Students
Graduate students of the Cell and Developmental Biology program

Jason Kent
B.S., biochemistry, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Heinrich Lab
Jason grew up in Santa Clarita, California and attended Cal Poly SLO where he earned a B.S. in Biochemistry. At Cal Poly, he worked in the lab of Dr. Michael Black investigating the use of prolyl endopeptidases in the treatment of Celiac Disease. In the fall of 2016, Jason joined the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and the lab of Dr. Michael Heinrich in the spring. He is currently studying the biology of mitochondrial dysfunction observed in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

Sara Cate Baker
B.S., Biological Sciences, English Literature, University of Notre Dame
M.S., Global Health, Trinity College, Dublin
J. Saugstad Lab
Sarah Catherine Baker grew up in northern Indiana. She received a B.S. in biological sciences, as well as a second degree in English literature, from the University of Notre Dame. As an undergraduate, she worked in the lab of Dr. Robert Stahelin on the biochemistry of Ebola viral infections. She went on to obtain a Master's degree in global health from Trinity College Dublin, conducting research on the epidemiology of malaria in rural Ethiopia. She began her Ph.D. at OHSU in the fall of 2019 and shortly after joined the lab of Dr. Julie Saugstad. Now, her research focuses on the role of extracellular vesicles in neurodegeneration. Outside of the lab, Sarah Cate is passionate about science policy and has dabbled in science communication. She also loves traveling, hiking, and all things literature.

Lauren Miller
B.S., Biochemistry, Portland State University
A. Nechiporuk Lab
Lauren grew up in Oregon and graduated from Portland State University, where she received her BS in Biochemistry. At Portland State, Lauren worked with Dr. Jeff Singer investigating the role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase CUL3 in the proteasomal degradation of the neuronal scaffold protein SHANK3. After completing her undergraduate studies, Lauren worked as a Research Assistant in the Ellison and McCormick Labs at OHSU, where she studied renal salt regulation in the distal nephron of the kidney and its influence on blood pressure. Currently, Lauren is pursuing her Ph.D. in Alex Nechiporuk’s lab where she studies molecular mechanisms of axon extension during sensory nervous system development. Outside of the lab, Lauren enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing with her dogs – a golden retriever named Teal and a malamute named Whammy.

Alec Peters
B.S., Biochemistry/Biophysics, Oregon State University
B.S., Bioresource Research, Oregon State University
L. Sherman Lab
Alec was an undergraduate researcher at Oregon State where he generated histone methyltransferase and acetylase knockout strains using homologous recombination. This work formed the basis of his Honors thesis and will be submitted for publication. In 2014, he joined Xiaolin Nan’s lab at OHSU, where he used CRISPR to knock out genes in NIH-3T3 cells as well as many quantitative molecular biology and cell culture techniques to study dynamics of Ras dimerization as a driver for Raf and PI3K pathway activation.
Alec is now a graduate student in Dr. Larry Sherman’s lab on the OHSU West Campus where he studies extracellular matrix remodeling in the healthy and diseased central nervous system. His focus is on the extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid, and how different sizes of hyaluronic acid influence processes such as oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation.

