Meet the Lab

Pyle Lab in the Science Hill courtyard. Photo by Charles Camarda, 2024.

We are a diverse team of researchers at all career stages who are passionate about the fundamental principles and therapeutic potential of RNA-based mechanisms. Every member of our research team contributes unique insight into our research and is essential in building a thriving lab community. Read about our amazing team members below!

We often work with other labs on projects that require interdisciplinary expertise, and we have formed collaborations with various labs at Yale, around the US, and even around the world.

If you are interested in joining the team, please get in touch.

Principal Investigator

Anna Marie Pyle

Favorite element: Rhodium
Scientist hero: Walther Flemming
Favorite restaurant in New Haven: Miso
If I could visit anywhere, I would go to: South America
Teacher who most inspired me: Jackie Barton
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Running, hiking, gardening, travel, skiing

anna.pyle@yale.edu

Mail

Biosketch

Photo by Ryuji Suzuki, 2023

Biography

Anna Marie Pyle is Sterling Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Professor of Chemistry at Yale University. She has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 1997. Dr. Pyle obtained her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Princeton University and received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University in 1990, where she worked with Professor Jacqueline K. Barton. Dr. Pyle was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Thomas Cech at the University of Colorado. Dr. Pyle formed her own research group in 1992 in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Columbia University Medical Center. In 2002, she moved to Yale University, where she leads a research group that specializes in structure and function of large RNA molecules and RNA remodeling enzymes. Dr. Pyle was the Chair of the YSB building committee, she has served on the University Budget Committee and as the Chair of the Biological Sciences Advisory Committee, while also serving as Instructor in Charge for Molecular Biology (MCDB200/700). In addition to her work at Yale, Dr. Pyle is co-Chair of the Science and Technology Steering Committee at Brookhaven National Labs, she is past-President of the RNA Society and serves on advisory boards for many scientific organizations, including the Max Planck Institute for Natural Sciences. She is the Co-Editor of Methods in Enzymology, she is the author of more than 220 publications and she is the founder of three companies. The Pyle laboratory uses a diverse set of approaches, including cryo-electron microscopy, biochemistry, cell biology and enzymology, to understand the biological function of complex RNA molecules and their complexes with drugs and proteins. Dr. Pyle has received numerous honors and awards including election to the National Academy of Sciences (2023), the RNA Society Lifetime Service Award (2022), the Yale Faculty Innovation Award (2022), and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2005).

Postdoctoral Fellow

Gina Buchel

Joined 2023

Education: Biochemistry (BS, Rutgers University), Biochemistry, Structural & Molecular Biology (PhD, Thomas Jefferson University)
Research: Studying RIG-I like receptors

Favorite molecule: Caffeine
Scientist hero: Rosalind Franklin
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Cooking and baking

gina.buchel@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Research Specialist

Olga Fedorova

Joined 1998

Education: Bioorganic chemistry (Ph.D., Moscow State University, Russia)
Research: Small-molecule-RNA recognition: discovery of group II intron splicing inhibitors. Development of alternative methods of synthesis of di- and triphosphorylated oligonucleotides and their non-hydrolyzable analogs

Favorite molecule: icosahedral buckminsterfullerene (C60)
Scientist hero: Dr. Jonas Salk
Class that most inspired me: undergrad organic chemistry
Outside of the lab, I enjoy: reading, cooking, baking, chess

olga.fedorova@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Research Technician II

Sarah Fergione

Joined 2018

Education: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (B.S., Missouri Western State University), Biotechnology (Sc.M., Brown University)
Research: solid-phase synthesis of RNA, DNA, and LNA

Favorite molecule: Acetylcholine
Class that most inspired me: Nanoengineering and Nanomedicine
Outside of lab, I enjoy: figure skating, genealogical research, spending time with my family

sarah.fergione@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Graduate Student

Rong Guo

Joined 2020

Education: Chemistry (Grinnell College)
Research: Develop high-throughput screening assays to explore the small molecule modulators of RIG-I like receptors

Favorite molecule: Black Hole Quencher
Scientist hero: Carolyn Bertozzi
Class that most inspired me: Undergraduate bioinorganic
Favorite restaurant in New Haven: Hachiroku
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Skiing and exploring restaurants

rong.guo@yale.edu

Department of Chemistry

Graduate Student

Tanja Hann

Joined 2021

Education: Biochemistry (BSc, University College London)
Research: Discovering regulatory RNA structure in viral genomes

Favorite molecule: ATP synthase
Class that most inspired me: The Principles of Cellular Control
Outside of lab, I enjoy: food, weightlifting, reading

tanja.hann@yale.edu

Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Research Staff

William Howell

Joined 2024

Education: Biomedical Engineering (B.S., University of Florida)
Research: Determine the structures of RNAs in Viruses of Concern to understand the role of RNA in their pathogenicity and host response.

