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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  

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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

Kelly Araujo, MS

Ph.D. Candidate

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA    

M.S. Biochemistry, California State University, Long Beach, 2022.

B.S. Biochemistry, Mount St. Mary's University, Los Angeles, 2017.


Hobby: Shopping and watching The Office

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Project: Altering the stoichiometry of MyBP-HL and cMyBP-C affects cardiac atrial contractility 


Quote: “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” -Marie Curie

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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

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Lab Alumni

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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Alejandro Alvarez-Arce, PhD

Position: Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, Caporarello Lab, Loyola University Chicago

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