Lab Members, Past and Present

Professor of Medicine

Arash Grakoui

After completing my undergraduate degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, I trained initially in molecular virology studying RNA replication and polyprotein processing of alphaviruses (Sindbis) and flaviviruses (yellow fever and hepatitis C virus) with Dr. Charles M. Rice (2020 recipient of Nobel Prize in Medicine) before pursuing PhD in immunology at Washington University in St. Louis. During my postdoctoral training as a Cancer Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at The Rockefeller University, I combined my two areas of interest, virology and immunology, to systematically dissect the role of virus-specific effector lymphocytes during persistent infection. I joined Emory University School of Medicine in the fall of 2004 and I am currently a Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, jointly appointed as a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Core Scientist at the Emory National Primate Center, Investigator at the Emory Center for AIDs Research, and Member of the Cancer Immunology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute.

Lab Manager

Bethy Elrod

Bethy is an organic chemist by training and has an ability to synthesize and think outside the box. Bethy not only is the lab manager, but she tackles half a dozen projects involving transplant patient samples, mouse, and in vitro experiments. She is our guru when it comes to protein purification, monoclonal antibody generation for crystallography determination of HCV glycoproteins.

Research Assistant Professor

Manoj Thapa

Manoj is an Assistant Professor (Research) in the Division of Microbiology and Immunology at the Emory Primate Center of Emory University. Manoj collaborates closely with other scientists at the Emory Primate Center, including Drs. Grakoui and Weiss. He is actively involved in mentoring/advising of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellows. His overall research goal is to develop strategies for therapeutic intervention to prevent liver fibrosis and end-stage liver disease. Most importantly, after working for more than a decade in the Grakoui laboratory, Manoj was conferred with the Fauxbel Prize by Dr. Grakoui in 2022.

Research Associate

Fengzhi Jin

Fengzhi is a Research Associate focusing on the role to T regulatory cells during acute and persistent infections. She is an independent thinker and experimentalist who is versed at multiple viral infections and T and B cell responses. In addition, she is an amazing and talented chef and everyone in the lab is fortunate to taste her culinary creations!

Postdoctoral Fellow

John Gridley

John is a fourth-year postdoc currently supported by the Emory Vaccinology Training Program. After obtaining his Doctor of Pharmacy at Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy, he joined the lab to pursue full-time research in viral immunology. He is primarily interested in characterizing the hallmarks of adaptive immune responses generated to hepatotropic viral infections. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing basketball and golf.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Anuradha Kumari

Anuradha is from India, and she has a master’s in biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from IIT Bombay. She joined Dr. Grakoui’s Lab in September 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow, and, currently she is working on neuro-micro-immune interactions in neurodegenerative diseases. Just like she can't settle on one research field and juggles three, she also can't make up her mind about food, making buffets her favorite choice. Her driving skills are equally impressive—if you count hitting nonmoving objects as a skill. A cricket enthusiast, she spends her free time doing culinary experiments that are so innovative, even her husband hesitates to taste them.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Elahe Akbari

Elahe holds a Master's and Ph.D. in Medical Biotechnology from the Pasteur Institute of Iran. She’s passionate about understanding how the immune system responds to viral infections and how this knowledge can be used for developing vaccines or immune therapies. With a background in microbiology, she’s also fascinated by the human microbiome and its role in diseases, especially when things go out of balance. Elahe recently joined Dr. Grakoui’s lab and is beyond excited to dive into new discoveries and research. Outside the lab, she loves dancing, cooking, and always seeking out new and exciting adventures!

Research Specialist

David Pak

David completed his Bachelor’s in Biology at Georgia Tech in 2021. During his undergraduate, he researched the application of the bacteria Shewanella oneidensis in the degradation of environmental contaminants. After graduating, he joined a biotechnology startup in Atlanta focused on the development of mRNA vaccines. He is interested in learning more about viral immunology and further developing his scientific acumen. Outside of the lab, he enjoys gaming with his friends, reading fantasy novels, and cuddling with his cat.

