Paolo Cifani
Ph.D., Lund University, 2013
After graduating in Biotechnology from Padua University (Italy), Paolo trained in Lund (Sweden) with Peter James, a pioneer of mass spectrometry proteomics. He then moved to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for his postdoctoral training and worked in the group of cancer biologist and pediatric oncologist Alex Kentsis.
Maria Antonelli
Ph.D., University of Virginia, 2022
Maria joined the Cifani lab in 2023. She earned her PhD in Chemistry in the Hunt Laboratory at the University of Virginia in 2022, then spent a year in the Proteomics Resource Laboratory at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Maria grew up in Queens, NY, but has since moved to Suffolk County, Long Island. She is constantly traveling to visit family members all over the East Coast. When she is not traveling, she is reading, hiking, or running outside.
Francesca Minicozzi
M.S., Adelphi University, 2025
Francesca joined the Cifani lab after completing her interdisciplinary degree in biology and writing from Loyola University Maryland. Although she went to college in Baltimore, she is a native of Huntington. She is the go-to expert for all things Huntington – food, beaches, shopping – you name it. When she’s not growing cells in the tissue culture room, or running an in-gel trypsin digestion, Francesca is often travelling to new destinations. Her most recent trip included a camel trek in the Moroccan Sahara Desert.
Kavita Matange
Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2024
Kavita completed her Masters in Biochemistry in India and then moved to Atlanta for graduate school. She completed her PhD in the Williams Lab at Tech. In her graduate career, she spent time at the intersection of Prebiotic chemistry and Analytical chemistry. She is passionate about all things science and sci-comm. When not in lab, she is reading, listening to podcasts or exploring the city.
Darcy Cochran
Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2024
Darcy joined the Cifani lab in December 2024 after completing her PhD at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln where she investigated multiplatform metabolomics questions. In her free time, Darcy enjoys playing board games and video games, reading, rock climbing, and ultimate frisbee.
Lisa Kimoto
B.A. Sociology, Stony Brook University, 1992
Lisa joined the Cifani lab in 2024 but has been working at Cold Spring Harbor lab since 2016. She supports 3 other Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory with administrative tasks as well as handling the weekly calendar of events for the lab. Lisa was born and raised on Long Island and enjoys pickleball, hiking, gardening, and playing Mah Jongg.
Cifani Lab Alumni
Giulia Rocca: Visiting Scientist (April 2025 – October 2025) → Graduate Student at the University of Padua
Juliana Magalhaes de Oliveira: Research Associate (May 2024 – October 2025) → Research Associate at MSKCC
Ava Sann: Metabolomics Research Technician (September 2023 – August 2025) → Graduate Student at Weill Cornell
Andrea Bertolini: Visiting Scientist (May 2023 – October 2023) → Graduate Student at the University of Pisa
Cristina Veresmortean: Research Associate (July 2022 – March 2023) → Research Associate at Rockefeller University
Ece Kilic: Metabolomics Research Technician (April 2021 – May 2023) → Research Support Specialist at Rockefeller University