People in the Hockemeyer Lab
Principal Investigator Dirk Hockemeyer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley
Postdoctoral Fellow in Genetics (2007-2012)
Advisor: Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch, Whitehead Institute
Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology (2002-2007)
Advisor: Dr. Titia de Lange, Rockefeller University
B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry (1998-2002)
Advisor: Dr. Alfred Nordheim, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen
Lab Manager Kelsey Hennick
B.S. in Genetics
University of California, Davis
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Graduate Student John Boyle
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Research interests in the lab:
Telomere length plays an integral role in both cancer and aging. My project investigates the effects of telomere length dynamics in tumorigenesis.
E-mail address:
Graduate Student Ryan Forster
Ph.D. Candidate in MCB and Chemical Biology
University of California, Berkeley
GRFP Fellow
National Science Foundation
B.S. in Molecular Bioscience and Biotechnology
Arizona State University
Research interests in the lab:
I developed a method for generating human intestinal tissue in vitro that I am using to study the development and pathophysiology of the intestinal epithelium. I use genome engineering in pluripotent stem cells or human biopsy derivatives to generate three-dimensional organoid cultures to model a more complex cellular environment. Graduation May 2018.
E-mail address:
Graduate Student Kunitoshi Chiba
Ph.D. Candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Predoctorl Fellow
Nakajima Foundation
Research Coordinating Committee Predoctoral Fellow
University of California, Berkeley
M.Sc.
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Research interests in the lab:
My current project is understanding transcriptional regulation of telomerase in human pluripotent stem cells.
E-mail address:
Graduate Student Franziska Lorbeer
Ph.D. Candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
PhD Fellow
Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds
M.Sc. in Molecular Biosciences (Caner Biology)
Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg
B.S. in Molecular Biomedicine
Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University Bonn
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Graduate Student Timothy K. Turkalo
Ph.D. Candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
B.S. in Cell Biology
University of Kansas
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Graduate Student Sara Seunga Choo
Ph.D. Candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Graduate Student Rebecca Bartke
Ph.D. Student in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology '16
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Research interests in the lab:
I am investigating the roles of nucleases in telomere maintenance.
E-mail address:
Postdoctoral Associate Shirin Jenkins, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology
University of California, Davis
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Postdoctoral Associate Won-Tae Kim, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Postdoctoral Fellow
Siebel Stem Cell Institute
Ph.D. in Stem Cell Biology and Antibody Development
Sejong University
B.S. in Biology
Sejong University
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Visiting Scholar Brendan Finnerty
M. Sc. in Biomedical Science with a concentration in Stem Cell Science
Advisor: Dr. Dirk Hockemeyer
San Francisco State University
Bridges Fellow
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
B.S. in Biology
University of California, San Diego
Research interest in the lab:
Investigating the role of POT1 mutations and how they lead to genomic instability and cancer.
E-mail address:
Visiting Scholar Alejandro Hernandez Sanchez
M.Sc. in Molecular Biotechnology
Advisor: Dirk Hockemeyer
Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg
B.Sc. in Molecular Biotechnology
Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg
Research interest in the lab:
Investigating the role of POT1 mutations and how they lead to genomic instability and cancer.
E-mail address:
Undergraduate Researcher Leslie Chan
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology '18
University of California, Berkeley
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Undergraduate Researcher Shannon Wu
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology '18
University of California, Berkeley
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Undergraduate Researcher Rachel Trujillo
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology '19
University of California, Berkeley
Research interests in the lab:
(coming soon)
E-mail address:
Lab Assistant Rayyan Aburajab
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology '19
University of California, Berkeley
E-mail address:
Lab Assistant Justin Lu
B.S. in Bioengineering '20
University of California, Berkeley
E-mail address:
Lab Assistant Kimberly Tang
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology '20
University of California, Berkeley
E-mail address: