Team

Ryan J. Weiss, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Faculty, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center

Dr. Ryan Weiss received his B.S. in chemistry in 2008 at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA. He then received his Ph.D. in chemistry in 2015 at the University of California, San Diego, under the supervision of Prof. Yitzhak Tor. He then moved to the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, where he worked as a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Jeffrey Esko. Dr. Weiss began his independent career as an assistant professor at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center at the University of Georgia in January 2021. His current research interests include drug discovery and using genomic tools to understand the regulation of glycosylation in human disorders.

Email: ryan.weiss at uga.edu

Amrita Basu, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Amrita received her M.Sc. in Applied Microbiology in 2010 at VIT University, India, and earned her Ph.D. in Ecotoxicology at RECETOX, Masaryk University (Czech Republic) under the supervision of Prof. Pavel Babica. Amrita joined the Weiss lab at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center to study the regulation of glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis using functional genomics and genetic engineering techniques. The overall goal of her projects are to identify novel drug targets for human disorders of glycosylation.

Email: amrita.basu at uga.edu

Saugata Dutta, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Saugata received his Bachelor of Pharmacy from University of Science & Technology Chittagong and his M.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Greenwich (UK). He subsequently received an M.A. in Biotechnology from West Virginia State University and received additional predoctoral training from Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical & Experimental Therapeutics in 2025 from the University of Georgia under the supervision of Dr. Duo Zhang. Saugata joined the Weiss Lab in 2025 to explore the underlying disease mechanisms of lysosomal storage disorders and develop novel therapeutic approaches. 

Email: saguata.dutta at uga.edu

Suganthan Amirthagunanathan, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Suganthan received his B.S. from Wayamba University of Sri Lanka and Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of Georgia under the supervision of Dr. Scott T. Dougan. He subsequently joined the Joshi lab at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville as a postdoctoral research associate. Suganthan joined Weiss lab in 2025 and is interested in understanding the regulation and interactions of enzymes involved in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis and maturation, and identifying new therapeutic targets for glycosylation-associated human diseases.

Email: suganthan.amirthagunanathan at uga.edu

Huabei Guo, M.D., Ph.D.

Senior Research Associate

Huabei received his M.D. from Bengbu Medical College and Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Shanghai Medical University in China. He joined the CCRC in 1999, working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, Assistant and Associate Research Scientist in the labs of Dr. Michael Pierce’s and later Dr. Jerry Hart. In recent past years, his research was focused on the regulation of tumorigenesis by N-glycans and O-GlcNAc. In October 2024, he joined the Weiss Laboratory as a Senior Research Associate, working on drug repurposing for the rare skeletal disorder, Multiple Hereditary Exostoses.

Email: hbguo at uga.edu

Benjamin Yost

Graduate Student

Ben received his B.S. in Systems Biology and B.S. in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech in 2024. After completing his degrees, he joined the UGA Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program as a graduate research assistant in the Weiss Lab. His doctoral research focus is on the regulation of biosynthetic enzymes that control glycosaminoglycan synthesis and maturation.

Email: ben.yost at uga.edu

Mingchang Jin

Graduate Student

Mingchang earned his Master’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Shandong University, China, in 2022. After finishing his degree, he joined the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program as a graduate research assistant in the Weiss Lab. His doctoral research is focused on uncovering the molecular mechanisms responsible for the regulation of heparin biosynthesis in mammalian cells.

Email: mingchangjin at uga.edu

Neil Patel

PhD Candidate (NIH T32 GTP Fellow)

Neil earned his B.S. in Biology from the University of North Georgia in 2020. After finishing his degree, he joined the Weiss Laboratory as a research technician at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. In late 2021, Neil joined the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program as a graduate research assistant. His doctoral research is focused on the epigenetic regulation of glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis in mammalian cells.

Email: neilpatel at uga.edu

Xiaolin Dong

PhD Candidate (joint with the Wells Lab)

Xiaolin received her B.S. in Bioscience in 2019 at Jilin University, China. She joined the Weiss Lab in 2021 at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and will be co-mentored by Dr. Weiss and Dr. Lance Wells (CCRC). Her research interests are understanding the molecular mechanisms for the regulation of glycosylation and identifying new drugs for the treatment of relevant human diseases. 

