Lab Members
Michael P. Czech, PhD
Principal Investigator
The Isadore & Fannie Foxman Chair of Medical Research,
Program in Molecular Medicine,
UMass Chan Medical School
Michael Czech earned his PhD in biochemistry in 1972 at Brown University under the mentorship of Professor John Fain, and completed postdoctoral study in the Biochemistry Department at Duke University Medical Center. He became Assistant Professor at Brown in 1974, rising to the rank of Professor in 1980. Czech moved to the UMass Chan Medical School as Professor and Chair of the Department of Biochemistry from 1981 to 1989, and was the founding Chair of the Program in Molecular Medicine (1989-2018).
Czech has served on several editorial boards and NIH Study Sections and is a member of the Scientific Review Board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He's received the Scientific Achievement Award (1982), the Banting Medal (2000) and the Albert Renold Award for mentorship (2004) from the American Diabetes Association, the David Rumbough Scientific Award of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (1985), NIH MERIT Awards (1997-2005 and 2012-2022), the Elliot P. Joslin Medal (1998), and the Jacobaeus Prize awarded in Umea, Sweden in 2009.
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Najihah Aziz
Graduate Student
Najihah is originally from Malaysia. She earned her Bachelor's degree (Hons) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York before moving to Boston for a role as a research technician in the Sykes Lab at MGH focusing on developing differentiation therapy for acute myeloid leukemia. She joined the Czech lab in 2022 as a graduate student, dedicating her efforts to developing cell-based therapy for insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions.
Hobbies: Bouldering, pilates and baking
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Kaltinaitis dos Santos, PhD
Post-doc
Kalti is from São Paulo, Brazil, where he earned his MSc and PhD degrees in Biomedical engineering from University of Mogi das Cruzes. He joined the Czech lab in 2021. The aim of his research is to explore and understand the functions of adipose tissue in systemic glucose and lipid metabolism. The specific focus is autophagy in white adipose tissue, a crucial process for maintaining cellular health and energy balance. These studies will provide a deeper understanding of metabolic mechanisms and may pave the way for new therapeutic approaches to treat metabolic disorders.
Hobbies: Spending time with friends, travel, music, video games & going to the beach
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Mark Kelly
Research Associate
Mark began his biomedical journey at Genzyme, before moving to Children’s Hospital Boston where he received his research surgical background. In 2015 he joined the Czech and Fitzgibbons labs to focus on surgical contribution for adipose tissue, cardiovascular, and whole-body metabolism.
Hobbies: Spending time in his wood shop, working with his gardens, and honey bees. -
Sarah M.C. Nicoloro
Research Scientist/Lab Manager
Sarah received her BS in Biology from University of Massachusetts Lowell. She's been a Czech lab member since 1999 and her work involves several lab projects including research to genetically modify fat cells using CRISPR technology.
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Kerri Miller
Administrative Coordinator
Kerri received her BA from Assumption College in Worcester, MA. She's worked for UMass Chan Medical School for more than 15 years and has been with the Czech lab since 2018.
Hobbies: Spending time family & friends, travel, cooking, music, going to the beach, boating, great wine, great food and great company! -
Naideline Raymond
PhD Candidate - Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Naideline completed her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Bryn Mawr College in 2019. She joined the Czech lab August 2021. The aim of her thesis is to unravel the molecular mechanism of 17-Beta Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 13 in the pathophysiology of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Hobbies: Knitting, drawing, creative writing, Orangetheory fitness, and cooking -
Hui Wang, PhD
Post-doc
Hui is originally from China and received her PhD at Technical University of Munich, Germany. She joined the Czech lab in 2019. The goal of her research is to investigate the functions of adipose tissue on systemic glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism.
Hobbies: Playing badminton and hiking.
