People

CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE WEAKE LAB

Mohd Saleem Dar

Dr. Mohd Saleem Dar

Biochemistry Department
Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Saleem Dar began his studies with a masters in Biochemistry from the University of Kashmir, Srinagar. After qualifying in the Indian National Level Test (CSIR-NET/JRF), he joined the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India in 2011, and secured a fellowship for his entire PhD. He obtained his PhD in Sciences through the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research at CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India in 2019. His PhD studies focused on Wnt/ β-catenin signaling and understanding the role of terminal regions of β-catenin in its nuclear translocation and transcriptional regulation. After moving to Purdue University, he began working in Dr. Humaira Gowher's lab on the role of a lncRNA, Dnmt3bas, inthe regulation of the Dnmt3b gene in mESCs during early development. Saleem then joined the Weake lab in June 2022, and has been exploring the role of the Chiffon protein in development using Drosophila as a model system. Saleem has received multiple awards; state level talent scholarship test, CSIR-NET/JRF award for the grant of the fellowship for his PhD, travel awards during his PhD and Postdoctoral research for presenting the work in the scientific meetings, best poster awards. His research publications are available via Google Scholar.

Sarah Stanhope

Sarah Stanhope

Biochemistry Department
Graduate student
Sarah Stanhope received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Salem State University in 202. She joined Purdue’s biochemistry PhD program in 2020 and has been working in the Weake lab since March 2021. Sarah’s research focuses on using proteomic and molecular biology approaches to profile the redox proteome of the Drosophila eye. Sarah has received a Bird Stair Research Fellowship award in 2020 and an NIH T32 fellowship in Drug Discovery and Design in 2021. Sarah's publications are available through ORCID.
Sarah McGovern

Sarah McGovern

Biochemistry Department
Graduate student
Sarah McGovern received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Mandarin Chinese Language from Michigan State University in 2018. She joined Purdue’s biochemistry PhD program in 2018 and has been working in the Weake lab since August 2021. Sarah’s research focuses on using -omics and molecular biology approaches to profile changes in the circadian rhythm during aging in photoreceptors. Sarah has received an honorable mention for her NSF Graduate Research Fellowship proposal in 2020 and a Bird Stair Research Fellowship award in 2019. Sarah's publications are available through Google Scholar and ORCID.
Anik Paul

Anik Paul

Biochemistry Department
Graduate student

Anik Paul received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2014 and Master of Science in 2015 in same major from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. After 6 months working as a research officer in International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) he joined as lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka in 2016. Then he moved to Purdue University in the fall of 2021 for a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and joined Dr. Weake's lab in March 2022. Anik’s current research focuses on understanding the role of the Chiffon protein in Drosophila embryogenesis. He is a member of the Biochemistry graduate program. Anik's publications are available through Google Scholar and ORCID.​

Gaoya (Grace) Meng

Gaoya (Grace) Meng

Biochemistry Department
Graduate student

Gaoya (Grace) Meng received a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from Zhejiang University in 2020. Grace joined Purdue’s biochemistry PhD program in 2021 and has been working in the Weake lab since March 2022. Grace’s research focuses on understanding how changes in histone methylation affect the expression of circadian clock genes in the Drosophila eye.

Undergraduate  Researchers

Undergraduate Researchers

Biochemistry Department
Undergraduate Researchers
Current undergraduate students working on research projects and support jobs in the Weake lab include Makayla Marlin, Ryan DeBernardis, Gina Speer, Ellis Anderson, and Skylar Guffey.
Vikki Weake

Dr. Vikki Weake

Associate Professor
765 496 1730

Dr. Vikki Weake received a Bachelor of Science with first class honors in Biochemistry and Plant Biology in 2002 and Ph.D. in Genetics from Massey University, New Zealand in 2006. After a postdoc with Dr. Jerry Workman at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri, she joined the Biochemistry department in 2012. Dr. Weake is a member of the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research and the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience. Dr. Weake's publications are available through Google Scholar​