GGSB 2014

B.S. Zhejiang University

I work on Drosophila photoreceptor differentiation – how cells integrate external signals and internal information to coordinate the transition from a multipotent to a differentiated state. My project uses systematic quantification of expression dynamics and CRISPR-generated gene knockouts to study the combinatorial regulation by isoforms of the ETS activator Pointed (Pnt) that confers cell fate specificity.

Personal Background: Born and raised in a small city in China. Lived in Hangzhou City, hailed as ‘Paradise on Earth’, before moving to Chicago.

Favorite Gene: pnt

Honorary Titles: Master of motivating myself.

DRSB 2015

B.S. Peking University

I study Drosophila pupal eye morphogenesis – how different cells interact with each other to transform a thin-layer imaginal eye disc into a spherical adult retina. My project has uncovered an intricate 3D cytoskeletal network that coordinates xy patterning across the tissue field with z-axis elongation of the epithelium to ensure robust retinal morphogenesis.

Personal Background: Born and grew up in Beijing, China. Lived in Damascus, Syria and Paris, France.

Favorite Gene: Not abl

Honorary Titles: Photographer of pupal retina; Believer that random protocols produce the most robust results; Want world peace.

DRSB 2017

B.S. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Genetics & Biotechnology

The simplicity in design of the Notch signaling pathway belies exceptional complexity as Notch can perform a plethora of functions (proliferation, cell fate specification, morphogenesis, cell death, etc) in a context-dependent manner (across different tissues or in the same tissue at different timepoints/conditions). I’m interested in understanding how different factors can activate/inactivate Notch in a spatiotemporal manner to ensure its proper functioning. Currently, I study how the Abelson kinase regulates Notch trafficking and signaling.

Personal Background: Born and raised in Peru. Lived in Havana, Cuba and various cities in the US

Favorite gene/protein: Of course Notch, but I also like armadillo (B-cat).

Honorary titles: The wing person in the lab, master of learning new protocols (even if I have to teach myself).

DRSB 2018

BMedSci University of New South Wales

Super curious to understand how physical and biochemical cues are integrated to influence cell fate decisions during development. I use the Drosophila eye to understand the interplay of morphogenesis (e.g. cytoskeletal forces) and biochemical signaling (RTK signaling) on influencing downstream transcription factor dynamics during photoreceptor specification. I will be using live imaging, biosensors, and optogenetics to get at this question.

Personal Background: Born in South Korea; Grew up in Sydney, Australia.                  

Favorite Gene: Mothers against decapentaplegic (Mad)

Favorite Paper: Evolution and Tinkering, Jacob (1977); “This paper reads particularly well with a glass of wine.”

Honorary Titles: Master of finding cool papers and conferences that I personally don’t want to read/go to but hope others will.

Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry Major, UChicago Class of 2021

I study the contribution of low complexity domains to the aggregation of transcription factors. By tuning the strength of specific protein-protein interaction I would like to explore the mechanisms by which transcriptions factors localize to specific enhancer regions and recruit other proteins.

Personal Background: Born and raised in Tehran, Iran before moving to Chicago,IL.

Favorite Gene: Fish-lips

Honorary Titles: Master Cloner, Salivary Gland Enthusiast

Biology Major, UChicago Class of 2022

My project focuses on understanding the relationship of polymerization strength to transcription factor function. Specifically, I am studying how expression of the mammalian repressor TEL in the embryonic mesoderm of stage 11 Drosophila embryos impacts the expression of transcriptional targets of its Drosophila counterpart Yan. I am particularly interested in how changes in TEL/Yan polymerization strength affect repressive function.

Personal Background: Born in Shanghai, China but recently from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Favorite Gene: Even-skipped (Eve)

Honorary Titles: A stunning stainer or a marvelous mounter, but never both at the same time.

B.A. Biology and Chemistry & B.S. Biochemistry, University of Chicago 2019

Current Position: Ph.D. Graduate Student in Biology, MIT

I studied the role of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions on transcription factor function. My research project focused on the mammalian protein TEL, a transcriptional repressor, which like its Drosophila counterpart Yan, has the curious ability to self-associate into long helical polymers. I engineered a set of TEL mutants with varying polymerization strengths and over-expressed them in the developing eye of Drosophila to evaluate the effects on cell type specification and tissue patterning.

Publications: Manuscript in preparation

Personal Background: Born and raised in Chicago with frequent trips back to the motherland, Mexico.

