Fifth + Year
Katie Augspurger
she/her
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
BS, Biochemistry
PI: Abigail Buchwalter, Barbara Panning
Research summary: Understanding the role and regulation of sex-specific variation in Lamin A
Varun Bhadkamkar
Williams College
BA, Chemistry
PI: Shaeri Mukherjee
Research summary: Understanding pan-Ras family small GTPase ubiquitination during Legionella infection
Derek Bogdanoff
University of British Columbia
BS, Microbiology & Immunology
PI: Tom Nowakowski
Research summary: Technology Design and Development
Gabi Canales
University of Maryland Baltimore County
BS, Biological Sciences
PI: Jeremy Reiter
Research summary: Studying the mechanism of activation and function of MC4R at the primary cilia
Chris Carlson
University of California, San Diego
BS, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
PI: David Morgan
Research summary: Activation of the Anaphase Promoting Complex
Pervin Choksi
University of Western Australia
BS, Biomedical Science
PI: Holger Willenbring
Research summary: Manipulating oval cells to restore liver function in alcoholic hepatitis patients
Megan Chong
she/her
Bowdoin College
BA, Biology
PI: Sophie Dumont
Research summary: Detecting errors in chromosome attachment to ensure mitotic fidelity
Amanda Chung
She/her/hers
Western New England College
BS, Biology, Forensic Biology
PI: Luke Gilbert, Barbara Panning
Research summary: TET enzymes regulation and their roles in gene regulation
Daniel Conrad
he/him
University of California, Santa Barbara
BS, Cell & Developmental Biology
PI: Zev Gartner
Research summary: Single-Cell Sequencing Technology Development
Lorenzo Del Castillo
California State University, Northridge
BS, Cell and Molecular Biology
PI: Jeremy Reiter
Research summary: I am using optogenetic tools in cells to manipulate hedgehog signaling and look at pathway dynamics in different developmental systems.
Francesca Del Frate
she/her/hers
Harvard University
AB, Molecular and Cellular Biology
PI: Sandy Johnson
Research summary: Regulation of Mating in Yeast as Model for transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes
Roberto Efraín Diaz
he/él
University of Miami
BS, Neuroscience
PI: James Fraser
Research summary: Studying the pH-dependent activity of mammalian chitinases using structural biology and enzymology
Ulises Diaz
San Francisco State University
BS, Cell and Molecular Biology
PI: Wallace Marshall
Research summary: Organelle scaling and regulation in giant unicellular organisms.
Veronica Escalante
University of Texas at El Paso
BS, Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry
PI: Peter Turnbaugh
Research summary: Understanding the effects of statin drugs on members of the human gut microbiome
Gabriella Estevam
she/her
University of California, Santa Cruz
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
PI: James Fraser
Research summary: Structural biology of kinases, RTK autoregulation and inhibitor sensitivity
Jason Garcia
He/Him/His
San Francisco State University
BS, Biology, Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology
PI: Su Guo
Research summary: Investigating the polarization and function of Par3 during asymmetric cell division in radial glia neural stem cells
Haley Gause
she/her/hers
California State University, Long Beach
BS, Microbiology
PI: Sandy Johnson
Research summary: Mechanisms behind Candida and Bacterial Interactions in the Gut Microbiome
Wei Gordon
she/her
University of California, San Diego
BS, General Biology/Marine Sciences
PI: Nadav Ahituv
Research summary: Functional Examination of Genetic Elements Involved in Dietary Specializations
Muryam Gourdet
San Francisco State University, Holy Names College
MS, BA, Cell and Molecular, Biological Sciences
PI: Geeta Narlikar
Research summary: Understand the how domains of INO80-C and SWR-C regulate their chromatin remodeling function,
Lana Harshman
she/her/hers
University of Washington
BS, Biology
PI: Nadav Ahituv
Research summary: Exploring how non-coding regulatory elements and 3D genome structure have contributed to modern human evolution
Sarah Heater
University of Washington
BS, Biology:Physiology and Spanish
PI: Anita Sil
Research summary: Elucidate the Mechanism of Temperature Sensing in a Thermally Dimorphic Fungi through Investigating the Candidate Thermosensor Msb2
Benjamin Herken
Lewis and Clark College
BA, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
PI: Luke Gilbert
Evelyn Hernandez
she/her/hers
University of California, Los Angeles
BS, Biochemistry
PI: Roshanak Irannejad
Research summary: Regulation of intracellular signaling of Beta-1 adrenergic receptors
Clara Herrera
she/her
Reed College
BA, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
PI: Joanne Engel
Research summary: I will be characterizing the predicted interaction between C. trachomatis protein CT224 and a human E3 ubiquitin ligase as well conducting a ubiquitination screen in chlamydia-infected cells.
