Hartman Lab Winter 2024 (back left to right, then front left to right):
Jessica Hartman, Ali Tomasevich, Hyland Gonzalez, Kylie Driggers, Kristina Stayer, and Kristy Thomas
Jessica H. Hartman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Jessica Hartman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MUSC. Dr. Hartman completed her Ph.D. in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in the lab of Dr. Grover P. Miller, where she studied cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) enzyme kinetics. In her F32- and, K99-funded postdoctoral position in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University working with Dr. Joel Meyer, she extended her research to include in vivo models (cell culture and Caenorhabditis elegans), with a particular focus on metabolic influences on mitochondrial function and toxicity.
Kristy Thomas, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Kristy Thomas joined the Hartman lab as a postdoctoral fellow in June 2024 after completing her Ph.D. work at the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. Her doctoral work focused on alcoholic liver disease and maternal nutrition. Her work in the Hartman lab focuses on CYP2E1 expression in liver and colorectal cancers, as well as CYP2E1 and fatty acids.
Kylie Driggers, M.S.
Research Specialist II
Kylie Driggers is a Research Specialist II in the Hartman Lab. Before joining the lab in April 2024, Kylie completed her Masters degree in Microbiology at Colorado State University and her undergraduate degree at St. Andrews University. Kylie plays a role in most of the projects going on in the lab, with a special focus on CYP2E1 in the liver.
Hyland Gonzalez, B.S., B.A.
Ph.D. Candidate
Hyland Gonzalez is a student in the Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences program at MUSC and joined the Hartman lab in June 2023. Hyland graduated with a dual degree in Biology and History from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. Following her degree, Hyland spent a year with us in the PREP program before starting her graduate work. Her project is focused on studying the effects of chronic alcohol use on alcohol metabolizing enzymes in the CNS.
Kristina Stayer, B.S.
Ph.D. Candidate
Kristina Stayer is a student in the Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences program at MUSC and joined the Hartman lab in June 2023. Kristina graduated with a B.S. degree in Genetics from NC State University in Raleigh, NC. Her project is focused on studying the biochemical role of CYP2E1 in lipid handling in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Alexandra Tomasevich, B.A.
Ph.D. Candidate
Alexandra (Ali) Tomasevich is a student in the Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences program at MUSC and joined the Hartman lab in June 2024. Prior to starting the Ph.D., Ali completed her B.A. in Biological Sciences at Goucher College. Her project involves the physiological role of CYP2E1 in the brain and liver.
Tsultrim Mendenhall, B.S.
Ph.D. Student
Tsultrim (Taia) Mendenhall is a Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Sciences program in the Hartman Lab. Taia previously worked in the lab as a technician from September 2022 to summer 2024 after she completed her degree in Biology from College of Charleston. Taia is interested in the brain-localized CYP2E1 and its contribution to GABA signaling through the CYP2E1-Glo1 axis.
Benjamin Deaton
Undergraduate Researcher
Benjamin Deaton is a an undergraduate Neuroscience major at the University of South Carolina, and is currently an undergraduate researcher in the Hartman lab for the second summer after he was a SURP student in 2023. Ben’s project focuses on CYP2E1 and its impact on toxicity of PFOS and ethanol mixtures.
Kaley Byers
Undergraduate Researcher
Kaley is a an undergraduate at the College of Charleston and joined as an undergraduate researcher in the Hartman lab in late 2024. Kaley has helped with image analysis for a liver regeneration project, slide preparation for various projects on the lab, and will be developing an independent project soon.
Lila Emery
Undergraduate Researcher
Lila is an undergraduate student at the College of Charleston who joined the Hartman Lab in fall 2024. She is working with Dr. Thomas on cell culture experiments investigating how cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) contributes to oxidative stress and whether this effect depends on its localization in mitochondria versus the endoplasmic reticulum.
