Dean Boecher is a second-year Bioengineering PhD student in the lab of Dr. Chris Obara at UC San Diego in the Departments of Biochemistry and Pharmacology. Hailing from Boston, Dean went on to graduate from Belmont University in Nashville, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics. Under the Interfaces program, Dean is co-mentored by Dr. Obara and Dr. Elizabeth Villa, bringing expertise in microscopy across scales. Scientifically, Dean is motivated by the fundamental questions of how structure informs biological function and how the organization of biological functions causes specific outcomes as he attempts to elucidate the intricacies of peroxisome biogenesis from the endoplasmic reticulum. Outside of the lab, Dean spends his time playing volleyball, relaxing at the beach, and hanging out with friends.