Lab News and Accomplishments
2025
November / Lizzy selected as one of JVI's New Voices in Virology!
Congratulations to Lizzy who was selected as one of this year's inaugural cohort of the Journal of Virology's New Voices in Virology! As a part of this group, Lizzy (and co.) will submit a minireview focusing on the role of G-quadruplexes in herpesvirus infections. This cohort was chosen from more than 275 applicants, recognized for the strength and novelty of their minireview proposal and their professional career track record.
October / The Draganova Lab turns 3!!
The lab celebrated our Three-Year Lab Herpe-versary with our favorite Indian food and cookie cake. I am so proud of all we are accomplishing - each member of the lab inspires me to be a better scientist and mentor. Looking forward to sharing all of our exciting findings through our current backlog of manuscripts in 2026. Cheers to another great year!
September / Congratulations, Shea!
Dr. Shea Lowery was awarded an NIH NIAID F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship for her project titled "Capsid Assembly Mechanisms of Kaposi Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV)!". Congratulations, Shea!!
July / Farewell, Rachel!
Today, we said "see ya' later (and not goodbye) because herpes are forever" to our Research Specialist, Rachel! Because of Rachel, the molecular virology side of our lab is thriving. No one will ever keep the lab calendar as color coordinated as Rachel's! Please, enjoy the ceremonial plaque assay dominos to send Rachel off to graduate school! We will miss you (and your cute doodles), Rachel!
Rachel and Sarah represented the Draganova Lab at ASV 2025. Rachel was invited to present a flash talk and poster titled "Investigating the Role of DNA G-quadruplexes in HSV-1 Replication Using Small Molecules". Way to go, Rachel!
July / Rachel and Sarah attend ASV 2025!
The Draganova Lab (and co.) took the day off and spent time hitting some golf balls and enjoying good food and even better conversation! The competition was fierce, but some of us are more coordinated than others...
June / Top Golf lab fun!
May / The Draganova Lab is MOVING!
In bittersweet news, the Draganova Lab is excited to share that we are moving to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (BMB) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis this December!​ Emory University has been instrumental to our successes thus far and we are forever grateful for the guidance, support, collaborations, colleagues and the many laughs we have had here. ​To our friends in Biochemistry - we will miss you all deeply and look forward to hearing about all of the great things each of you will accomplish!!
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May / Shea presents at SCBDDS 2025!
Dr. Shea Lowery gave an oral presentation on her work titled "Investigating the Role of DNA G-quadruplexes in HSV-1 Replication Using Small Molecules" at the 2025 Southeastern Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery Symposium.
Great work, Shea!
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May / Congratulations, Rachel!
Today we celebrated Rachel's decision to join the Genetics and Molecular Biology (GMB) Graduate Program at Emory University! To brag, Rachel was accepted into every program she applied, speaking to her intellect and drive. Rachel also received Honorable Mention on her NSF GRFP application!! We are sad to see her go, but are excited to see what her future holds!
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Our lab celebrated with the department as we sent off all of our technicians and other staff members moving on to the next phases of their careers.
Congratulations, all!
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May / Welcome, Sarah and Scott-Wesley!
Sarah Gordon and Scott-Wesley Bean, both BCDB students, have joined the Draganova lab for their thesis work!
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Sarah will be investigating how phase separation contributes to KSHV and HSV-1 capsid assembly while Scott-Wesley will be investigating aspects of HCMV nuclear egress and lipid interactions!
March / Ayla Honors Thesis Defense!
Our lab's first Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology (NBB) undergraduate student, Ayla Khan, defended her honors thesis with high honors! Ayla worked on designing an assay for screening peptides that interact with the viral nuclear egress complex - a major component of our lab. Thank you to Drs. Beyett and Roesch for serving on Ayla's committee!
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Ayla is going to focus on her applications to medical school and is working in the healthcare industry. We are super proud of you!
March / Stand Up for Science Rally
The Draganova Lab joined countless other members of the Emory and local Atlanta community outside the state capitol building for the Stand Up for Science March. We made signs as a lab in preparation for the event (some of us are better artists than others).
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Like many others, we are concerned about the future of biomedical research and progress in our country. We will continue to speak up and educate others so we can keep moving forward.
January / Welcoming our newest rotation student, Jayden, and our new Tissue Culture space!
Most of Jayden's previous work has been in cell culture models using reporter viruses and microscopy to look at host-virus interactions. The basis of their rotation project involves looking at different expression systems for the HSV proteins to see if capsid assembly and function vary between E. coli-produced proteins and insect cell-produced proteins. Jayden is working with Tayebeh to learn protein-based assays to expand their biochemistry knowledge.
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Welcome, Jayden!​​
January / Welcome our newest rotation student, Scott-Wesley!
