Click in each member’s name to know more about him/her

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Jimena Giudice, Ph.D.

2016 March –

 LAB MANAGER
Eric Blue, M.Sc.

2016 May –

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Jessica L. Cote, Ph.D.

2021 October –

 GRADUATE STUDENTS
Gabrielle M. Gentile, B.Sc.

GMB curriculum

2019 May –

Gabrielle B. Bais, B.A.

CBP curriculum

2023 January –

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Matheus Sadovsky

Taking BIOL 395

2021 August –

Olivia A. Perez

Undergraduate Research Assistant

2023 November –

Aubriana N. Bishop

Undergraduate Research Assistant

2023 June –

PREVIOUS LAB MEMBERS
Postdoctoral Associates

Adam J. Black. 1/2018 -5/2022.

Next position: Senior Scientist II, Q2 Solutions

Funding in the lab:

7/2019 – 5/2022. NIH/NHLBI, F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship

Publications in the lab:

  1. Hinkle ER#, Wiedner HJ#, Torres EV, Jackson M, Black AJ, Blue RE, Harris SE, Guzman BB, Gentile GM, Lee EY, Tsai Y-H , Parker J, Dominguez D, Giudice J. (2022). Alternative splicing regulation of membrane trafficking genes during myogenesis. RNA, 28 (4): 523-540. # co-first authors.
  2. Black AJ, Gamarra JR, Giudice J. (2019). More than a messenger: alternative splicing as a therapeutic target. BBA – Gene Regulatory Mechanisms, 1862 (11-12): 194395. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.06.006.
  3. Hinkle ER, Wiedner HJ#, Black AJ#, Giudice J. (2019). RNA processing in skeletal muscle biology and disease. Transcription, 10 (1): 1-20. #equal contribution

Honors and awards while in the lab:

  1. F32-NHLBI predoctoral fellowship, 7/2019 – 5/2022
  2. CSHL Meeting “Eukaryotic mRNA processing”, travel award, New York, 7/2019
  3. North Carolina RNA Symposium “RNA biology XIII: RNA tool and target”, Durham, 10/2019
Graduate Students

Hannah J. Wiedner. 5/2018 -2/2023.

Next position: Senior Scientist, The Glioblastoma Foundation

Funding in the lab:

  1. 2019 – 2022. National Science Foundation (NSF), predoctoral fellowship (NSF-GRFP).
  2. 2018 – 2019. MiBio (Mechanistic, interdisciplinary studies of biological systems) T32 training program (NIH/NIGMS)

Publications in the lab:

  • Gentile GM, Blue RE, Goda GA, Guzman BB, Szymanski RA, Lee EY, Engels NM, Hinkle ER, Wiedner HJ, Bishop AN, Harrison JT, Zhang H, Wehrens XHT, Dominguez D, Giudice J*. (2025). Alternative splicing of the Snap23 microexon is regulated by MBNL, QKI, and RBFOX2 in a tissue-specific manner and is mis-spliced in striated muscle diseases. RNA Biology. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2025.2491160. Online ahead of print.
  • Wiedner HJ, Blue RE, Sadovsky M, Mills CA, Wehrens XT, Herring LE, Giudice J. (2023). RBFOX2 regulated EYA3 isoforms partner with SIX4 or ZBTB1 to control transcription during myogenesis. iScience. 26 (11): 108258. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108258.
  • Gentile GM#, Gamarra J#, Engels N#, Blue RE#, Hoerr I, Wiedner HJ, Hinkle ER, Cote JL, Leverence E, Mills A, Herring L, Tan X, Giudice J. (2022). The synaptosome-associated protein 23 (SNAP23) is necessary for proper myogenesis. FASEB Journal. 36 (8): e22441. doi: 10.1096/fj.202101627RR. # co-first authors.
  • Wiedner HJ, Torres EV, Blue RE, Tsai YH, Parker J, Giudice J. (2022). SET domain containing 2 (SETD2) influences metabolism and alternative splicing during myogenesis. FEBS Journal. 289 (21): 6799-6816.
  • Hinkle ER#, Wiedner HJ#, Torres E, Jackson M, Black AJ, Blue RE, Harris SE, Guzman BB, Gentile GM, Lee EY, Tsai Y-H , Parker J, Dominguez D, Giudice J. (2022). Alternative splicing regulation of membrane trafficking genes during myogenesis. RNA, 28 (4): 523-540. # co-first authors.
  • Wiedner HJ, Giudice J. (2021). It’s not just a phase: function and characteristics of RNA-binding proteins in phase separation. Nature Structure and Molecular Biology, 28 (6): 465-473.
  • Hinkle ER, Wiedner HJ, Black AJ, Giudice J. (2019). RNA processing in skeletal muscle biology and disease. Transcription10 (1): 1-20.
  • Blue RE, Koushik A, Engels NM, Wiedner HJ, Cooper TA, Giudice J*. (2018). Modulation of alternative splicing of trafficking genes by genome editing reveals functional consequences in muscle biology. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology  pii: S1357-2725(18)30227-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.10.004.

