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Meet the Lab Members

Jay Kumar, PhD

Jay Kumar, PhD

Research Instructor

Dr. Jay P. Kumar is a structural biologist in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on the glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) system, including G6PC enzymes and associated transporters that regulate hepatic glucose production and pancreatic glucose sensing. Using an integrative structural biology approach that combines cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), EPR spectroscopy, and non-hydrolyzable substrate analogs, his work aims to capture transient conformational states of G6PC1, G6PC2, and G6PC3 and uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic disorders. 

Before joining Vanderbilt, Dr. Kumar was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in the Laboratory of Cell Biology at the National Cancer Institute, where he led structural and biochemical studies of the Wip1/PPM1D phosphatase and contributed to structure-guided inhibitor discovery efforts. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) in India, where he studied sugar transporters and metabolic enzymes. 

Dr. Kumar’s research bridges high-resolution structural biology with functional and translational studies to understand protein dynamics in health and disease. He is a recipient of the 2025 NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE). 

Maggie Rakonick

Maggie Rakonick

Research Technician

Maggie Rakonick is a native of St. Louis, MO, and a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry. Maggie’s current project focuses on transcription levels of G6PC1 and exploring ways to increase the expression of mutants to overcome pathogenicity. She is also working to decrease ubiquitination levels of unstable mutants to learn more about the lifecycle of G6PC1.
Beyond research, Maggie enjoys line dancing, watching Formula 1, eating fruit snacks, and baking.

Fun Fact: Shelby says, "Maggie is funny."

Shelby Harris

Shelby Harris

Graduate Student

Shelby Harris is a native of Alexandria, Alabama and received her Bachelors of Science degree in Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Jacksonville State University. She previously worked under the supervision of Dr. Xiankai Sun at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX in the Radiochemistry and Cyclotron Program as the lab manager for the preclinical PET/CT imaging lab. There, she focused on developing both radiolabeled antibodies and metabolic-based imaging tracers for cancer and infectious disease, respectfully. Shelby joined the Claxton lab as a PhD student in the Chemical and Physical Biology Program in 2025. Her project aims to develop nanobodies against the isoforms of G6PC1 using a yeast display system while defining the protein dynamics of the enzyme using double electron-electron resonance (DEER). Outside of lab, Shelby likes to travel, hang out with her dog Maverick, go to Vanderbilt sport games, and try restaurants and coffee shops all around Nashville with her friends.

Fun Fact: Shelby is a major ice hockey fan, even before Heated Rivalry came out. (Go Stars!)

Collaborators

Hassane Mchaourab, PhD

Director for the Center for AI in Protein Dynamics; Louise B. McGavock Endowed Chair; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Professor; Department of Physics Professor; Department of Chemistry Professor; Center for Structural Biology;

Richard O'Brien, PhD

Professor, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics; Director of Graduate Studies, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Richard Stein, PhD

Retired Research Associate Professor, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Lab Alumni

  1. Chanel Norphlet, Research Assistant (Graduate Student, Meharry Medical College-2026)

  2. Emily Hawes, PhD, Postdoc (Director of Biochemistry, SSP International, Inc.-2024)