Ryan Prescott
Undergraduate Researcher
Ryan is an undergraduate student at the College of Charleston who joined the Hartman Lab in fall 2024. His project focuses on determining the mechanism and physiological impact of creatine deficiency observed in CYP2E1-deleted animals. By integrating biochemical and molecular approaches, Ryan aims to uncover how CYP2E1 influences energy metabolism and muscle–liver communication.
Reagan Roberts
Undergraduate Researcher
Reagan is a senior undergraduate student at the College of Charleston who joined the Hartman Lab in 2024. In her project working with Ali Tomasevich, she measured Glo1 expression across multiple tissues in CYP2E1-null mice and found consistent repression of Glo1 in knockout compared to wild type animals. This finding is particularly interesting because CYP2E1 converts acetone to methylglyoxal, the substrate for GLO1. Reagan is now extending this work by using LC–MS to quantify metabolites within this pathway.
Madison Thornton
Undergraduate Researcher
Madison is an undergraduate student at the College of Charleston who joined the Hartman Lab in fall 2024. She is working with Kristina Stayer to determine the impact of CYP2E1 deletion on liver mitochondria. She found that mitochondria from mice lacking CYP2E1 were functionally inhibited compared to mice that have CYP2E1.
Lab Alumni
Kelly Misare, M.S.
Kelly Misare was a Research Specialist II in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Kelly earned her Masters Degree from the University of Delaware focusing on Molecular Biology and Genetics. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY where she majored in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Kelly started in the lab at the very beginning, in October 2020, and moved on to her next adventure in May 2024.
Jasmin Johnson, B.S.
Jasmin Johnson was a post-baccalaureate Research Specialist in the Hartman lab from Jan 2021-May 2022. Jasmin earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the College of Charleston. Her research in our group focused on the effect of exercise on neurotoxicity of mitochondrial toxicants. She completed her M.S. in Biomedical Science at Wake Forest University and is currently doing clinical work and applying to medical school.
Kathryn Glorioso, B.S.
Kathryn (Kate) was a Research Specialist I in Hartman Lab from August 2022 to July 2023. Before joining the lab, Kate earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Eastern University and completed post-baccalaureate studies in Biology and Physiology at Georgia Southern University. Kate’s project is focused on MANF and its role in mediating unfolded protein responses in the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria, and the role of exercise in these processes in C. elegans. Kate is currently a Ph.D. student in Dr. Jennifer Stancill’s lab (MUSC Biochemistry).
Kaitlan Sullivan, M.S.
Kaitlan Sullivan completed the Masters of Biomedical Sciences program at MUSC in December 2023. Her thesis project in the Hartman lab was a collaborative project with Dr. Mindy Engevik exploring the pathogenicity of different Acinetobacter strains using the model organism C. elegans.
Zaria Killingsworth
Zaria Killingsworth completed her undergraduate Chemistry degree with honors at the College of Charleston (graduated May 2024), and was an undergraduate researcher in the Hartman lab from 2021-24. Her project focused on the interaction of high lipid load and CYP2E1 in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Abigail Ryan
Abigail Ryan is a an undergraduate Biochemistry major at the College of Charleston. Abby was an undergraduate researcher in the Hartman lab from 2021-24. Abby’s project was measuring mitochondrial function and levels of the metabolic enzyme CYP2E1 in the brain and liver of rats fed a ketogenic diet. Within that study, she also compared the effects of age and sex on the ketogenic diet response.
Elizabeth Ampolini, B.S.
Elizabeth Ampolini was an undergraduate researcher in the Hartman lab in MUSC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) in Summer 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree at NC State University. Her research in our group focused on the sensitivity of polyploid worms to chemotherapeutic drugs. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Science program at MUSC, working in the lab of Dr. David Long (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology).
Aishwareya Singh
Aish Singh graduated with honors from the College of Charleston with her Bachelor’s degree in May 2024. Aish has been working as an undergraduate researcher since fall 2023, and completed her Bachelor’s Essay research in the Hartman lab studying the role of MANF in the muscle of C. elegans, a project that she is continuing during the summer.