I enjoyed reading science fiction as a high school student and became interested in biology as a “pre-med” undergraduate. After a summer of research in a chemistry lab my sophomore year, I decided to abandon my plans for medical school, and apply to graduate school instead. I obtained my Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in Developmental Biology in 2004. I then joined Dr. Bruce Edgar's lab as a postdoctoral researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. There I began using Drosophila (fruit flies) as a model system to study developmental control of cell cycle regulation. My lab at U. Michigan opened in Jan. 2011 and uses Drosophila to study how the cell cycle is regulated during development. I also teach half of the U. Michigan undergraduate Developmental Biology course (Bio 205).

I completed my bachelor's in biochemistry at UC Davis, where I researched the role of Wnt signaling on osteocyte homeostasis and mechanotransduction. I then pursued a master’s in biochemistry and cellular biology at Stony Brook University, where my main project focused on analyzing the transcriptomic impacts of a gap junction KO on lens development. I am currently in my second year at Michigan in the department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, and I hope to continue studying cell signaling while integrating computational tools into my research. Outside of the lab, I enjoy running, beading, and relaxing with my cat and a good epic fantasy book!

I earned my bachelor’s degree at William Woods University (Fulton, MO) in 2019. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in two research labs, one focused in microbiology (Anchorage, AK), the other in biochemistry (Columbia, MO). After graduation, I worked as a research technician at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, TN) where I studied the effect of splicing factor mutations in myelodysplastic syndrome. I am currently a PhD candidate in Molecular and Cellular Pathology at the University of Michigan studying the transformation of various pre-malignant bone marrow diseases into leukemias. Outside of research, I enjoy hiking, reading, and writing.

I am a fifth year PhD student in the lab of Carole Parent through the Cellular and Molecular Biology program. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Millsaps College in my home state of Mississippi. There I became fascinated with basic research and cellular processes that underlie how cells communicate to each other and travel throughout a wide variety of complex environments. This led me to spend my summers engaged in research studying a variety of topics from cancer cell invasion to membrane trafficking. During my undergraduate training, I also gained a passion for mentoring that has propelled me to seek a career as an educator. My thesis project is to understand how the innate immune cells relay chemical signals to each other to recruit each other to sites of injury and infection. My career goals are to bridge the gap between basic science and teaching to provide students from all backgrounds with the opportunity to engage, understand, and participate in the research that leads to landmark discoveries.

As a proud Puerto Rican, I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao campus. Early in my undergraduate education, I developed my interest in biology and visual arts. At that moment I saw scientific illustration as a powerful tool for learning and sharing my scientific research by taking advantage of my art background. This fascination for how natural shapes and colors are created in the world led me to fall in love with the field of Developmental Biology. I pursued this passion during my Ph.D. at University of Chicago. There, as part of the integrative Biology graduate program, I tried to understand how the beautiful color patterns we see in butterflies get organized and eventually realized during their development. After completing my Ph.D., I was awarded a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship which led me to start a postdoctoral position here at University of Michigan. My current work still tries to understand both the process of color patterning and pigmentation but now in the fly system which allows me to dissect such developmental processes more mechanistically. In the future, my work will help us understand the developmental principles of how color patterns are produced and evolved in nature.

After completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Detroit Mercy, I struggled to determine my career path. I had always thought of going to medical school but decided to pursue a master’s degree at Wayne State to explore scientific research as a career. I quickly transitioned to the PhD program at Wayne State. After completing my Ph.D. I took on a position as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Maria Sandkvist at the University of Michigan Medical School. Here, we study bacterial secretion systems and their relevance to human disease. I enjoy playing soccer, baking bread, and all things Detroit!

I earned my Bachelor's in Computer Science and Biology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. During this time, I participated in research projects where I got to explore the topics of cell mechanics and cell migration. I was fascinated by cell migration and decided to do my Master's at McGill investigating the signaling dynamics of migrating cells. I am currently a third-year PhD student in Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan. In the Pearring Lab, I study the role of a centriolar protein, CEP162, in retinal development. Outside of the lab, I enjoy trying new recipes, running, Pilates and travelling.

