Hanif Vahedian Movahed, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Growing up in Iran, as an undergraduate, I became fascinated by bacterial cell surface electrostatic charges and their impact on susceptibility to antibiotics. This passion sent me on a journey across branches of life to gain a fundamental understanding of the specificity of biological interactions. After completing a master's in Biophysics, I moved to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers University. During my Ph.D., I characterized the sequence-specificity, recognition mechanism, and functional roles of a novel bacterial promoter element, the Core Recognition Element (CRE). 

To complement my training in bacterial gene regulation and develop expertise in bacterial epigenetics, I joined the Hochschild lab in March 2021. My primary project focuses on identifying genes that influence prion formation and propagation in bacteria. Toward this end, I have recently developed a forward genetic platform—coupling a novel genetic selection with transposon insertion sequencing—to identify genes that influence prion behaviors in E. coli. My secondary project has focused on exploring prion formation in native bacterial species. Outside of the lab, I enjoy debugging my python codes, volunteering at the local community garden, cycling, and taking coffee walks along the Esplanade.