Current Lab Members
Jackson Taylor Ph.D. - Assistant Professor (TT) and Principal Investigator
Dr. Taylor joined Cleveland State University in 2022 and, following renovations, officially opened his lab in 2023. He earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 2013 where he studied calcium channel function and gene regulation in mouse skeletal muscle and muscle stem cells, followed by an T32 postdoctoral fellowship also at Wake Forest where he studied age-related changes in gene expression and DNA methylation in primary human immune cells. He completed a second postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University from 2016-2022, where he earned a K99/R00 award for his research on Sirt6 in Drosophila melanogaster. Interests include: aging, epigenetics, gene regulation, mentoring, teaching.
https://www.csuohio.edu/grhd/dr-jackson-taylor
Roja Sharma B.S. - Ph.D Candidate
Roja studies the role of Sirt6 in protein synthesis and proteostasis during ageing. Her research focuses on investigating the mechanism by which Sirt6 modulates protein synthesis and maintains proteostasis to promote healthspan and longevity.
Prema Singaravel B.S., M.S. - Ph.D Student
Prema’s research focuses on how the longevity factor Sirt6 influences age-related memory decline and immune regulation. Using Drosophila as my model system, I combine behavioral assays, cell-specific gene manipulation, and RNA-seq to explore how Sirt6 epigenetically controls NF-κB/Relish signaling and represses antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression across the lifespan. Through these approaches, I investigate how Sirt6 contributes to maintaining neuroimmune balance by preventing immune hyperactivation and preserving cognitive function. This work aims to uncover mechanisms behind age-related brain disorders and identify potential therapeutic targets.
Arjun Khanna B.S. - MS Student
Arjun is a master's student in the Biology program within BGES in Dr. Taylor's lab, and I am putting together a thesis committee.
His project involves illuminating the mechanisms involved in transcriptional regulation by the anti-aging gene Sirtuin 6. I employ bioinformatics approaches such as RNA-Seq Analysis, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, and Pathway Analysis to uncover and confirm genes regulated by Sirtuin 6.
Ella Franz - Undergraduate Student
Ella is an undergrad assistant working with Samira. She focuses on fly work, helping Samira with sorting and lifespans.
Past Lab Members
In memoriam
Samira Xhaferi B.S. - Ph.D. Candidate
Originally from Albania, Samira earned her B.S. in Biology before entering a M.S. in Biology program, both at CSU. She was the first graduate student to join the Taylor Lab and soon transitioned into the Ph.D. program in Regulatory Biology. Her thesis project explored the therapeutic potential of Sirt6 in protecting against neurodegeneration caused by aging and Alzheimer’s Disease, as well as the role of Sirt6 in normal brain function.
Samira was tragically killed in a car accident, along with her fiancé Albi Cela (a law student at CSU) in November 2025. She had passed her qualifying exams two months prior and had won 2nd place in the student poster competition at the 66th Annual Drosophila Research Conference earlier that year. Samira was an exemplary graduate student: bright, hardworking, proactive, reliable, highly organized, and an impressive communicator. She was deeply passionate about neuroscience and Drosophila research, and the lab remains decorated with numerous Drosophila-themed art pieces that she created. Samira was also the social nucleus of the lab and known for organizing social outings with the other lab members and for her loving, gentle nature and for her sense of humor. She had a gift for finding beauty in ordinary moments and inspiring joy in others. Samira had several projects which were nearing publication at the time of her passing, which the lab is currently working together on to finish and publish in her name. Samira was both a wonderful person and a highly promising young scientist. Her memory will live on through the many people who knew and loved her, her artwork in the lab, and her scientific achievements.