Team - BHATNAGAR LAB

Current Lab Members

Asmita Pathak, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow
Asmita entered the lab in April 2020 with a extensive protein analysis background. She is working on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying early phase insulin secretion in normal physiology in type-2-diabetes. She is working on understanding the role of Tomosyn-1 (STXBP5) and Syt9 proteins in fusion of insulin granules in early phase secretion. Asmita received her PhD in Biochemistry from East Tennessee State in Johnson City Tennessee studying C-Reactive Proteins and Low Density Lipoproteins and their role in atherosclerosis and has demonstrated that C-Reactive Proteins confer protection against atherosclerosis. She tends to be very outspoken and can organize a wonderful party.

Rahman, Mostafizur: 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.

John E. Trombley, MS: Researcher V / Lab Manager
John joined the Bhatnagar Lab in March 2020 a few days after the outbreak of COVID19. He currently manages the Bhatnagar Mouse Colony and performs much of the in-vivo work as well as most administrate components of the day to day life of the lab. John was awarded his MS upon leaving his PhD program for a lucrative offer at Southern Research. He has worked in a variety of scientific environments and roles ranging from high containment work to clean room testing. He has worked with mice, rats, ferrets, rabbits, cats, dogs, non-human primates, as well as human clinical volunteers. John is the organizer of the lab and has a hobby of home remodeling.

Haifa A Alsharif (Saba), MS: Graduate Research Assistant, Grad Sch - Biomed Sciences
Saba started her graduate studies in 2019 in the Bhatnagar Lab. She has a personal interest in advancing diabetic therapies since diabetes is very common in her homeland of Saudi Arabia. Currently she is determining the role of Bai3, a common G-Protein Receptor, in diabetes. She manages her own animal KO colony and performs several in-vivo and in-vitro scientific procedures to characterize Bai3 in addition to her class load. Saba obtained her MS in Biotechnology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Saba enjoys eating dates, and she brings candy, snacks, and other diabetic trigger food to the lab on a weekly basis.

Former Lab Members

 Jaime S Thompson: Undergraduate Research Assistant
    Jaime is an honors freshman undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience. Ever since Jaime joined the
    lab in August of 2019, she has enjoyed learning new concepts and techniques from her fellow labmates.
    After her undergraduate degree, Jaime aspires to attend pharmacy school in hopes of becoming a
    pharmacist. In the meantime, she is studying hard and building new goals to accomplish along the way!

Jennifer Orduno: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Jennifer is an honors freshman undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Sciences. She joined the lab starting her freshman year in 2019 - which she thoroughly enjoys. Jennifer loves the atmosphere where she is not only able to learn new ideas, but where she is also able to apply, hands-on, the various concepts she is being taught.

Dan Nguyen, BS: Science and Technology HP Scholar
Dan started working in my lab as a sophomore in the fall of 2016 as a Science and Technology Honors Program scholar. He graduated in 2020 with the major in Chemistry with a Biochemistry concentration as well as minor in Computer Science.

Shuja Liu, BS: MS Biotechnology
Shuja joined the lab in 2019 as a intern while pursuing MS student in Biotechnology from UAB. She graduated with a Master's degree in Spring' 2020.

Sayak Bhattacharya, Ph.D. : Postdoctoral Fellow
Sayak worked on understanding the role of Synaptotagmin proteins in insulin secretion. We wish him well at his new position as a Researcher at Old Dominion University.

Chris Truong, BS (Molecular Biology): Senior Undergraduate
Chris is a senior undergraduate student who will be graduating with a B.S. in Molecular Biology with Honors with a minor in Chemistry. Currently, he is doing an internship in exercise medicine at UAB and plans to go to medical school after graduating.

Trung Chanh Huynh, BS: Senior Undergraduate
Trung is a senior undergraduate student in the Science and Technology Honors Program majoring in Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He is planning to defend his undergraduate thesis in Spring 2019. After graduating, he will be joining the lab of Dr. Francis Collins as an NIH IRTA Post-bac before applying to MD/PhD programs.