Teresita Padilla-Benavides, PhD Principal Investigator.
Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Department
College of Integrative Sciences
Wesleyan Student SACNAS Chapter Advisor
ASBMB Maximizing Access Committee Member
Editorial roles:
Associate Editor. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Associate Editor. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports
Associate Editor. Frontiers in Chemistry, Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences and Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology; Cellular Biochemistry section.
Past positions:
2020. Research Assistant Professor. University of Massachusetts Medical School. Worcester, MA.
2018. Instructor. University of Massachusetts Medical School. Worcester, MA.
2017. Adjunct Professor. Mount Ida College. Newton, MA.
2016. Postdoctoral fellow. University of Massachusetts Medical School. Worcester, MA.
2014. Postdoctoral fellow. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA.
2010. Graduate student. Centro de Investigacion y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional. Mexico City, Mexico.
2003-2010. Adjunct Professor Universidad Tecnologica de Mexico.
2004. BSc. Biology. Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biologicas. Instituto Politecnico Nacional. Mexico City, Mexico.
Email: tpadillabena@wesleyan.edu
ORCID Account
Linkedln
Google scholar: Teresita Padilla-Benavides
Postdoctoral fellows
Dr. Monserrat Olea-Flores
Visiting Postdoctoral scholar from the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Recent publications:
1) A periplasmic metallochaperone (PmcY) couples Zn2+-transport to sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 2026. Paula Mihelj, Tomas Moreyra, Monserrat Olea-Flores, Maria Elena Carrizo, Teresita Padilla-Benavides & Daniel Raimunda. BioRxiv. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.19.654957v2. Antimicrobial Agent Chemotherapy.70:6 e00318-26. https://doi.org/10.1128/aac.00318-26
2) Reciprocal regulation between the protein arginine deiminases and mSWI/SNF chromatin remodelers controls skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration. 2026. Monserrat Olea-Flores, Tapan Sharma, Anand Parikh, Leonard Barasa, Sarah Hachmer, F. Jeffrey Dilworth, Teresita Padilla-Benavides, Paul Thompson & Anthony N. Imbalzano. BioRxiv. 10.64898/2026.01.20.700682v1
3) Cell Death Induced by Homoisoflavonoid Brazilin and its Semi-synthetic Derivates on MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 Breast Cancer Cell Lines. 2026. Miriam Zuñiga-Eulogio, Michael Quinteros, Alberto Hernández-Moreno, Tadeo Hernández-Moreno, Tapan Sharma, Monserrat Olea-Flores, Mario Ordóñez, Carla Coste-Sanchez, Teresita Padilla-Benavides* & †Napoleón Navarro-Tito. BioRxiv. 10.64898/2026.01.09.698710. ACS Omega.http://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.6c00504
4) Monserrat Olea-Flores, Tapan Sharma, Odette Verdejo-Torres, Imaru DiBartolomeo, Paul Thompson, Teresita Padilla-Benavides, and Anthony N. Imbalzano. Muscle-specific pyruvate kinase isoforms, PKM1 and PKM2, regulate mammalian SWI/SNF proteins and histone 3 phosphorylation during myoblast differentiation. The FASEB Journal. 38 (11): e23702
Past positions:
2020. PhD in Biomedical Sciences. Facultad Académica de Ciencias Químico Biológicas. Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero.
2017-2018. Adjunct Professor. Cell culture lecture and lab. Facultad Académica de Ciencias Químico Biológicas. Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero. Mexico
2015. MSc. Biomedical Sciences. Facultad Académica de Ciencias Químico Biológicas. Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero.
2015-2016 Laboratory Assistant. Laboratorio de Toxicología y Salud Ambiental. Facultad Académica de Ciencias Químico Biológicas. Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero. Mexico
2013. BSc. Biological chemistry and parasitology. Facultad Académica de Ciencias Químico Biológicas. Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero. Mexico.