I completed my bachelor's degree in Industrial Biotechnology at the University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus in 2023. As an undergraduate student, I worked under the mentorship of Dr. Carlos Rios-Velazquez working towards identifying novel CRISPR-Cas systems using metagenomic libraries generated from diverse environments around Puerto Rico. During the summers I participated in research in a broader range of fields from bacteriophages to cancer biology and epigenetics. This last experience really cemented my desire to go to graduate school and pursue research. I am currently a PhD student in the Cellular and Molecular Biology Program at the University of Michigan studying how certain stresses shape the innate immune system and their effect on host defense against pathogens. Outside of research I enjoy watching movies, being outdoors, and hanging out with my cat!

I am a second year PhD student in the Rachel Niederer lab through the Cellular and Molecular Biology program. I acquired my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with an immersion in mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. I started conducting biology research in my undergraduate years, and continued research for two years as a lab technician at the University of Rochester. The mentorship I engaged in as a teaching assistant in college and a lab supervisor afterwards gave me a passion for teaching. My thesis work aims to 1.) uncover control elements within the 5' UTR of SARS-CoV-2 and 2.) elucidate the role of SARS-CoV-2 viral protein Nsp1 in host translation shutdown. My long term goal is to become a teacher-scientist at a predominantly undergraduate institution (PUI). SARS-CoV-2 has wide research appeal, disparate impacts on different communities, and techniques in the project will be broadly accessible, making it an ideal project to transition into becoming a teacher-scientist at a PUI. During my PhD, I will gain wet lab techniques, bioinformatics skills, and mentorship experience to become a proficient researcher and scientist. With these skills, as a teacher-scientist, I will continue to create inclusive and safe environments for students to learn about biology.

I was born and raised in Brazil, and I’m incredibly proud of my roots! I graduated as a Biomedical Scientist at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, and later obtained my M.S. and Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Sao Paulo. I also developed part of my studies at the University of Kansas Medical Center as a Fulbright Doctoral Dissertation Research Award grantee. Then, I focused on understanding the role of dual-specificity phosphatases in pancreatic cancer. Now, as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Lyssiotis Lab, I’m interested in the role of mitochondrial metabolism in pancreatic cancer initiation. Outside the lab, I enjoy running, going to live concerts, having beers with friends in a sunny afternoon and staying home with my cat.

I received my B.S. from the University of Michigan in 2021 in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, completing my honors thesis on the role of ER-mitochondrial and ER-peroxisomal contact sites in ER stress response. Following this, I was a technician in Dr. Scott Leiser's lab studying aging in C. elegans. Now, I am pursuing a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology in the lab of Dr. Billy Tsai, studying how misfolded protein substrates induce cytosolic autophagy events. Outside of the lab, I love to paint, sew, and try new restaurants! 

Collin graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Honors Biology and minors in Mathematical Biology and Japanese in May 2021. His undergraduate research focused on methane leak tracking in the lab of Joe von Fischer. Following his graduation, he worked for a year at the United State Air Force Academy’s Biology Department, where he served as a mentor to their iGEM team and conducted research on PFAS contaminates. In July 2022, he moved to Bloomington, Indiana to work as a lab manager in the lab of Kenneth Nephew. In the Nephew lab he studied ovarian cancer stem cells and the functional role of ZNFX1 in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis. He is now interested in tumor recursion and drug resistance in cancer. Out of lab Collin enjoys cooking, getting outdoors for hiking or sports, and playing board games, Magic the Gathering, and D&D.

I’m currently a 3rd year PhD student in Dr. Swathi Yadlapalli’s lab through the Cellular and Molecular Biology program. I earned my bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Oregon, and it's here that I became interested in how genes are regulated in the brain to control functional outputs. This led me to pursue a PhD at the University of Michigan, where, in my first few years, I mentored several undergraduate students in the lab. These mentorships helped me solidify my proclivity for teaching, especially in a lab setting. My thesis project aims to understand how temperature regulates alternative splicing in neurons to control sleep behavior in fruit flies. In my spare time, I enjoy paddleboarding, baking, and watching football.

Pavithra completed her Masters from Heidelberg University, Germany and is currently a 4th year PhD student in Dr. Ursula Jakob's lab at the University of Michigan. In the lab, she investigates the role of polyphosphates in amyloidogenic processes and neurodegeneration. If not seen bopping around the lab with her headphones on, she can be found on a quest to find good coffee, plants and food.