Magazine Article in the lab:

  • Gentile GM, Wiedner HJ, Hinkle ER, Giudice J. (2020). Alternative splicing provides a broad menu of proteins for cells. The Scientist, 34 (10): 38-43.

Honors and awards while in the lab:

  1. GMB UNC-Chapel Hill, Terry Magnuson Award, 9/2022
  2. UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Graduate Education, Science Mentoring Award, 5/2022
  3. Southeastern Society for Developmental Biology, invited speaker to present about the Shadow A Scientist outreach program, 5/2022
  4. UNC ImPACT, internship at StrideBio, 1/2022
  5. Experimental Biology Annual Meeting 2021, abstract selected for platform presentation, 4/2021
  6. Experimental Biology Annual Meeting 2021, travel award, 4/2021
  7. CSHL meeting “Eukaryotic mRNA processing”, abstract selected for platform presentation, 8/2019
  8. National Science Foundation (NSF) predoctoral fellowship, 2019-2022
  9. MiBio (Mechanistic, interdisciplinary studies of biological systems) T32 training program, 2018-2019
  10. Symposium on RNA Biology XII: RNA Tool and Target. Best Basic RNA poster, 2017
  11. Symposium on RNA Biology XII: RNA Tool and Target.  Travel Award, 2017
  12. The Graduate School at UNC Chapel Hill, Doctoral Merit Assistantship, 2017

Emma R. Hinkle. 5/2018 -12/2022.

Next position: Medical Writer, MedThink Sci Com

Funding in lab:

  1. 5/2021 – 12/2022. NIH/NIAMS, F31 predoctoral fellowship
  2. 6/2018 – 5/2019. GMB T32 training grant (NIH/NIGMS)

Publications in the lab:

  • Gentile GM, Blue RE, Goda GA, Guzman BB, Szymanski RA, Lee EY, Engels NM, Hinkle ER, Wiedner HJ, Bishop AN, Harrison JT, Zhang H, Wehrens XHT, Dominguez D, Giudice J*. (2025). Alternative splicing of the Snap23 microexon is regulated by MBNL, QKI, and RBFOX2 in a tissue-specific manner and is mis-spliced in striated muscle diseases. RNA Biology. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2025.2491160. Online ahead of print.
  • Hinkle ER, Blue RE, Tsai, Y-H, Combs M, Davi J, Coffey AR, Boriek A, Taylor JM, Parker J, Giudice J. (2022). Mechanical stretching induces global transcriptional and posttranscriptional transitions and changes in SR proteins in muscle cells. Communications Biology. 5 (1): 987. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03915-7.
  • Gentile GM#, Gamarra J#, Engels N#, Blue RE#, Hoerr I, Wiedner HJ, Hinkle ER, Cote JL, Leverence E, Mills A, Herring L, Tan X, Giudice J. (2022). The synaptosome-associated protein 23 (SNAP23) is necessary for proper myogenesis. FASEB Journal. 36 (8): e22441. doi: 10.1096/fj.202101627RR. # co-first authors.
  • Hinkle ER#, Wiedner HJ#, Torres E, Jackson M, Black AJ, Blue RE, Harris SE, Guzman BB, Gentile GM, Lee EY, Tsai Y-H , Parker J, Dominguez D, Giudice J. (2022). Alternative splicing regulation of membrane trafficking genes during myogenesis. RNA, 28 (4): 523-540. # co-first authors.
  • Hinkle ER#, Essader TO#, Gentile GM, Giudice J. (2021). ViaFuse: Fiji macros to calculate skeletal muscle cell viability and fusion index. Skeletal Muscle 11 (1): 28. doi: 10.1186/s13395-021-00284-3. # co-first authors.
  • Hinkle ER, Wiedner HJ, Black AJ, Giudice J. (2019). RNA processing in skeletal muscle biology and disease. Transcription 10 (1): 1-20.