Email: Monserrat.OleaFlores@umassmed.edu
ORCID Account
Graduate Students MB&B
MSc. Jaime Carrazco-Carrillo
Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, PhD student
Past positions:
2016. Master in Science. Biomedicine and Molecular Biotechnology. Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biologicas (ENCB-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
2014. Bachelor in Science. Biology, specialty in Biotechnology. Universidad de Sonora, Campus Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
2014. Laboratory Teaching Assistant. Courses: Biochemistry and Cell Biology and Genetics. Universidad Tecnologica de Mexico, Atizapan Campus. Atizapan, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
2012. International Student Exchange. Bachelor in Science. Cellular and Molecular Biology Major. Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada
Recent publications:
1) Verdejo-Torres, O., Klein, D.C., Novoa-Aponte, L., Carrazco-Carrillo, J., Bonilla-Pinto, D., Rivera, A., Bakhshian, A., Fitisemanu, F., Jiménez-González, M.L., Flinn, L., Pezacki, A.T., Lanzirotti, A., Ortiz-Frade, L.A., Chang, C.J., Navea, J.G., Blaby-Haas, C., Hainer, S.J., Padilla-Benavides, T. 2024 Cysteine Rich Intestinal Protein 2 is a copper-responsive regulator of skeletal muscle differentiation and metal homeostasis. Preprint at Biorxiv:https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.10.588959v1 . PLOS Genetics 20(12): e1011495. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011495
2) Baez-Gonzalez, A.S.,Carrazco-Carrillo, J.A., Figueroa-Gonzalez, G., Quintas-Granados, L.I., Padilla-Benavides, T.*, & Octavio Reyes-Hernandez*. 2023. Functional effect of indole-3 carbinol in the viability and invasive properties of cultured cancer cells.Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports, Latin America special edition.
3) Carlson, A., Carrazco-Carrillo, J.A., Loder, A., Elkhadragy, L., Schachtschneider, K.M., and Padilla-Benavides, T. 2022. The Oncopig as an emerging model to investigate copper regulation in cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 23 (22), 14012.
Awards:
2022. Scholarship to attend to the 2022 SACNAS pre-conference 1st annual C.O.L.O.R. retreat in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2016. Honorable Mention. Master in Science Thesis. ENCB-IPN. Mexico
2016. Research Fellowship, Mexican National Research Council. Mexico
2013. Research Fellowship, Mexican Academy of Sciences. Mexico
Email: jcarrazcoca@wesleyan.edu
Arianna McDaniels
Bachelor of Arts, Biology. Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY.
Past positions:
2024. Research Associate Scientist. AtlasXomics, New Haven, CT.
2021. Medical Sciences Teaching Assistant. West Haven High School | West Haven, CT.
2021. Undergraduate Researcher, Possidente & Sheppard Labs. Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY. 2018 Biology Lab Intern. Gendron Lab. Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Awards:
2021. Skidmore Career & Development post-grad award.
2017-2021. S3M Scholar, Skidmore College.
2021. SGA leadership award.
2018-2019. Skidmore College Summer Research Grant
2017. OHSSP Early College Spring Semester University of New Haven
2016. Yale Student Summer Research Institute.
2016-2017. Early College Program, University of New Haven.
2015. Early College Program, Southern Connecticut State University.
Recent publications:
1) Carulli, N., Johnston, E., Klein D., Verdejo-Torres, O., Parikh, A., McDaniels A., Rivera, A., Quinteros, M., Pezacki, A.T., Chang, C.J., Hainer, S.J. and Padilla-Benavides, T. The PBAF chromatin remodeling complex contributes to metal homeostasis through Mtf1 regulation. Metallomics, mfag019, https://doi.org/10.1093/mtomcs/mfag019
2) Kartiganer, Z., Rojas, G., Riccio, M., Tyree, A., Noronha, K., Wetzel, M., Barnett, J., McGann, J., Garbarino, J., Massucci, D., Chafi, N., Decker, S., McDaniels, A., Sabina, J., Levchenko, D., Perez, J., Ng, C., Wang, K. 2023. Improved Cell-Type Identification and Comprehensive Mapping of Regulatory Features with Spatial Epigenomics 96-Channel Microfluidic Platform. GEN Biotechnology, Vol. 2, No.6.