Dana Kennedy
San Francisco State University
BS, Biochemistry
PI: Bassem Al-Sady
Research summary: Understanding the mechanisms underlying heterochromatin formation and maintenance using biochemistry and biophysical techniques
Lili Kim
She/Her
University of Wisconsin-Madison
BS, Biochemistry
PI: Carol Gross
Research summary: Surveying the Phenotypic Landscape of Bacillus subtilis
Matthew Kim
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Molecular and Cell Biology
PI: Hana El-Samad
Research summary: Degron mediated proteolysis for synthetic T cell engineering and regulation
Victor Lam
University of Texas-Austin
BS, Biology Honors
PI: John Gross
Research summary: Interaction and evolution of HIV1 Vif with human antiviral APOBEC3G
Jose Liboy
He/Him/His
University Of Puerto Rico Mayaguez
BS, Industrial Biotechnology
PI: Stephen Floor
Research summary: I am currently studying the role of G3BP stress granules in mRNA translation regulation and cell adaptation to exogenous stress.
Adam Longhurst
He/Him/His
University of California Santa Cruz
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
PI: David Toczyski
Research summary: Epigenetic Regulation of G1 Progression
Jocelyne Lopez
She/Her/ Hers
University of California, Irvine
BS, Biological Sciences
PI: Frank McCormick
Research summary: Investigating novel roles and regulation of SPRED2 in RAS/MAPK signaling
Harold Marin
He/Him
University of California, Davis
BS, Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
PI: Abigail Buchwalter
Research summary: H3K9me2 heterochromatin tethering to the nuclear periphery in mammals
Gregory Mohl
he/him
Brigham Young University
BS, Microbiology
PI: Martin Kampmann
Research summary: Elucidating the Mechanisms Controlling Toxicity of Protein Aggregation in Neurons
Thomas Moss
University of Virginia
BS, Biology
PI: Shaeri Mukherjee
Research summary: Mechanistic investigation into translational abrogation by Hsc70 phosphorylation
Elise Munoz
she/her
University of Arizona
BS, Biochemistry, Applied Math, Mol and Cell Biology
PI: Geeta Narlikar
Research summary: Elucidating the role of Rvb1/Rvb2 ATPases in chromatin remodeling complexes
Henry Ng
he/him/they/them
State University of New York at Stony Brook
BS, Biology
PI: David Morgan
Research summary: Cyclin B phospho-binding pocket is required for multisite phosphorylation of Cdk substrates
Eliza Nieweglowska
University of Chicago
BS, Biochemistry and Chemistry
PI: David Agard
Research summary: Elucidating the Mechanisms Driving the Assembly of a Nucleus-like Bacteriophage Compartment
Chari Noddings
she/her/hers
University of Texas-Austin
BS, Cell and Molecular Biology
PI: David Agard
Research summary: Mechanistic understanding of how the molecular chaperone Hsp90 activates the glucocorticoid receptor
Carlos Nowotny
San Diego State University
BS, Chemistry Biochemistry
PI: David Agard
Research summary: A Mechanistic understanding of Hsp90-mediated kinase degradation
Jesslyn Park
she/her
Winthrop University
BS, Chemistry
PI: Stephen Floor
Research summary: Elucidating the role of stress granule scaffold proteins in cellular viability
Natasha Puri
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Integrative Biology
PI: Roshanak Irannejad
Research summary: Compartmentalized signaling of dopamine receptor
Manuela Richter
she/her
Stanford University
BS, Biology
PI: Sophie Dumont
Research summary: Length Regulation in the Mitotic Spindle
Rosa Rodriguez
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Molecular and Cell Biology
PI: Anita Sil
Research summary: Exploring how a family of small-secreted effectors manipulates macrophages during Histoplasma capsulatum infection
Mashel Fatema Saifuddin
University of Texas-Austin, Natl Univ of Singapore
BS, Biochemistry, Exchange Program
PI: Noelle L'Etoile
Research summary: Memory Consolidation, Maintenance and Recall in C. Elegans
Hayden Saunders
he/him/his
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BS, Biology BS
PI: Geeta Narlikar
Research summary: Nucleosome conformational dynamics
Reuben Saunders
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BS, Chemistry
PI: Jonathan Weissman
Research summary: Improving phenotype quality in functional genomic screens.