Magazine Article in the lab

  • Gentile GM, Wiedner HJ, Hinkle ER, Giudice J. (2020). Alternative splicing provides a broad menu of proteins for cells. The Scientist, 34 (10): 38-43.

Honors and awards while in the lab

  1. Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, travel award, 2/2022
  2. The company of biologists, DMM conference travel grant, 2/2022
  3. F31-NIAMS predoctoral fellowship, 5/2021 – 12/2022
  4. Mechanistic Interdisciplinary Studies of Biological Systems Symposium (MiBio), best poster award, 4/2021
  5. Triangle Cytoskeleton Meeting, abstract selected for platform presentation, 10/2020
  6. ComSciCon National, abstract selected for presentation, 6/2020
  7. GMB T32-NIGMS training grant, 6/2018 – 5/2019
  8. Mechanistic Interdisciplinary Studies of Biological Systems Symposium (MiBio), abstract selected for platform presentation, 3/2019
  9. Science Writing and Communication Club UNC-CH, invited speaker 2/2019
Postbac scholars (PREP)

Nicole Rivera. 7/2019 – 5/2020.

Next position: Graduate student at Washington University at St. Louis, NSF-GRFP predoctoral fellow.

Honors and awards while in the lab:

  1. Predoctoral fellowship NSF-GRFP to carry with her to Graduate School

Jennifer Gamarra. 7/2018 -5/2019.

Next position: Graduate student at Columbia University, NSF-GRFP predoctoral fellow

Publications in the lab:

  1. Gentile GM#, Gamarra JR#, Engels N#, Blue RE#, Hoerr I, Wiedner HJ, Hinkle ER, Cote JL, Leverence E, Mills A, Herring L, Tan X, Giudice J. (2022). The synaptosome-associated protein 23 (SNAP23) is necessary for proper myogenesis. FASEB Journal. 36 (8): e22441. doi: 10.1096/fj.202101627RR. # co-first authors.
  2. Black AJ, Gamarra JR, Giudice J. (2019). More than a messenger: alternative splicing as a therapeutic target. BBA – Gene Regulatory Mechanisms, 1862 (11-12): 194395. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.06.006.

Honors and awards while in the lab:

  1. Experimental Biology Meeting, abstract selected for a platform presentation, Orlando, 4/2019
  2. Women in Sciences Symposium, poster award, Chapel Hill, 4/2019
  3. ABRCMS 2018, outstanding poster award, Indianapolis, 11/2018

Ennessa Curry. 7/2017 – 5/2018.

Next position: Graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill

Publications in the lab:

  1. Blue RE, Curry EG#, Engels NM#, Lee EY, Giudice J. (2018). How alternative splicing affects membrane trafficking. Journal of Cell Science 131 (10): pii: jcs216465. [#equal contribution]
  2. Smith JA#, Curry EG#, Blue RE#, Roden C, Dundon SER, Rodriguez-Vargas A, Jordan DC, Chen X, Lyons SM, Crutchley J, Anderson P, Horb M, Gladfelter AS*, Giudice J*. (2020). FXR1 splicing is important for muscle development and biomolecular condensates in muscle cells. Journal of Cell Biology, 219 (4): e201911129. [#equal contribution]
Undergraduate students with honors theses

Tasneem Essader. 5/2019– 5/2021.

