Mock_ Hosseinzadeh_Lab_People_RB

Department of Bioengineering

The Parisa H. Lab

Protein Benders

Principal Investigator

Parisa Hosseinzadeh

Parisa Hosseinzadeh

Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering

Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact

Department of Bioengineering

parisah@uoregon.edu | Google Scholar | GitHub

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(She/Her/Hers)

Research interests: 

  • Protein and peptide design, Computational methods in biochemistry, Biosensors and enzymes, Machine learning​

Background: 

  • B.Sc: University of Tehran, Iran
  • PhD: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Advisor Yi Lu
  • Postdoc: Univeristy of Washington, Seattle, Advisor David Baker. NIH F32 and Washington Fellow. ​

Other interests: 

  • science outreach, justice in STEM, reading, sports, crafting

 

Lab Members

Yusong Zou

Yusong Zou

Postdoctoral Scholar

yusongz@uoregon.edu

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(He/Him/Hims)

Research interests: Protein Design, Computational Protein Engineering, Biosensors, and Machine Learning​

Background: B.Sc, Biological Engineering, Beijing University of ChemicalTechnology, 2019. 

M.Sc, Biochemical Engineering, The University of Georgia, 2020, Advisor: Yajun Yan

Ph.D. Biological and Agricultural Engineering, The University of Georgia, 2025. Advisor: Yajun Yan

Other interests: Badminton, Soccer, Football, Road tri

Andrew Powers

Andrew Powers

Graduate Student

apowers4@uoregon.edu | Github

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Research interests: Computational protein engineering, machine learning, protein design, cyclic peptide design, and developing computational tools​

Background: B.S., Psychology, University of Minnesota 

M.Sc. Bioinformatics and Genomics (KCGIP), University of Oregon​

Other interests: Wrestling, Olympic Weightlifting, learning languages, traveling, hiking, scuba diving, and coding​

Elham Azadvari

Noora Azadvari

Graduate Student

eazadvar@uoregon.edu | Github

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(She/Her/Hers)

Research interests: Solving biological problems by any tools in design and computation, structural biology​

Background: B.S., University of Tehran, Iran​

Other interests: Photography and film making, Reading, Running, Birding, Sustainability and zero waste, Minimalism, Science communication, Poetry, Cooking

 

Benjamin Burress-Irving

Ben Burress-Irving

Graduate Student

bburress@uoregon.edu

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(He/Him/Hims)

Research interests: Biochemistry, Protein design for biomedical applications​

Background: B.S. Biochemistry Class of 2024​

Other interests: Playing electric and upright bass in various ensembles, traveling, playing video games​

 

russell mcloughlin portrait

Russell McLoughlin

Graduate Student | Github

rmcl@uoregon.edu

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(He/Him/Hims)

Research interests: Computational Protein Engineering

Background: B.S., Computer Science, UC Santa Barbara 2009

M.S., Computer Science, UC Santa Barbara 2010​

Other interests: Fly Fishing and Sailing

 

rainbow protein structure on a black background

Miranda Simpson

Rosetta Commons Postbaccalaureate Fellow

mirans@uoregon.edu

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(She/Her/Hers)

Research interests: Protein engineering and design, bioinformatics, machine learning​

Background: B.Sc., Computer Science, Marshall University 2025 Minor: Biology ​

Other interests: Hiking/walking, reading, baking, and traveling
 

 

rainbow protein structure on a black background

Brooklyn Cessna

Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholar

bcessna@uoregon.edu

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(She/Her/Hers)

Research interests: Protein engineering, computational design, musculoskeletal regeneration​

Background: B.Sc., Human Physiology, Minor: Chemistry, as well as Science Communication minor. University of Oregon Class of 2027​

Other interests: Competitive Dance, sports, baking, music, Pilates, spending time with friends and family

 

rainbow protein structure on a black background

Dylan Merrill

Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholar

dmer@uoregon.edu

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(He/Him/His)

Research interests: Protein engineering, biomedical applications​

Background: B.Sc., Human Physiology, Minor: Chemistry. University of Oregon Class of 2027​

Other interests: Competitive Soccer, basketball, football, golf, hiking, skiing, traveling with friends and family 

 

rainbow protein structure on a black background

Alex Fagan

Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholar

alfa@uoregon.edu

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(He/Him/Hims)

Research interests: Computational modeling, machine learning, and applications of biomedicine in oncology​

Background: B.Sc., Human Physiology Minor: Computer Science and Biochemistry, University of Oregon class of 2027​

Other interests: Skiing, river surfing, running, sewing, and going on adventures

 

Join the Hosseinzadeh Lab

We welcome people from all backgrounds to our lab. We are looking for enthusiastic and collaborative individuals to join our lab who are interested to do innovative and translational work. We do not put specific ads for positions, so feel free to contact Parisa if you are interested.​ See our lab agreement to see expectations of lab members.

