Biomedical Graduate Students

I work in the Zimmer lab and this is my second year as a doctoral student under the Integrated Biosciences program focusing on Glycosomes.

Annette Boman Women’s Fellowship, University of Minnesota Medical School - Duluth Campus, 2020

Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program Fellowship, University of Minnesota Duluth

University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus Dean’s Fellowship

1st Prize in Poster Presentation at National conference on “Emerging Trends in Biological Sciences”, India, 2017

RNA Society

EWIS (Empowering Women in Science)

I. Publications

Durrani, Hina, et al. “A Global Analysis of Enzyme Compartmentalization to Glycosomes.” Pathogens, vol. 9, no. 4, 2020, p. 281., doi:10.3390/pathogens9040281.

Jennifer Krznarich is a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Her research project is focused on understanding how multiple stress responses regulate a specific glutamate-cystine transporter in the brain and the resulting functional impacts. Jennifer received her B.S. in Biology from McKendree University. After graduation, she worked as a Production Chemist for Sigma Aldrich in St. Louis and later worked as an Academic Advisor for Upward Bound Math and Science. In 2017, she earned her M.S. from the University of Minnesota, studying melatonin’s role within the circadian system of developing zebrafish. Jennifer is also passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM with a focus on equity through an intersectional lens. She has served as Northwoods Women in Science Vice President and President, and is a member of the Genetics Society of America.

I work in the lab of Dr. Sara L. Zimmer studying Trypanosomes, parasitic protozoa that cause devastating diseases in livestock and humans. My research focuses on mitochondrial mRNA regulation, more specifically, the post-transcriptional process of non-encoded mitochondrial mRNA tail addition. We believe that these mRNA tails are more involved in gene expression regulation than we currently know, and hope that by studying this process we can understand trypanosomes' mitochondrial mRNA lifecycle more thoroughly.

Frieda M. Kunze Fellowship, University of MN Graduate School, 2020-2021

Thesis Research International Travel Grant, University of MN Graduate School, 2020 

Best Graduate Student Poster Presentation, American Society for Microbiology, North Central Branch Annual Meeting, 2019

Arthur G. Johnson Fellowship, University of MN Medical School Duluth Campus, 2019

Annette Boman Women’s Fellowship, University of MN Medical School Duluth Campus, 2018

Swenson College of Science and Engineering Travel Award, University of MN Duluth, 2018

Graduate School Travel Award, University of MN Duluth, 2018

Dean’s Fellowship, University of MN Medical School Duluth Campus, 2017-2018

Speaker at 101st Commencement Ceremony, Northland College, 2012

Biology Major Merit Award, Northland College, 2012

Environmental Science and Natural Resources Faculty Award, Northland College, 2012

Steen-Tucker Choir Merit Award, Northland College, 2012

I. Publications 

1. Hampton, M, Galey, M, Smoniewski, C, Zimmer, SL. (2020) Probabilistic models of biological enzymatic polymerization. In review.
2. Ramirez-Barrios, R., Susa, EK, Smoniewski, CM, Faacks, SP, Liggett, CK, Zimmer, SL. (2020) A link between mitochondrial gene expression and life stage morphologies in Trypanosoma cruzi. Molecular Microbiology; 00: 1– 19. https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.14466