Eduardo Perozo is Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago. He obtained a Licenciado Degree in Biology at the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) and his Ph.D in Physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was a postdoctoral fellow in membrane biophysics at the Jules Stein Eye Institute and Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA.  In 2006, he joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and became a member of the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics and the Neuroscience Institute. Eduardo was elected as a Fellow of the Biophysical Society in 2015 and in 2019 received the KS Cole Award for contributions to our understanding of ion channel structure and dynamics. In 2023, he was inducted to the Academia de Ciencias de America Latina (ACAL).

 Jane received a B.S. from the Moscow State University in Molecular Biology. Eagle to experience science in different settings and countries, Jane interned at the Janelia Research Institute and the Institute of Science and Technology (IST), in Austria. Jane decided to pursue her PhD at the University of Chicago in 2021, where she joined the Perozo Lab in 2022. She is currently studying the MET protein complex present in outer hair cells in zebrafish from both proteomics and functional perspectives. She is also developing her expertise in Cryo-ET through collaborative projects. Outside the bio world, you will probably find Jane running, cycling, snowboarding, or sharpening her film and photography skills.
Research interests: Auditory biology; Cryo-EM; Mechanosensitive membrane proteins; CryoET.

Margaret received a MSc degree and a First-degree Specialization in Medical Analytics from the Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. She is the Perozo Lab manager and oversees the smooth operation of the lab. Margaret is involved in general laboratory management – including ordering supplies and chemicals, lab inventory, equipment maintenance, laboratory safety, overseeing the Tissue Culture room facility, designing working space for the new students and staff, and training them in basic wet lab skills. She also participates in ongoing projects in the lab involving general cell and molecular biology. Outside of the lab, Margaret enjoys the outdoors: hiking, biking, exploring National Parks, and gardening.
Research interests: Auditory biology; Mechanosensitive membrane proteins; Cryo-EM; CryoET.

Naileth received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, then ventured to Chile for more research opportunities to pursue her doctoral studies. She received a PhD in Sciences with a specialization in Neuroscience at the Universidad Valparaíso, where she worked with Dr. Ramón Latorre on the molecular mechanisms that regulate the calcium- and voltage-activated potassium channel (BK) using electrophysiology (Patch-Clamp in Xenopus oocytes). Naileth joined the Perozo Lab in 2023 as a postdoctoral. She is currently working with the team to explore the molecular mechanisms of mechanosensation in gut cells. In her spare time, Naileth likes reading (but not papers), going to the lake, and riding her bike.
Research interests: Cryo-EM; Patch clamp; Ion channels.

Patrick received a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Miami, where he worked with Dr. Fulvia Verde in examining cell polarity and morphogenesis. Patrick is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics PhD candidate at the University of Chicago, and he joined the Perozo Lab in 2021. Patrick is interested in exploring the structure, function and dynamics of membrane proteins, and how it can be contrasted in different species. Outside the lab, you will find Patrick playing soccer, listening to music, or spending time outdoors and at Lake Michigan! 
Research interests: Cryo-EM; Evolutionary Biochemistry; Electrophysiology.

Yaikhomba joined the lab in 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow. His PhD focused on utilizing electron microscopy to solve structures of protein complexes from native biological membranes. Currently, Yaikhomba is investigating the molecular mechanisms and function of the homologs of the mammalian mechano-transduction machinery from choanoflagellates – a protein complex responsible for hearing – from an evolutionary perspective. His goal is to provide a molecular mechanism of the machinery responsible for hearing.
Research interests: Molecular mechanisms; Hearing; Biophysics  

Zeeshan received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biology, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. During his Ph.D., he studied epigenetic regulation of immune memory formation in Arabidopsis. After earning his doctorate degree, Zeeshan briefly studied the role of glucose signaling in heat shock response. Zeeshan joined the University of Chicago in 2017 as a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Jean Greenberg’s group in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology. There, he studied a proline-rich superfamily of chloroplast membrane proteins. Zeeshan joined the Perozo Lab in 2021, where he applies computational, genetic, cell, and molecular biology tools to study the MET complex in collaboration with the Malamy Lab from the department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology (MGCB). Far from the jellyfish, the scholar enjoys playing with his kids, going to the mountains, and horseback riding.
Research interests: Mechanosensitive ion channels; MET complex; Cnidarian; CRISPR; RNAi.

Research interests: Ions channels; Gating mechanisms; Stimulus integration; Structural biology.

Segun received a Bachelor of Technology in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and a MSc in Biochemistry from the University of Delaware, where he worked on the characterization of human selenoproteins. He then worked as a Senior Research Associate at Corteva Agriscience before joining the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (BMB) graduate program at the University of Chicago in 2024. Segun joined the Perozo lab in 2025, with co-mentorship from the Concepcion lab. He is currently looking to explore the functional and structural dynamics of TMCs in T cells. Outside the lab, Segun enjoys listening to music and podcasts.
Research interests: Membrane proteins; T cell biology; Structural biology