Favorite molecule: Biotin
Favorite restaurant in New Haven: Chacara Pisco Bar - Peruvian Cuisine
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Painting model soldiers, playing boardgames, sailing

william.howell@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Postdoctoral Fellow

Jimin Hwang

Joined 2024

Education: Chemical Engineering (BS, Hanyang University), Chemical and Biological Engineering (MEng, Korea University), Chemistry and Chemical Biology (PhD, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology)
Research: Small molecule drug discovery for antifungal agent by targeting RNA (Group I self-splicing intron)

Favorite molecule: β-D-Fructofuranosyl α-D-glucopyranosid

Favorite place in New Haven: The Whale Tea

Outside of lab, I enjoy: Hiking, watching sports games

j.hwang@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Graduate Student

Michelle Luo

Joined 2021

Education: Chemistry (B.S., UC Davis)
Research: Structure and function of viral RNAs

Favorite molecule: hexamethyl pararosaniline chloride (crystal violet)
Class that most inspired me: Undergrad organic chemistry
Outside of lab, I enjoy: caring for houseplants, exploring classic films and musicals

michelle.luo@yale.edu

Department of Chemistry

Research Technician

Kenneisha Norford

Joined 2023

Education: Biology (BS, Fairfield University)
Research: Investigating RNA polymer specificity required for RIG-I and MDA-5 Activation

Class that most inspired me: Undergraduate Genetics
Favorite restaurant in New Haven: Via
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Reading, fashion

kenneisha.norford@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Graduate Student

Zion Perry

Joined 2021

Education: Biological Engineering (BS, MIT)
Research: Structure and function of disease-relevant long non-coding RNAs; computational methods for RNA structure analysis

Favorite molecule: Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)

Class that most inspired me: Undergrad Biochemistry
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Nature walks, playing the flute

zion.perry@yale.edu

Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Research Associate

Olga Potapova

Joined 2014

Education: Masters, Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical University (Russia)

Research: Poly(I:C) as a RIG-I and MDA5 activator

Outside of lab, I enjoy: Friends and grandkids

olga.potapov@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Graduate Student

Leena Sen

Joined 2024

Education: Biology and Earth & Atmospheric Sciences (BS, Cornell University)
Research: I am interested in characterizing innate immune receptors in vivo via biochemical and biophysical approaches.

Favorite molecule: STING

Class that most inspired me: Paleobiology, Dr. Warren Allmon

Outside of lab, I enjoy: Painting, walking, grocery shopping

leena.sen@yale.edu

Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Postdoctoral Associate

Luke Sisto

Joined 2024

Education: Chemistry (Ph.D., UCLA)
Research: Development of RNA targeting antifungal agents and investigation of their mechanism.

Favorite molecule: α-Amanitin

Scientist hero: Percy Lavon Julian

Favorite restaurant in New Haven: Louis’ Lunch

Outside of lab, I enjoy: Hiking, movies, getting yelled at by my cat

luke.sisto@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Graduate Student

Lucille Tsao

Joined 2022

Education: Chemistry (BA, Wellesley College)
Research: Characterizing the structure and function of viral RNAs, specifically for Flaviviruses

Favorite molecule: benzene
Favorite restaurant in New Haven: Hachiroku
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Excursions to the Yale Art Gallery, cooking/baking

lucille.tsao@yale.edu

Department of Chemistry

Graduate Student

Han Wan

Joined 2019

Education: Biology (BS, Zhejiang University)
Research: Characterizing the full-length secondary structure of long positive-strand RNA viruses, mining functional RNA elements, and understanding their mechanisms.

Favorite molecule: H2O
Favorite place in New Haven: Edgerton Park
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Climbing

han.wan@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Graduate Student

Ruben Warkentin

Joined 2024

Education: Biochemistry (BS, Queen's University), Biology (MSc, Concordia University Montreal)
Research: Synthesis of circRNA using permuted Group I introns for biotechnological and therapeutic applications.

Favorite molecule: DARPins

Favorite restaurant in New Haven: Lalibela

Outside of lab, I enjoy: Foosball, taking care of my plants, DnD

ruben.warkentin@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Postdoctoral Fellow

Ling Xu

Joined 2018

Education: Ph.D.
Research: Structural study of RNA splicing and retrotransposition, and structural study of RLRs in immune system.

Favorite molecule: U
Scientist hero: Yunyu Shi (A great scientist dedicated to nurturing the next generation of scientists)
Outside of lab, I enjoy: Cooking, hiking, hanging out with family and friends.

ling.xu@yale.edu

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Thank you to Charles Camarda and Ryuji Suzuki for photographing our lab members!