Email: xiaolin.dong at uga.edu

Jack Moore

PhD Candidate

Jack received his B.S. in Chemistry in 2019 at the University of Georgia. Subsequently, he worked as a research technician in the Urbanowicz lab at the CCRC where he worked on the synthesis of plant biodegradable materials. In 2021, Jack joined the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program as a graduate research assistant in the Weiss Lab. His doctoral research is focused on bioengineering glycosaminoglycans in mammalian cells for novel therapeutic applications.

Email: jack.moore at uga.edu

Brady Kuelpman

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2026)

Brady is a rising 4th year undergraduate at the University of Georgia pursuing a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He recently joined the Weiss laboratory in the Summer of 2025 to study the underlying molecular mechanisms of glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis. He also has an interest in discovering new drug targets for rare human disorders. Following graduation, he plans on applying to medical school, specializing to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Email: brady.kuelpman at uga.edu

Visal Devarakonda

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2028)

Visal is a rising 2nd year undergraduate at the University of Georgia pursuing a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He joined the Weiss lab in the Summer of 2025 and recently earned the CURO Research Award. He is excited to learn more about the epigenetic regulation of heparan sulfate to determine its role in tumorigenesis. In addition, he is very interested in drug development of rare genetic disorders. Following graduation, he plans on attending medical school, with the specialization not yet decided. 

Email: sbd08671 at uga.edu

Niharika Saini

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2027)

Niha is a second-year undergraduate at UGA majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with a minor in Biomedical Physiology. Her research interests lie at the intersection of medicine and genetic technology. She is excited to learn about gene delivery systems to advance interventions. She hopes to utilize genetic tools in various settings, such as stem cell research, surgical treatments, and innovative 3-D printing techniques for medicine. Niha plans to attend medical school after graduation to pursue surgery.

Email: niha.saini at uga.edu

Caitlien Nguyen

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2026)

Caitlien is a 2nd-year undergraduate at the University of Georgia pursuing a major in Biological Engineering. She joined the Weiss lab in the fall of 2023 and recently earned the CURO research award. She is excited to examine the discovery of regulatory mechanisms of glycosaminoglycans using genome-wide screens to probe these pathways for bioengineering approaches. Following graduation, she is deciding between graduate and medical schools depending on future interests.

Email: caitlien.nguyen at uga.edu

Haruki Takeuchi

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2026)

Haruki first joined the Weiss lab his senior year of high school and is now a first-year undergraduate at the University of Georgia majoring in Regenerative Bioscience. His current research is focused on bioengineering glycosaminoglycans in mammalian cells for novel therapeutic treatments. Additionally, he has worked to discover novel drug therapies for rare pediatric genetic disorders. After graduating, he plans on obtaining an MD-PhD, working closely with pediatric patients. 

Email: haruki.takeuchi at uga.edu

Farhan Valummel

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2025)

Farhan graduated with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in May 2025. He joined the Weiss Lab in Fall 2023 and earned the multiple CURO research awards. Farhan participated in studying epigenetic regulation of heparan sulfate biosynthesis, and finished a thesis capstone for the highest honors graduation distinction. He plans to apply to medical school after taking a gap year. 

Email: fmv00595 at uga.edu

Kaleigh Gosnell

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2025)

Kaleigh is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Georgia majoring in Biology. She joined the Weiss Lab in the summer of 2024 and recently earned the CURO Research Award. She is excited to investigate potential therapeutics for rare genetic disorders and explore the role of glycobiology in human health. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in internal medicine.

Email: kaleigh.gosnell at uga.edu

Meagan Shinn

Graduate Student (NIH T32 GTP Fellow, joint w/ Zeltner Lab)

Meagan earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Texas, San Antonio in 2023. After finishing her degree, she joined the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program as a joint graduate research assistant in the Weiss and Zeltner Labs. Her doctoral research is focused on the developing peripheral neural stem cell models for lysosomal storage disorders.

Email: meagan.shinn at uga.edu

Shekinah Phillips, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Associate/K00 Scholar

Shekinah Phillips earned her BS in Biology with a minor in Spanish from Agnes Scott College. She then completed her PhD in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Neuroscience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the mentorship of Dr. Lori McMahon. As recipient of the NIH DSPAN-F99/K00 award, Dr. Phillips has recently joined the Weiss Lab, where her research focuses on the functional genomics of O-GlcNAcylation and X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) and how it effects neuronal circuitry.

