Ben grew up in Paramus, NJ. He spent a long time in Baltimore- he received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and his Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine under the supervision of Takanari Inoue and Andre Levchenko. Afterwards, he took a leap of faith and joined Ruth Lehmann’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow without taking a single genetics class. He is now a full-fledged fly pusher and loves looking at cells under the microscope.

I'm interested in the complex mechanisms living organisms use to maintain order. This encompasses both macro-scale development and the molecular intricacies of cell metabolism and biology. In pursuit of these questions I have studied fruit fly behavior, metabolism and neurobiology during a master's from Hofstra University in the DiAngelo Lab and a graduate degree from Texas A&M in the Keene Lab. As a tractable model organism, the fruit fly allows us to answer these mechanistic questions in eloquent ways. As a postdoc in the Lin Lab I aim to elucidate how cellular metabolism plays a role in germ cell migration and what goes wrong in diseases like cancer and metabolic diseases.

I am  part of the Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD program at Stony Brook University. I got my bachelors degree in molecular and cellular biology with a minor in applied statistics from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. My interest lie in understanding how small things such as the fruit fly embryo can have many complex and crucial components to it. All this with an end goal of applying my knowledge or that other people can use my results to help with people's diseases/conditions. My current research encompassed the study of formins proteins, and how they modulate primordial germ cell (PGC) migration in the fruit fly embryo.

I grew up in Bangladesh wondering how life works. My undergraduate studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology gave me the first layer of the answer: molecules, endlessly talking to each other, sustaining everything we are. Now as a PhD student at Stony Brook, I want to understand how these molecules coordinate motion. What is the machinery that makes a cell move? Cell movement builds embryos, heals wounds, guides immune cells, forms organs and when hijacked, spreads cancer. Under the mentorship of Dr. Benjamin Lin, I spy on proteins that act like a cell’s internal skeleton, asking how they coordinate across compartments to drive movement through living tissue. The most thrilling part is getting to see cells, breathtakingly beautiful under the microscope, and using genetic tools to manipulate their behavior and watch life respond in real time.

As a PhD student in the Molecular and Cellular Biology program at SBU, I’m focused on understanding how information travels within a cell via signal transduction to enact complex behaviors. I am improving my skills with genetic tools and microscopy to get a better look at the inner mechanisms of the cell and using fruit flies as a model organism to observe cell migration during embryo development. Before arriving at SBU, I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Chemical Biology at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, with a minor in Literature and a certificate in Drug Discovery. In Dr. Lin’s lab, my project is concentrated on the generation and role in signaling of PIP2 in fruit fly primordial germ cells (PGCs), as well as understanding the downstream effectors of the GPCR Tre1.

I received my bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University for Development Studies (UDS), Navrongo-Ghana, and a master's in Bioinformatics from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). My primary research interest lies in drug discovery and the cellular signaling processes in response to treatment candidate's  Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME). Over the years, I have developed skills in analyzing biological data with bioinformatics tools and other software to find solutions concerning genetic mutations and drug escapes in retroviruses and other organisms.

Katherine is an undergraduate student at Stony Brook University studying Biology and Chemistry on the pre-med track. She is a member of the Honors College in the class of 2026. Katherine’s point of interest in Biology lies in the intersection between microbiology and its implications in cancer research. She is also passionate about research that addresses and combats healthcare disparities in marginalized communities.

Andrew is an undergraduate student at Stony Brook University, majoring in Biology on the pre-med track. He is drawn to understanding the intricacies of gene expression and its influence on the development of organisms. Andrew is interested in research because of its vital role in advancing treatments and creating opportunities for innovative approaches to diagnosis and medical care.

Zoe is an undergraduate student at Stony Brook University studying Biology on the pre-med track in the class of 2027. Her interest in biology lies in understanding the complexity of organisms through a genetic perspective, particularly in the role that gene expression plays in an organism's development and evolution. She is passionate in conducting research that contributes to advancements in treatments and improves patient outcomes.

Aaron is an undergraduate student at Stony Brook University studying biochemistry on the pre-med track. He loves science and finds the mechanisms behind natural processes fascinating. He is passionate about conducting research because it allows him to explore his passion for science while being able to contribute to advancing medical treatments for patients.

Kristen is an undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track. She is interested in pursuing a career at the intersection of medicine and research. She is especially interested in how biomedical engineering approaches can be used to study cancer progression. In the future, she hopes to become a physician-scientist to connect her research interests to patient care.

Ramisa is an undergraduate student under the WISE Honors Program at Stony Brook University, and is studying biochemistry on the pre-medical track. She enjoys delving into biological and chemical sciences, and is interested in pursuing research alongside doing clinical work to better improve medicine and access to healthcare. At the Lin Lab, Ramisa is excited to research amoeboid cell movement through PGCs in Drosophila melanogaster, and its implications in cancer research. 

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High School Volunteer

Undergraduate researcher

Current: Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook

Undergraduate Researcher

Current: NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine