Samara Reck-Peterson, Ph.D.

Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute | sreckpeterson at ucsd.edu

Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Department

Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology Department

B.A. Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN

Ph.D. Cell Biology, Yale University

Postdoctoral Fellow Ron Vale’s lab, University of California - San Francisco

Jessica Allen, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist | jea011 at ucsd.edu

B.S. Biology, Eastern Washington University

Ph.D. Biology, The City University of New York and The New York Botanical Garden

Postdoctoral Researcher, The Swiss Federal Institute of Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research

2018-23, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University

2023-24, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University

Mary Couvillion, Ph.D.

Bioinformatics Scientist | mcouvillion at health.ucsd.edu

B.S. Molecular and Cell Biology, Texas A&M University

Ph.D. Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkley

Adam Fenton, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow | adfenton at health.ucsd.edu

B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, PA

Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Pennsylvania, PA

Wei Gai, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow | wgai at health.ucsd.edu

Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, Texas, USA,

M.S. in Pharmacology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, 2012-2016

B.S. in Biological Science, Dezhou University, China

Ameerah Holliday

Administrative Assistant | aholliday at ucsd.edu

B.A. English Literature, San Diego State University, CA

Eva Karasmanis, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow | ekarasmanis at ucsd.edu

B.S. Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece

Ph.D. Cell Biology, Drexel University, PA

Funded by: Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellowship

Laura Kellman, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral fellow | lkellman at health.ucsd.edu

B.S. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, CN

Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, Stanford University, CA

Gaurav (Garry) Kumar, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow | g2kumar at health.ucsd.edu

B.tech, Biotechnology.

M.Biotech, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. B.Tech, JMIT- Kurukshetra University, Haryana, India.

Ph.D. Cell Biology, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India.

Jackie Lanzalotto

Graduate Student | jlanzalotto at ucsd.edu

B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Nick Lattal

Research Associate | nlattal at ucsd.edu

B.A. Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota

Swetha Mahesula

Staff Scientist | smahesula at health.ucsd.edu

B.Tech Biotechnology, JNTU, India

M.S. Biological Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio

Patreece Suen, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow | psuen at health.ucsd.edu

B.S. in Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ph.D. Cell Biology, Yale University

Katy Surridge, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow | ksurridge at health.ucsd.edu

B.S. Molecular Cell Biology, University of Sheffield, UK.

Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Bristol, UK.

Neil Liu

Undergraduate Researcher | nel002 at ucsd.edu

Majoring in Biochemistry, expected Graduation in 2026

Luther Ela

Undergraduate Researcher (2023-2025)

Majoring in Molecular and Cellular biology with a minoring in Economics, expected Graduation in 2025

Livia Songster

Graduate Student (2020-2024)

B.S. in Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities

Funded by: Quantitative Integrative Biology Training Grant and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Current Position: Postdoc, Cereal Disease Lab, USDA-ARS/ University of Minnesota, MN

Valentin Wernet, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow (2022-2024)

B.S. Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

M.S. Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

Ph.D. Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

Current Postion: Scientist, Badische Anilinund Sodafabrik (BASF), Ludwigshafen, Germany

B.S. Microbial Biology, University of California - Berkeley

Ph.D. Microbial Pathogenesis and Chemical Biology, Rockefeller University, NY

Funded by: Life Sciences Research Foundation Fellowship

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University

Rob Abrisch, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-2024)

B.A. Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado - Boulder

Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Colorado - Boulder

Current Position: Reasearch Scientist at Gia Voeltz lab, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Landon Vũ Nguyễn

Research Associate II (2022-2024)

Associates Degree, Houston Community College

B.S. in Microbiology, Minor in Genetics, Texas (A&M)

Current Postion: Graduate Student at University of California, San Francisico, Tetrad Program

Agnieszka (Aga) Kendrick, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow (2016-2023)

B.S. Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, Poland

M.S. Chemistry, University of Colorado - Denver

Ph.D. Stuctural Biology and Biochemistry, University of Colorado - Denver, School of Medicine

Funded by: NIH National Research Service Award F32 and American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship

Current Position: Assisant Professor, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory at Salk Institute for Biological Studies

B.A. Molecular Biology, William Jewell College, Liberty, MO

Ph.D. Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago

Funded by: NIH National Research Service Award F32 and [NIGMS MOSAIC K99][0]/R00 Award

Current Position: Assisant Professor, Molecular Biosciences Department at Northwestern University

Deva Bhuyan

Staff Research Associate
(2022-2023)

B.S. in Neurobiology, University of California - San Diego

D. Alexander (Alex) Stevens

Graduate Student (2018-2023)

B.A. Double Degree in Biology and Spanish Literature, Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA

Funded by: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the HHMI Gilliam Fellowship

Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Lasker lab at Scripps Research Institute.

