Lab Alumni
lab staff
Natalie K. Barker - 2014-2019
As the Assistant Director of Proteomics, Natalie is responsible for the general operation and maintenance of two Thermo Orbitrap Fusion Lumos mass spectrometers with DIONEX nano liquid chromatography systems. In this role, Natalie has collaborated with researchers throughout the UofA campus that are interested in performing quantitative proteomics, assist with experimental design, teach mass spectrometry based protocols, and finally help in any way possible to make sure users acquire the highest quality, manuscript-ready data. To this end, she is responsible for the continuous optimization and adaptation of mass spectrometry protocols for maximizing efficiency and increased workflow. Protocols that are performed in the Proteomics Laboratory include in solution digestion, fractionation by in gel digestion, phosphopeptide enrichment, and filter-aided sample prep.
As a Senior Research Specialist in Dr. Paul Langlais’ lab, Natalie’s work centers on discovering new CLASP2 protein-protein interactions via the utilization of immunoprecipitation-based MS interactome analyses with the overall goal of discovering new insulin-dependent biological pathways of CLASP2. Some of the laboratory techniques/skills that Natalie proficient in include but are not limited to gel electrophoresis, immunoprecipitations, Western blots, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Bradford assays, MS sample preparation, development of plasmid constructs, and general cell culture techniques. Additionally, Natalie assists with the preparation of figures and text for manuscripts and grants, present data at research laboratory meetings, train new lab members, and ensure the general upkeep and maintenance of the laboratory environment.
James Krantz - 2014-2019
Since October of 2014, James have been a Senior Research Specialist in the laboratory of Dr. Paul Langlais. Throughout his time in this role, James main research goals have been to characterize the CLASP2 interactome in adipocytes and myotubes, characterize the interactomes of CLASP2 interacting proteins, and to further elucidate the functions of CLASP2 in insulin signal transduction. James perform a wide array of general laboratory biochemical, molecular biology, cell culture, and mass spectrometry based techniques. He is responsible for collaborating with researchers and technicians from other groups, ordering lab products/equipment, set up/organization of the laboratory environment, assisting with manuscript and grant preparation, participating in group lab meetings and journal club presentations, training new lab members, and lab/equipment maintenance.
James was awarded a B.S. degree in Biology from Indiana University in 2011. After his undergraduate studies, he moved to The Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ, where he worked for five years as a Research Technologist. At this institution, James held several different positions working in academic and clinical research roles that provided him with a wide range of skills. Techniques that James gained experience in include but are not limited to microscopy, histology, clinical research laboratory techniques, and the handling and manipulation of mice and rats for in vivo metabolic studies.
Mackenzie Roman - 2019-2021
In the Fall of 2019, Mackenzie came to us from the Gus Mounemnie Laboratory over in the Cellular & Molecular Medicine Department where she worked all during college and for a year or two after. Mack brought a lot of cell biology experience which was a huge asset, she was basically a walking R01 grant. Mack had a strong interest to transition to a PhD program and so she was only able to stay with us for less than two years, she's currently getting ready to start graduate school in Utah so good luck Mac!!!
post-doc / fellow
James L. Dillon, MD - 2018
James Dillon has a nice history with the Langlais Lab. While both at good ol' ASU, James did his Undergraduate Honors Thesis with Paul and then left for medical school at UA Phoenix as part of the inagural class. After graduating James spent about a year back again with Paul in 2018 helping out with all kinds of stuff. James left to be a fancy doctor. Lame.