Undergraduate student

Spencer Watry

Spencer is an undergraduate student at Emory who will graduate spring of 2025. He is majoring in Biology and minoring in nutritional science. Hoping to attend medical school in the future, he has clinical experience as both a Nurse Aid and as an EMT. Additionally, he has volunteered at Northside Atlanta in the Extended Recovery Unit. His research explores the role of the B-Cell in hepatitis C infection. He is a student athlete at Emory on both the Cross Country and Track team and volunteers for Snack in a Backpack.

Undergraduate student

Nikki Pazira

Nikki is an undergraduate student at Emory University majoring in Biological Sciences and anticipating on graduating in the Spring of 2026. She is on the Pre-Med track hoping to attend medical school following her undergraduate studies. Her previous experiences include taking part in research that involves the development of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) therapy strategies, as well as having a role as a clinical intern at Northside Hospital Forsyth. Her hobbies include weightlifting and spending time with friends and family.

Undergraduate student

Theo Burns

Theo is a Data Science major in Emory's Class of 2026. Before coming to Emory, he grew up in Long Island, NY. He joined the lab as an Undergraduate Researcher and is assisting Anuradha in her research on the gut-brain axis and its significance in diseases such as Alzheimer's. Outside of the lab, he enjoys lifting, running, playing tennis, and chess.

Undergraduate student

Grace Yu

Grace is an undergraduate student at Emory University majoring in Biology Science and anticipating graduating in the Spring of 2027. She is on the pre-med track and is planning to proceed her academic curriculum into medical school after graduation. Her hobbies are singing and drinking/making amazing coffee; she also loves hanging out with her friends and family.

Undergraduate student

Eric Tsai

Eric is an undergraduate at Emory who will graduate during the Spring of 2025. He majors in Biology and aspires to enroll in a Physician Assistant program in the future, and currently assists Spencer in his study about B-cells in Hepatitis C infection. His previous experience includes interning at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center throughout all four years of high school. Outside of the lab, he is the most senior member of Emory's Taekwondo Fitness. He enjoys lifting and running in his free time.

Undergraduate student

Win Sheng

Win is a senior at the Atlanta International School and an incoming freshman at Emory University. His passion for immunology ignited last summer during his internship at the Casanova lab, and he is excited to bring that enthusiasm here and learn from some of the brightest minds in the field. Beyond the lab, he enjoys expressing his creativity through playing the flute and drawing realistic sketches. Staying active is important to him, so you’ll often find him working out in his free time. He looks forward to an enriching experience here and to contributing to our collective discoveries!

Undergraduate student

Leqi (Kaitlin) Liu

Kaitlin is an undergraduate student at Emory University majoring in Biology, with an anticipated graduation in Spring 2027. She is on a pre-PhD track and plans to pursue graduate studies in immunology or biomedical engineering. Her research experience includes working on Cyanobacteria for the enhancement of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production. Outside the lab, Kaitlin enjoys knitting, crocheting, baking, and making her own jewelry.

Post-dog-toral fellow

Diggity

Diggity is a valued member of the lab. His expertise is to sniff, detect, and identify any minute perturbation in wind velocity and air pressure in order to find nearby objects to hide under. He is an astute observer and a tough but fair critic. He is only motivated by data and leads by example.

Much appreciation to former members of our lab:

PhD students:

Luke Uebelhoer, PhD

Graduate student (Immunology & Molecular Pathogenesis; 2005-2011)

Current position: Research Associate, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University

Aryn Price, PhD

Graduate student (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; 2009-2016)

Current position: Director of Risk Management and Quality Improvement, Kansas State University

Dana Tedesco, PhD

Graduate student (Immunology & Molecular Pathogenesis; 2012-2017)

Current position: Associate Clinical Development Director, Gilead Sciences

Daniel Chopyk, MD, PhD

Graduate student (Immunology & Molecular Pathogenesis; 2017-2019)

Current position: Surgery Resident OSU (2021-present)

Residency Program:

Maunank Shah, MD (2005)

Current position: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD

Huiming (Sooki) Hon, MD, PhD (2008-2011)

Current position: Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates, Atlanta, GA

Brett Mendel, MD (2012-2015)

Current position: Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Aneet Patel (May-July 2005, MS1)

PGY-2, University of Washington

Current position: Cardiologist, The Polyclinic Madison Center Cardiology

Hank Radziewicz, MD (2005-2010)

Current position: Raleigh Infectious Diseases Associates