Molecular and Cell Biology and Global Health

Internship at the Global Change Research Group, San Diego State Univeristy

Genevieve Curtin

Graduate Student (2022-2023)

B.S. Neuroscience, Tulane University

B.A. Biological Sciences, Seoul National University

Ph.D. Neuroscience, Northwestern University

Current Position: Scientist, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA

Majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Current Position: Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Davis

B.S. Bioengineering, University of California - Berkeley

Funded by: Molecular Biophysics Training Grant

M.D. Ph.D. UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Current Position: Pathology Resident, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Sataree Khuansuwan, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist (2021-2022)

B.S. Biology and Chemistry, Summa Cum Laude, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN

Ph.D. Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University

Current Position: Senior Scientist, Seawolf Therapeutics

James Holcomb

Undergraduate Researcher (2019-2021)

Majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology, expected graduation in 2021

John Salogiannis, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow (2014-2021)

B.S. Double Degree in Neurobiology/Physiology and Psychology, University of Maryland

Ph.D. Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, MA

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

David Snead, M.D., Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2021)

B.S. Chemistry, Haverford University, PA

M.D./Ph.D. Biochemistry Cornell University, NY

Current Position: Research Associate, Kavran Lab at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Oscar Donosa

Lab Tech/Manager (2017-2021)

B.S. Cell Biology and Social Psychology, University of California - San Diego

Current Position: Stanford University, Cancer Biology Bioscience Program

John Gillies

Biology Graduate Student (2017-2021)

B.S. Biochemistry, University of Oregon

Current Position: Staff Scientis, DeSantis Lab at University of Michigan

Funded by: Molecular Biophysics Training Grant

Adriana Aguilar-Maldonado

Research Tech I (2017-2020)

B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of California - San Diego

Current Position: Harvard Graduate School of Art and Science, Molecules, Cells and Organisms Program

Vinit Adani

Lab Assistant (2019-2020)

Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of California - San Diego

Current Position: Research Associate at Inova Diagnostics

Morgan DeSantis

Postdoctoral Fellow (2014-2019)

B.A. Biochemistry, The College of Wooster

Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania

Funded by: Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Cancer Research and NIH K99/R00 Award (K99GM127757)

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan

Rachael McMinimy

Research Associate (2017-2019)

B.A. Neuroscience and Biology, Oberlin College, OH

Current Position: Graduate Student at University of California - Berkeley

Kelly Hayes

Undergraduate Researcher (2017-2019)

Majoring in Bioengineering/Biotechnology

Current Position: Undergraduate Researcher with Yo Suzuki at the J Craig Venter Institute.

Zaw Htet

Graduate Student (2014-2019)

B.S. Engineering Physics, University of California - Berkeley

Ph.D. Biophysics, Harvard University

Postdoctoral Fellow with Andreas Martin, University of California - Berkeley

Funded by: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Current Position: Math and Science Program Director, Mount Tamalpais College

Bret Redwine

Graduate Student Postdoctoral Fellow (2009-2018)

B.S. Biochemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia

Ph.D. Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard University

Current position: Head of custom protein resources, Stowers Institute for Medical Research

Phuoc Tien Tran

Research Associate (2015-2018)

B.A. Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN

Current position: Graduate Student, Harvard University (MCB Program)

Cassandra Niman

Postdoctoral Fellow (2015-2018)

B.S. Physics, University of California - San Diego

M.S. Physics, University of Oregon

Ph.D. Biophysics, Lund University, Sweden

Current position: Staff Systems Engineer, Staff Systems Engineer

Ophélie Kompaoré

Lab Assistant

B.A. Biological Anthropology, minor in General Biology

Michael Cianfrocco

Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. Biochemistry, Providence College