Next position: Associate Consultant at Beghou Consulting, Durham.

Honors thesis title: “Effects of alternative splicing of capping actin protein (CAPZB) on skeletal muscle cell proliferation and differentiation”. Grade: High Honors

Publications in the lab:

  1. Hinkle ER#, Essader TO#, Gentile GM, Giudice J. (2021). ViaFuse: Fiji macros to calculate skeletal muscle cell viability and fusion index. Skeletal Muscle, 11 (1): 28. doi: 10.1186/s13395-021-00284-3. # co-first authors

Hannah Cafaro. 8/2018 – 5/2020.

Next position: Cognitive data reviewer for clinical trials at VeraSci, Durham.

Honors thesis title: “Alternative splicing is coordinated by RNA-binding proteins and impacts transcript stability during myogenesis”. Grade: High Honors

Undergraduate students doing research for credit courses

Micaela Jackson.  5/2018 – 6/2019.

Next position: Medical student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Publications in the lab:

  1. Hinkle ER#, Wiedner HJ#, Torres E, Jackson M, Black AJ, Blue RE, Harris SE, Guzman BB, Gentile GM, Lee EY, Tsai Y-H , Parker J, Dominguez D, Giudice J. (2022). Alternative splicing regulation of membrane trafficking genes during myogenesis. RNA, 28 (4): 523-540. # co-first authors.

Eddie Torres.  5/2018 – 6/2019.

Next position: Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia.

Publications in the lab:

  1. Wiedner HJ, Torres EV, Blue RE, Tsai YH, Parker J, Giudice J. (2022). SET domain containing 2 (SETD2) influences metabolism and alternative splicing during myogenesis. FEBS Journal. 289 (21): 6799-6816.
  2. Hinkle ER#, Wiedner HJ#, Torres EV, Jackson M, Black AJ, Blue RE, Harris SE, Guzman BB, Gentile GM, Lee EY, Tsai Y-H , Parker J, Dominguez D, Giudice J. (2022). Alternative splicing regulation of membrane trafficking genes during myogenesis. RNA, 28 (4): 523-540. # co-first authors.

Isabel Hoerr.  1/2017 – 5/2019.

Next position: Marketing Coordinator North America at VOCO America Inc.

Publications in the lab:

  1. Gentile GM#, Gamarra JR#, Engels N#, Blue RE#, Hoerr I, Wiedner HJ, Hinkle ER, Cote JL, Leverence E, Mills A, Herring L, Tan X, Giudice J. (2022). The synaptosome-associated protein 23 (SNAP23) is necessary for proper myogenesis. FASEB Journal. 36 (8): e22441. doi: 10.1096/fj.202101627RR. # co-first authors.

Xiaomin (Becky) Chen. 9/2016 – 5/2019.

Next position: Clinical Research Coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital

Publications in the lab:

  1. Smith JA#, Curry EG#, Blue RE#, Roden C, Dundon SER, Rodriguez-Vargas A, Jordan DC, Chen X, Lyons SM, Crutchley J, Anderson P, Horb M, Gladfelter AS*, Giudice J*. (2020). FXR1 splicing is important for muscle development and biomolecular condensates in muscle cells. Journal of Cell Biology, 219 (4): e201911129. Link

Jacquelyn N. Davi. 8/2018 – 5/2019.

Next position: Strategy Consultant at Triangle Insights Group, LLC

Publications in the lab:

  1. Hinkle ER, Blue RE, Tsai, Y-H, Combs M, Davi J, Coffey AR, Boriek A, Taylor JM, Parker J, Giudice J. (2022). Mechanical stretching induces global transcriptional and posttranscriptional transitions and changes in SR proteins in muscle cells. Communications Biology. 5 (1): 987. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03915-7.

