LAB MEMBERS

LAB MEMBERS

Left to Right: Jongbeom Park, Ricardo Mallarino, Aaron Griffing, Jiyoung Kang, Megan Rothstein, Taso Callanan, Paul Frazel, Forrest Rogers, Harsha Sen, Ben Brack, Sarah Mereby

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

 Ricardo Mallarino - rmallarino(at)princeton.edu

LAB MANAGER/RESEARCH SPECIALIST

Sarah Mereby - smereby(at)princeton.edu

Sarah is a Research Specialist in the Molecular Biology department. She received her M.S. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Emory University where she studied non-primate lentiviruses. She also received her B.S. in Biology from The College of New Jersey. Sarah has always been fascinated by genetics and the regulation of gene expression.

POSTDOCS

Dr. Paul Frazel - [email protected]

Paul received his PhD in 2024 from New York University, studying glial biology in the group of Dr. Shane Liddelow in the NYU Neuroscience Institute. During his PhD, Paul used advanced sequencing and genetic engineering tools to study transcriptional changes in astrocytes during normal development and Alzheimer's Disease (AD), in both mouse and human stem cell model systems. Paul is currently interested in how evolution drives transcriptional changes that generate discrete natural traits, such as the stripe phenotype seen in Rhabdomys. He is also developing new technologies for high-throughput generation of transgenic animals in non-traditional model species, in order to mechanistically address evolutionary and biological questions more generally.

Dr. Aaron Griffing - ag3200(at)princeton.edu
PRFB Fellowship (NSF)

Aaron’s research aims to uncover how development is altered on evolutionary scales to produce morphological diversity in reptiles. He completed his PhD in 2022 from Marquette University, under the advisement of Dr. Tony Gamble, where he studied evo-devo of convergent gecko morphologies. Currently, Aaron is studying the genomic basis of lung diversity in tetrapods and lizard gliding structures. He is currently co-advised by Dr. Celeste Nelson in the Princeton Dept. of Chemical & Biological Engineering.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

UNDERGRADUATES

FACULTY ASSISTANT

Dr. Forrest Rogers - fr1510(at)princeton.edu
F32 (NRSA) Fellowship (NIH)

Forrest received his PhD in 2020 from the University of California, Davis. His doctoral work, completed under the advisement of Dr. Karen Bales, investigated how compositional variation in early life parenting structures alters biobehavioral development in socially monogamous and biparental prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). As a trainee in the NIMH-sponsored (T32) Bay Area Affective Science Training Program, he completed additional training in human psychophysiology under the advisement of Dr. Wendy Berry Mendes at the University of California, San Francisco. Forrest completed his B.S. in Biological Science (College & Departmental Honors) and his B.A. in French from Oklahoma State University. Forrest is principally interested in elucidating the neurobiological causes and biobehavioral consequences of parental care. He is co-advised by Dr. Catherine Peña at Princeton Neuroscience Institute.

Dr. Megan Rothstein - mr6463(at)princeton.edu
F99/K00 Fellowship (NIH)

Megan's research interests lie in understanding the developmental basis underlying phenotypic novelties observed across the animal kingdom. She received her PhD from Cornell University, where she studied gene regulatory networks controlling neural crest formation under the direction of Dr. Marcos Simoes-Costa. Currently, she seeks to combine experimental embryology and comparative genomics approaches to uncover the molecular mechanisms governing variation in avian bill morphology.

Ben Brack - bbrack(at)princeton.edu

Ben is a graduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology. He received his B.A in Biology from Cornell University studying the genetic basis of red pigmentation in butterfly wings and later returned to Cornell as a technician working on the evolution of facial recognition in paper wasps. Ben is generally interested in how developmental mechanisms shape and constrain the emergence of novel traits, and how these can influence convergent evolution. He is using genomic and molecular approaches to explore how stripe patterns are established in the African Striped Mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) and the Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus).

Jiyoung Kang - jiyoung(at)princeton.edu

Jiyoung is a graduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology. She received her B.A. from Yale University. She is broadly interested in dynamic patterns and plans to study melanocyte development in the African Striped Mouse. In her free time, she likes to read, solve puzzles, and enjoy other sedentary hobbies. Jiyoung is co-advised by Dr. Danelle Devenport

Harsha Sen - hs2508(at)princeton.edu

Harsha is a graduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology. He received his B.A. in Biology and Economics from Swarthmore College where he worked on modeling speciation dynamics during the Cambrian explosion, and on investigating the conservation of pericentric satellite repeats in great apes. He also studied paralogy in the dual genomes of the ciliate Oxytricha trifallax. After graduation, he worked in Steve McCarroll’s lab on developing single-cell, single-virion approaches for high-throughput inference of synaptic connectivity. Harsha is broadly interested in understanding biological systems from evolutionary and genomic perspectives by developing and using computational and molecular tools. Harsha plans to investigate the functional evolution of gliding and flying membranes in mammals using computational and high-throughput molecular approaches.

Nora Shefferman - norashefferman(at)princeton.edu

Nora is an undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology. She is very interested in gene regulation, especially in evolution and development. Currently, she is working with Aaron to investigate the mechanisms of patagium formation and evolution in gliding geckos in comparison to mammalian patagia development. On campus, she also works at the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning as a tutor and advises first year students in the New College West residential college as a Peer Academic Adviser.

Taso Callanan – taso.callanan(at)princeton.edu

Taso is an undergraduate in the Department of Molecular Biology. He is interested in
interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the biological mechanisms of behavior through the
study of evolution, molecular biology, and neuroscience. He is currently working under Forrest
to elucidate the impact of early life stress on parental behavior in African Striped Mice. Outside
of the lab, Taso is a member of the Princeton University Men’s Swimming and Diving team and
a Peer Academic Advisor for Mathey College.

Ciara Loughran – ciaraloughran(at)princeton.edu

Ciara is an undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology. She is very interested in uncovering the genetic foundations of traits. She is particularly fascinated by how genes influence physical adaptations and is currently collaborating with Harsha to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the development of gliding membranes in bats. On campus, Ciara is a member of the Princeton Women’s Rugby team and serves as a Peer Health Advisor.

Daniel Kim – dk3578at)princeton.edu
Daniel is an undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology. He is especially interested in the genetic and molecular basis behind development of novel phenotypic traits. He is currently working alongside Megan to investigate the role of specific genes in the differential beak morphology of Darwin’s finches. Outside of the lab, he works at the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning as an Academic Life and Learning Strategies Consultant and plays clarinet in the Princeton University Orchestra and Opus Chamber Music Society.

Galo Guerrero - gguerrer(at)princeton.edu

Office: SCH 419
Tel: 609-258-2933

Past members and their current positions
- Yafei Mao (Visiting PhD student); Currently: Group leader in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- Lydia Zhong (Undergraduate student) Currently: Ophtalmology Residence, UCLA
- Ares Alivisatos (Undergraduate student) Currently: Research Technician, Tufts University
- Ella Kaage (Undergraduate student) Currently: Research Technician, Harvard University
- Charles Feigin (Postdoc) Currently: Group leader, Latrobe University (Australia)
- Matt Johnson (Postdoc) Currently: Research Scientist, Bristol Myers Squibb
- Sha Li (Postdoc) Currently: Biotech Startup, China
- Jorge Moreno (PhD student) Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow (Stowers Institute, USA; Sánchez-Alvarado Lab)
- Fiona Logan-Sankey (Undergrad student) Currently: Research Technician, Stanford University
- Jongbeom Park (PhD sutdent). Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Washington, USA; Shendure Lab)