Janine Sengstack
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
BS, Biological Sciences, Cell and Molecular Focus
PI: Hao Li
Research summary: Cellular Aging and Rejuvenation
Eric Simental
University of Arizona
BS, Biochemistry/Molecular and Cellular Biology
PI: Barbara Panning, Bassem Al-Sady
Research summary: Designing a heterochromatin spreading sensor
Sushil Sobti
University of Missouri-Columbia
BS, Chemistry
PI: Hani Goodarzi
Research summary: Sources and role of noise in gene expression
Adriana Steinbach
She, her, hers
University of Chicago
BS, Biological Chemistry
PI: Shaeri Mukherjee
Research summary: Investigating the mechanism of lysosomal fusion evasion during Legionella pneumophila infection
Luke Strauskulage
Syracuse University
BS, Biotechnology
PI: Barbara Panning
Research summary: Differential regulation of TET enzymes by OGT during development
Seesha Takagishi
she/her/hers
University of Washington, Northwestern U Sch Contng Stud
BS, Certificate of Completion, Biochemistry, Programming
PI: Hana El-Samad
Research summary: Optogenetic method to investigate transcription factor signaling in mammalian cells
Nia Teerikorpi
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Molecular and Cellular Biology - Biochemistry II
PI: Jeremy Willsey
Research summary: Characterization of the Neurodevelopmental DNA Regulatory Pathways Underlying ASD
Chris Waters
he/him/his
University of Massachusetts Amherst
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
PI: Lani Wu, Steven Altschuler
Research summary: Understanding emergent behaviors in mitophagy
Natalie Whitis
she/her
Iowa State University of Science and Technology
BS, Biophysics
PI: David Agard
Research summary: Understanding host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level.
Connie Yan
University of Washington
BAS, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
PI: Wallace Marshall
Research summary: Role of Sfi1 proteins in Stentor regeneration
Fourth Year
Liz Bond
She/her/her
University of Massachusetts Amherst
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
PI: Allison Williams
Tim Casey-Clyde
University of California, Davis
BS, Cell Biology
PI: David Raleigh
Research summary: Epigenetic regulation of Schwann cell differentiation and schwannoma tumorigenesis.
Nathan Cho
he/him
Stanford University
BS, Biology with Honors
PI: Sophie Dumont
Research summary: Defining the mechanisms by which NuMA drives spindle mechanical robustness
Jocelyne Fadiga
University of California, Merced
BS, Chemical Sciences
PI: Orion Weiner
Research summary: Mechanisms of polarity and substrate topology integration during neutrophil migration
Kelsey Hennick
University of California, Davis
BS, Genetics
PI: Tom Nowakowski
Research summary: cortical development
Fredrick Leon
he/him/his
Emory University
BS, Biology
PI: David Booth
Research summary: The influence of iron on cell differentiation and nutrient sharing in the closest living relatives of animals
Jessica Mella
University of Utah
BS, Biology
PI: Abigail Buchwalter
Research summary: The sorting of emerin protein between the nuclear envelope and the secretory pathway
Anna Morrison
She/her/hers
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
BS, Cellular and Molecular Biology
PI: Anita Sil
Research summary: Investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie temperature response in Histoplasma capsulatum
Ali Palla
University of California, Berkeley
BS, Chemical Biolody
PI: Danica Galonic Fujimori
Research summary: Investigating the mechanisms and functions of histone modifier KDM5A beyond the histone H3 tail
Nathan Rossen
Macalester College
BA, Biology
PI: David Julius
Research summary: Physiology and pathophysiology of enterochromaffin cells
Frederick Santana
he/him/his
San Francisco State University
MS, Cell and Molecular Biology
BS, Biology (Microbiology)
PI: Natalia Jura
Research summary: Pseudokinase regulation of Akt-mTOR signaling and its implication in malignant melanoma
Jasmine Sims
San Francisco State University
MS, Cell and Molecular Biology
BS, Biochemistry
PI: Nadav Ahituv
Research summary: studying candidate pathogenic sequences recurrent in cancer.
Brian Wysolmerski
Cambridge University
M PHIL, Genetics
Pomona College
BA, Biology
PI: Mark Von Zastrow
Research summary: Subcellular trafficking of the heterotrimeric G protein, Gs, after activation by GPCRs
Jenny Zhang
She/Her/Hers
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Molecular Cellular Biology
PI: Sandy Johnson
Research summary: Molecular components that mediate Candida-Pseudomonas antagonism.
Third Year
Trase Aguigam
He/Him
University of California, Los Angeles
BS, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
PI: John Gross
Research summary: mRNA decapping and chromatin structure and function
Camila Benitez
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Molecular and Cell Biology emphasis in neuroscienc
PI: Aimee Kao
Research summary: How TSC1 haploinsufficiency leads to the specific accumulation of Tau
Zach Cogan
University of California, Santa Barbara
BA, Biology
PI: Peter Walter
Brandon Courteau
University of Rochester
BS, Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
PI: Natalia Jura, Kliment Verba
Research summary: Structural studies of oligomeric states of HER receptors
Addie Dwyer (Cady)
Duke University
BS, Biology
PI: David Raleigh
Research summary: Molecular mechanisms that drive meningioma pathology
Carla Espinoza
she/her
University of California, San Diego
BS, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
PI: Natalia Jura
Research summary: Investigating structure and signal activation of proto-oncogene RON receptor with it's ligand, Macrophage Stimulating Protein (MSP).
Alex Hong
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BS, Biology
PI: Joseph Bondy-Denomy
Research summary: Characterizing P. aeruginosa antiphage defense systems – Gabija and "ImmunoX" – particularly how their putative proteins target infecting phage DNA and the regulatory mechanisms behind these systems.
Claire Kokontis
she/her/hers
University of Chicago
BS, Biology
PI: Joseph Bondy-Denomy
Research summary: Mechanisms of a bacteriophage-encoded protective "nucleus-like" structure and anti-CRISPR proteins
Armando Martinez
San Jose State University
BS, Molecular Biology
PI: Frank McCormick
Research summary: Investigating SOS1 two distinct RAS binding sites: a catalytic site and an additional allosteric RAS binding site
Melissa Mendez
she/her
Univ of London-King's College London
BSC, Biochemistry
PI: Peter Walter
Research summary: A novel role for the ER HSP70 in proteotasis via a nucleotide-independent interaction with the UPR sensor IRE1⍺
Kim Meneses
University of California, Los Angeles
BS, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
PI: Zev Gartner
Research summary: The role of basement membrane on the structural niche of insulinlow beta cells in pancreatic islets
Camille Moore
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
PI: Vijay Ramani, Geeta Narlikar
Research summary: Investigating the structure of heterochromatic domains using a minimal in vitro system and high throughput sequencing
CJ San Felipe
he/him/his
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Molecular and Cell Biology
PI: James Fraser
Research summary: Developing SARS-CoV-2 antiviral therapeutics targeting Tom70-Orf9b.
CJ Sarabia
He/Him/His
University of California, Santa Cruz
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
PI: Roshanak Irannejad
Research summary: Investigation of cAMP signaling specificity from intracellular membrane compartments
LauraAnn Schmidberger
She/ her/ hers
Denison University
BS, Biology
PI: David Booth
Research summary: Studying choanoflagellate genes to understand early evolution
Steve or Steven Sun
He/His/Him
San Francisco State University
MS, Cell and Molecular Biology
BS, Cell and Molecular Biology
PI: Ryan Hernandez
Research summary: impact of associative overdominance on nucleotide diversity and the site frequency spectrum
Vanna Tran
Southwestern University
BS, Biology
PI: Sophie Dumont
Research summary: Defining the physical and molecular basis of mammalian kinetochore structural maintenance under force
Alexis Villani
she/her/hers
University of California, Irvine
BS, Microbiology and Immunology
PI: Joseph Bondy-Denomy
Research summary: Temperature-induced inactivation of bacterial immune systems
Second Year
Kenya Bonitto
she/her/hers
University of California, Los Angeles
BS, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
PI: Davide Ruggero
Research summary: Exploring the functions of non-canonical translation factors and understanding how cancer cells control translational machinery.