Marvin Meza Jarquin. 1/2018 – 5/2018.

Next/current position: Medical student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill..

Jessica Harrison. 8/2017 – 5/2018.

Next position: Graduate student at Washington University at St. Louis

Undergraduate work-study students

Matheus Sadovsky. 8/2021 – 5/2022. Next position: Undergraduate student in our lab (credits for courses).

Elise King. 9/2019 – 4/2020. Next position: Laboratory technician at Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Jacquelyn N. Davi. 8/2017 – 5/2018. Next position: Undergraduate student in our lab (credits for courses).

Marvin Meza Jarquin. 8/2017 – 1/2018. Next position: Undergraduate student in our lab (credits for courses).

James Alex Lothspeich. 8/2016 – 5/2017.

Susan Ngo. 10/2016 – 8/2017. Next position: Graduate student at the School of Pharmacy at UNC-Chapel Hill

Mazin Nohur Ahmed. 1/2017 – 5/2017.

Research technicians

Nichlas Engels. 1/2017 – 6/2019.

Next position: Ph.D. Student at University of Arizona. American Heart Association predoctoral fellow.

Publications in the lab:

  1. Gentile GM, Blue RE, Goda GA, Guzman BB, Szymanski RA, Lee EY, Engels NM, Hinkle ER, Wiedner HJ, Bishop AN, Harrison JT, Zhang H, Wehrens XHT, Dominguez D, Giudice J*. (2025). Alternative splicing of the Snap23 microexon is regulated by MBNL, QKI, and RBFOX2 in a tissue-specific manner and is mis-spliced in striated muscle diseases. RNA Biology. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2025.2491160. Online ahead of print.
  2. Gentile GM#, Gamarra JR#, Engels NM#, Blue RE#, Hoerr I, Wiedner HJ, Hinkle ER, Cote JL, Leverence E, Mills A, Herring L, Tan X, Giudice J. (2022). The synaptosome-associated protein 23 (SNAP23) is necessary for proper myogenesis. FASEB Journal. 36 (8): e22441. doi: 10.1096/fj.202101627RR. # co-first authors.
  3. Blue RE, Curry EG#, Engels NM#, Lee EY, Giudice J. (2018). How alternative splicing affects membrane trafficking. Journal of Cell Science 131 (10): pii: jcs216465. [#equal contribution]
  4. Blue RE, Koushik A, Engels NM, Wiedner HJ, Cooper TA, Giudice J. (2018). Modulation of alternative splicing of trafficking genes by genome editing reveals functional consequences in muscle biology. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology  pii: S1357-2725(18)30227-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.10.004.

Eunice Y. Lee. 8/2016 – 6/2018.

Next position: Student at Duke’s Accelerated Bachelors in Nursing Program.

Publications in the lab:

  1. Gentile GM, Blue RE, Goda GA, Guzman BB, Szymanski RA, Lee EY, Engels NM, Hinkle ER, Wiedner HJ, Bishop AN, Harrison JT, Zhang H, Wehrens XHT, Dominguez D, Giudice J*. (2025). Alternative splicing of the Snap23 microexon is regulated by MBNL, QKI, and RBFOX2 in a tissue-specific manner and is mis-spliced in striated muscle diseases. RNA Biology. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2025.2491160. Online ahead of print.
  2. Hinkle ER#, Wiedner HJ#, Torres E, Jackson M, Black AJ, Blue RE, Harris SE, Guzman BB, Gentile GM, Lee EY, Tsai Y-H , Parker J, Dominguez D, Giudice J. (2022). Alternative splicing regulation of membrane trafficking genes during myogenesis. RNA, 28 (4): 523-540. # co-first authors.
  3. Blue RE, Curry EG#, Engels NM#, Lee EY, Giudice J. (2018). How alternative splicing affects membrane trafficking. Journal of Cell Science 131 (10): pii: jcs216465. [#equal contribution]
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