Emilie, Aine, Erica, and Kalina planned an amazing lab retreat out in the mountains of Western NC! The lab played an amazing game of fishbowl, had some extra fun jello, relaxed in a hot tub, and hiked around. Max and Dan played their traditional 3 AM game of Settlers of Catan, Dr. Sonal crushed some peasants (graduate students) in pool, and Aine had an easy time picking out which of the 100000 hikes in the area we should attempt. 

Originally published August 27, 2024

The whole lab and associated +1s (and +2s and +3s including the children (no, we don't mean the graduate students)) came together for a rousing game of White Elephant. Highlights included a section of Steve Jobs' sweater, the book "Goodnight, Lab", tree ornaments picked out by Nika (age: 3), and some plants! Happy Holidays, Chilkoti Lab!

Originally published December 7, 2024

There's been a murder at Chilkoti high! Thank you to Rachael and Kat for organizing this totally rad party!

Originally published February 23, 2025

We’re so happy to share some wonderful news — our dear lab member Kalina just got married! 🎉💍

Kalina is not only a dedicated member of our lab, but also someone who brings kindness and a positive spirit to our team. It’s a pleasure to celebrate this special milestone with them.

Congratulations! ❤️

Emily has been awarded one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate research scholarships in STEM. She has been a member of the Chilkoti Lab since her freshman year, developing partially ordered polypeptides (POPs) to promote neural regeneration following injury.

We’re thrilled to celebrate the achievements of five of our lab members – Parul Sirohi, Jason Liu, Joshua Milligan, Damon Burrow, and Max Ney – who have successfully defended their PhDs. four newest PhD graduates! Wishing them all the best as they embark on their next exciting adventures!

Originally published November 2, 2025

Congratulations to Dan Shapiro for defending his PhD on "Biotechnology Applications of Engineered Intrinsically Disordered Protein Condensates"! A culmination of many years of work on developing a new synthetic biology direction for the Chilkoti lab.

Originally published May 8, 2025

Congrats to Jake Heggestad, PhD, David Kinnamon, PhD, and Cassio Fontes, PhD, for founding their new company Simplus Diagnostics! SimplusDx is the culmination of over a decade of research and development into the D4 platform—an ultrasensitive immunoassay specifically designed for point-of-care testing. SimplusDx aims to democratize access to clinical-grade diagnostics in decentralized settings including outpatient clinics, pharmacies, and at-home. The company's cost-effective, easy-to-use test cartridges and handheld analyzer require just a single drop of blood, enabling a range of applications including therapeutic drug monitoring, chronic disease management, acute disease screening, and more. 

Originally published October 17, 2024

Congratulations to Anya for defending her PhD thesis on "Avidity as a tool for Cancer Drug Delivery Systems!", an impressive culmination of many years of work. Anya will continue on as a postdoc in the John Wilson lab at Vanderbilt University! 

Originally published May 7, 2024

Congratulations to Josh and Amber on their beautiful wedding! We were thrilled to celebrate their marriage with a gorgeous ceremony and a reception so lit there was a fire alarm on the 28th floor. We can confidently say that the Chilkoti Lab excels both at the bench and at the dance.

Originally published November 11, 2023