Lab Members | mosleylab

Amber Mosley - PI

Amber joined the faculty at Indiana University as an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in August 2010 and was promoted to Associate Professor in July 2016. In August 2016, Amber became the director of the IUSM proteomics core. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, MO with Drs. Michael Washburn and Jerry Workman. While at Stowers, Amber characterized the novel phosphatase Rtr1 as a regulator of RNA Polymerase II transcription. Her graduate studies were performed under the mentorship of Dr. Sabire Ozcan at the University of Kentucky Department of Biochemistry where she studied nutrient regulation of insulin gene transcription. Amber and her husband Shane have two daughters and household full of pets that currently include two dogs, two cats, a tortoise, and Jeff the toad. She is also a proud aunt of two. Amber enjoys hanging out with her kids, hiking, traveling, cooking, and working in the lab (when she can get away from her office).

Email Amber

Whitney Smith-Kinnaman - Lab Manager

HR Sagara Wijeratne - MD/PhD Student

Sagara graduated from Rutgers University. His undergraduate and post-undergraduate research focused on transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of different systems. His first lab experience focused on the effects of RNA-binding proteins on the development of the neocortex. Afterwards, he joined a bioinformatics lab focusing on the RNA translation of Dengue virus infected cells and, on a different project, colon cancer. He integrates multi-omics (proteomics, transcriptomics, genomics) studying relevant genes and proteins to neurological diseases.

Avery Runnebohm - IBMG PhD Student

Avery graduated from Butler University in 2017 with a BS in biology. She then received an MS in biology from Ball State University in 2019. Her master's thesis focused on protein quality control at the endoplasmic reticulum. Avery joined the IBMG program in 2020 and joined the Mosley lab in May 2021. Currently, she is studying neurodegenerative disease -associated missense mutations in the RNA exosome using thermal proteome profiling. Avery and her husband Ethan are proud parents to their shih tzu Penny, and they hope to visit every national park.

Tara Umberger - IBMG PhD Student

Tara received her Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University majoring in biochemistry and biology with a minor in physical anthropology. She received her Master of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis studying under Dr. Amber Mosley. The basis of her research identified proteins and their post-translational modifications extracted from both cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue isolated from a murine model of PDAC-associated cachexia by applying multi-dimensional chromatographic separation, a differential ion mobility technique, in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Currently, Tara works in the pharmaceutical industry as a scientist providing ADME and pre-clinical PK support to the discovery portfolio by investigating drug properties and mechanisms that influence target engagement, pharmacokinetics, and overall developability of protein-based therapeutics. Tara has rejoined the Mosley lab for her PhD research examining missense mutations involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Tara’s interests and hobbies are wide-spanning from various crafts, gardening, and DYI projects to travel/camping, riding her motorcycle, and spending time with her beautiful family (husband, 4 children, and 3 grandchildren).

Katelyn Caric - IBMG PHD Student

Katelyn graduated from Western Carolina University in 2020 with a BS in Forensic Biology. She performed research focusing on identifying discriminatory STR loci for use in identifying American Black Bears in forensic wildlife cases. She then worked as a Forensic Biologist at the West Virginia State Forensic Laboratory and the North Carolina Department of Justice Crime Laboratory. Her role at the crime laboratories focused on DNA sequencing criminal evidence involved in state and federal cases. Katelyn joined the IBMG program in 2023 and joined the Mosley lab in 2024. Currently, she is studying the role of the RNA exosome in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. In her free time, Katelyn and her wife Cambrie enjoy camping at state parks and hanging out with their two cats.

James Rooney - Lab Technician

James graduated from Purdue University in 2023 with a BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences. His undergraduate research at Purdue focused on the cellular stress response of the protein Hsp31 in yeast cells. He also spent a summer at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus studying the role of steroid hormone receptors in triple negative breast cancer. Following graduation, James joined Franciscan Health where he worked on interventional cardiology clinical research projects. He is a proud uncle of eight and enjoys traveling, mountain biking, and spending time with his friends and family.

Ian Green - Post-baccalaureate Student

Ian graduated from Bellarmine University in 2021 with a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. After undergrad he went into industry serving as a specials technician at Eurofins Genomics. During his career at Eurofins, Ian managed to work on several projects in relation to quality assurance of his department. Ian joined the IADEP program, a 2 year post-baccalaureate research program funded by the ACS, and is researching the progression of liver disease through a proteomic lens.

Ariana Hampton - Undergraduate research assistant

Ariana is currently an undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Neuroscience and Spanish. She has worked with the Mosley lab for 3 summers as part of the IUSCC vSRP program (2021), IUSCC/American Cancer Society DICR program (2022), and as an Undergraduate Research Assistant directly in 2023. She continues to collaborate with the Mosley Lab virtually while attending JHU and in-person during breaks.