Current Lab Members 

Mostafizur Rahman, Ph.D: Postdoctoral Fellow

Mostafizur joined the Bhatnagar lab in the summer of 2020 with an interest to investigate molecular factors regulating pancreatic beta cell metabolisms in physiological and pathophysiological states. Currently, he is dissecting the role of soluble protein C1ql3, a novel protein identified in our lab, in pancreatic islet beta cell function. He is also investigating the role of Tomosyn-2 protein in insulin secretion and whole-body glucose homeostasis. Mostafizur received his PhD in Medical Sciences from the Kumamoto University, Japan where he demonstrated that HNF1A transcription factor controls glucagon secretion in pancreatic α-cells through modulation of sodium glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1) and the role of hypoxia in pancreatic beta cell metabolism.  Within a few months of joining the lab he became a new father for the first time.

Haifa A Alsharif (Saba), MS: Graduate Research Assistant

Alsharif obtained her M.S. in Biotechnology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and started her graduate studies in the GBS  program in 2019. She started working in the Bhatnagar lab in 2018 as a researcher then joined the lab later as a graduate student. She has a personal interest in advancing diabetic therapies.  Currently, she is determining the role of Bai3, a G-Protein Coupled Receptor, in regulating insulin secretion and glucose tolerance.

Mary Doamekpor, GGB: Graduate Research Assistant​

Doamekpor joined the lab early spring of 2022. During this time, she was trained extensively by Saba on cell work (INS-1 823/13) and learned techniques of culturing the INS-1 823/13 cells, transfection with siRNA, RNA isolation, PCR, glucose stimulated secretion, and ELISA among others. ​

Ava Michl, BS: Researcher III

Michl joined the team February 2022 with a completed bachelor's degree in neuroscience, and a minor in Chemistry and STEM education. Her general duties include coordinating different aspects of research projects while handling any technical/business matters. 

Yesha Vyas, BS: Undergraduate Research Assistant 

Vyas is an undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Chemistry and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She joined the lab in October of 2021 and has mainly worked on performing PCR tests and aiding Saba and Mostafizur in islet isolation.  ​

Katherine Perez, BS: Undergraduate Research Assistant

Perez is an undergraduate student attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham majoring in Neuroscience and pursuing a Masters degree with concentrations in Neuroscience and Pharmacology on the ABM track. She joined the lab in September of 2021 and has played a role in genotyping data for the ongoing projects in the lab. ​

​Former Lab Members

• John Trombley (MS), Researcher V/Lab Manager
• Asmita Pathak (PhD), Postdoctoral Fellow
• Navya Gullapalli, CORD & SSI Participant
• Jaime Thompson, Undergraduate Research Assistant 
• Jennifer Orduno, Undergraduate Research Assistant
• Dan Nguyen (BS), Undergraduate Research Assistant
• Shuja Liu (MS), Research Assistant 
• Sayak Bhattacharya (PhD), Postdoctoral Fellow
• Chris Truong (BS), Undergraduate Research Assistant
• Trung Huynh (BS), Undergraduate Research Assistant