Lab Team
David Barefield, PhD
Assistant Professor
Hometown: Oak Park, IL
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Postdoctoral Fellowship, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
McNally Lab. 2014-2020
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PhD, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL.
​Sadayappan Lab. 2009-2014
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BA, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL. 2005-2009
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Hobby: Cooking, baking, painting, gardening
Research interest: Cardiac contractile dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, HCM, DCM, arrhythmia, atrial function, atrial fibrillation, myosin binding proteins
Project: Mostly emails. Occasionally investigates the genetic causes of cardiomyopathies.
Quote: “We recruit for attitude and train for skill.” - Atul Gawande
Hannah Cizauskas and Jake
IPBS PhD Student
Hometown: Westland, MI
BS in Biology with a Concentration in Genetics, 2021
Hobby: Spending quality time with my dog and my family, reading, camping, hiking, and swimming
Project: The role of contraction in Atrial Fibrillation
Quote: "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them" - Walt Disney
Tuan Bui, BS
Research Assistant II
Hometown: San Jose, CA
B.S. Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis
Hobby: LEGOs, model kits, video games, and weightlifting
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Project: Modeling atrial myopathy with hiPSC-derived
cardiomyocytes.
Quote: "Intelligence is not a privilege. It's a gift.
And you use it for the good of mankind."
- Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2
Madison Reed, BS, MS
Research Assistant I
Hometown: Trabuco Canyon, CA
B.S. Neuroscience, The George Washington University
M.S. Medical Physiology, Loyola University Chicago
Hobbies: Crocheting, drawing, watching bad reality TV, and hanging out with her cats.
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Project: Defining functional domains of myosin binding protein H-like
Quote: "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love someone else?"
- RuPaul
Lab Alumni
Alejandro Alvarez-Arce, PhD
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, Caporarello Lab, Loyola University Chicago
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Geena Fritzmann, MS
Position: Lab Manager
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Currently: Grants Manager at Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
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Hope Burnham, MS
Position: Master's Graduate Student
Hometown: Germantown, WI
Currently: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine MD/PhD Program
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Alexandra Pena
Position: Research Assistant II
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Currently: Loyola University Chicago, Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience
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Lucas Wittenkeller
Research Assistant II
Hometown: Minooka, IL
Currently: University of Cincinnati PhD Program
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Kelly Araujo, MS, PhD
Position: PhD Student
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Currently: In transition
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