Dr. Susy C. Kohout, Principal Investigator 

I view cells and their critical communication from a molecular point of view because of my background. My first science love was chemistry encouraged by my high school chemistry teacher, Mr. George. I followed that love for my undergraduate studies and then discovered organic chemistry and synthesis, working with Dr. Tom Meade and Dr. Seth Marder. After earning my Bachelors of Science in Organic Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology, I branched out from synthesis to study how proteins interact with calcium and with the lipid membrane. I earned a PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry with a certificate in Biophysics from the University of Colorado, Boulder working with Dr. Joseph Falke. Following my developing love of cell communication, I started my postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley working with Dr. Ehud Isacoff. I studied biophysics and neuroscience, discovering how electrical signaling is as fundamental as chemical signaling in cells. After my postdoc, I started my own laboratory at Montana State University where I continued my research into neuroscience and the electrical signaling of cells while expanding to include cell biology and physiology. I recently joined the Biomedical Science faculty at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University where I will take advantage of the medical school to expand my research into more medically relevant directions.

I have 9 years of experience teaching both undergraduates and graduate students in a class room setting covering cell biology, molecular biology and molecular neuroscience. I have more than 20 years of experience teaching and mentoring students in the laboratory. 

I also strongly believe in serving my community. I have served on departmental, college and university wide committees. I also participate in outreach, particularly advancing and encouraging women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields.

To learn a bit more about me, you can hear me talk about my research and my background at this MSU Research in Action YouTube video or read about me in the BPS Bulletin.

You can also hear me discuss one of my publications in Spanish during the Science behind the scenes SOBLA (Sociedad de Biofisicos Latinoamericanos) Journal Club.

See here for a full list of publications

I am always looking for good postdocs, graduate students and technicians. Please contact me if you are interested! For graduate students, I recommend applying to the Molecular Cell Biology and Neuroscience degree. It will give you the option to rotate through a few different labs (including mine) to find the one you are most interested in. I highly recommend rotations so you can find the type of lab that works well for you!

Lab Members

 Brandi Sweet, PhD candidate

I have always had a passion for taking care of others, which led me to work in the medical field for several years where I observed the devastating effect that disease has on patients and their family.  My natural desire to help others motivated me to look to science for answers, leading me back to school and towards a degree in biomedical research.

I continue to be inspired by the individuals in my life as well as my personal experiences in research.  As an undergraduate I worked with Dr. Ken Cornell, a biochemist that sparked my interest in molecular biology and regulation of cellular signaling pathways.  After graduating from Boise State University in 2021 with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology, I worked for the state laboratory where I helped monitor covid infection rates and variants in the region, allowing me to experience the important role science plays in maintaining a community’s health.

In the fall of 2022, I joined the Kohout lab, where I am currently working towards a PhD in Molecular Cell Biology and Neuroscience.  I was drawn to Dr. Kohout’s research because of the uniqueness of the voltage sensing phosphatase, which combines both enzyme activity and voltage regulation as a means of modulating cellular signals.  Wanting to better understand the interface between electrical signals and biochemical responses inspired me to reach out to Dr. Kohout, but it was her passion for creating an environment of equality in the lab and giving back to the community that made the lab a perfect fit and continues to drive my passion to help others.   

 Mohammadreza Arbab, PhD candidate

Mohammad joined the lab as a graduate student in January 2023. 

 Skye Amann, Rowan Undergraduate student

Skye joined the lab in June 2023 as a U-RISE student.  

 Dr. Victoria C. Young, Postdoctoral Fellow

Victoria joined the Kohout lab as a post-doctoral in September 2023 with a passion to investigate and understand the functions of biology on a small-scale and translate that into everyday big-scale impacts. Her interest in the small-scale started with her undergraduate studies at Texas Tech University where she majored in Cell and Molecular Biology. She had several great undergraduate research experiences that opened her eyes to a future in research. To connect what she learned about biology on the small-scale with a bigger picture, she continued her studies onto a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in biophysics from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. There she primarily researched the molecular relationship of protein structure on functional in P-type ATPase with some dabbling in Na⁺ K⁺ ATPase physiology. As a graduate student, she had the privilege of mentoring multiple undergraduate students, which lead to great fulfillment watching their educational successes. When not in the lab, Victoria can be found enjoying the outdoors, working on a crochet project or at a thrift store.  

Tiffany Chan, Rutgers Camden Undergraduate student

Tiffany joined the lab in Spring 2024 after shadowing us Fall 2023.