Current Members
Ed Seto, PhD
Associate Center Director for Basic Sciences at the GW Cancer Center
Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine at GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Ed Seto received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of California, Irvine. He completed his graduate Ph.D. work at the University of California, San Francisco, and held a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at Princeton University. His interest is focused on the biology of HDACs. Outside of work, his favorite activity is hiking in the Alps.
Hongbo Ling, PhD
Research Scientist
Hongbo Ling completed his doctorate in Genetics from the Institute of Microbiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China. With an interest in the family of HDACs, his research is focused on the role of HDACs in carcinogenesis and their underlying mechanisms.
Changmin Peng, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Changmin Peng received his Ph.D. from the Tianjin University of Science and Technology, in China. Currently, his research is focused on the functional role of HDAC11 mediated defatty-acylation and identifying the new substrates as well as related molecular mechanisms in metabolism. HDAC11 can regulate immune activation and tumorigenesis, yet its biochemical function is largely unknown. Recently HDAC11 was identified with efficient lysine defatty-acylase activity.
Muhammad Jameel Mughal, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Jameel has a diverse background in veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, and cancer research. He obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Sindh Agriculture University, Pakistan, in 2013 and pursued his MPhil degree from the Sichuan Agricultural University, China, where he conducted groundbreaking research on Aflatoxin B1 induced apoptosis in hepatocytes via death receptor pathway. Jameel then joined the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Macau, where he completed his PhD in Biomedical sciences in 2022, working on the molecular mechanisms of MCM protein family and its interactome in promoting breast cancer progression. Currently, as a postdoctoral research scientist, Jameel is dedicated to elucidating the functions, mechanisms, and regulation of HDACs. His research aims to explore HDACs roles in health and diseases, particularly in cancer, with the ultimate goal of developing innovative strategies for cancer treatment. When not immersed in the laboratory, he enjoys his leisure time by engaging in sports like cricket, badminton, chess and exploring new destinations through traveling.
Ana Carolina Ghezzi Beghini, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Ana Carolina Ghezzi Beghini received her PhD in Sciences by the Medical Pathophysiology Program of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Campinas UNICAMP-Brazil. She has great interest in epigenetic pathways, and her research is currently focused on the functional role of HDAC11-mediated defatting-acylation as well as on identifying new substrates and evaluating if and how these substrates interfere with cellular growth, proliferation and apoptosis. When not working in the lab, Carol enjoys spending time running, walking in the city, and she loves to taste different types of food.
Aline Costa, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Dr. Aline Costa completed her Ph.D. in Science at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She has a strong background in nutrition, physiology, and molecular biology. Currently, as a postdoctoral associate Dr. Costa is dedicated to investigating the regulatory roles of HDAC11 in muscle biology and its implications in cancer. Her research aims to uncover novel mechanisms of HDAC11 in metabolic regulation and cellular homeostasis, contributing to the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. Outside of the lab, Dr. Costa dedicates her free time to her family and enjoys exploring new restaurants, always seeking unique culinary experiences.
Payel Das, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Payel received her doctoral degree from the Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 2024. During her doctoral studies, she functionally characterized a novel DNA Topoisomerase IA of Leishmania. Currently, she aims to investigate the role of HDACs in cancer progression and finding protein interactome. Understanding interactomes in biological processes aids in identification of numerous interactions that can contribute to diseases or other biological phenomena. During her time off, she likes to listen to music, watch engaging movies with good food, spend time with friends, and taste different cuisines and she loves to travel.
Jenna Clements
PhD Candidate
Jenna Clements is a PhD student in the Cancer Biology program with a specialization in molecular oncology. She is investigating the purpose of non-deacetylase functions of HDAC11 in cancers and is a T32 predoctoral scholar. Prior to beginning her PhD studies, she received her Bachelor's of Science degree from Lindenwood University. In her free time, Jenna enjoys biking around the DC region and is an avid runner.
Cara Barmore
Senior Research Assistant/Lab Manager
Cara Barmore graduated from the University of Virginia in 2021 with a double major in Biology and Statistics. She is currently enrolled in the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, where she is pursuing a Master of Public Health. In her free time, Cara enjoys exploring the city, trying new restaurants, and playing tennis.
Maya Fritz
High School Intern
Maya Fritz is a junior at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School in the IB Diploma Program. She is working on a project to study what happens when HDAC10’s deacetylase activity is removed through a mutation. She also enjoys debate and singing in her high school choir.
Recent Lab Alumni
Hang Heng (Ada) Wong, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Ada Wong obtained her doctorate degree in Structural Biology from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Her current research focus is to study the impact of HDAC levels on the immuno-oncological interaction through droplet microfluidics in vitro and mouse models in vivo. Ada is a penguin in terms of hobby, a pig in terms of culinary taste and a dog in terms of friendship. She also has a green thumb for any plant that she happens not to kill.
Honorary Lab Members