Benjamin Woodruff
B.S., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Humboldt State University
A. Nechiporuk Lab
Ben Woodruff lived most of his life in Humboldt County, CA. There, he attended and graduated from Humboldt State University with a Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry. After undergrad, Ben spent two years at Stanford University in Dr. Stefan Heller’s lab researching stem cell biology and regeneration as they relate to inner ear biology. Ben is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology at OHSU. In March of 2020, Ben joined the lab of Dr. Alex Nechiporuk where he researches the earliest stages of peripheral nervous system development and utilizes zebrafish as a model organism. Ben enjoys video games, taking care of his bonsai trees, science fiction, camping, and trying different restaurants and cuisines.
Name | Year | Degree Track | Mentor(s) | Last Known Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Colin Coleman | 2023 | M.S. | Ian Martin | Currently seeking employement |
Matthew Pomaville | 2023 | Ph.D | Kevin Wright | Currently seeking employement |
Erin Helms | 2022 | Ph.D | Mara Sherman | Senior Research Scientist II/ Post Doc, CC-TDI |
Sudarshan Iyer | 2022 | M.D./Ph.D | Monika Davare | MD/PhD Program, OHSU |
Saundra Schlesinger | 2022 | Ph.D | Ronen Schweitzer | Postdoctoral Researcher, Meiji University |
Name | Year | Degree Track | Mentor (s) | Last Known Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chris Cheng | 2019 | Ph.D | Philip Streeter | OHSU |
Anna Mammel | 2019 | Ph.D | Fred Robinson | Fred Hutch |
Sweta Ravisankar | 2020 | Ph.D | Jon Hennebold & Shawn Chavez | OHSU |
Name | Year | Degree Track | Mentor | Last Known Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Courtney Betts | 2018 | Ph.D. | Pepper Schedin | OHSU |
Brittany Daughtry | 2018 | Ph.D. | Shawn L. Chavez | OHSU |
Quinn Roth-Carter | 2018 | Ph.D. | David Jacoby | OHSU |
Amber Bannon | 2017 | Ph.D. | Michael Heinrich | Disease Area Manager, Oncology Resource Group |
Laura D. Healy | 2017 | Ph.D. | Owen McCarty | Postdoc Researcher, Scrips Research Institute |
Yuhan Wang | 2017 | Ph.D. | Markus Grompe | Janelia Research Campus, Postdoc |
Bora Lee | 2016 | Ph.D. | Jae Lee | Postdoctoral Researcher, OHSU |
Aaron Wortham | 2016 | M.S. | Molly Kulesz-Martin | OHSU, Researcher, Enns Lab |
Derek K. Zachman | 2016 | M.D., Ph.D. | William Fleming | Residency, Duke University, North Carolina |
Kang Wang | 2015 | Ph.D. | John Adelman | Postdoctoral Researcher, OHSU |
Name | Year | Degree Track | Mentor | Last Known Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asako Itakura (Hayakawa) | 2014 | Ph.D. | Owen McCarty | Medical Scientific Expert, Novartis |
Ashley Kamimae-Lanning | 2014 | Ph.D. | Peter Kurre | Postdoc Scientist, MRC Lab Molecular Biology |
Alison Macleod | 2014 | Ph.D. | Michael Heinrich | Research Analyst,BioMedical Insights |
Matthew McCarroll | 2014 | Ph.D. | Alex Nechiporuk | UCSF, Postdoc Fellow |
Branden Tarlow | 2014 | M.D., Ph.D. | Markus Grompe | Internal Med Resident, UT Southwestern Med Ctr |
Andrew Terker | 2014 | M.D., Ph.D. | David Ellison | Resident, Vanderbilt UMC |
Christal Worthen | 2014 | Ph.D. | Caroline Enns | Scientist, Universal Cell |
Huilan Yao | 2014 | Ph.D. | Gail Mandel | Biomarket at H3 Biomedicine, Scientific Investigator |
Katelyn Mae Atkins | 2013 | M.D., Ph.D. | Gary Thomas | Harvard Radiation Oncology Program |
Rachel Clemens Grisham | 2013 | Ph.D. | Teresa Nicolson | Commercial Innovation Manager, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space |
Nathan Donley | 2013 | Ph.D. | Matt Thayer | Senior Scientist, Center for BioDiversity |
Weike Mo | 2013 | Ph.D. | Teresa Nicolson | Freelance Consultant, Clinical Lab Consulting, LLC |
Kathryn Van Hook | 2013 | Ph.D. | Charles D. Lopez | Visiting Assitant Prof, Univ of Portland |
Jinzhi Wang | 2013 | Ph.D. | Peter Mayinger | Washington University in St. Louis, Senior Scientist |
Name | Year | Degree Track | Mentor (s) | Last Known Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vincent T. Bicocca | 2012 | Ph.D. | Brian Druker | Postdoc Fellow, University of Oregon |
Theodore P. Braun | 2012 | M.D., Ph.D. | Joseph Weiss/Daniel Marks | Fellow, OHSU, Hem/Onc |
Trevor Levin | 2012 | Ph.D. | Melissa Wong | Chief Executive Officer, Urology Diagnostics |
Nicole Paulk | 2012 | Ph.D. | Markus Grompe | Assistant Adj. Professor, University of California, SF |
Gregory D. Scott | 2012 | M.D., Ph.D. | David Jacoby | Resident, Stanford |
Zhongya (Roger) Wang | 2012 | Ph.D. | Markus Grompe | Senior Scientist, Intellia Therapeutics |
Ruth Aroon White | 2012 | M.D., Ph.D. | MD/PhD program, OHSU | |
Liangqu Xie | 2012 | Ph.D. | Postdoc Fellow, UC Berkeley | |
Chao Zhang | 2012 | Ph.D. | Roger Cone/Alex Nechiporuk | Postdoc Research Fellow, Vanderbilt |
Katannya Kapeli | 2011 | Ph.D. | Peter Hurlin | |
Melanie B. Laederich | 2011 | Ph.D. | ||
Yun Xin Lim | 2011 | M.S. | Amanda McCullough | |
Julia Maxson | 2011 | Ph.D. | Caroline Enns | OHSU, Assistant Professor |
Ruth White | 2011 | M.D., Ph.D. | Xiao-Jing Wang | Columbia University Medical Center, Clinical |
Name | Year | Degree Track | Mentor (s) | Last Known Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chelsea Bahney (Shields) | 2010 | M.D., Ph.D. | Brian Johnstone | Assistant Professor, UCSF, Orthopedic Trauma Institute |
Sophia Bornstein | 2010 | M.D., Ph.D. | Director of the Division of Translational Research, Assistant Professor, OHSU | |
Kristina E. Hoot-Young | 2010 | M.D., Ph.D. | ||
Chang Liu | 2010 | Ph.D. | Phil Stork | |
Mizuho Mimoto | 2010 | M.D., Ph.D. | Jan Christian | |
Anne E. Powell | 2010 | Ph.D. | Melissa Wong | |
Philip Owens | 2009 | Ph.D. | Assistant Professor, University of Colorado | |
Daniel W. Sherbenou | 2009 | M.D., Ph.D. | Assistant Professor, University of Colorado | |
Nicole A. Vasilevsky | 2009 | Ph.D. | Andy Weinberg | |
Jeff Y. Chen | 2008 | M.D., Ph.D. | Joseph Weiss | Internist, St. Charles Medical Center, Bend, OR |
Thomas Matthew Coate | 2008 | Ph.D. | Philip Copenhaver | Assistant Professor, Georgetown University |
Gokhan Dalgin | 2007 | Ph.D. | Jan Christian | Staff Scientist, University of Chicago |
Sandra L. Fernandez | 2007 | M.S. | Peter Hurlin | |
Sean Nathaniel Wolfson | 2007 | M.S. | Teresa Nicolson |