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.

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.

Samantha Rathbun  |   Technician

Sam grew up in Sandwich, MA, and earned her Bachelor’s in Honors Biology from the University of Massachusetts Boston where she pursued undergraduate research investigating the changes in DNA methylation during limb regeneration in the Mexican Axolotl in the laboratory of Dr. Catherine McCusker. She later was accepted into the inaugural cohort of the ENGAGE-Bio Post-Baccalaureate program at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole. Here, she performed research to understand the development and resolve the embryonic origin of Neuroendocrine Merkel cells in the little skate in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Gillis. Sam hopes to attend graduate school in the near future and perform innovative regeneration research. 

Joaquin Henriquez   |   Postdoc

Joaquin earned a dentist degree from PUC Chile in 2018 and a PhD in Cell Biology from UBC, Canada, in 2024. During his PhD, he studied tooth development and replacement in reptile dentitions through in vivo experiments and RNA-seq analysis. He enjoys architecture and spends his spare time swimming and painting.

Juliet Poole   |   Undergraduate Researcher

Juliet is an undergrad at Harvard College, currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology and African American Studies. With a deep interest in understanding human biology and its applications in medical science, she aspires to attend medical school and ultimately become a physician. In addition to her academic pursuits, Juliet is heavily involved in student organizations, where she participates in programs related to health, science, and community service.

Sanjita Bhattacharya  |   Technician

Sanjita grew up in Princeton, NJ, and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology and Data Science minor from Northeastern University. After learning about Stem Cell Therapy from a family member going through treatment, she has since been interested in regenerative biology and its applications to medicine. At Northeastern, she and a friend pursued independent research on the therapeutic effects of MB-Mesenchymal stem cells on Infertility Related Endometrial Fibrosis and presented their research at the annual Northeastern RISE expo. Sanjita also worked in the Tunik Movement Neuroscience Laboratory, investigating how the brain adapts reach-to-grasp movements under conditions of cardiac stress and virtual reality. She plans to attend medical school in the near future and hopes to continue research in regenerative biology, intersecting other fields from her background.

Alexandra Lion  |   Postdoc

Alex grew up in northern New Jersey before moving to Boston to attend university. While at Boston University for her bachelor's degree she did undergraduate research in the lab of Dr. Cynthia Bradham, where she studied cell migration during sea urchin larval skeletal patterning. She returned to the Bradham lab for her PhD, where she investigated the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on embryonic pattern formation and worked to determine the role of the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX6 during embryonic development. Outside of the lab Alex enjoys hiking and camping, Dungeons and Dragons, and playing videogame RPGs.