Post-Doctoral Research Fellows
|
Valeria Garcia Lopez, Ph.D.
(valeria.a.garcia.lopez AT vanderbilt.edu) Valeria was born in El Salvador and raised in Nashville, TN. She obtained a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Centre College in 2019. Shortly after graduating she joined the Skaar Lab at VUMC as a research assistant and studied two-component signaling systems in B. anthracis. Valeria’s current endeavors in the Plate Lab are to investigate human coronavirus non-structural protein host interactors. She successfully defended her thesis in November 2025 and is continuing her research as a post-doc. Valeria enjoys kickboxing, going to local restaurants, and attending concerts. |
|
Jake Hermanson, Ph.D.
(jake.hermanson AT vanderbilt.edu) Jake grew up in Georgetown Texas and earned a Biochemistry degree from Texas State University. His undergraduate research was testing in vitro pharmacokinetics on natural products analogs in Dr. Sean Kerwin’s Lab. His current research focuses on how protein-protein interactions change over time, determining direct interactors of genetically misfolded proteins. Jake successfully defended his thesis in February 2026 and is continuing his research as a post-doc. When not in lab, he enjoys fishing, hiking, watching NFL football, and making cocktails. |
Graduate Students
|
Brynn Roman - BSCI (Y6)
(brynn.k.roman AT vanderbilt.edu) Brynn grew up in Salisbury, Maryland but migrated to Pittsburgh to attend Duquesne University. At Duquesne she earned a B.S. in Biochemistry while minoring in Mathematics. During her undergraduate career, she joined Dr. David Seybert’s lab where she worked to characterize the effects of macromolecular crowding on the kinetic parameters of aldose reductase. Brynn’s current research project in the Plate Lab focuses on understanding how coronavirus nonstructural proteins and their host interactors contribute to the viral life cycle. She is supported by the Cellular, Biochemical, and Molecular Sciences Training Program. When not in lab Brynn enjoys hiking, binging reality TV and spending time with her gremlins which masquerade as cats. |
|
Will Sutton - CHEM (Y4)
(william.j.sutton AT vanderbilt.edu) Will Sutton was born and raised in Auburndale, FL and earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2019. Post-graduation, Will spent three years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA where he worked on influenza and Covid-19 vaccine research in the Clinical Chemistry Branch of the Division of Laboratory Sciences. Will hopes use chemical biology approaches to increase time resolution in protein interactomics studies. When not in the lab, Will enjoys playing disc golf, hiking, climbing, and trying different breweries around Nashville. |
|
Molly Sullivan - CPBP (Y4)
(molly.e.sullivan AT vanderbilt.edu) Molly grew up in Huntsville, AL and attended Samford University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a minor in Dance in 2022. As an undergraduate, she worked in the lab of Dr. Corey Johnson studying the expression and purification of small laccase (SLAC) as well as the structural, kinetic, and mechanistic properties of tetrahydrodipicolinate N-succinyltransferase (DapD). Molly’s current research focuses on understanding how synonymous codon substitutions impact translation speeds and proteostasis interactions during viral host adaptation. She is supported by the Vanderbilt Chemistry Biology Interface training grant (NIH-#5T32GM065086) and an NSF GRFP award. Outside of lab, Molly enjoys trying new restaurants in Nashville, trivia nights with friends, reading, and attending concerts. |
|
Jack Olson - CPBP (Y3)
(john.a.olson AT vanderbilt.edu) Jack grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and completed his B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society at Colby College. Following graduation, he worked as a research assistant under Dr. Loren Walensky at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where he helped develop and characterize chemically-stabilized alpha-helical peptides that target critical proteins of the cell death pathway. Jack’s current research in the lab focuses on the rational optimization of combinatorial therapies for the treatment of rare cystic fibrosis variants. He is supported by the Vanderbilt Chemistry Biology Interface training grant (NIH-#5T32GM065086). Outside of lab, Jack enjoys finding live music, running, and cheering on the Baltimore Ravens. |
|
Noah Lind - BSCI (Y2)
(noah.a.lind AT vanderbilt.edu) Noah grew up in Turner, Maine and completed his B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Vermont in 2021. As an undergraduate, he worked with Dr. Bryan Ballif to verify putative substrates of FYN and ABL1 kinase in the reelin neuronal signaling pathway. After graduating, he worked with Dr. Jarod Rollins at MDIBL to optimize polysome profiling methods for the New Brunswick-based company Biocomp Instruments, as well as confirm substrates of C. elegans RPS6 and its role in ribosome quality control. Onward from 2023, he joined Dr. Dustin Updike's lab (MDIBL) to determine the role of liquid-liquid germ-granule proteins LOTR-1 in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Currently, he is working to understand how mechanisms of ribosome/translation quality control function, and how that might enhance treatments for cystic fibrosis or other protein folding diseases. Outside of lab Noah enjoys stargazing and waterfalls, disc golf and climbing, but not forgetting hiking and fish- ... 3d printing? |
|
Grace Abell - CHEM (Y1)
(grace.m.abell AT vanderbilt.edu) Grace grew up in Plainfield, IN and completed her B.S. in Chemistry from Indiana University in 2025. As an undergraduate she joined the lab of Dr. Charles Dann III working on the expression and purification of human tyrosylprotein sulfotransferases for the characterization of tyrosine sulfation. Her current research focuses on using protein interactomics to advance understanding of cystic fibrosis therapies. Outside of lab, Grace enjoys live music, creative writing, and going for walks! |
Lab Technicians
|
Ben Levine
(benjamin.h.levine AT vanderbilt.edu) |
Undergraduate Students
Sofia Belisario - MCB (Mentored by: Valeria)
Zoey Shen - CHEM (Mentored by: Lea)
Guy Grisham - CHEM (Mentored by: Molly)
Mia Perfetti - BCB (Mentored by: Jack)
Gowtham Pradeep (Mentored by: Jack)
Jaida Moore - BCB (Mentored by: Will)
Zoey Shen - CHEM (Mentored by: Lea)
Guy Grisham - CHEM (Mentored by: Molly)
Mia Perfetti - BCB (Mentored by: Jack)
Gowtham Pradeep (Mentored by: Jack)
Jaida Moore - BCB (Mentored by: Will)
|
Rotation Students:
We are accepting new rotation students in the Fall of 2026. Please contact us to inquire about potential projects. |
Previous rotation students:
Alexis Janke (IGP) Dolma Choenzom (CHEM) Sarah Beno (CHEM) Jason Chapin (CHEM) Eero Gross (BSCI) Josh Gann (QCB) Megan Ward (QCB) Kelly O'Rourke (IGP) Sirena Tran (IGP) Alec Brown (BSCI) Lee Cantrell (QCB) Reyhaneh Tirgar (BSCI) Sam Lisy (IGP) Kathryn Kapp (CHEM) Rebecca Moore (CHEM) Kaylee Johnson (IGP) Johny Nguyen (CHEM) |
Micaelle Jorge (CHEM) Nadjali Chung (CHEM) Yizhi (Vera) Fu (CHEM) Jasmin Tindal (CHEM) Henry Schares (IGP) Alex Mansueto (BSCI) Jennifer Wurm (QCB) Nicky Eleuteri (IGP) Reecan Juarez (QCB) Gustavo Araiza (QCB) Samuel Oyedele (CHEM) Cody Marshall (IGP) Melanie Dillon (IGP) Chiamaka Okoye (IGP) Louis Otero (IGP) Leah Oswalt (BSCI) Nadir Dbouk (BSCI) |
Vanderbilt undergraduate students and motivated graduate students interested in joining the group should contact Lars by email (lars.plate (AT) vanderbilt.edu).