Scott-Wesley is a rotation student in the GDBBS graduate program and is joining us after spending time working in industry with a variety of biotechnology roles. He is excited to expand his knowledge in structural biology, molecular biophysics, biochemistry, and computational modeling to study disease mechanisms. He envisions elucidating biomolecular structure and dynamics for the purpose of therapeutic development and plans to work in the field of virology or microbiology. He will be working with Adam to hone his cell and molecular biology skillset.
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Welcome, Scott-Wesley!
The Draganova Lab now boasts the following brand new equipment: two biosafety cabinets, two incubators, and a large temperature-controlled centrifuge. With our own cabinets and specialized equipment, we are one step closer to being a fully fledged virology laboratory! Our team is excited to make the most of our facilities to keep fighting the good fight that is understanding herpesviruses.
2024
December / Draganova Holiday Party
The Draganova Lab has grown so quickly this year, and we are now the largest we have ever been. We are grateful to have such a creative, hardworking, and diverse team of individuals and cannot wait for what's in store for 2025.
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Merry Christmas from the Draganova Lab!
November / Welcome, Afzal!
The Draganova Lab is so excited to welcome the latest member, Afzal Yacoob! He is joining as the lab's Senior Research Specialist and a budding herpesvirus researcher after a history of forensic, chemical, and pedagogical research. He aims to use this research experience to make himself a competitive applicant for MD-PhD program admissions. Afzal is excited to bring continued organization, creative solutions, and stability and longevity to the team.
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Welcome, Afzal!
October / Welcoming two new rotation students - Sarah and Tessa!
What better way to welcome Sarah Gordon and Tessa Larsen than with a Halloween party! Sarah and Tessa are both from the BCDB graduate program. Sarah will be working with Rachel on G-quadruplex binders, and Tessa will be working with Lizzy to screen lipid requirements for NEC budding.
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Welcome, Sarah and Tessa!
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October / Happy Halloween!
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This year, the Draganova Lab dressed as different characters from the Magic School Bus for the department's group costume contest! We had a great time creating our magic school bus too.
Honk if you have herpes!
October / Welcome, Shea!
The Draganova Lab is excited to welcome Dr. Shea Lowery! Shea received her PhD from the University of Iowa where she focused onviral pathogenesis and innate immunity. She will be working on various aspects of capsid assembly and packaging alongside Tayebeh and aims to pursue a career in academia in order to continue her joys of research and teaching.
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We are so grateful to have such a skilled teacher and mentor join our lab! Welcome, Shea!
September / Welcome, Adam!
The Draganova Lab is excited to welcome Dr. Adam Hannon-Hatfield! Adam received his PhD from the University of Georgia and will be working on high-throughput screening and deciphering mechanisms of various aspects of viral DNA replication and nuclear egress.
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He is excited to conduct intellectually stimulating research and contribute to our team's development. Welcome, Adam!
July / Welcome, Kino!
The Draganova Lab is so excited to announce our newest member, Kino Maravillas. His career goals include doing further research in grad school, joining industry, or mentoring and helping others in the field. Kino is bringing valuable laboratory experience to our team and we can't wait to see the great things he will accomplish!
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Welcome, Kino!
July / Farewell, Neha!
July / Farewell, Maria!
The Draganova Lab bids farewell to one of our research specialists, Maria Muhammad. Maria joined June of 2023 as BSURE summer student and continued research as a research specialist in August of 2023. Since then, she has contributed so much to the lab and we are sad to see her leave. She will be taking a position at CHOA and studying for the MCAT before applying for med school. We wish her the best in her endeavors!
Neha was the first member of the Draganova Lab and she has been instrumental in our success! She joined the lab in November of 2022 and has made incredible contributions to the lab during her time here. She will be starting at Vanderbilt's IGP PhD program next month and we wish her the best in her pursuits. Congrats, Neha!
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June / 2024 ASV Convention
This year, four of our members traveled to Columbus, Ohio to soak up all that ASV has to offer. Our research specialist, Neha, did a great job presenting her research on FFF methodology development and NEC budding. Additionally, Lizzy presented a poster after introducing her past research during a flash talk. We had a great time!
See you next year, ASV!
June / The Lab "Activates!"
To celebrate two incoming undergraduate lab members (Yasmine and James) and to bid farewell to two research specialists (Maria and Neha), the Draganova Lab went to Activate and competed in a fun series of challenges! If you want to break a sweat, this is the place for you!
April / 2024 Biochemistry Retreat
The Draganova Lab joined the rest of the biochemistry department to play in Top Golf, trivia, and more! All bets par off when the Draganova Lab is competing!
April / Congratulations, Neha!
The Draganova Lab pulled off a surprise party to congratulate our research specialist, Neha, for her acceptance and commitment to Vanderbilt University. She will be joining the IGP PhD program this fall.
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Congratulations, Neha!
March / Our Lab's First Post-Doc: Welcome, Tayebeh!
The Draganova Lab is excited to welcome Dr. Tayebeh Latifi! Tayebeh received her PhD from Tehran University and specializes in virology. Her main career goal is to perform quality research and to be a good scientist!
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Welcome, Tayebeh!
2023
December / Happy Holidays from the Draganova Lab!
The Draganova Lab had a blast at the departmental holiday party. We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and we cannot wait to see what research 2024 has in store!
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Cheers!
December / New Wyatt Equipment!
We are excited to share our lab's newest equipment purchase - a Wyatt DynaPro ZetaSTAR! This dynamic light scattering (DLS) detector is used for standalone cuvette-based measurements and can accommodate low sample volumes.
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More information about our light scattering equipment can be found in the Light Scattering section of our website.
October / Welcoming a new rotation student - Luke!
We are so happy to welcome rotation student Luke Shoemaker to the Draganova Lab! Luke comes to us from Indiana and is a member of the BCDB graduate program. He is open to many avenues in the biochemistry field, but his current career goal is drug design in industry.
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Welcome, Luke!
October / Welcoming a new rotation student - Zachary!
We are excited to welcome Zachary Bressman as one of our newest rotation students! Zachary is originally from Tennessee and is a member of the BCDB graduate program. His current career goals include developing scientific tools, advancing accessibility in science, and encouraging a light-hearted environment in science.
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Welcome, Zachary!
October / Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween from the Draganova Lab! We used farm animals to dress as our interpretation of various herpesviruses and Cam was our scientist-farmer! We also had a blast carving a lab pumpkin.
October / Happy one-year lab-iversary!
On October 3rd, we celebrated the One Year Anniversary of the Draganova Lab! We took time to celebrate this milestone and many of our other achievements with friends and colleagues. Thanks to Emory Biochemistry for being such a welcoming and supportive place for a new lab to get started. Dragan Slayers for life!
October / Celebrating Lizzy's newest award!
Congratulations to Lizzy on being awarded the prestigious NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2)! These funds will propel our research on HSV-1 capsid assembly and packaging - we are looking forward to many discoveries!
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September / Congratulations Maria and Lizzy!
Congratulations to Maria for her travel award and abstract acceptance to present at ABRCMS 2023! Lizzy also won a judging travel award and both will be representing the Draganova Lab in November!
September / Welcoming our newest rotation student!
We are excited to welcome Abigael (Abby) Frederick as the lab's newest rotation student! Abby is originally from Indiana and joins us from the Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology (BCDB) Graduate Program. Her current career goals are drug design and delivery in industry.
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Welcome, Abby!
September / Welcoming new and returning undergraduates!
We are happy to welcome two new undergraduate researchers, Jalen and Ayla. Jalen and Ayla are pre-med students and Ayla is a member of the SIRE program at Emory. We are also excited to be welcoming back our previous undergraduate researcher, Amal.
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Welcome everyone!
August / Welcome back, Maria!
We are so excited that Maria has come back to work in the lab! Maria will be part-time until she completes her degree this semester. After, she will be working full-time as a Research Specialist prior to entering medical school.
June / Welcome Rachel!
This month, the lab welcomed our second Research Specialist, Rachel Hill! Rachel is another Georgia local who recently completed her B.S. in Biochemistry at Kennesaw State University. Rachel sees herself heading to graduate school and obtaining a higher-ed degree in Public Health or Biochemistry. Beyond that, she would like to work at the CDC or do research (perhaps in the private sector).
June / Our lab's first summer student!
We are excited to welcome Maria Muhammad to the lab for the summer! Maria was selected to participate in the first ever Emory Biochemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Program (BSURE). Currently, she is an undergraduate student at Superman College and is interested in pursuing a career in medicine.
March / Our lab's first NOA!
Our lab's first grant is official! We received our first Notice of Award for our R00 work on discovering new nuclear egress inhibitors.
January / Our lab's first undergraduate student!
Happy New Year!! We are excited to welcome Amal to the lab. Amal is a freshman at Emory University and is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. As a future MD (maybe dermatologist), she is hoping to major in Human Health and Economics.
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Welcome Amal!
2022
December / Our lab's first big equipment!
Our lab's Wyatt light scattering system was installed and is ready for data collection! We are equipped to perform both SEC-MALS/DLS and FFF-MALS/DLS experiments. If you are interested in learning more or using these technologies, we are always interested in collaborating - reach out to us! Established protocols and detailed instrumentation documents are found in the Light Scattering section of our website.
November / Our lab's first Research Specialist!
Neha Mohanty joins the lab as our first Research Specialist! Neha is a Georgia native but recently completed her B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology with a minor in Psychology from the University of Miami. She is currently deciding between medical and graduate school.
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Welcome Neha!
October / The Draganova Lab opens!
Lizzy recently completed her postdoc at Tufts University School of Medicine in the Department of Molecular Microbiology in Dr. Katya Heldwein's lab. At Tufts, Lizzy was an NIH IRACDA fellow and gained substantial training in building inclusive research programs and classrooms. She looks forward to mentoring our next generation of scientists!