Team — Schaffer Lab

Abigael Cheruiyot HARVEY, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow

I was born and raised in Kenya, and received my bachelor’s degree at Colby College in Maine, where I was introduced to biomedical research at Dr. Tariq Ahmad’s lab. After graduating from Colby, I joined Dr. Catherine Nutt’s lab at Massachusetts General Hospital as a research assistant to study the effects of IDH mutations on formation and progression of secondary gliomas, an experience that cemented my interest in biomedical research. I received my PhD at Washington University in Saint Louis, where I worked with Dr. Zhongsheng You to understand DNA and RNA surveillance mechanisms in normal physiology and disease. I particularly focused on an RNA surveillance mechanism known as nonsense mediated RNA decay (NMD). We successfully performed a genome-wide CRISPR KO screen to identify novel factors that promote NMD and identified NMD as a novel target for developing therapies for cancers harboring mutations in key splicing factors that seem to promote NMD. I joined the Schaffer lab in June 2020 as a postdoctoral research fellow to study the role of translation regulation in normal metabolism and diabetes. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, cooking, and many outdoor activities, such as running, hiking, canoeing, wine-tasting, apple-picking, and sightseeing.

SHUILING ZHAO, PHD, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

I come from the middle of China, near the Yellow River. After receiving my degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in China, I began studying diabetes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 2014, I was recruited to the University of Montreal as an Invited Researcher. There, I ultimately obtained a PhD degree in Biomedical Science related to diabetic kidney disease. I joined the Schaffer Lab as post-doctoral Research Fellow in April 2022, where I am studying the role of RNASET2 in lipotoxicity. Outside of lab, I like writing, reading and exercising.

RAYMOND LABOY, PHD, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

I was born in Puerto Rico, where I studied Biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM). I then transferred to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City, where I finished my bachelor's degree. There, I worked under the supervision of Dr. Soledad Funes at the Institute of Cellular Physiology studying the interplay between mitochondrial stress response and longevity in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I did my Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne, Germany working under the mentorship of Prof. Adam Antebi. For my doctoral thesis, I worked with the nematode C. elegans studying the role of the MondoA/Myc transcriptional network effects in metabolism and organellar communication during aging. I joined the Schaffer Lab in January 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow with the aim of furthering our understanding of snoRNA regulation of mitochondria under lipotoxic stress employing cell culture and mouse models. Besides science, I enjoy crochet, video games, and traveling.

OLASUBOMI AKINTOLA, PHD, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

I was born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, where I was first introduced to research by Dr. Christian Happi and Dr. Onikepe Folarin, studying gene mutations that lead to resistance to anti-malaria drugs in Plasmodium falciparum. I received my bachelor's degree from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, where I performed undergraduate research on telomerase and aging with Dr. Gabriele Saretzki at the Institute for Aging and Health. For my undergraduate thesis project, I studied the effects of self-assembling peptide amphiphiles on the growth of mesenchymal stem cells in Dr. Che Connon's laboratory at the Institute of Biosciences. I received my Ph.D. in Cancer Pharmacology in the Fall of 2023 at Auburn University, USA, working in Dr. Alexei Kisselev's laboratory, where I determined that some Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors inhibit the mammalian proteasome. During this project, I also discovered that snoRNAs are involved in the response of cancer cells to proteasome inhibition. I will join the Schaffer Lab in the Spring of 2024 as a postdoc. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, exploring, and working out at the gym.

Jorge Castillo-Quan, MD, PHD, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

I was born and raised in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México. I obtained my medical degree from the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY), where I conducted both basic and patient-oriented research. I then completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Neuroscience at the Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London (UCL), followed by a PhD in Genetics, Neuroscience, and Biogerontology at the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing under the mentorship of Professor Dame Linda Partridge and Professor Sir John Hardy, with additional mentorship from Dr. Ivana Bjedov and Dr. Kerri J. Kinghorn. During my doctoral training, I discovered that the FDA-approved drug lithium extends lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster by inducing an antioxidant and xenobiotic transcriptional response mediated by the CncC/Nrf2 transcription factor. I also demonstrated that a triple combination of FDA-approved drugs targeting three distinct nodes of the mTOR–insulin/IGF-like nutrient-sensing network maximizes longevity in Drosophila. In 2016, I joined the laboratory of Professor T. Keith Blackwell at the Joslin Diabetes Center, where I used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to show that the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid activates a lipid-lowering transcriptional program, we termed the lipid homeostatic response, through the endoplasmic reticulum-anchored SKN-1A/Nrf1 transcription factor. In May 2025, I joined the Schaffer laboratory, where my work focuses on identifying mechanisms that cooperatively regulate lipid metabolism, redox balance, proteostasis, and aging. Outside the lab, I enjoy cooking, hiking, exploring bodies of water and traveling.

