Our People

I was raised in Billings, MT and studied Biology at Santa Clara University while working in Dr. Eric Tillman’s organic chemistry lab on polymer synthesis research. After school I remained in the Bay Area and worked in biopharma, where I became increasingly interested in immunology and genomics. Now, as a student in the Marson lab, I am excited to work at the intersection of these fields to better understand gene regulatory networks that prevent immune dysfunction. Outside of lab I enjoy hiking, traveling, and boxing (fun fact: I competed in boxing during college) as well as participating in outreach programs aimed at promoting diversity in STEM.

I was raised in Visalia, CA and majored in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA. During my time there I studied the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii and the molecular mechanisms it employs to manipulate its hosts. My undergraduate experience showed me the importance in understanding basic immunology, which has led me to the BMS program at UCSF. Now, under the joint mentorship of Dr. Alex Marson and Dr. Joe DeRisi, I plan to develop new technology to study the role of autoreactive T cells in autoimmune disease. Outside of the lab, you can find me cycling in the Marin Headlands, running in Golden Gate Park, and listening to podcasts.

I was born in San Francisco and grew up in the Bay Area, attending UC Berkeley where I majored in Molecular and Cell Biology. After graduating, I worked as a research technician in the lab of Dr. Dave Savage where I studied CO2-concentrating mechanisms as a system for carbon capture. At UCSF, my interests have focused on understanding viruses and how they hijack host machinery. In the Marson Lab, I am using our recently developed genome-wide platforms in primary CD4+ T cells to study host-pathogen interactions with HIV. Outside of lab, you can find me on the slopes, at a local concert venue, or soaking in the sun at DoLo enjoying a local IPA.

I was born and raised in Seattle, WA and went to Scripps College for undergrad where I majored in Biochemistry. After graduating, I worked as a technician in Dr. Stanley Qi’s lab at Stanford University where I developed new CRISPR tools for genome/epigenome editing. I became increasingly interested in immunology and cell-based therapies, which led me to the BMS program at UCFS. As a joint student in Drs. Luke Gilbert and Alex Marson’s labs, I am interested in the intersection of functional genomics and epigenetic editing to better understand CD8+ T cell differentiation. Outside of lab I love cooking, cycling, skiing and spending time with my roommate’s puppy, a Frenchie named Toast.

I was born in Cuba and completed my PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Tom Malek's lab. My thesis work focused on repurposing interleukin-2 for cancer immunotherapy to enhance T cell responses to tumor neoantigen vaccines. In the Marson lab, I have continued to exploit the IL-2 pathway to generate more potent T cell therapies for cancer treatment using genomic engineering tools. Outside of lab, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, exploring nature, and reading great books.

I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and completed my Ph.D at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). My doctoral studies mainly focused on developing a novel phagocytic fusion protein targeting beta-amyloid highly associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Currently, I am a postdoctoral scholar, co-mentored by Dr. Alex Marson and Dr. Julia Carnevale, with a primary objective of expediting the discovery of effective cell therapies for cancer patients. My research interests primarily lie in using Cas9/Base editor screening in monocytes/macrophages to identify critical genes related to the tumor microenvironment. Outside of the lab, I love spending time with my family, playing tennis with friends, and watching soccer matches at home.

I grew up surrounded by the coastal redwood forests of Northern California and attended college at Humboldt State University, where my love of nature and biology evolved into a passion for genome editing. After I graduated, I joined the lab of Dr. Matthew Porteus at Stanford University where I worked on therapeutic genome editing and stem cell engineering. Now, I am continuing to follow that passion for genome editing as a Bioengineering PhD student under the joint mentorship of Dr. Alex Marson and Dr. Sagar Bapat. In the lab, I am currently engineering immune cells to enhance and expand their therapeutic capabilities. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time in nature, cooking, gardening, and hanging out with my cat.

I was born in China and earned my Ph.D. from the laboratoriesof Dr. Xuemei Tong and Dr. Bin Li at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. During mydoctoral studies, I delved deeply into the intricate relationship betweencellular metabolism and Treg cell fitness, particularly within the contexts ofautoimmune diseases, cancer, and obesity. My overarching interest lies inuncovering potent adoptive T cell therapies through the metabolic rewiring ofhuman T cells. Currently, I am a joint postdoc at the Marson lab and Carnevalelab. In my present work, I am employing innovative CRISPR screening approachesto identify novel therapeutic targets for genetic engineering aimed atenhancing T cell metabolic resilience against suppression by solid tumors.Outside the lab I enjoy cooking, hiking, playing tennis, badminton, and Mahjong.