Favorite Gene:  I’m Not Dead Yet (INDY)
Honorary Titles: Terribly Overenthusiastic Undergrad, Master Injector, Resident Figure Artist, Christmas Ornament Builder

Ph.D. MSTP/Developmental Regeneration & Stem Cell Biology 2018
“Regulation of Notch trafficking and signaling by Abelson kinase”

Publications: Webber et al., Development 2018

Current Position: UChicago MSTP Program Class of 2021

Ph.D. UChicago Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics 2018
“Polymerization of the ETS family transcriptional Yan: Theory and experiment”

Publications: Hope et al., Biophysical Journal 2017; Hope et al., Elife 2018

Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow with Xiaozhong Alec Wang, Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University

BSc University of Bristol; Ph.D. Cancer Research UK, London Research Laboratories

Publications: Webber et al., Genetics 2013; Webber & Rebay, Fly 2013; Webber et al., Genes & Development 2013; Boisclair Lachance et al., Developmental Biology 2014; Webber & Rebay, Cell Cycle 2014; Boisclair Lachance et al., Genes & Development 2018; Webber et al., Development 2018; Hope et al., Elife 2018

Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow with Jaime Garcia-Anoveros, Northwestern University

Ph.D. McGill University

Publications: Boisclair Lachance et al., Developmental Biology 2014; Boisclair Lachance et al., Genes & Development 2018

Current Position: Research Associate, McGill University

Publications: Davis & Rebay, Developmental Biology 2017; Davis & Rebay, Development 2017; Davis et al., PLoS One 2017; Davis & Rebay, Fly 2018

Ph.D. UChicago Development Regeneration & Stem Cell Biology 2017
“Binding partners regulate Eyes absent-Sine oculis transcriptional output during retinal development in Drosophila melanogaster“

Current Position: Analyst, Lincoln Park Capital
https://www.lpcfunds.com/team/trevor-l-davis-ph-d/

Ph.D. UChicago Genetics Genomics & Systems Biology 2016
“Interactions between Eyes absent and JAK/STAT signaling during Drosophila development”

Publications: Hoi et al., Genetics 2016; Davis et al., PLoS One 2017

Postdoctoral work with Philip Barker, University of British Columbia

Current Position: Research Scientist, Applied Biological Materials

B.S. Indiana University at Bloomington

Publications: Webber et al., Genes & Development, 2013

Current Position: Ph.D. Graduate student in Cell & Molecular Biology, Duke University

Ph.D UChicago Cell and Molecular Biology 2012
“Signaling mechanisms regulation the dual function transcription factor/protein phosphatase Eyes absent during Drosophila development”

Publications: Morrillo et al., Developmental Biology 2012; Xiong et al., Development 2013

Current Position: Project Manager for Europe, Middle East, Africa & Latin America, Roche

B.S. University of Chicago

Publications: Zhang et al., Molecular Cell Biology 2010; Webber et al., Genetics 2013

Current Position: Ph.D. Graduate student in Biology, MIT

B.A. Mount Holyoke; R.N. & B.S.N. Loyola University Chicago

Current Position: unknown

Ph.D. Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Science

Current Position: Territory Manager (China) for COOK Medical Trading Co., LTD

Ph.D. UChicago Cancer Biology 2011
“Regulation of gene expression by the Drosophila ETS family transcriptional repressor Yan”

Publications: Zhang et al., Molecular Cell Biology 2010; Webber et al., Genetics 2013; Webber et al., Genes & Development 2013; Webber et al., Development 2018

J.D., Harvard University Law School

Current Position: Legal Manager of Beijing Office for Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
https://www.davispolk.com/professionals/jie-zhang

Ph.D. UChicago Cancer Biology 2010
“Regulation of Drosophila eye development by the transcription factor/protwin tyrosine phosphatase Eyes absent”

Publications: Xiong et al., Developmental Cell 2009; Xiong & Rebay, Developmental Dynamics 2011; Xiong et al, Development 2013; Hoi et al., Genetics 2016

Postdoctoral work with Connie Cepko, Harvard University

Current Position: Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong
https://www.cityu.edu.hk/bms/profile/wenjunxiong.htm

Ph.D. Harvard University

Current Postion: Senior Instructor, DePaul University Biological Sciences

https://depaul.digication.com/teaching-portfolio-carolyn-martineau/home

B.S. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne; Ph.D. University of Chicago

Publications: Zhang et al., 2010

Current Postion: Postdoctoral Fellow in Danelle Devenport’s Lab, Princton University

Ph.D. MIT Biology 2007
“Characterization of split ends in the integration of signaling during Drosophila eye development”

Publications: Lin et al., Development 2003; Doroquez & Rebay, Critical Reviews in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 2006; Doroquez et al., Mechanisms of Development 2007

Postdoctoral work with Piali Sengupta, Brandeis University

Current Postion: Medical Writer for Dynamed, EBSCO Information Services

Ph.D. MIT Biology 2007
“Regulation of Drosophila Eye Development by the Transcription Factors Eyes Absent and Spenito”

Publications: Jemc & Rebay, Genetics 2006; Jemc & Rebay, Genome Biology 2006; Jemc & Rebay, Annual Reviews Biochemistry 2007; Jemc & Rebay, Developmental Biology 2007; Zhou et al., Developmental Biology 2014

Postdoctoral work with Mark van Doren, Johns Hopkins University

Current Position: Associate Professor of Biology, Loyola University Chicago
https://www.luc.edu/biology/aboutus/facultyresearch/jenniferjemcmierisch/