Email: shekinah.phillips at uga.edu

Caleb Camesi

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2025)

Caleb is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Georgia studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a Certificate in Immunology. He joined the Weiss Lab in the Summer of 2024 and was awarded the CURO Summer Research Fellowship. His interests include cytoskeletal, neuronal, and organelle research. He is excited to advance his laboratory techniques and further research novel drug therapies for lysosomal storage disorders. After graduation, Caleb plans to attend medical school to pursue a career in surgery.

Email: caleb.camesi at uga.edu

Kimberly Cisneros

PREP@UGA Scholar (UGA Class of 2023)

Kimberly is a PREP@UGA postbaccalaureate scholar who recently earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology at UGA. She joined the Weiss lab in the Summer of 2022 as an undergraduate researcher. In the Weiss Lab, she is working on using drug screening in the hopes of discovering new treatments for rare genetic disorders associated with the dysregulation of heparan sulfate biosynthesis. She plans to continue her education and receive a Ph.D. in Biochemistry after the PREP@UGA program.

Email: kimberly.cisneros at uga.edu

Madison Intemann

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2024)

Madison is a 4th-year undergraduate student at the University of Georgia majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She joined the Weiss Lab in the Spring of 2022 and is investigating how genetic mutations influence the structure and function of glycans. She is also learning drug screening approaches to uncover new treatment options for rare genetic disorders. After graduation, she plans to attend grad school to earn a PhD and continue conducting medical research. 

Email: madison.intemann at uga.edu

Barry Maloney

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2024)

Barry graduated in 2024 from the University of Georgia with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She joined the Weiss lab in the summer of 2023 and earned the CURO research award and Summer Research Fellowship. She worked on drug discovery projects aimed to identify novel treatments for relevant human diseases. After graduating, she plans to attend medical school.

Email: barry.maloney at uga.edu

Kavya Suryadevara

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2024)

Kavya graduated in 2024 from the University of Georgia with a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as well as minoring in Public Health. She joined the Weiss lab in the summer of 2022 and recently earned the CURO research award. She is excited to delve into biochemical research to identify novel treatments for relevant human diseases as well as learn new topics that can apply to glycobiology. After graduating, she plans to attend medical school.

Email: kavya.suryadevara at uga.edu

Hannah Bowen

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2026)

Hannah is a 1st-year undergraduate at the University of Georgia pursuing a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She joined the Weiss lab in the summer of 2023 and recently earned the CURO Summer Research Scholarship. She is excited to work on a drug discovery project searching for new therapies for rare genetic disorders associated with the dysregulation of heparan sulfate biosynthesis. After graduating, she plans to earn a master’s degree in public health through the Double Dawgs Program.

Jamie Kaiser

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2023)

Jamie is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Georgia and is majoring in both Genetics and French. She joined the Weiss lab in the Summer of 2022. Her research is focused on transcriptional regulation of heparan sulfate biosynthesis. After she graduates this May, she plans to complete her masters in genetics/cell biology in France and then return to the US to complete her PhD. Her career goals are to become a researcher developing gene-based therapies to treat human disease. 

Emily Spector

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2024)

Emily Spector will graduate from the University of Georgia majoring in Genetics in Spring 2024, with an intended B.S. in Genetics. She joined the Weiss lab in the fall of 2021 and studied the role of epigenetic regulation in the structure and makeup of glycoproteins. She is interested in harnessing tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 to learn about new areas of glycobiology. After graduation, she hopes to continue learning about genetics and other aspects of human biology through a genetic counseling masters program. 

Rachel Champagne

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2023)

Rachel Champagne will graduate from the University of Georgia majoring in Biology with minors in Genetics and Cellular Biology. She joined the Weiss Lab in the summer of 2021 and studied the transcriptional regulation of glycosylation in mammalian cells. After graduating, she plans to attend medical school.  

Elijah Nicholson

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2024)

Elijah Nicholson is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Georgia majoring in computer science.  He joined the lab in the Fall of 2021 and is interested in using bioinformatics techniques to better understand the biosynthesis of complex carbohydrates.  After graduation, he hopes to enroll into grad school and obtain a PhD in computational biology.

Akshar Patel

Undergraduate Researcher (Class of 2023)

Akshar Patel graduated in December 2022 from the University of Georgia with a degree in biology with a minor in business. He is from Toccoa, Georgia. After graduation, he plans to enroll into medical school to one day become a surgeon.  He is very interested in biochemical research that can be translated into medicine that can help patients.