Nina received a BS Biological Sciences and a BA in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Maryland. She then moved to the Midwest to pursue a PhD in  Molecular Genetics and Genomics at Washington University in St. Louis.  Her doctoral studies with Jacqueline Payton and Daisy Leung used ChIP-seq, biochemical and informatic approaches to characterize human respiratory syncytial virus non-structural protein NS1 nuclear roles in modulation of gene transcription.

Yin did her doctoral studies at Kansas State in Pathobiology with Dr. Jianfa Bai. Yin’s studies focused on developing novel assays for detection of emerging viruses, including African swine fever virus, Seneca valley virus 1 and foot-and-mouth disease virus. She characterized genetic diversity of emergine porcine circoviruses.  She also characterized genome diversity and field detection of the nidovirus porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Yin’s work lead to the development of novel diagnostic tests currently in use.

Laura joins us following her PhD studies at Princeton, where she studied human cytomegalovirus in the lab of Ileana Cristea. Laura used whole cell proteomic profiling to characterize roles of protein acetylation in host defense and HCMV replication and characterized roles of lamin B1 acetylation.  She also studied the temporal dynamics of complex formation during HCMV infection.

Yifei joins us after completing PhD studies with Sanjay Reddy and Blanca Lupiani at Texas A&M.  Yifei’s doctoral studies focused on the alpha-herpesvirus Marek’s Disease Virus, an important avian tumor virus.  Yifei studied roles of the US3 kinase, the MEQ oncoprotein and miRNAs.