3) McDaniels, A. & Sheppard, K. 2020. Resurrection of Ancestral Aspartyl‐tRNA Synthetases. The FASEB Journal, 34(S1), 1–1. Email: amcdaniels@wesleyan.edu
Oscar Galdamez
Bachelor of Arts.
Awards:
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Past positions:
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Email: ogaldamez@wesleyan.edu
PhD Rotation Students
Master Students
Undergraduate Students
Hugh Hamilton Tevis
Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience & Biology Majors and Chemistry minor. 2027 Class.
2025. Certification Connecticut EMT Responder
Wesleyan Men’s Varsity Lacrosse & Wrestling
Past positions:
2022. Shadowing Dr. Amy Wasterlain, Orthopedics. Middlesex Hospital
Awards:
2026. College of Integrative Sciences Summer Fellowship
2025. Gordon Career Center Summer grant
2023. Choate Rosemary Hall International Student Mentor & Prefect, Wallingford, CT
2023. Founder & President Choate Rosemary Hall Fishing Club, Wallingford, CT
Email: htevis23@wesleyan.edu
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Miki J. Lynch
Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. 2027 Class.
Past positions:
2024. Research Assistant, Weir Lab at Wesleyan University, Middletown CT
2024. Writer, Wesleyan University Inclusion in STEM Initiative, Middletown CT
Awards:
2026. University of Pennsylvania Summer Undergraduate Internship Program, Philadelphia PA
2026. Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education
2025. University of Pennsylvania Summer Undergraduate Internship Program, Philadelphia PA
2024. Research in Sciences Summer Fellowship, Middletown CT
Email: mjlynch@wesleyan.edu
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Conor Humowiecki
Bachelor of Arts, Prospective Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Major; & Neuroscience and Behavior. 2029 Class.
Wesleyan University Varsity Baseball
Awards:
2026. University of Pennsylvania Summer Undergraduate Internship Program, Philadelphia PA
Past positions:
2025. Lab intern, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, PA
2025. Captain (Junior and Senior) of Friends Select High School Baseball team
2024. Afterschool teacher, The Philadelphia School, Philadelphia, PA
2024. Camp counselor, The Philadelphia School, Philadelphia, PA
Email: chumowiecki@wesleyan.edu
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Zoe McDougal
Bachelor of Arts, Prospective Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Major; & Dance. 2029 Class.
Event Coordinator and Sound Technician, SUYA (African Dance Team), Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
Past positions:
2025. Dance Instructor, Mobu Dance Studio, San Francisco, CA
2023. Camp Counselor, Steve and Kates, San Francisco, CA
Awards:
2026. College of Integrative Sciences Summer Fellowship
Email: zmcdougal@wesleyan.edu
Visiting Scholars
Lucía M. Balsa, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow CONICET, Inorganic Chemistry Centre (CEQUINOR) – UNLP. Mentor: Ignacio E. León
Past positions:
2011-2017 Licenciada en Biotecnología y Biología Molecular (equivalent to MSc in Biotechnology and Molecular Biology), School of Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
2017-2023 PhD in Biological Sciences, School of Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
Fellowships and Awards:
2016 N2016 National Institute of Cancer undergraduate research training fellowship
2017 CONICET Doctoral fellowship
2021 SBIC supporter travel fellowship VII Latin American Meeting on Biological Inorganic Chemistry
2023 SBIC supporter travel fellowship VIII Latin American Meeting on Biological Inorganic Chemistry
2026 CONICET Postdoctoral fellowship
2026 ASBMB PROLAB award to visit the Padilla-Benavides Lab
uciabalsa@quimica.unlp.edu.ar
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Opportunities for international students are available
High School Students.
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Opportunities for creative and proactive volunteer high schoolers are always available. You must be over 16 YO to apply.