Emmy Delaney
she/her
University of California, Davis
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Camille Derderian
she/her
CUNY Hunter College
BA, Psychology
PI: Jeremy Reiter
Research summary: Studying protein localization, function, and interaction at the ciliary base, and investigating cellular processes triggered by ciliary signaling
Eli Dugan
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Molecular Cell Biology
PI: Alex Marson
Chloe Ghent
She/her
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Molecular and Cell Biology
PI: Danica Galonic Fujimori
Research summary: Investigating the regulation of antibiotic resistance in bacteria
Matthew Howard
he/him/his
Washington University
AB, Biology & Chemistry: Concentration in Biochemistry
PI: Aashish Manglik, Willow Coyote-Maestas
Research summary: Development of high-throughput genetic screening platforms to study GPCR function, evolution, and pharmacology
Philipp Huettemann
he/him/his
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
BS, Biochemistry
PI: Tanja Kortemme
Research summary: Designing de novo signaling systems
Julia Kim
She/Her
Smith College
BA, Biochemistry
Tracy Knight
she/her
Brown University
BS, Cell and Molecular Biology
PI: Abigail Buchwalter
Research summary: Determining the regulatory role of nuclear membrane protein emerin in Wnt-mediated B-catenin signaling in cardiomyocytes
Jennifer Le
she/her
University of California, Riverside
BS, Biochemistry
PI: Zev Gartner
Deepa Rajan
she/her/hers
Vanderbilt University
BA, Neuroscience
PI: Wallace Marshall, Adam Frost
Research summary: Origins of Intelligence
David Sanchez Godinez
he/him
University of California, Santa Cruz
BS, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
PI: Orion Weiner
Research summary: Dissecting establishment of coordination during tissue unjamming events
Gabriel Viramontes
University of California, Merced
BS, Biology: Emphasis in Ecology and Evolution
PI: David Booth
Taylor Watanabe
she/her
Whittier College
BA, Biology
PI: Daniel Mordes
Caroline Wilson
she/her
Colby College
BA, Biology: Concentration in Neuroscience
PI: Luke Gilbert
Research summary: Evaluating functional DNA methylation using CRISPR-based epigenetic editors
First Year
Kathleen Adams-Boone
Michigan State University
BS, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology/Biotechnology
Rio Barrere-Cain
she/her
University of California, Los Angeles
Human Biology
PI: Tiffany Scharschmidt
Research summary: Epigenetic regulation of T cell plasticity
Miranda Cabanski-Dunning
University of California, Davis
BS, Cell Biology
Karina Cedeno
University of Utah
BS, Biology
Aaron Corin
he/him/his
Brandeis University
BS, Biochemistry, Biology
Amelie Delcourt
University of California, Los Angeles
BS, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
Micah Fernando
He/Him/His
Grand Valley State University
BS, Biochemistry
Ruth Groza
University of Washington
BS, Biochemistry
Abby Hein
she/her
University of Colorado at Boulder
BA, Biochemistry
Abe Horrillo
he/him/his
University of California, Los Angeles
BS, Molecular, Cell, Developmental Biology
Haiming Hu
University of California, San Diego
BS, Chemical Engineering
Rachel Jones
University of Utah
BS, Cell and Molecular Biology
Hannah Kortbawi
she/her
Santa Clara University
Biology
PI: Joseph DeRisi
Jimin Lee
Korea Advanced Inst of Sci and Tech
MS, Chemistry
KOREA UNIV - SEOUL
BS, Life Sciences
Jodi Lee
University of California, Santa Cruz
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Gabriella Maldonado
Northeastern University
BS, Biochemistry
Macey Slota (fmr Crow)
she/her/hers
Other
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Cole Tharp
Iowa State University of Science and Technology
BS, Biochemistry
Alex Vu
University of Southern California
BS, Biochemistry
Keith Walcott
University of California, Santa Cruz
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Yuanchen Zhang
Tufts University
BS, Biology & Clinical Psychology