student
Emilie Lu - 2023 - 2025
Fall 2023 - Last Spring, ol' Frank The Tank Duca messaged me "hey really your mass spec lab it's so fancy, do me a favor and have the interviewing students come through and act like you're fancy". So, candidates come through, I give them the speech BOOM SNAGGED ONE. Welcome Emilie Lu, the Langlais Lab's second ever graduate student, behind of course, the legend of DeHaven McCrary RIP DMC. Emilie graduated from the school we do not mention and then spent a year doing some sort of hybrid, I don't know, some kind of mishmash "i'm a student i'm a teacher" thing before she decideed "F this" and set out to find her life's calling THAT'S RIGHT IT'S THE LANGLAIS LAB! I gave Emilie at least six chances to choose a different lab but she stubbornly held on to the notion that the Langlais Lab was the place that students thrive. So, now she is in the trenches with the rest of us, grinding her way through the first year of grad school, living off Kit Kat and her parent's homemade dumplings and wontons which she has to give me 25% of because that is Law. In her spare time Emile doesn't have any spare time. WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE EMILIE.
UPDATE - Summer 2025 - 2 years IN. 2 years OUT. Emilie had a roller coaster ride for her master's degree. Pretty sure she ended up beat down pretty hard by the end of the guantlet, but, she made it. Microtubules in insulin action is hard, Emilie is living proof. She's headed off into the world of a career in biomedical research.
Dehaven McCrary - 2019-2021
Fall 2019 - DeHaven, a fresh young twig of a scientist at the tender age of 21 who graduated college at 20 WHO DOES THAT, has become the VERY FIRST GRADUATE STUDENT TO EVER ROLL THE DICE ON A DEGREE WITH THE LANGLAIS LAB. I'm not exactly sure what DeHaven was thinking but we are really glad to have you aboard. DeHaven comes to us from the midwest, where he had some limited experience in a lab working on cat testicles, so we know he's going to have a BALL in the Langlais Laboratory. DeHaven has been an instant fit and has hit the ground running on the CLASP2 phosphorylation project. DeHaven is also beginning to work on the super secret CLIP2/AGAP3 project as well, which I realize is not a secret if I put it on the internet but no one is going to read this anyway so WELCOME DEHAVEN LET'S DO THIS.
UPDATE - Spring 2022 - DeHaven graduated and has moved on to greater things like not doing a PhD in the Langlais Lab. What's up with that. I don't know. You'd think after me crying tears of blood for this kid he'd stick with it and go the length with the Langlais Lab right?! Well no. He gave us the big middle finger and said adios, i'm getting a PhD in a fancy school where PIs actually have funding. Whatever. We miss you buddy. Call me?
Undergraduates
Anay Amaro - 2022 - 2023
Summer 2022 - Earlier in the Spring I had been contacted by a new undergraduate student, Anay Amaro, who checked out the Langlais Lab website and somehow convinced herself to contact me. Anay had been accepted into the McNair Scholars Program, and she needed to choose a lab to conduct an 8-week lab boot camp of sorts. After a bit of flomping, Anay ended up going for it with us. Anay, a junior transitioning to her senior year, hails from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora in Mexico, and loves herself some singer i've never heard of, Alejandro Fernandez. Turns out ol' Al charges $450 a ticket to see him live, so, whoever this fella is, he must be pretty damn impressive CAUSE I DON'T KNOW A SINGLE PERSON THAT WOULD EVER PAY $450 FOR A TICKET TO SEE A SHOW IN TUCSON. Anyway, even though her weeks with us were the equivalent of science prison, her excellent work ethic and drive to succeed got her through the gauntlet. Anay has asked to stay on with us here in the lab for her senior year to fill out her committment to the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium. We're all crossing our fingers that we'll hit paydirt and discover something in the short time Anay will be with the lab. We'd better, this failing is getting old.
UPDATE - Spring 2023 - And just like that, she's gone. On to bigger and better things. Anay had one hell of a 6-week immersion with the Langlais Lab as part of her McNair Scholars Program experience. She showed up knowing nothing but six weeks later she presented at her Los Angeles McNair Meeting and crushed it. Anay ended up requesting to stay on in the Langlais Lab after her McNair fellowship ended and it was nice to have her contribute. Alas, it was not long lasting, she graduated and got accepted to the UA School of Pharmacy. That's right, another Langlais Lab success story haha! WHO NEEDS FUNDING WHEN YOU'RE PUMPING OUT AWESOME TRAINEES! Anay, you are officially a Langlais Lab graduate, an esteemed group indeed.