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Fellowships: CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow, Michelson Prize for Human Immunology and Vaccine Development

From Azerbaijan and Massachusetts, I studied biology and philosophy at Georgetown University. I went on to complete my Ph.D. in immunology with Mark Davis at Stanford University, where I studied the role of γδ T cells during malaria. Broadly, I am interested in γδ T cells and T-cell receptor biology. Using functional genomics, I am researching the role of γδ T cells in cancer and translating these findings to therapeutic uses of γδ T cells. Outside the lab, I like to cook, look at photographs, and make photographs.

I’m a Rheumatology fellow and physician-scientist, broadly interested in applying high-throughput functional genomic screening technology to better understand human autoimmune diseases.  I discovered my love of Immunology/Rheumatology while completing the MD-PhD program at Harvard Medical School.  I studied with Steve Elledge for my PhD, applying screening technologies in immortalized and transformed human cell lines.  After internal medicine residency at BWH in Boston, I moved out to UCSF for subspecialty medical training in Rheumatology.  In the Marson lab, co-mentored by Mark Davis at Stanford, I’m exploring applications of screening technology to characterize autoantigens and clarify the mechanisms of Rheumatic diseases.  Outside the lab, I enjoy gardening, board games, hazy IPAs, and spin class.

I grew up in Japan and completed my M.D. and Ph.D. at the University of Tokyo. I’m a physician who specializes in rheumatology and am broadly interested in the genetic determinants of autoimmune diseases. Now I’m a joint postdoc of Marson lab and Pritchard lab at Stanford and I will combine functional genomics and statistical approaches to disentangle the gene regulatory networks underlying the complex diseases. Outside of the lab, I love to play the saxophone and the clarinet and listen to jazz.

I did my doctoral studies on HIV vaccine design in Prof. Raghavan Varadarajan’s lab at Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Lessons learnt while working with the formidable HIV-1 pathogen have helped me appreciate the complexity of the human immune system. My love for viruses and the desire to learn more about the host immunity brought me to Marson Lab where I am exploring the host factors involved in various viral diseases. In addition to science, I love to hear all kinds of audiobooks/podcasts and explore nature (preferably while running).

I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where I also completed my PhD in the lab of Stephane Angers at the University of Toronto. My PhD project focused on using functional genomics and CRISPR/Cas9 approaches to study cell signaling pathways in pancreatic and colorectal cancers. I am broadly interested in using functional genomics approaches for the unbiased discovery of gene editing or druggable targets for improved cancer immunotherapies. My projects in the Marson Lab are focused on using a variety of CRISPR/Cas9 based approaches to functionally dissect coding and noncoding determinants of T cell function in cancer immunotherapy contexts. When I am not in the lab I enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities, namely biking, skiing, and backpacking, or when the weather is bad, playing board games with friends.

I grew up near Milwaukee, WI, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Studio Art. While there, I worked in Dr. William Murphy’s lab optimizing mRNA untranslated regions to improve RNA gene delivery and investigating mechanisms to improve CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in efficiency. I’m interested in transcriptional regulation, genetics, and epigenetics. Outside of the lab, I love hiking, drawing, and playing tennis and volleyball.

I grew up in North Carolina and then studied chemistry at Harvard University. Most recently, I finished my PhD at UC Berkeley in Dan Nomura's lab working on expanding the "druggable proteome" with chemical and proteomic technologies. With a desire to continue working on novel translational technologies, I joined the Marson Lab in 2020 and am particularly interested in expanding the toolbox of genome engineering techniques in T cells as well as applying these methods towards overcoming the difficulties antitumor T cells face in the tumor microenvironment. When I am out of lab, I love cycling around the Bay Area, skiing, and trying out new cuisines at all the restaurants in the area.

I was raised in NYC, grew up thinking 24/7 grocery stores were the norm, and majored in CS and Statistics at Columbia University. I've spent time developing computational models across industry and academia for everything from the microbiome, to small molecule drug discovery, to robotics. Most recently, I worked on the analysis and modeling of single cell data under the mentorship of Nir Yosef. In the Marson lab, I'm excited to combine synthetic biology and computational modeling to interrogate questions at the intersection of immunology and genomics. When I'm not in the lab, you can find me biking the hills of East Bay and Marin or taking care of my co-parented rabbit named Potato.

Fellowships: Zena Werb Scholar (T32 trainee)

My interest in science began at Whitman College, where I studied molecular biology and functional genomics with Team Weed in the Vernon Lab. I fell in love with immunology in Stan Riddell’s lab at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and continued to study T cell differentiation and death during graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania in Nick Restifo’s lab at the NCI. In the Marson lab I’m excited to explore new ways of tuning the transcriptional regulation and function of T cells through the use of targeted genome engineering. Outside of the lab I enjoy cooking and baking, hiking and exploring the city.