B.S. & M.S. Madras University; Ph.D. Wesleyan University

Publications: Vivekanand et al, Mechanisms of Development 2004; Vivekanand & Rebay, Annual Reviews Genetics 2006; Zhang et al., Molecular Cell Biology 2010; Vivekanand & Rebay, PLoS One 2012; Webber et al., Genetics 2013

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Susquehanna University

https://www.susqu.edu/academics/faculty/fac/pavithra-vivekanand

Ph.D. MIT Biology 2007 (2001 – 2004 in Rebay Lab, finished in Jonathan King’s Lab)

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Chemistry & Food Science, Framingham State University

B.S. University of Chicago; Ph.D. Northwestern University

Publications: Mutsuddi et al., Genetics 2005

Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar in Rich Carthew’s Lab, Northwestern University

M.S. MIT Biology 2004

Current Position: Manager and Lead Analyst, National Grid

Ph.D. MIT Biology 2004
“Regulation of cell fate by phosphorylation: A tale of two transcription factors”

Publications: Tootle et al., Development 2003; Tootle et al., Nature 2003; Vivekanand et al., Mechanisms of Development 2004; Tootle & Rebay, Bioessays 2005; Rebay et al., Trends in Genetics 2005; Mutsuddi et al., Genetics 2005

Postdoctoral work with Allan Spradling, Carnegie Institute

Current Position: Associate Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa
https://medicine.uiowa.edu/acb/profile/tina-tootle

Ph.D. MIT Biology 2004
“Dual functions of the Retinal Determination Gene Network member EYES ABSENT as a transcription factor and phosphotase”

Publications: Silver et al., Molecular Cell Biology 2003; Tootle et al., Nature 2003; Silver et al., Genesis 2004; Silver & Rebay, Development 2005; Rebay et al., Trends in Genetics 2005; Mutsuddi et al., Genetics 2005

Postdoctoral work with Norbert Perrimon, Harvard University

Current Position: Biology Research at Fulcrum Therapeutics
https://bsoccs.org/building-a-team

Ph.D. Banaras Hindu University
“Dual functions of the Retinal Determination Gene Network member EYES ABSENT as a transcription factor and phosphotase”

Publications: Mutsuddi et al., Current Biology 2004; Mutsuddi et al., Genetics 2005; Mutsuddi & Rebay, RNA Biology 2005

Current Position: Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Banaras Hindu University

http://www.bhu.ac.in/science/molecularandhumangenetics/mm.php

B.S. Williams College; D.D.S. University of California at San Francisco; M.P.H University of California at Berkeley; Ph.D. University of California at Berkeley

Publications: Mutsuddi et al., Genetics 2005

Current Position: Associate Professor, USCF School of Dentistry

https://dentistry.ucsf.edu/about/faculty/benjamin-chaffee

B.S. McGill University; Ph.D. University of California at San Francisco

Publications: Tootle et al., Nature 2003

Current Position: Ensembl Outreach Officer, EMBL-EBI

https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/trainers/vnewman_9726

Ph.D. MIT Biology 2002
“The rhinoceros gene of Drosophila restricts cell fate specification in the developing eye”

Publications: Rebay et al., Genetics 2000; Badenhorst et al., Genes & Development 2002; Voas & Rebay, Developmental Dynamics 2004; Voas & Rebay, Genetics 2003; Badenhorst et al., Genes & Development 2005

Postdoctoral work with William Talbot, Stanford University and Tatjiana Piotrowski, Stowers Institute

Current Position: Research Analyst at Hughes Hubbard & Reed

https://www.hugheshubbard.com/attorneys/matthew-voas

B.S. Williams College; Ph.D. Stanford University

Publications: Hsiao et al., Developmental Cell 2001; Silver et al., Molecular Cell Biology 2003; Tootle et al., Nature 2003

Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow in Alejandro Sanchez Alvaredo’s Lab, Stowers Institute, en route to a tenure track position as a Stadtman Investigator in Cancer & Developmental Biology, National Cancer Institute

Ph.D. MIT Biology 2001
“Characterization of split ends, a new component of the Drosophila epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway”

Publications: Rebay et al., Genetics 2000; Chen & Rebay, Current Biology 2000; Lin et al., Development 2003; Silver et al., Genesis 2004

J.D., Suffolk University Law School

Current Position: Life Sciences & Intellectual Property Partner at Proskauer Rose LLP
https://www.proskauer.com/professionals/fangli-chen

B.S. Cornell University; M.D.,Ph.D. Tufts University School of Medicine

Publications: Rebay et al., Genetics 2000; Hsiao et al., Developmental Cell 2001

Current Position: Dermatologic surgeon, California Skin Institute

https://californiaskininstitute.com/providers/francis-hsiao-md-phd/

M.S. University of California at Davis; J.D. Suffolk University Law School

Publications: Rebay et al., Genetics 2000; Hsiao et al., Developmental Cell 2001

Current Position: Attorney, Alkermes Inc.