People
The lab at TalTech does not accept new students.
If you are interested in a postdoc or technician positions in Pittsburgh, please email with inquiries!
If you would like to join our lab as a PhD student, please apply to Oncology Graduate Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center or Molecular Pharmacology Graduate Program at UPitt
Tatiana Moiseeva, principal investigator
As an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, my research interests include the investigation of the initiation in DNA replication in human cells, which is both an important basic science question and can help us fight cancer. I have started my independent research in the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, in August 2019, and moved to Pittsburgh in early 2024.
Olga Fedorova, Research Scientist
As a Research Scientist at the University of Pittsburgh, my work focuses on DNA replication in human cells, including the identification of new factors involved in replication initiation. I am broadly interested in understanding how dysregulation of replication contributes to cancer development.
Before joining the University of Pittsburgh in 2025, I worked at the Institute of Cytology until 2022, where I investigated novel transcriptional targets of the tumor suppressor p53 and their roles in oncogenesis. From 2022 to 2025, I continued my research at the Weizmann Institute of Science, studying how epigenetic mechanisms shape phenotypic plasticity in ER- positive breast cancer and influence responses to endocrine therapy.
Google Scholar ResearchGate LinkedInSyed Shahid Musvi, PhD student
I have completed my MSc in Biochemistry from the University of Kashmir. My recent project was to develop a high-throughput screening technology to identify molecular inhibitors of fibroblast activation. Using this technology, we intended to discover molecules that specifically target the epicenter of fibroblast activation pathways, involved in the development of tissue fibrosis. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student working on the topic of identification of new players in replication initiation.
Naga Raviteja Chavata, PhD student
I pursued my master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Oncology with a thesis on the role of miRNA in oral carcinogenesis. My most recent studies focused on delineating the role of a microcephaly linked gene in cancer. Understanding this could aid in identifying new germline associated cancer biomarkers, and the development of new drugs that target cancer cell division. In my current lab, I work on the cancer-associated variants of various replication proteins.
Rohan Harolikar, PhD student
I am a PhD student in the Oncology Graduate Program at Hillman Cancer Center. My research interest is primarily in genetics and genome instability, and through my PhD project I will study DNA replication, specifically focusing on the roles of DNA Polymerase Epsilon. In 2024 I completed a Biology BS degree with a minor in chemistry from Temple University, where I studied calcium ion signaling in melanoma.