People

Read is an infectious diseases physician, Professor of Medicine, and PI of the lab. He received his MD from the UNC- Chapel Hill and completed his clincial training at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Read was a postdoc with Fred Ausubel, PhD at MGH before joining the UMass faculty in 2015. He is an avid cyclist, runner and hiker, and he plays the cello. He spends most of his spare time though chasing his two kids, Eli and Vivian, with his wife, Anya.

Khursheed Wani, PhD is a senior scientist in the lab who has a long-standing interest in using C. elegans as a model organism to understand fundamental biological phenomena. He has brought a wealth of energy and great ideas to the laboratory. When not in the lab, Khursheed likes to run, hike, read, visit fruit farms and orchards of central Mass, cook, bake (you must try Khursheed's banana and zucchini breads!), and spend quality time with his better half, Foziah.

Akshay is an M.D., Ph.D. candidate in the lab. He is interested in exploring C. elegans biology and the molecular interactions between the innate immune system, the gut microbiome, and the nervous system. After growing up in San Jose, California, Akshay moved to the east coast to attend Johns Hopkins University, where he majored in Neuroscience, minored in Space Science and Technology, and ran cross country and track. Outside of the lab, he loves playing his guitar and singing, making art, exercising, and spending time with his family and friends.

Dan is a Postdoc and Research Scientist in the lab. He received his Ph.D. from M.I.T in 2023 where he trained in the lab of Dennis Kim. Dan is from upstate New York and recently marriend his high school sweetheart.

Noah is an M.D., Ph.D. candidate interested in immunometabolism and genetic factors affecting C. elegans susceptibility to pathogen infection. He is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and he attended the University of Alabama where he obtained a B.S. and M.S. in Biological Sciences via an Accelerated Master’s Program. Outside of the lab, he enjoys basketball, soccer, running, video games, music, and spending time with family and friends!

Lauren is an M.D., Ph.D. student who joined the lab for her thesis research in 2024. She grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Michigan for undergrad. Lauren loves spending her time either outside climbing, hiking, and skiing or at home knitting and cooking.

Sarah was the second Ph.D. student to join the lab and second to sucessfully defend her thesis.  Sarah graduated with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences in 2021. She now works for Editas Medicine, a biotech company in Cambridge, MA.

Hilary was our lab manager from 2014 to 2020. She was the first person to join the lab. She helped Read unpack boxes and become an excellent C. elegans geneticist. She now works as the in vitro lab manager at Biomere Biomedical Research Models, Inc.

Nick is an M.D., Ph.D. candidate who in 2022 beceame the third person from the lab to successfully defended their thesis. Nick graduated from UMass Chan with a M.D., Ph.D. in 2024 and matched into the prestigous Stanbury Physician-Scientist Training Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Richa worked with us for three summers while an undergrad at UConn. She then attended medical school at UMass Chan and matched into internal medicine residency in New York City. 

Kyle did his thesis research in the Pukkila-Worley lab. He successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis in September 2020. He is now working as a Scientific Consultant for Recruitomics Consulting in Boston, MA.

Subhash Mehto, Ph.D. was a senior scientist in the lab and is now Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator of a laboratory at the Indian Institute of Technology- Dharwad.

In 2023, Mo become the 4th student to sucessfully defend his Ph.D. thesis from the lab. He returned to medical school to complete his M.D. degree.

Amanda was a research technician/ lab manager for three years. She is now an MD,PhD student at UMass Chan Medical School.

Elizabeth is an alumna of the lab. She worked with us for one year as a reserach technician and then went to medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Sammy is an M.D., Ph.D. student who was the fifth person from the lab to defend their thesis. She returned medical school to complete her M.D. degree and plans to match into a Physician-Scientist Training Program, likely in pediatrics.