Skylar Batty - 2019 - 2022
Fall 2019 - Welcome Skylar! Skylar, unlike myself at her age , has an actual vision for her future......SCIENCE! Skylar comes to the Langlais Lab via a circuitous route. Having an interest in medicine entering college, Skylar soon became aware of a whole new world, biomedical research, and was immediately intrigued. So much so that she sought an answer to "what the hell is a lab anyway?". Through a bit of "it's all who you know" Skylar found her way to the Langlais Lab the first semester of her Sophmore year (2019). After a bit of time spent learning the basics of basic research, Skylar switched her major to Molecular & Cellular Biology and decided to perform her Honor's Thesis with the Langlais Lab. Skylar is currently quaratining at home on a fenced in porch in Kansas, but will soon be back to enter the Undergraduate Biology Reseaerch Program (UBRP) with the Langlais Lab for the 2020 summer. Skylar, along with Atley, are the first undergrad Honor's Thesis students to join the Langlais Lab.
UPDATE - Spring 2022 - Skylar was an undergrad post-doc by the time she graduated in the Spring of 2022. She is off to the races to get a PhD at UCSD starting in the fall of 2022.
Alana Betancourt - 2023 - 2024
Fall 2023 - The McNair program, a great group that helps underrepresented students find opportunities in research. I was first introduced to the McNair program by Anay RIP 2023 WE HOPE YOU'RE DOING AWESOME IN PHARMACY SCHOOL and what do you know, a year later, McNair reached out to me again with another match, this time WELCOME ALANA!! Alana hails from a very small town south of Tucson where she commutes from, every single day, an hour each way, while she listens to Nu Metal from the early 2000s. Alana spent the summer of 2023 with us as part of her 6-week McNair gauntlet, we took on single-cell proteomics together. She went from some geek off the street to a scientist by the end of the program. Alana has a very keen eye, not only for when Taco Bell brings back Nacho Fries which she swears are the best fries but I mean really Taco Bell has the best fries what is that they obviously do not because they don't call it French Fry Bell, but also for when she saw me day in, day out, processing thousands of mass spec files, an observation that led her to propose the opportunity that she join the lab hourly to process mass spec files for me. And you know what, it's been fantastic. Not only does Alana help relieve me of 4,000,000,000 hours of work, she also keeps Austin company in the freezer box that is the mass spec lab. Alana has done really well in the McNair program, so much so that she has decided to....wait for it....APPLY TO GRAD SCHOOL. That's right people, we got one! We have managed to find a future scientist! TAKE THAT MEDICAL SCHOOL YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM ALL HAHA! So, we'll do what we can to help Alana achieve her goals of becoming just like me, an academic scientist who's constantly awake at night trying to solve yesterday's problems and then tomorrow's problems and then the next day's problems! YA! GO ALANA! In her spare time Alana drinks way too much caffine and wonders why she can't sleep at night while she plays dungeons and dragons video games and watches Midsommar and Nightmare on Elm St.
UPDATE - Summer 2024 - Alana B stayed with us until after she graduated Spring 2024, finishing the Summer of 2024 working for the lab, and then sailed off into the great blue yonder. She got a job with Cord Blood Registry, the company that banks stem cells acquired during birthing or something like that, they crypopreserve the cells. Leah and I did it with Sophia, same company, ironically. Alana is considering an advanced degree here in a bit, let's find out what happens....
Eva Crudo - 2023 - 2025
Spring 2024 - I am late on updating the addition of Eva Crudo to the Langlais Lab website, alas, she has finally made it to internet fame. Eva comes to us as a result of Macie picking up on some chit chat in class where Eva was expressing some interest in getting in a lab that does experiments. Right place, right time? Perhaps. Eva comes to us from sassy San Diego where she CLAIMS to have learned how to surf, but everyone knows no one can actually surf. Eva, sadly, will not be pursuing science as a career, at least she hasn't seen the light as of yet, but instead would like to go to medical school. She is with us for her Franke Honors College thesis work and she joined the lab starting her junior year. During her time in the Langlais Lab she has discovered that she actually likes discovery-based research and performing experiments, or at least, she CLAIMS to, similar to the surfing thing. I've been surfing twice in my life, the first time was 1993 in South Padre, Texas where I never got up on the board and worse, I was slammed Into the ocean floor by wave power. The second time was sassy San Diego, La Jolla to be exact, in 2003, when again, I came no where close to getting up on the board and instead all I did was strain my back like a loser. WELCOME EVA!
UPDATE - Spring 2025 - Eva is outta here, she turned into an MVP and ran the show with Anna by the time she left. Off to start medical school at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in Florida, huge congrats to Eva. Also, there are rumblings that she's actually considering Endocrinology. Wouldn't that be something. I've just gotten a report that Eva is doing excellent down in Florida and she was happy to say that she's done a bit of surfing too. Yeah right. She can't surf. No once can.
Madi Gackle - 2022 - 2024
Spring 2022 - One day Atley came to me and said "I have an idea, i'm a preceptor for a class that has a bunch of smart people in it. What if at the end of a lecture about microtubules, I go up to the front of the class and talk about the lab and the work we do? Maybe we can recruit some new members?"
Welcome Madi! Madi hails from the mecca that is the Phoenix suburb of Happy Valley. Madi has a 12.0 GPA and joins our lab as a sophmore. She came to the lab with practically no experience, but, it quickly became apparent that Madi posesses the coveted "golden hands" skillset, as in, anything she touches turns to gold. Madi went from zero to hero in a matter of months, deciding early on to go ahead and choose the Langlais Lab as the lab for her Honor's Thesis. With the loss of Atley and Skylar, Madi's arrival was perfect timing. In her spare time Madi is an amatuer professional bartender who likes to pour garbage into a fishbowl, stick two straws in it, and call it a masterpiece. Cheers to scientific progress and saying HELL NO to Blue Curacao!
UPDATE - Summer 2024 - They come and they go, and Madi is no exception, sadly, we were really fortunate to have her. A true above and beyonder, Madi is already missed. She graduated Spring 2024 and started med school at Midwestern, one year behind Atley. Definitely think we'll see Madi again...
Macie Goodmanson - 2022 - 2024
Fall 2022 - Macie, another poor soul snared in Atley's trap, even worse, she got caught as a Freshman, completely unsuspecting, so full of eagerness and hope. Macie spent some time shadowing here and there in the Spring of 2022, but mostly she marveled at my ability to come up with excuses for why I couldn't meet up. Luckily for Macie, things eased up and now, the Fall of her sophomore year, she's officially enrolled in her Honor's college thesis right here in the old Langlais Lab. We'll be teaching her stuff like making sure she completely avoids learning how to do a BCA assay from Noah, and that she needs to steer very clear of learning glucose uptake assays from Jake, and that she absolutely cannot listen to anything Kaelie says about tissue culture. As a result, Macie has pretty much just walked around in circles since she's been here, pondering why anyone would ever do this for a living. Things are gearing up though, so, rest assured, Macie will soon be incessently failing just like the rest of us! LET'S DO THIS.
UPDATE - Fall 2024 - The rare Fall graduate, because, of course, Macie finished in 3.5 years. Did you know Macie scored PERFECT on the MCAT? She's currently in a gap year to gain OBGYN experience before heading to, what I can only assume, is her choice of whichever medical school she would like to go to. They'll be lucky to have her. Looking forward to hearing from Macie when she sets the next stage of her career.
