Prof. Katsuhiko Murakami   |   CURRENT MEMBERS   |   PAST MEMBERS

Current Members

Pawan Bhatta, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Pawan Bhatta is a postdoctoral researcher joining the Murakami Lab in January 2026. He earned his Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry from the University of Toledo (Supervisor: Dr. Xiche Hu), where his research primarily focused on molecular recognition in G protein-coupled receptors, guanine recognition in GTP-binding proteins, and SARS-CoV-2 spike interaction with ACE2 using high-level quantum chemical calculations, supported by structural data analysis and molecular dynamics simulations.
During his postdoctoral training in Dr. Jasmine Liu’s group, Pawan worked on the structural and functional characterization of the human ABCG2 (BCRP) membrane transporter. He investigated preliminary conformational transitions using BioSAXS (with and without inhibitor) and complementary MD simulations, while also developing hands-on experimental expertise in cryo-electron microscopy, including cryo-grid preparation (Leica EM-GP2), grid clipping, CryoSPARC processing, and membrane-protein purification techniques.
In the Murakami Lab, Pawan will study RNA polymerase transcription mechanisms and/or membrane-protein complexes using cryo-EM integrated with computational approaches, aiming to advance hybrid experimental-computational structural biology.
Outside research, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and building GPU-based computing systems for AI and scientific simulation.

George Nkansah Rost Fordjour

BMMB graduate student

George Fordjour is a graduate student in the Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology program and a new member of the Murakami lab. He received his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. As an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Professor Peter Twumasi, George studied the conditions of Escherichia coli for optimized growth and yield of proteins. He later served as a Research Associate in the Pharmacogenomic and Genomic Medicine Group at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana studying the interplay between genomics and pharmacology in HIV-Malaria coinfection. In the Murakami lab, George is interested in understanding the interaction between proteins and nucleic acids in transcription using cryo-electron microscopy.

Md. Rimon Parves

BMMB graduate student

Rimon is a graduate student in the Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology program, and he is a new member of the Murakami lab. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from the University of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC). As an undergraduate research assistant in Halim’s lab, Rimon studied Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) of STK11 and their conformational dynamics using molecular dynamics simulations. Following the completion of his bachelor’s degree, Rimon dedicated a year to developing a simulation method aimed at visualizing protein folding and unfolding, particularly those aspects that cannot be adequately resolved through mass spectrometry alone. During the Covid outbreak, he also served as a molecular biologist, contributing to the screening of samples. Now a member of Murakami lab, Rimon’s current research interests lie in the allosteric mechanism of DNA opening and transcription initiation. He focuses on exploring the interactions between upstream DNA and RNAP using Cryo-EM and molecular dynamics.

Shilpa Bera

Shilpa Bera

BMMB graduate student

Shilpa is a graduate student in the Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology program, and she joined the Murakami Lab in November 2025. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in microbiology from Mumbai, India where she developed a strong interest in how microbes and viruses regulate their genetic processes.

In the Murakami Lab, her research focuses on understanding transcription initiation complexes involved in reiterative transcription, using the E. coli pyrBI and B. subtilis pyrG promoters as model systems by using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to investigate these complexes.

Outside the lab, Shilpa enjoys exploring new cities, admiring architecture and the occasional bit of retail therapy.

Devin Hendrix

BMMB graduate student

Devin Hendrix is a graduate student in the Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology program. He is being co-advised by Dr. Murakami and Dr. Armache and focuses on Cryo-EM method development and data analysis. He received his undergraduate degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University where he finished a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He has done three research internships at different universites prior to beginning his Ph.D. focusing on protein work.
In his free time, Devin enjoys hiking, going on walks, playing board games, card games, and sports along with enjoying good food.
Caleb Du

Caleb Du

Undergraduate Researcher

Caleb Du is studying BMB and Computer Engineering at Penn State. He aims to help the Murakami Lab develop computational and artificial intelligence techniques to better elucidate protein conformations. He enjoys playing the piano and petting his cats outside of the laboratory.

Sophia Ge

Undergraduate Researcher

Sophia Ge is currently a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology student at Penn State. Inside the Murakami lab, she is interested in how the structures of transcriptional machinery influence gene expression, particularly in bacterial and bacteriophage systems, and how understanding these mechanisms may contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches.
In her freetime, Sophia enjoys making jewelry, exploring new fashions, skiing, and trying new places to eat.

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David Gershenson

Undergraduate Researcher

David Gershenson is a Schreyer Honors Student studying BMB, Microbiology, and Chinese at Penn State. He aims to help the Murakami Lab develop an agentic AI platform for protein Cryo-EM and Cryo-ET imaging analysis, with the goal of enabling more efficient computational characterization of protein structures. He is also working to assist with wet-lab preparation of samples for Cryo-EM and Cryo-ET imaging. Outside of the lab, David enjoys playing soccer, card games, and spending time with his friends.

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