LAURA (PAULETTE) FERNANDEZ CARDENAS PHD, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

Laura.FernandezCardenas@joslin.harvard.edu

I grew up in Mexico City, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Basic Biomedical Science at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). During my undergraduate training, I discovered my passion for biochemistry, studying enzyme kinetics and completing my thesis under the supervision of the late Professor Armando Gómez-Puyou. I continued my training at UNAM with a combined Master’s and PhD in Biochemistry under the supervision of Dr. Rosa Navarro and Dr. Marietta Tuena. There, I integrated biochemistry and molecular biology with whole-organism approaches using C. elegans as a model system. C. elegans became central to my work and ultimately led me to join Dr. Keith Blackwell’s laboratory, where I studied how animals adapt to proteotoxic stress. In 2025, I joined Dr. Jean Schaffer’s laboratory to extend these findings into disease-relevant contexts.

Outside the laboratory, I enjoy spending time with family, friends, and my dog, searching for great coffee, eating NYC tacos, and immersing myself in art that moves me.

Santos NAvarro, Graduate Student

I grew up in Denver, Colorado, and earned my bachelor’s in Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder. As an undergraduate, I studied the role of an ancient non-functional myosin gene, Myh7b, in the heart in Leslie Leinwand’s Lab. We discovered the Myh7b gene was repurposed to produce the lncRNA, lncMyh7b, which affects the balance of alpha and beta myosin protein expression in the heart and has implications for the pathogenesis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. I am pursuing my PhD at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in the Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology Program. In the Schaffer lab, I am studying the effects of sustained high glucose exposure on mRNA translation in pancreatic beta-cells and the potential role for nutrient induced ribosome remodeling. These studies could reveal novel therapeutic targets to further the fight to treat diabetes. Outside of the lab, I enjoy volleyball, stargazing, board games, space/astronaut science, and science outreach.

Jay FAzioli, Graduate Student

I was born in Chicago and raised in Los Altos, California. My journey in the life sciences began at Purdue University, where I earned my B.S. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology. At Purdue, I joined Dr. Jonathan Pasternak’s lab in the Department of Animal Science. My undergraduate honors thesis focused on understanding the role of hypothyroidism in porcine liver physiology, particularly its impact on the development of fatty liver disease and liver toxicity. Beyond this, I broadened my research experience through internships, including projects on engineering filamentous fungal strains for industrial protein production and using focused acoustics to isolate proteins from diseased brain tissue. For my PhD in the Biological Sciences in Public Health program at Harvard, I am focusing on mechanisms that drive conditions like diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver disease, with the ultimate goal of developing therapeutic strategies to mitigate these prevalent metabolic disorders. Outside of research, I enjoy camping, cooking, weightlifting, fishing, and cheering for Chicago and Purdue sports teams.

Ly Nguyen, Post-Baccalaureate RESEARCH ASSISTANT

I was born and raised in Vietnam before moving to Boston in high school. I recently graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology. At Tufts, I was a part of Dr. Mali Raman’s lab where I studied the role of the AAA-ATPse p97 in regulating protein quality control as a part of the ubiquitin proteasome system and autophagy. I joined the Schaffer lab in the summer of 2024 as a research assistant where I began studying translational regulation in pancreatic beta cells. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing board games, going to cute cafes with friends, trying new food, running, and traveling.

MANSI Sura, Post-BAccalaureate Resarch ASsistanT

I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and went to school at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. There I did my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and began my scientific journey. I joined Dr. Ke Reid’s lab where I studied the differential expression of ribosomal protein paralogs in the S. Pombe model. I joined the Schaffer lab in 2025 as a post-bac where I will be studying RNA decay and lipid metabolism. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, biking, hiking, and traveling.

DAniel Kang, Post-BAccalaureate Resarch ASsistanT

I grew up in Vernon Hills, IL and South Korea before moving back to Illinois for high school. I graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine, earning my bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Asian Studies. At Bowdoin, I joined the Dube lab and studied different bacterial species such as H. pylori, B. fragilis, and V. Vulnificus and their sugar transport systems using fluorescent sugar analogs such as 2-NDBG. In the summer of 2025, I joined the Schaffer lab as a research assistant where I am currently studying the mechanistic effects of distinct snoRNA on mitochondrial metabolism and lipotoxicity. Outside of science, I enjoy watching and playing basketball, reading, playing board games, hiking, attempting to cook, and trying new coffee shops.