GATES LAB
LAB CULTURE & DIVERSITY
The Gates lab is committed to fostering an inclusive and collegial environment for all lab members. We are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. 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. We welcome all aspects of diversity, including but not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic circumstance, age, citizenship, or disability status. Here, we strive to empower all lab members in their career development in a setting that celebrates diversity 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 graduated from Oberlin College with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Hispanic Studies. She is excited to spend time in the lab as a research assistant learning more about the relationships between chromatin and metabolism. In her free time, she enjoys baking, bird watching, bug spotting, and bothering her friends with facts about bog bodies.
Here’s what her friends had to say about her:
“Most likely to have a prophetic dream” ⭐️
“She puts the home in homie” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“If she were a Nintendo character, she would be Kirby” ⭐️⭐️⭐️
“What is a starred review?” (No rating)
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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 assessed the impact of lipophilic food ingredients (such as vitamin K and gnetin C) on the regulation of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) pathology and bile acid homeostasis. She is excited to work on lab projects that explore how dietary alterations impact histone acylations and regulations of metabolic transcriptional programs.
She enjoys watching movies and dramas in her leisure time and is passionate about traveling.
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MOSES LEE
Undergraduate Student
Moses is a 4th year Biochemistry and Music (Piano) double major at Case. He is interested in how computer systems may holistically examine the biochemical and epigenetic mechanisms of cancers to further overall understanding of its pathology. He is excited to explore in lab how cancer associated mutations in histone acyltransferase impacts in-vivo tumorigenesis.
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HAYDEN MA
Undergraduate Student
Hayden is a third-year undergraduate studying Biochemistry and Business Management at Case Western Reserve University. She looks forward to 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 junior studying biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University. She is excited to work on a project examining the relationship of diet and gene expression. She enjoys cooking and reading reviews on Google Maps in her free time.
Unfortunately, no reviews were received upon request.
MATT SMUTNY
Master's 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 master’s student. Additionally, he likes to write music for big band and jazz combo as well as do film photography and run.