Hometown: Causeni, Moldova
Previous Research Interests: radioastronomy, planet hunting, optical trapping, molecular motors
Current Research Interests: how eukaryotic cells detect and respond to replication stress? how do complex molecular machines with dozens of subunits function?
Passionate about: molecules, science, history, photography, cooking
Guilty pleasure: ice-cream
Favorite quote: “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!” — Monty Python
Spirit animal: Polar Bear
Hometown: Shiga, Japan
Previous Research Interests: How does mismatch repair occur in the context of chromatin?
Current Research Interests: How does DNA damage checkpoint stabilize replication forks to maintain genome integrity?
Passionate about: Molecular biology, reading
Guilty pleasure: Sweets, Manga
Favorite quote: “Just concentrate on the next step, the next breath, the next stroke of the broom, and the next, and the next. Nothing else.” — Momo (Michael Ende)
Spirit animal: Turtle
Hometown: Pune, India
Previous Research Interests: Single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), stimulated emission depletion (STED), synaptic proteins involved in neurodegenerative disorders
Current Research Interests: Investigate replisome stability using advanced imaging
Passionate about: Microscopy, science writing, hiking, gardening
Guilty pleasure: Midnight food binges
Favorite quote: “One of the poets, whose name I cannot recall, has a passage, which I am unable at the moment to remember,in one of his works, which for the time being has slipped my mind, which hits off admirably in this situation” – P. G. Wodehouse
Spirit animal: Dog
Graduate Program: Biochemistry
Hometown: Pinehurst, NC
Previous Research Interests: Rapid genome evolution and sub-clonal heterogeneity as a consequence of cell division errors
Current Research Interests: How DNA unwinding is regulated by checkpoint signaling
Passionate about: Microscopy, folk dance, baking, soccer
Guilty pleasure: PBR
Favorite quote: “You can observe a lot by just watching” — Yogi Berra
Spirit animal: Squirrel
Graduate Program: Biophysics
Hometown: Montvale, NJ
Previous Research Interests: The role of J-proteins in variant-specific yeast prion elimination, ribosome-associated complex structure and function, employing Kuramoto model oscillators and small-world network architecture in neuroscience
Current Research Interests: How is initiation of DNA replication regulated?
Passionate about: Single molecule imaging, history and evolution of Sinitic and Japonic languages, cooking, biking, chemical origins and early evolution of life, computer hardware
Guilty pleasure: Boba
Favorite quote: “I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to realize that.” — K. Emiya
Spirit animal: Salamander
Graduate Program: Chemical and Systems Biology
Hometown: Dearborn, MI
Previous Research Interests: Regulation of E3 ligases, developing small-molecule inhibitors of DUBs, mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer, therapeutics targeting homologous recombination in Faconi anemia and cancer
Current Research Interests: Using single molecule imaging to understand regulation of DNA replication initiation
Passionate about: Microscopy, hiking, cooking, triathlons, plants
Guilty pleasure: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Favorite quote: “Not all those who wander are lost” — Bilbo Baggins (J.R.R. Tolkien)
Spirit animal: Badger
Hometown: Gwangju, South Korea
Previous Research Interests: Single-molecule spectroscopy, TIRF, CRISPR-Cas9
Current Research Interests: How RPA affects DNA replication dynamics
Passionate about: Biophysics, Swimming, Walking, Being a girl dad
Guilty pleasure: YouTube
Favorite quote: “Scientists love laser” — Saul Goodman (Breaking Bad)
Spirit animal: Owl
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Previous Research Interests: Liquid-liquid phase separation, ferritin degradation, autophagy
Current Research Interests: Protein assembly, cytoplasmic organization, physical properties of the cellular interior
Passionate about: Modeling of biological systems, computer graphics, minerals and fossils, miniatures, glassware, cheese
Guilty pleasure: Eating cheese
Favorite quote: “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” — Lewis Carroll
Spirit animal: Mouse
Hometown: Mountain View, CA
Previous Research Interests: Dendritic morphology of neurons in gerbil medial superior olive
Current Research Interests: Purifying fluorescent proteins
Passionate about: playing bassoon and contrabassoon, cooking, the small pond I built.
Guilty pleasure: Stephen King novels
Favorite quote: “It’s only a flesh wound.” — Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Spirit animal: Guinea Pig
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Previous Research Interests: N/A
Current Research Interests: Bringing more robust Biotech labs and demonstrations into the classroom
Passionate about: Magic the Gathering, Warhammer, 40k, Fighting Games
Guilty pleasure: Horror Podcasts
Favorite quote: “Shadow had spent 3 years in prison. He was big enough, and looked ‘don’t mess with me’ enough, that others generally left him alone, which was what he wanted. He spent his days practicing coin tricks, and thinking about how much he loved his wife.” American Gods – Neil Gaiman
Spirit animal: Sheep
Hometown: Zapotlan el Grande, Mexico
Current Interests: Plasmid DNA vaccine purification
Passionate about: Swimming, weightlifting, storytelling, and filmmaking
Guilty pleasure: Napping in meetings
Favorite quote: “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin
Spirit animal: Tiger
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Current Interests: Forensics investigation using gel electrophoresis
Passionate about: Art, music, literature, writing, astronomy, philosophy
Guilty pleasure: Daydreaming
Favorite quote: “The closer a thing comes to its perfection, the more keen will be it’s pleasure or it’s pain.” – Dante Alighieri
Spirit animal: Deer
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Current Interests: Forensics investigation using gel electrophoresis
Passionate about: Cooking, Drawing, DNA/Genetics, Animal Biology
Guilty pleasure: Buldak Spicy Ramen
Favorite quote: “You are your best thing.” – Toni Morrison, Beloved
Spirit animal: Capybara
Hometown: Redwood City, CA
Current Interests: Salsa making, salsa dancing, yoga, learning French
Passionate about: Family, cooking, running, farmer’s markets
Guilty pleasure: Taco Bell
Favorite quote: “No matter what you’re facing in life, eat first.” – Hillary Bamulinde
Spirit animal: Cat
Hometown: Wayne, NJ
Previous Research Interests: Art history, perfect squares, number patterns, maximalism, surrealism
Current Research Interests: Masonite and other compressed wood products, acrylic paint, cells and how they move, abstract art
Passionate about: Creating art, bridging art and science
Guilty pleasure: Baking, writing postcards, and sleeping
Favorite quote: “Learn to eat rejection; it will make you stronger.” — Bob Ragland
Spirit animal: Ms. Proboscis (@msproboscis)
Website: www.sarinamitchel.com
Hometown: West Covina, CA
Previous Research Interests: Brown squirrels
Current Research Interests: Black squirrels
Passionate about: Squirrel biodiversity, food on the ground, butt-scratches, did I mention squirrels?
Guilty pleasure: Leftovers
Favorite quote: “Are you going to eat that?”
Spirit animal: Pet Rock
