Iswar Hariharan Ishwar Hariharan
I obtained my degree in Medicine (MBBS) from the University of Sydney and my Ph.D. degree from the University of Melbourne where I worked with Jerry Adams and Suzanne Cory. My post-doctoral training was with Gerry Rubin at the University of California, Berkeley. I joined the faculty of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School in 1992. In 2004 my lab moved to the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at U. C. Berkeley where I am a Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology. I have no hobbies and have forgotten how to relax.
James Fristrom
(Visiting Professor.....from the 5th floor)
Justin Bosch
I attended college at UW-Madison where I earned a degree Biology and caught the research bug working in an Arabidopsis evo-devo lab. After graduation in 2006 I moved out west for a full-time research job in a zebrafish development lab at UCSF. In spring 2009 I joined the Hariharan Lab and am currently working on identifying novel genes controlling cell competition in Drosophila.
Robin Harris
I completed my PhD in the lab of Dr Hilary Ashe at the University of Manchester in the UK in 2009, examining the differentiation of Drosophila germline stem cells, where I discovered my passion for awkward and repetitive dissection. I joined the Hariharan lab as a postdoc in 2011, and am currently studying the process of tissue regeneration by developing a screening system based on genetic ablation, which will ultimately allow the identification of genes that regulate regeneration. I am currently a postdoctoral scholar of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and aside from frequently indulging in larval wing disc dissections, I also enjoy running, yoga and going to the pub.
Linda Setiawan
I am a graduate student at the Free University Berlin conducting my thesis project in Iswar's lab. During my Master studies in biochemistry, I felt a need to resurface from the subcellular and to study developmental biology in real animals. I did my Master thesis research in Didier Stainier's lab at UCSF studying the fate decision in liver/pancreas progenitors in zebrafish. In Iswar's lab, I study the mystery of genes involved in regeneration and have been conducting a genetic screen together with Melanie to address the burning question: Why do we regenerate less as we age?
Sarah Siegrist
I am broadly interested in identifying the molecular mechanisms that restrict brain size and growth during development. Towards this aim as a post-doc in Dr. Iswar Hariharan's lab at the University of California, Berkeley, I have established Drosophila as a model system in which to investigate the mechanisms that terminate cell divisions of neural stem cells, known as neuroblasts, during development. Proper elimination of these neural progenitors ensures that extra neurons and/or glia are not inappropriately generated, which may interfere with existing circuitry in the adult brain. Prior to this, I completed by Ph.D. in Dr. Chris Doe's lab at the University of Oregon, where I investigated the mechanisms that regulate cortical cell polarity. Other than my research, I enjoy spending time with my family exploring the great outdoors.
Melanie Worley
I received my bachelor’s degree in biology, along with a minor in chemistry, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006. As an undergraduate researcher, I worked in the laboratory of Professor H. Robert Horvitz, on cell fate decisions in C. elegans. I am currently a working on determining the genes and molecular mechanisms that regulate regenerative growth in Drosophila. Currently, I am a California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Predoctoral Fellow.
Sa Kan Yoo
Albert Yu
Since the summer of 2009, the majority of my precious undergraduate days have been devoted to Iswar’s lab. I am a third year undergraduate studying Molecular Cell Biology and Public Health, and planning to take my newly acquired knowledge to wherever the future holds. My favorite part of working with flies is explaining to my fellow classmates that there are in fact many differences between flies, not just red or white eyes. Currently, I am working under Abby, studying regeneration in the eye and wing imaginal discs. Besides reading science textbooks, I like to play basketball and I am actively involved in the community.
Kevin Gandhi
I am going to be a third year undergraduate studying Molecular Cell Biology, with emphasis in Cell and Developmental Biology (Physiology) and minoring in South Asian Studies. I joined the Hariharan lab this summer and currently work with Justin Bosch on studying cell competition in Drosophila. As hobbies, I love playing badminton and cricket. I also enjoying working with the American Red Cross and giving my time to kids at elementary schools and at the Oakland Blood Center. In my spare time, I enjoy going on for a long walk or a long run.
Sivapratha Nagappan Chettiar
I am a third year undergraduate majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in Public Policy. I joined the Hariharan Lab this summer to explore different aspects of research in hope that I will find an area of interest that I can pursue in graduate school. I have always been interested in neurobiology and it is interesting learning about neuroblasts in Drosophila. When I am not in lab or in class, I enjoy playing badminton, cooking and exploring different places and outdoor activities.