Jacob Lasher - 2022 - 2025
Fall 2023 - Great, a second Jake in the lab, wait a minute....WELCOME J2! Damn, just realized that I didn't ask Jake to send me a description of stuff he does, so, i'll make it up. I do know that Jake is a descendent of the Madi Gackle line, along with Tahlia. I think Jake knows Tahlia and Madi from class? Maybe? Anyway, Madi, knowing the Langlais Lab was going to get hit with some major losses when Mac, Anay, and Noah were set to graduate, set out on a mission to recruit, bingo, ol' J2 makes the cut. I know J2 has a brother, and they live in a house. I think he likes going to Glamis, the sand place somewhere betweeen here and California, to ride vehicles on the sand? Maybe? I think i'm making that up. One thing I do know is, J2 was instrumental in setting up the inagural Langlais Lab Fantasy Football League. As commisioner of this new 12-team league, he keeps the league in line and he has done a terrible job so far because Crudo still hasn't set her line-up and we're on week 6 I mean seriously you two. Even worse, he's hoarding tight ends and just messaged all of us to hit him up for a trade, i'd rather trade farts. Anyway, J2, just like Tahlia, joined the Langlais Lab right when the black plague hit and contaminated every single cell culture experiment of the Spring 2023 semester. Not to be discouraged, J2 volunteered over the summer and trained under Madi, and now, well, he's getting there. He's got three glucose uptake assays under his belt and he's 0 for 3. He does have a printout of his fourth experiment sitting by the computer, where it's been for eight days. You'd think a kid who has yet to get a glucose uptake assay right would be interested to see if he's finally turned the corner and he'd be itching to see how his experiment turned out right? Nope, instead he's sending garbage trade requests to Kaelie as I write this, claiming "positional value". Even worse, the raw data looks like it worked! Anyway, J2 has been a lot of fun and we're glad he's with us, we'll get him turned around quickly and make sure he kicks ass when he leaves this forsaken place. WELCOME JACOB LASHER!
UPDATE - Spring 2025 - He gone...another graduating senior. Jake and I ended up testing the limits of AI and all the LLMs to see if they could generate hypotheses from quantitative proteomics data, an endevour that ended up being quite entertaining. J2 plans on a gap year while trying to get into medical school. Best of luck J2.
Atley Moberly - 2019 - 2022
Fall 2019 - Welcome Atley! I'm pretty sure at some point, I'll be working for Atley. Atley, like her contemporary Skylar, is the future of America. Atley comes to the Langlais Lab through a recommendation from a friend who had met me during a Physiology Undergraduate Speed-Dating event aimed at pairing undergraduates with research opportunities. Atley has a GPA of 10.6 I think, and volunteers for about 137 charitable organizations. She is vice-president of something too, i know that. Atley is in a sorority with 900 other over-acheivers as well. Atley would like to pursue a career in medicine and chose the Langlais Lab in the first semester of her Sophomore year (2019) because of her interest in diabetes. After a bit of time learning the ropes, Atley went all-in and decided to perform her Honor's Thesis with the Langlais Lab. Atley is currently quarantining in the mecca of Mesa, but will soon be back to enter the Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) with the Langlais Lab for the 2020 summer. Atley, along with Skylar, are the first undergrad Honor's Thesis students to join the Langlais Lab.
UPDATE - Spring 2022 - Just like Skylar, Atley is an undergrad post-doc now. A weathered veteran of the bench who snarls at new recruits and drinks their milkshakes. We got Atley for just a bit longer before she's outta here to continue her persuit to become an Endocrinologist. Or maybe she'll stay with the Langlais Lab....FOREVER. Like DeHaven. And Mac. And James. And Natalie. And that other James. All of 'em, still with me, in spirit, and I text them randomly, just to keep them feeling guilty for leaving.