Ph.D. Biophysics, University of California - Berkeley

Funded by: Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

Current position: Research Assistant Professor, U-M Life Sciences Institute/ Assistant Professor of Biological Chemistry, U-M Medical School

Martin Egan

Postdoctoral Fellow (2009-2016)

B.S. (Hons) Biological Sciences, Exeter University, Exeter UK

Ph.D. Molecular Plant Pathology, Exeter University, Exeter UK Worked on: Regulation of microtubule based transport in Aspergillus nidulans

Current position: Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas

Mark McClintock

Graduate Student

B.A. Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder

Ph.D. Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard University Worked on: Determining the relationship between microtubule-based transport and cytotoxic protein aggregation.

Current position: Senior Investigator Scientist, LMB, Cambridge, UK

Himanish Basu

Graduate Student

B.S. Microbiology, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, India

M.S. Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India Worked on: Microtubule based transport in Aspergillus nidulans

Current position: Graduate student in Tom Schwarz' lab, Children's Hospital Boston

Mark Chonofsky

Undergraduate Student

Worked on: Identification of novel genes required for microtubule-based transport in Aspergillus nidulans

Current position: Undergraduate student, University of Cambridge, UK

Nathan Derr

Graduate Student (2008-2013)

B.A. Physics, Amherst College

Ph.D. Biophyscis, Harvard University Worked on: Biophysical mechanisms of individual and ensemble molecular motors

Current position: Associate Professor of Biology, Smith College

Marisa Di Gregorio

Laboratory Assistant

B.S. Biology, Salem State College

Current position: Operations Specialist, Pfizer

Karen Easley

Administrative Assistant

B.S. Zoology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Current position: Research Operations Manager, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School

Brian Goodman

Graduate Student (2009-2013)

B.S. Biochemistry, Brandeis University

Ph.D. Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard University Worked on: Mechanisms of multiple motor ensembles in vivo and in vitro

Current position: Partner, MPM BioImpact, Boston, MA

Natalie Heer

Undergraduate Student (2010-2012)

B.A. Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University Worked on: Identification of novel genes required for microtubule-based transport in Aspergillus nidulans

Current position: Graduate student, MIT

Ian Hollyer

Lab Manager (2014-2016)

B.A. Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN Worked on: Discovery of the dynein proteome.

Current position: Medical Student, Northwestern University School of Medicine

Julie Huang

Lab Director (2007-2013)

B.A. Biology, University of Pennsylvania

Ph.D. Cell and Developmental Biology, Harvard University Worked on: Mechanisms used by dynein-associated factors to modulate dynein motility

Current position: Director of Research Administration, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School

Weihong Qiu

Postdoctoral Fellow (2008-2013)

B.S. Physics, Nankai University

M.S. Applied Physics, Nankai University

Ph.D. Biophysics, The Ohio State University Worked on: Molecular mechanism of dynein motility and regulation

Current position: Associate Professor of Physics, Oregon State University

Anthony Roberts

Postdoctoral Fellow (2008-2013)

B.S. (Hons) Biochemistry, Imperial College, London

Ph.D. Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Leeds Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow with Peter Knight, Stan Burgess (Leeds) and Sam Reck-Peterson (Harvard)

Current position: Associate Professor, Sir Henry Dale Fellow School of Pathology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

Kaeling Tan

Postdoctoral Fellow (2010-2014)

B.S. (Hons) Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Melbourne, Australia

Ph.D. Science, University of Melbourne, Australia Worked on: Identification of novel genes required for microtubule-based transport in Aspergillus nidulans

Current position: Senior Instructor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macao

Michael Wu

Postdoctoral Fellow (2009-2011)

B.A. Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University Worked on: Identification of novel genes required for microtubule-based transport in Aspergillus nidulans

Current Position: Senior Manager of Global Marketing, Celgene

Sirui Zou

Graduate Student (2011-2014)

B.S. Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China Worked on: Structural and functional studies of dynein and its regulation

Current position: Senior Research Scientist, BrainCo_Tech

Amalia Driller-Colangelo

Summer student

Undergraduate student at Smith College

Nate Harper

Summer student

Undergraduate student at Lafayette College