URMC / Labs / Mello Lab / Lab Members Lab Members Principal InvestigatorStephano Mello, Ph.D.Email StephanoResearch Interest: Understanding how nuclear proteins and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulate gene transcription in pancreatic preneoplastic lesions, gaining knowledge of the process of cellular transformation and tumor initiation.Research StaffZamira Soares, Ph.D.Staff ScientistGraduate StudentsEmily BerryGenetics - Biomedical Genetics and Genomics Ph.D. ProgramResearch Interest: Understanding the role of lncRNA Neat1 in maintaining cell identity.Dakarai EsgdailleGenetics - Biomedical Genetics and Genomics Ph.D. ProgramResearch Interest: Understanding the mechanism of pre-mRNA splicing regulation by the long non-coding RNA Neat1.Jennifer Twardowski, MSBMB - Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Ph.D. ProgramResearch Interest: Inhibition of Precancerous Transformation via Drug-Induced p53 Activation