UPDATE - Summer 2022 - 3 years come, 3 years go, and just like that, Atley, who had shown up to the Langlais Lab as a teenager, leaves as a young adult with a degree in hand . Can't say enough good things about Atley, she is already missed. Atley is taking a leap year with the hopes of getting into medical school starting in the fall of 2023. She'll be just fine out there.....
UPDATE - Summer 2023 - Accepted to medical school. Bingo.
Justin Montoya - 2024
Summer 2024 - In the summer of 2024 I was contacted by an undergraduate program named FRONTERA about mentoring one of their incoming accepted students. It turns out that perhaps I wasn't supposed to mentor but FRONTERA decided to go for it so we ended up with fresh-faced Justin who took to the lab like a fish to water. Justin had no prior experience in the lab, but, his timing was perfect because Mac McGraw was also back in the lab for a summer tour. So, Justin, along with a series of new students (Saniya and Annika), created a team that trained directly under Mac along with some help from Emilie. Justin is naturally curious, inquisitive, and best of all, competent. He was humming by the end of the summer program and decided to stay on for a few extra months afterwards while he sought out a job. Interestingly, Justin was a graduating senior with FRONTERA, so once the program was finished, he was also done with college which meant...jobby job. At that time Justin realized he couldn't do the lab, work a part-time job, and get a real job all together so he had to step away. He ended up working in a hospital I think? Maybe? Can't quite remember, urinary stuff? I do know that he's hard at work on his MCAT scores because he's determined to go to medical school. We also took in Justin to the Langlais Lab Fantasy Football League and he was terrible. Let's see how he does in 2025/2026, stay tuned for updates...
Jake Nash - 2022 - 2023
Spring 2022 - The Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) here at the UA offers undergraduates the opportunity to intern in research labs (see Skylar and Atley on over in the Langlais Lab Alumni page). Who knows why, but, Jake Nash, upon getting accepted to UBRP, reached out with an interest in performing his UBRP summer internship in the Langlais Lab. I can only assume all the other labs were full. Jake, a junior, hails from near Fountain Hills up in Phoenix where he grew up dreaming of playing in the NBA, only to realize that he had reached his peak on his middle school junior varsity basketball team. Jake is the first student in the Langlais Lab to get detention from blowing off the basics. After four days of D-Hall, Jake emerged with a better understanding of the Langlais Lab, so he took that newfound knowledge and parlayed it into performing the worst glucose uptake assay that I have ever seen. In true underdog form, Jake, determined to succeed, stayed on the grind and through his hard work, earned himself a spot in the Langlais Lab. In his spare time, Jake, who never gave up playing basketball, enjoys swatting jabronis' garbage deep into the bleachers over at the Rec Center. Jake, let's go discover something before I get fired.
UPDATE - Spring 2024 - Jake ran out of time. He had to bail from the Langlais Lab right before he was about to start the last semester of his senior year, he had too many important classes he needed to take. It's a shame too, Jake ended up being really good at this. Jake will be taking a gap year after he graduates and plans on applying for medical school with the hopes of starting Fall 2025. We already miss him.
Rotimi Odeneye - 2023 - 2024
Fall 2023 - Ah yes, Rotimus Maximus. I have no idea why that nickname for Rotimi popped up in my head one day, but it's the name that I think of every single time. I am pretty sure Rotimi cringes every time he hears it, anyway, yes, Rotimi, the "i'm going to be a senior next year I gotta find a lab damn man!" guy. I too procrastinated in college, I never procrastinate now, never, ever, nerver. Once Rotimi and I realized "ok ya, we've got to make this happen even though we don't have a lot of time", we quickly joined forces. Rotimi spent the summer of 2023 in the Langlais Lab as a Blaiser scholar, a paid internship, pay that Rotimi is pretty sure he spent in entrirety by going out to eat all summer. Eaters eat. Turns out Rotimi, like 99.999% of the undergrad geniuses that make it to the Langlais Lab, wants to be an MD BOOOOOOOOO. Well, he's of the MD lineage, as his family has a history of being cardiologists. I asked a question one time about heart crap, and wouldn't you know it, Rotimi shot out fifteen answers, his parents definitely would have shed a prideful tear. All summer, Rotimi went through the process of failing miserably attempting glucose uptake assays, just like the rest of us, although, Rotimi felt the heat hard, those days were long, especially the last one. So long in fact that Rotimi ended up drinking tequila and cokes ("that's all I had!") that night until he hit the wall and barfed out. That's definitely one way to cope with glucose uptake assays, can't judge, been there, but I'm pretty sure I've never had a tequila and coke. Maybe no one has, ever? WELCOME ROTIMUS!!
