GATES LAB
LAB ENVIRONMENT
​​
The Gates lab is committed to fostering an inclusive and collegial environment for all lab members. We believe that diversity is essential for scientific excellence and cultivates creativity, yet we also recognize that there are serious disparities and injustices that exist. Here, we strive to empower all lab members in their career development in a setting that celebrates individual differences and promotes scientific excellence.
TEAM
LEAH GATES
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry
Member, Cancer Genomics and Epigenomics Program, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
​
Leah received her B.S. in Biology and M.P.H. in Environmental Health from the University of Minnesota--Twin Cities. She then received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Baylor College Medicine under the mentorship of Bert W. O'Malley, where she focused on mechanisms of transcription regulation and cancer biology. She joined The Rockefeller University for her postdoctoral studies under the mentorship of C. David Allis, where she investigated how microbial metabolites signal to chromatin in the gut. Now, Leah leads her research group at Case
Western Reserve University, where she studies the intersection of metabolism, chromatin, and gene regulation in health and disease.
CHARLOTTE CONNAMACHER
Research Assistant
​
Charlotte received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Hispanic Studies from Oberlin College. She loves the breadth of experiments and projects she has the opportunity to work on in the lab, and is particularly focused on projects involving reader proteins and the relationship between short chain fatty acids and gene regulation. In her free time, she enjoys bug collecting, slacklining, and traveling.
​​
cid:f_lxedft4e1
TOHFA KABIR
Postdoctoral Scholar
Tohfa received her B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Following this, she earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural Science from Tohoku University, Japan, where she studied the impact of food components including gnetin C and vitamin K on the regulation of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) pathology and bile acid homeostasis. In Gates Lab, Tohfa studies the role of epigenetic mechanisms in cellular processes and how these processes are altered in intestinal diseases. In particular, her focus is to define the role of epigenetic alterations in the context of gastrointestinal manifestations observed in Cystic fibrosis patients. She enjoys watching movies and dramas in her free time and loves to travel new places.
​
ZOE LAWLER
PhD Student
Zoe received her B.S. in Molecular Genetics from the Ohio State University. She then joined the lab of Dr. Subhamoy Dasgupta at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she worked on breast and prostate cancer metabolism. Zoe is currently a doctoral student in the Biochemistry program at Case Western, and here in the Gates lab she is exploring the connections between metabolism and epigenetics in colon cancer tumorigenesis. In her free time, Zoe enjoys reading, watching nature documentaries, and rooting for the Buffalo Bills.
HAYDEN MA
Undergraduate Student​​
Hayden is a fourth-year undergraduate studying Biochemistry and Business Management at Case Western Reserve University. She enjoys working on a project exploring the function of various reader proteins involved in intestinal gene regulation. She loves traveling, knitting, taking well-deserved naps, and spending time with friends and family.
JOVANNA SAIMI
Undergraduate Student​​
Jovanna is currently a senior studying biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University. She is excited to work on a project that investigates how mutations in histone acyltransferases alter chromatin in colon cancer. She enjoys cooking and reading reviews on Google Maps in her free time.
​
MATT SMUTNY
PhD Student​
Matt graduated from Case Western Reserve University with degrees in Biochemistry and Music. He’s looking forward to continuing his studies in biochemistry as a PhD student. Additionally, he likes to write music for big band and jazz combo as well as do film photography and run.
ALUMNI
Moses Lee, undergraduate student