Jens Rister studied Biology and Chemistry at the University of Würzburg, Germany, where he also obtained his PhD in Genetics and Neurobiology. The main goal of this graduate work under the mentorship of Dr. Martin Heisenberg was to genetically dissect the function of parallel neuronal pathways in the Drosophila visual system. As a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Claude Desplan at New York University, he studied the terminal differentiation of color-sensing photoreceptors and the regulation of the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway in the Drosophila eye. His postdoctoral research was supported by EMBO and DFG fellowships, as well as a K99 Pathway to Independence Award from the NIH/NEI. In September 2016, he became Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at UMass Boston. Since August 2017, he is an Associate Member of the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Cancer Genetics program. In 2018, he received UMass Boston's Endowed Career Faculty Development Award. In 2022, he was promoted to Associate Professor. The Rister lab was supported by an R00 grant and is currently supported by an R01 grant from the National Eye Institute. We provide full-time mentored research experiences to undergraduate students as part of the SPARC and U54 programs of UMass Boston’s partnership with the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, as well as part of the REU program (NSF).
Graduate Students
Mhamed Bashir, B.S., M.S. Award for best talk at the NESDB2021 meeting
Joe Bunker, B.S. Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research BRANN Doctoral Research Fellowship Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant
Deepshe Dewett, B.Tech. Nancy Goranson Award Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research CSM Doctoral Research Fellowship Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant
Khanh Lam-Kamath, B.S.
Heena Khurana, B.Tech.
Emily Brown, B.S.
Walt W. and Jesse P. Volunteers (chemical inventory management)
Undergraduate Students
Romaisa Shahid, B.S. supported by McCone and Alumni Research Fund Florence Krevis Scholarship Honors College Northrop Grumman Scholarship Beacon Student Success Fellowship Alumni Association Scholarship CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship U54 DF/HCC partnership Research Trainee DF/HCC SPARC Program Trainee Honors in Biology Currently: CRC in Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital
Fareeha Syeda, B.S. supported by CSM Brann Scholarship CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship Undergraduate Research Fund Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research Honors College Distinction in Biology Bettina Hall Harrison Excellence in Research Award Currently: Research Assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Rory Delaney supported by McCone and Alumni Research Fund Beacon Student Success Fellowship CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Thi Le, B.S. supported by McCone and Alumni Research Fund Undergraduate Research Fund Distinction in Biology Honors in Biology Currently: Medical Assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital
Sydney Bailey supported by McCone and Alumni Research Fund Beacon Student Success Fellowship Undergraduate Research Fund Excellence in Teaching award
Brooke Cayting supported by McCone and Alumni Research Fund DF/HCC SPARC Program Trainee
Melissa Vieira supported by CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship Beacon Student Success Fellowship Undergraduate Research Fund LEAHY Undergraduate Research Fellowship Excellence in Service award
Simren Saini, B.S.
Ariana Peguero supported by Beacon Student Success Fellowship McCone and Alumni Research Fund Undergraduate Research Fund
Caroline Wong supported by McCone and Alumni Research Fund Undergraduate Research Fund
Hai Truong U54 DF/HCC partnership Research Trainee supported by CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Aya Mohamed
REU student McNair Scholar LEAHY Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Elnor Bashir
Bryanna Scott McNair Scholar
Abigael (Abbie) Babajide IMSD Scholar
Alumni
Ethan Wagner CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship Beacon Student Success Fellowship
Hailie Hale DF/HCC U54 Program Trainee
Alexis Perry, B.S. supported by Beacon Student Success Fellowship Sanofi Genzyme Research Fellow UMass Boston Undergraduate Research Fund Biology Alumni Fund CSM Kibel Scholarship Victoria Finnerty Undergraduate Travel Award (Genetics Society of America) Honors College CSM Distinguished Graduate, Goldwater Award nominee, JFK Award nominee '29 Who Shine' Award Previously: Research Assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Currently: medical student at Tufts University
Kamalpreet Kaur, B.S. supported by Beacon Student Success Fellowship CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Sabrina Bouchard, B.S. supported by McCone and Alumni Research Fund Beacon Student Success Fellowship UMass Boston Undergraduate Research Fund Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research IMSD fellow Honors College Previously: post-bac student at the NIH (Bethesda) Currently: medical student at Tufts University
Tenley Spataro, B.S. supported by CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research Undergraduate Travel Award of the Genetics Society of America Chemistry Departmental Honors and Distinction Award Currently: chemistry lab technician at Wentworth Institute of Technology
Maamoun Adra, B.S. Currently: medical student in Cyprus
Clara Poupault, B.S. supported by McCone and Alumni Research Fund UMass Boston Undergraduate Research Fund Sanofi Genzyme Research Fellow Beacon Student Success Fellowship Bettina Hall Harrison Excellence in Research Award Honors College Previously: Technician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Currently: MD/PhD student at Stanford University
Leslie Torres Ulloa, B.S. Biology and Philosophy IMSD fellow Currently: PhD student at UMass Medical School
Cindy Hunt, B.S., M.S.
Jessica Gosselin, B.S., M.S. Currently: Research technician at Brigham and Women's Hospital
Former REU students
William Meara, B.S. REU/NSF student James Madison University Currently: Lab Tech/Manager, Sahay lab, Massachusetts General Hospital
Lauren Ducoste REU/NSF student University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Balakisa Kaba REU/NSF student Johnson and Wales University Currently: Clinical Research Assistant at Lifespan