 1 diabetes with the Egli Lab at Columbia University Medical Center. In the future, Sofia hopes to pursue a career that combines her interests in medicine, research, and the diabetes community. 

Email me: pansinis@bc.edu

Alessandro Pezzella

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alessandro Pezzella, class of ’24, joined the Altindis Lab in Fall 2022 and works under Dr. Khyati Girdhar. Alessandro is a biology major, with a minor in Medical Humanities, Health & Culture on the Pre-Med track. Throughout his college career, Alessandro has been working with Bluesleep, a sleep-apnea clinic in New York. Alessandro is also a student-leader in the Boston College Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. After college, he hopes to pursue a career in the medical field.

Email me: pezzelal@bc.edu

Maria A. Jové

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Maria Alejandra Jové, class of 2027, joined the Altindis lab in Fall 2023 and works under Dr. Khyati Girdhar. Maria Alejandra is a biology major in the pre-med track. She is on the E-board of SACNAS, a member of the Student Admission Program, MEDLife club, Public Health Club, PRSA Club, a spokesperson for the Be Brave Foundation and the Pediatric Diabetes Foundation of Puerto Rico, and an advocate for type 1 diabetes. During highschool, Maria Alejandra researched the effect E. coli and its production of amyloid protein can have on the development of Alzheimer’s disease through the Scientific Research Academy with Dr. Arratia. In addition, during the summer she researched the correlation between chronic stress and the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment with the Garcia Rinaldi Foundation. In the future, Maria Alejandra hopes to pursue a career in the medical field combining her interest with research. 

Email me: jovem@bc.edu

Michelle Zhang

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Michelle Zhang is a biology major in the class of 2025 with an interest in clinical research. She joined the Altindis Lab in the summer of 2023 and works under Kristina Kelley. She also works in the Boston College Makerspace specializing in 3D printing, as a TA for students in the Gateway Scholars Program, and as the treasurer of the Public Health Club.

Email me: zhangazu@bc.edu

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