Vivian Jou    |    PhD Student, MCO, Harvard University

Vivian grew up in Chicago, IL before moving to San jose, CA in high school and then made the move to the east coast to attend Johns Hopkins University, where she received a bachelor’s in science for Molcular and Cellular Biology. Her undergraduate research focused on single molecule imaging and tracking of chromatin remodelers in live yeast cells in Dr. Carl Wu’s lab. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Harvard’s Molecules, Cells and Organisms (MCO) program and has joined the Lehoczky lab to better characterize the cellular and molecular aspects of mouse digit tip regeneration.

Sophia Peña    |   Technician

Sophia grew up in North Carolina and later moved to Massachusetts after being accepted into Wellesley College to study biochemistry. Under the guidance of Dr.Heather Mattila, she explored communication in Asian honey bee colonies as a response to attacks by giant hornets. Beyond research, she successfully changed the biochemistry curriculum while at Wellesley in order to address the ways science perpetuates systems of oppression. Ultimately she hopes to do research in Mexico City.

Miranda Gavitt    |   PhD Student, MCO, Harvard University

Miranda grew up in Dallas, Texas before moving to Massachusetts to study Biological Physics at Brandeis University. Her undergraduate research explored the mechanisms of viral capsid disassembly in the lab of Dr. Tijana Ivanovic. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Harvard’s Molecules, Cells and Organisms (MCO) program. Outside of the lab you can find her hiking or playing board games.

Scott Semelsberger    |   Technician

Scott grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he studied biology with a concentration in medicine. His undergraduate thesis project identified novel molecules that bind to an important transcription factor expressed during zebrafish kidney regeneration. He completed an internship at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Under the guidance of Dr. Jeffrey Molldrem, he studied the interaction of T-cells and other immune cells within the tumor microenvironment utilizing flow cytometry.

Michael Raymond   |   Postdoc

Mike grew up in the Boston area before moving to Troy, NY to earn his BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His undergraduate and Master’s research under Dr. Leo Q. Wan explored inherent left/right asymmetry in cells. He then worked at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on biological potency assay redevelopment and optimization. Mike later earned his PhD in Molecular Cell and Organismal Biology from the University of Massachusetts Boston in Dr. Catherine McCusker’s lab, where he studied the mechanisms driving patterning competency and plasticity in connective tissue cells during axolotl salamander limb regeneration. Outside of science, he tries to stay active and is a marathon runner training for his next race.