UPDATE - Spring 2024 - So long Rotimi, graduated and on to the rest of his life. What will he be when he grows up? I don't know, he's going to gap year, with the intention of going to med school. Let's see if we get an update.....
Tahlia Peper - 2022 - 2024
Fall 2023 - Now, as you know, students come, students go, and in order to keep the roster on point, we gotta recruit. Madi, now a grizzled veteran of the Langlais Lab, took on recruitment, as in, one night within some gargantuan party posse, struck up a convo with a completely oblivous freshman and disovered a shared love of SCIENCE. Madi seized the opportunity and WELCOME TAHLHIHEIA! Tahlia didn't know it, but that wonderful college night was about to turn into a four year commitment of college hell, i.e. the Langlais Lab experience. Unfortunately for Tahlia, or fortunately, depends on your opinion on the Langlais Lab, Tahlia couldn't spend much time initially on the bench because of the black plague that infected every single cell culture for the entire Spring 2023 semester. Fortunately, or unfortunately, again, depends on how much of your soul the Langlais Lab can suck away, she finally got the chance to get to work starting her sophmore year. I can report that so far, Tahlia has the best first time glucose uptake data I have ever seen. Could she have the Madi Gackle-like golden hands? When she's not crying in the lab because this sucks, Tahlia enjoys playing tennis but little does she know ol' Dr. Langlais would woop her up on the court because he was Varsity tennis in highschool, she also likes doing other stuff but I'm too lazy to check out the email she sent explaining stuff she likes to do. OK, Tahlia will be with us her whole damn college career so let's get to work transforming this young limitless student into a fully functional business take of carerer! WELCOME TAHLIA! Wait a minute, I just realized what was in the e-mail Tahlia sent, and it's important. Tahlia is the first of the Langlais Lab members who does not want to go to med school or grad school or none of that, Tahlia want to go to get accepted to a physicians assistant program after college. That my friends is different, so, it'll be cool learning about all the steps a student has to take in order to be successful in that career path. I have heard that getting in is just as hard as medical school. Let's watch.....
UPDATE - Spring 2024 - Tahlia switched majors on us, that's right, she has gone to the world of Pyschology. Too bad, she was doing well on the bench. Good luck out there Thalia.
UPDATE - Summer 2024 - Well, Tahlia actually never wanted to stop in the lab, so, she's back! Welcome (back) Tahlia! 2 months later and now she's gone again. Off to the wonderful world of trying to get into Physical Therapy school. She's obviously going to lose in the Langlais Lab Fantasy Football League, I mean, c'mon. Duh.
Noah Riojas - 2022 - 2023
Spring 2022 - Noah is another undergraduate that was snared by the net Atley had cast out when she went on a recruiting spree for the next generation of Langlais Lab trainees. Like every other freggin' UA undergrad that joins the Langlais Lab, Noah is an elite student, except this young buck is next-level, as in, a full-ride academic scholarship. Who even does that. I know I didn't. I'm pretty sure Texas Tech University read my college application in 1993 and responded with a "well, sure, we're taking everyone else, why not". Noah, again, like 99% of the undergraduate overachievers that join my lab, wants to be an MD. I can't steer these excellent students towards the wonderful world of failing at experiments day in, day out. It's becoming more and more obvious that maybe if I design experiments that actually work, I'd have better luck at contributing to the Future Researchers of America talent pool. In his spare time, Noah enjoys riding his skateboard and getting hit by cars, getting bacterial infections, and trying to convince himself that buying fried chicken from Cane's is a better investment than paying for Fantasy Football. DUMB. WELCOME NOAH, I HOPE YOU'RE NOT SCREWING UP YOUR GLUCOSE UPTAKE ASSAY RIGHT NOW.