Our lab's research is inspired on by the problems we see in our society. We take on an innovative and highly interdisciplinary approach to solve these problems. By working in our lab, you learn about different aspects of biochemistry and computational biology. In addition you become part of a highly connected network of scientists through scientific links in the lab. For example, all members become part of the Rosetta Commons community.​

Postdoctoral Scholars

We’re currently looking for postdocs that are looking to solve solutions at the intersection of chemical biology and computational biology. In particular, we are interested in postdocs with expertise in one of these fields: 1. Molecular biology and protein biochemistry, 2. Peptide synthesis and chemistry, 3. Computational biology, especially deep learning. Please send your CV, a summary of research interests, and two letters of recommendation directly to Parisa.

Graduate Students

If you’re interested in joining our lab, we will take students from different programs at the University of Oregon including the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Institute for Molecular Biology, and through the joint Bioengineering program. ​You should first apply to one of those departments, and list our lab as an interest of yours. 

Undergraduate Students

If you’re interested in joining our lab, please send your CV to Parisa. To improve your learning experience, you will need to spend ~10 hours/week in the lab for at least 3 quarters. Check out the Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholars program; it provides funding for UO undergraduate students to perform a full year of research in a Knight-Campus affiliated lab.If you're interested in a summer internship program or post-bac opportunity, check opportunities through Rosetta commons.

Parisa H. Lab Alumni

Lab Alumni 

Lab managers: 
  • Arash Asgari, Lab Manager 
  • Cassandra Gonzalez, Lab Manager — Currently: Graduate Student 
  • Christian Topete, Research Assistant — Currently: Scientist BMS Seattle 

Postdocs: 

  • Kevin Harnden, Postdoc 2021-2026 
  • Edin Muratspahic, Postdoc 2022-2023 – Currently a postdoc in the Baker Lab 
  • Suchetana Gupta, Postdoc — Currently: Bioinformatics Engineer Clovertex 

Graduate Students: 

  • Wesley Gomorsal, Master’s student 2025 
  • Karly Fear, BioE Master’s Student 2025 — Currently: Pluto Bio 

Post-baccs: 

  • Waverly Wilson, post-baccalaureate researcher 2026 – Currently: UW  
  • Pat Janthana, post-bac Researcher 2025 — Currently: Rice University 

Undergraduates: 

  • Hanna Stokes, Undergraduate Researcher 2025 – Currently Master’s student in MinnesotaR 
  • Ari Perch, Undergraduate Researcher 2025
  • Hanna Stokes, Undergraduate Researcher 2025 
  • Alonso Cruz, Undergraduate Researcher 2024 — Currently: Research at OHSU 
  • Burke Wilebski, Undergraduate Researcher 2024— Currently: Moss Adams Wealth Advisor LLC 
  • Saud Zaidan, Undergraduate Researcher 2024 – MD in OHSU 

REUs: 

  • Andrew Fadgen, Undergraduate Researcher 2025 — Currently: Undergraduate Saint Joseph's University 
  • Sophia Elizabeth Shaw, Rosetta Summer Intern 2025 — Currently: Computer Science & Engineering UC Irvine 
  • Jenny Nguyen, Undergraduate Researcher 2024— Currently: Graduate student at UC Boulder 
  • Zack Mawaldi, Rosetta Summer Intern 2023 — Currently: Graduate student at UCSF 
  • Anh Nguyen, Rosetta Summer Intern — Currently: Graduate student at CMU 

High School Interns

  • Melodie Chiu, Camas high school
  • Maxwell Soh, Tesla STEM high school — Currently: An undergrad in CMU

Rotation Students

  • Jack Govaerts, Chemistry and Biochemistry 2025-2026 
  • Preeti Bhattacharghi, Chemistry and Biochemistry 2022-2023 
  • Alex Guerrero, Chemistry and Biochemistry 2022-2023 
  • Christian Li, Chemistry and Biochemistry 2021-2022 
  • Matt Nardoci, Biology 2021-2022 
  • Justin Svendsen, Chemistry and Biochemistry 2021-2022 

The Parisa H. Lab 

Founded in 2020, the Parisa H. lab is a protein engineering research group within the University of Oregon's Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. Based in the Department of Bioengineering in Eugene, Oregon, the Parisa H. lab designs novel peptides and proteins that tackle some of the challenges of 21st century.