Principle Investigator, Sandler Fellow

Mark received his undergraduate degree from The College of William & Mary in 2018, where he discovered a passion for developmental biology working with Dr. Margaret Saha. He received his Ph.D. in 2023 working with Dr. Antonio Giraldez at Yale University and joined UCSF as a Sandler Faculty Fellow in early 2024. During his Ph.D., Mark developed Chromatin Expansion Microscopy to enable super-resolution imaging of chromatin, transcription, and transcription factors in developing zebrafish embryos. Outside of the lab, Mark enjoys staying active and outdoors through hiking, swimming, and camping.

Assistant Specialist

Nidhi holds a MSc. in Cancer Cell Biology from University of Sussex, and studied the impact of strain variation in EBNA1 protein on its structure, function and drug development under the guidance of Prof. Michelle West. After her masters, Nidhi worked for an NGO teaching English and employable skills to adults in rural India. Prior to UCSF, Nidhi worked at a Cancer Hospital and Research center and studied the correlation between Tumor Associated Macrophages in Breast Cancer and response to Neo-adjuvant Chemotherapy. Nidhi’s research interests include signaling pathways in context of disease biology and developmental biology. Outside the lab, Nidhi enjoys cuddling cats, gardening, and dancing.

Assistant Specialist

Alexa studied at the University of North Carolina Wilmington for both her B.S. and M.S. in Biology. During her undergraduate studies, she worked on a nano-satellite project in conjunction with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for detecting algal blooms for fisheries and helped create a comprehensive library of harmful algae pigment profiles. Following graduation, Alexa worked as an associate scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, detecting impurities in drugs undergoing FDA approval. During her master's, Alexa used zebrafish and East African cichlids as model organisms to investigate retinoic acid's role in osteoblast maturation during craniofacial development, with implications for better understanding human bone disease. Alexa's research interests include understanding the genetic regulation of development, the sensitivity of developmental pathways, and the mechanisms by which disruptions in these fundamental processes lead to disease. Outside the lab, Alexa enjoys nature photography, exploring new hiking trails, and spending time with her dogs.

Check out open positions for more information!