UPDATE - Spring 2023 - Sayonara Noah Rojas! They come and they go, and Noah wasted no time with either. Showed up, kicked ass, then bailed as soon as he possibly could. I mean, he graduated, so, you know, who can blame him? Apparently people go to Europe and vacation after they graduate, i'm hearing a lot of this lately. I didn't go to Europe, but, I did go fly fishing in Missouri. What's next for fresh-out-of-college Noah, what's a 22-year-old do when they graduate college and get a year break before trying to get into medical school? What they all do, become a scribe, whatever the hell that is. Anyway, Noah did really well, the Langlais Lab was lucky to have him, even if it was only for a year. As a matter of fact, Noah has already visited the lab afterwards, an often promised but seldom occuring event that the Langlais Lab trainees all seem to go through, so check out Noah!!!
UPDATE - Fall 2025 - Noah has been accepted to the Biomedical Engineering Master's Program here at the UA. Very interesting.....
Anna Sullivan - 2022 - 2025
Fall 2023 - Ah yes....The Breadsticks. First there was Breadstick #1, Atley Moberly RIP 2022 APM WE MISS YOU BUDDY. Then there was Kaelieieneiea Zelms, Breadstick #2, started as a freshman in the Langlais Lab during the stupid coronavirus, now a senior. Bring in the third Breadstick of the Langlais Lab lineage, Anna "Sully" Sullivan. Breadsticks you ask? Long ago, in what Atley and I surmised as sometime between 1910 and 1960, other sororities said their sorority was boring and the girls in their sorority have the personality of a breadstick. So, now they're known as The Breadsticks. What sorority you ask? I have no idea, all I know is that they're smart as sh*t and work really hard and actually give a crap. Long ago, I figured that if Atley was this good, then the other breadsticks are probably great too, so, we came up with the idea of creating the lineage. Anna hails to us from Phoenix I swear that's right. I'm pretty sure Anna ended up with us because she enjoys exercise and once Kaelie and Atley set out to recruit, Anna liked the fit because we here in the Langlais Lab research glucose homeostasis. Anna gave up drinking till her 21st birthday, which is super ironic because YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DRINK TILL YOU'RE 21 ANNA. Also, Anna joined the inaugural Langlais Lab Fantasy Football League without actually knowing a single thing about football. But you know who does know about football and is super into fantasy football? Anna's mom Mrs. Sullivan does. So now we have to play against the cutthroat Mrs. Sullivan who hawks the living crap out of the waiver wire and leaves the rest of us with nothing. Anyway, Anna, just like Tahlia and J2, joined the lab right when the black plague destroyed every experiment we attempted in the Spring of 2023, but that's in the past. Thanks to all the hard work of everyone, we beat that stupid plague and have returned, all of which now allows Anna to finally get a shot at doing experiments. Anna is a Junior now, so, we've got to hurry up and get to work so we can get her contributions to the lab before she heads on the greener pastures like OH I'M SO FANCY MEDICAL SCHOOL. Anna, your cells better look good, i'm going to check on them right now. WELCOME SULLY.
UPDATE - Spring 2025 - Anna has left, another graduating senior. She created a really excellent partnership with Eva and the two of them were able to make some great progress on a candidate that eventually didn't make the cut...an end result that prompted Anna's now famous line "i'm over this". She's in a gap year and contemplating medical school. Just like Eva, there are also rumblings that Anna too is considering Endocrinology.