
Stefan Strack

Professor of Pharmacology
Associate Chair for Research
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319)-384-4447
Email: stefan-strack@uiowa.edu
Born and raised in Germany, Dr. Strack received his undergraduate degree (Vordiplom) from the University of Würzburg, Germany, and his M.Sc. (1988, Computer Sciences) and Ph.D. (1991, Biology) from the State University of New York at Albany. After postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Strack joined the faculty in Pharmacology at the University of Iowa in 2000, where he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006 and Professor in 2012. He holds a secondary appointment in Pathology, is a member of the graduate programs in Neuroscience and Molecular Medicine, and directs the predoctoral training grant (T32) in Pharmacological Sciences. He currently holds the John Paul Long endowed professorship and serves as the Vice Chair for Research.
Chian Ju Jong, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: chianju-jong@uiowa.edu
Chian Ju was born and raised in Malaysia. She then came to the United States and received her PhD from the University of South Alabama. She then completed a one-year postdoctoral training at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Currently, she is a postdoctoral research scholar focusing on the Jordan’s Syndrome that causes intellectual disability. Jordan’s Syndrome is caused by de novo mutations of the PP2A B56delta regulatory subunit.
Priyanka Sandal, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: priyanka-sandal@uiowa.edu
Priyanka Sandal moved to Iowa from Mumbai, India in 2011 and pursued her PhD degree in Biochemistry from Iowa State University, where she worked on understanding the biochemistry & the inter-play between PP2A phosphatase and Arabidopsis ACR4 receptor- like kinase in root meristem development and differentiation and developed her skills as a protein biochemist and an enzymologist. Priyanka completed her BS & MS in Biotechnology from Mumbai University and worked as a Research Assistant in epidemiological department at Tata Memorial Hospital, India. Priyanka joined U Iowa as a Postdoctoral Scholar in Janice Robertson’s lab in Biophysics and Molecular Physiology before moving to Strack Lab where she is studying the role of PP2A in neuronal signal transduction and working towards identifying the molecular mechanisms for de novo mutations in PP2A regulatory subunits that lead to Neurodevelopmental disorders such as Jordan's syndrome". Priyanka loves to paint, dance and enjoys cooking various types of cuisines in her free time.
Chunling Chen

Graduate Research Assistant
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: chunling-chen@uiowa.edu
Alexander Glebov-McCloud

Graduate Research Assistant
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: alexander-glebov-mccloud@uiowa.edu
Gail Healey

Research Assistant
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: gail-schanbacher@uiowa.edu
Gail was born and raised in Iowa, started working at the University of Iowa in March 2005. Joined the Strack lab as a research assistant on Jan 2019. Working in the animal rooms and assisting in the lab.
Yufang Kong

Research Assistant
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: yufang-kong@uiowa.edu
Born and raised in China, Yufang received her undergraduate degree in nursing from the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China. She joined the Strack lab in Pharmacology at the University of Iowa as research assistant in 2014. She maintains animal colonies, as well as takes care of subcloning, and assists everyone in the lab with their projects.
Ron Merrill, PhD

Associate Research Scientist
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: ronald-merrill@uiowa.edu
Raised in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago, Dr. Ronald Merrill received his undergraduate B.S. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois in 1996 and a Ph.D. in 2004 from the University of Wisconsin in Biochemistry. He moved to Stefan Stack’s Lab as a postdoc fellow (2004), and then became a research scientist in Stefan Strack’s Lab.
Brittany Gonzalez Espinosa
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: brittany-gonzalezespinosa@uiowa.edu
Grace A. Johnson
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: grace-johnson@uiowa.edu
Grace Kollman
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 384-4447
Email: grace-kollman@uiowa.edu