Natasha Carlson
Biomedical Sciences
Natasha Carlson is a third-year PhD student in the Biomedical Sciences Program at UCSD. She grew up in Tujunga, California and earned her B.S. in both Biotechnology and Cellular and Molecular Biology from the California State University, Northridge. Under the co-mentorship of Dr. Pekkurnaz and Dr. Gustafsson, Natasha currently seeks to unravel the molecular cascade that leads to neuronal dysfunction due to accumulating mtDNA mutations at both the subcellular and organismal level by utilizing various interdisciplinary approaches including live-cell imaging, cellular respirometry, and mass spectrometry. Outside of lab, Natasha enjoys drawing, exploring San Diego, and spending time with her boyfriend and cat.
Jonathan Gunn
Bioengineering
Jonathan Gunn is a second-year Bioengineering Ph.D. student in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program at UCSD. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University, where he coauthored four publications, including a co-first author paper in Nature Biomedical Engineering detailing the Molecular Indexing of Proteins by Self-Assembly (MIPSA) technology. As an inventor of the MIPSA platform (Patent WO2022187277A1), Jonathan’s work laid the foundation for Infinity Bio, a startup led by his former mentors that has since profiled novel pathological autoantibodies implicated in autoimmune diseases in over ten thousand patients. Co-advised by Drs. Dan Kaufman and Ester Kwon, Jonathan is developing lipid nanoparticles for targeted delivery to T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells for in vivo Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) therapy. Furthermore, by utilizing self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), he aims to improve the long-term expression of the CAR protein, enhancing its potency and longevity. Outside of the lab, he has been active in UCSD’s Free Clinic, providing care to the uninsured, and has participated in Doc-4-A-Day to inspire high school students to pursue STEM careers. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys playing chess and tennis, as well as picnicking with his fiancée and dachshund at Kate Sessions Memorial Park.
Kathryn Hatch
Biomedical Sciences
Kathryn is a third-year PhD student in the Biomedical Sciences program at UCSD. She earned her B.S. in Biology at Emory University where she began her research career and co-authored her first paper on the chromatin changes in crop model organisms in response to flooding. After receiving her degree, Kathryn worked as a data analyst in a neuroimaging and genetics lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore where she co-authored several more papers, including a first-author paper on the phenotypic similarities of brain imaging data across psychiatric and metabolic diseases. Kathryn's current work involves using novel molecular tools to understand the role of the hyperactive LRRK2 kinase in Parkinson's Disease. Outside of lab, Kathryn enjoys hiking, running, and exploring San Diego.
Dylan Hirsch
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Dylan is a second-year PhD student in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program at UCSD, working with Dr. Sylvia Herbert and Dr. Boris Krämer, along with his co-mentor, Dr. Jin Zhang. Originally from Los Angeles, he received a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and an SM in Biological Engineering from MIT. In between his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, he did research in computational biology at the NIH. Dylan’s current research interests center on control theory, differential games, and their application to modeling and simulating biological systems. Outside of the lab, he enjoys running, cooking, and watching movies.
Katie Lamar
Bioengineering
Katie Lamar is a second-year PhD student in the Bioengineering department at UC San Diego where she focuses on improving brain and brainstem Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) under the guidance of Dr. Thomas Liu and Dr. Albert Hsiao. Katie's research takes both an acquisition-based as well as an AI-centric, correction-based approach to minimizing off-resonance and motion-related artifacts that significantly hinder the accuracy of brain and brainstem functional imaging. Prior to joining UC San Diego as a Bioengineering doctoral student, Katie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science in May of 2022 and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Computer Science (EECS) in May of 2023 from UC Berkeley. Katie's undergraduate and graduate research, under the guidance of Dr. Michael Lustig, focused on minimizing cardiac and respiratory-induced motion artifacts using microwave frequencies to track subject motion. Outside of the lab, Katie enjoys exploring San Diego and hanging out with her two cats, Cauchy and Riemann (Remy).
Gillian McMahon
Bioengineering
Gillian McMahon is a third-year Bioengineering PhD student in Dr. Johannes Schöneberg’s lab at UCSD. She earned her BS in Mathematics-Applied Science from UCSD. She also worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory with Dr. Judith Mourant developing a microfluidic flow cytometer. Her current research, co-mentored by Dr. Rommie Amaro, is creating a model for coronavirus infection in hiPSC-derived branching lung organoids and determining effects of different coronavirus variants. Using lattice light sheet microscopy (LLSM) to investigate mitochondrial network behavior in live organoids, she hopes to identify changes in cell biology and potentially identify treatment avenues. Outside of lab, she enjoys outreach, dancing, and spontaneous trips.
Samantha Sanchez
Bioengineering
Samantha Sanchez is a second-year PhD student in the Bioengineering department at UC San Diego. She received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from UC Irvine, where she contributed to multiple research projects in the labs of Dr. Jered Haun and Dr. Fangyuan Ding. She is currently co-advised by Dr. Jin Zhang and Dr. Lingyan Shi, designing genetically encodable biosensors for live subcellular imaging. She is especially interested in developing and applying red-shifted biosensors for multiplexed investigations into 2D/3D cancer-immune interactions. Outside of lab, you can find her relaxing at home with a DIY project or out exploring San Diego events/food with friends.