I'm from China and studied biochemistry at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. I came to the US and joined Michael Elowitz's lab at Caltech for Ph.D. training in systems biology. My broad interest is to understand and predict how biological circuits control biological processes. In Marson lab, I'll combine functional genomics and mathematical modeling to understand biological circuits controlling T cell functions and polarization. Outside of the lab, I like bouldering, playing tennis, and playing league of legends on the phone.

I have lived in San Francisco for as long as I can remember and recently graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology. In my fourth year of undergrad, I chose to focus on a combination of cell biology and biomolecular engineering to gain experience in utilizing computational biology tools, and I developed a strong interest in the role of coding and non-coding regulatory elements in cancer genomics. I am excited to see future developments in genome wide screening to identify key regulatory elements in oncology and immunology as well as applying principles of synthetic lethality, RNAi, and CRISPR in enhancing cancer therapies in the lab. In the next few years, I hope to be able to gain the skills necessary to prepare for and apply to a graduate program. In my spare time, I like to binge watch Middle Eastern and Turkish dramas, go for long walks around Golden Gate Park, and force my sister to try my new cooking.

I am originally from Michigan and did my PhD training in genetics at MIT with Angelika Amon and postdoctoral training in immunology with Ramnik Xavier at the Broad Institute. I spent a few years as an editor at Cell before joining the team at the Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, where I focus on scientific strategy, collaboration, and outreach. I am casually passionate about marine biology, mixology, and literature, and intensely obsessed with my dog, Gatsby.

I grew up in Hong Kong and came to the United States for high school. I received my PhD at UC Santa Barbara with Craig Montell studying sensory neurobiology in Drosophila and postdoctoral training at Stanford with Nirao Shah studying neural circuits of social behaviors in mice. As grant writer at Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, I support institute labs and trainees with their grant and fellowship applications and foster collaborations. I am Mom to my daughter, Maile, and to my Coton, Louis. I love spending time with my family, hiking, tending to my orchids, and eating.

I got a Bachelor degree in Science of Nursing and a Master degree in Ob/Gyn from Shanghai Medical University. I worked as an embryologist and clinician in an IVF center in Shanghai for 4 years. In 2004, I moved to San Francisco and joined the German Lab at the UCSF Diabetes Center. After working there for more than 10 years, I am proud of myself as a technician with broad laboratory skills and have the expertise in mouse embryo manipulation. I like to plant veggies and flowers in my free time.

I graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelors in Biochemistry. Since then, I have worked as a Regulatory Analyst at Applied Biosystems, a Research Technician at the CPMC Kuzell Institute of Infectious Diseases, a Research Associate at UCSF, and then transitioned into the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease as Lab Manager for Dr. Todd McDevitt's lab. I am excited to be part of Dr. Alex Marson's lab and the Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology and look forward to helping the lab succeed in overcoming unsolved diseases through transformative biomedical research. Outside of the lab, I like to spend time with my family and take long walks around the city.

Before joining the Joint Institute at Alex’s newest Executive Assistant, I was Executive Assistant to the CEO of Bungalow, a co-living start-up. While I don’t have a scientific background, I’m excited to learn more about how CRISPR therapies can be used to treat many different diseases, from cancer to autoimmune diseases and more. I’m responsible for managing Alex’s time and daily schedule, as well as any administrative projects related to the Gladstone side of the Joint Institute. In my free time, you can find me playing Sims 4, watching anime, or reading a fantasy book. I’m a big nerd! Fun fact: I have an in-home gel manicure kit and love experimenting with designs on my own nails.

I grew up in San Diego, California and found myself drawn to science from a very young age. While pursuing my B.S. in Cell and Developmental Biology at University of California Santa Barbara, I worked on a research project investigating the molecular and mechanical role of different nuclear components during confined cell migration. This served as my introduction to molecular biology and propelled my interest in exploring the multitude of genetic engineering technologies. I'm particularly interested in how we can use these technologies to uncover gene regulatory networks and program cells for therapeutic use. Outside of the lab I enjoy traveling, trying new foods and recipes, reading, and being outside any time it's sunny!

I obtained an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley in Molecular Cell Biology and a master's degree from SF State in Biomedical Lab Science. During my undergrad I volunteered at a UCSF lab that focused on the genetics of neurological disorders, through which I found myself working in a core facility that provided sequencing and genotyping services to the UCSF community. Eventually I became the manager of the facility, but had to find another avenue of financial funding after Sanger sequencing and microsatellite genotyping were considered obsolete analysis platforms. I hoped to join a lab that stayed on the forefront of new techniques and assay adoption, finding myself in the role of lab manager for the Marson lab. Outside of lab, whenever I have some free time, I aim for board game sessions, any game, any length.