Adriann Brodeth

Rotation student (BioE) Winter 2026

I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the UC Berkeley–UCSF Joint Bioengineering Program. I transferred from Santa Monica College and earned my B.S. in Bioengineering from UCLA, where I worked in Dr. Mireille Kamariza’s lab, focusing on developing rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tools for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). My current research interests focus on designing novel molecular tools through synthetic biology to better understand cellular mechanisms and translate those insights into improved therapeutic strategies. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends, going to sports events, and eating!

Julia Saltz

Rotation student (BioE) Winter 2026

I am a PhD student in the UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering. I received my BS in Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics from UC Santa Cruz, where I worked with Dr. Angela Brooks developing techniques to map chromatin accessibility using long-read sequencing. After graduation, I worked in Dr. Jon Park’s lab at Stanford studying genetic markers for breast cancer metastasis into bone tissue. I am broadly interested in using computational approaches to understand gene regulation. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, baking, and spending time with my cat.

Juliane Bombosch

Rotation student (BioE) Fall 2025

I am a Ph.D. student in the Bioengineering joint program between UC Berkeley and UCSF and rotating student in the Calderon Lab. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Neuroscience with Honors from Smith College.

Post graduation, I joined SanBio Inc. to investigate how transplanted mesenchymal stem/stromal cell therapies restore cortical excitability and improve recovery following ischemic stroke in rats. In Dr. Aaron Gitler’s lab, where I explored why skeletal motor neurons are particularly vulnerable in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), contributing to multiple publications on disease-associated motor neuron states and axonal regeneration defects.

On my free time, I love swimming, dancing salsa and bachata, and learning to cook.

Talia Delambre

Rotation student (PSPG) Winter 2026

I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics (PSPG) program at UCSF. I received my B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and Master of Science in Engineering from UT Austin where I was involved in research studying the effects of the stem cell microenvironment on their differentiation into cardiac tissue. My master’s thesis focused specifically on the influence of cell sex and fatty acid supplementation on stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte metabolism. Broadly, I am interested in genomics and high throughput methods for drug discovery and development. Outside of lab, I enjoy running and hiking, baking, and staying up to date on new movies (Alamo Drafthouse enthusiast).

Poorvi Dua

Rotation student (PSPG) Winter 2026

My name is Poorvi Dua and I am a PhD student in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics program at UCSF. I received my BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology/Neurobiology from UC Berkeley, where I became interested in understanding the nervous system and developing therapeutics for neurological conditions. After I graduated, I joined Dr. Bruce Conklin’s lab at the Gladstone Institutes, where I spent several years developing CRISPR-based gene-editing therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disease. I am fascinated by the idea of developing new therapeutics for complex and rare diseases and am excited to dive deep into this topic during my PhD. In my free time, you can find me painting, cooking, out enjoying nature, at a pilates class or hanging out with my cats!

Chetan Aditya

Postdoc

I am an interdisciplinary researcher trained in bioinformatics, data analysis and synthetic biology with extensive experience in genetic engineering, bioproduction, immunology and cancer. I am fascinated by biological transitions and want to understand how these changes come about from a mechanistic standpoint. In this pursuit, I have developed optogenetic controllers that dictate cell fate, biosensors that report on dynamics of signaling activity and most recently, in the Calderon lab, I am invested in developing methodologies that will allow us to monitor transcriptomic changes during biological transitions.

My leisures include reading contemporary fiction, writing poetry and devouring cinema.

Carlos Gomez

Rotation student (BMI) Fall 2025

Carlos is a PhD student in the Biological and Medical Informatics program at UCSF. He received his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from San Francisco State University and completed a post-baccalaureate in the PROPEL program at UCSF, during which he also worked as a Junior Specialist in Dr. Susan Lynch’s lab applying computational methods to study the human microbiome. Carlos is broadly interested in how machine learning, AI, and data-driven approaches can help answer questions in human health. Outside of research, he enjoys cooking, working out, and exploring new places.

Noah Gordon

Rotation student (BioE) Fall 2025

Noah is a first-year PhD student in the Joint Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering. Originally from the Bay Area, he attended Gunn High School and then earned BA and MEng degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering from The University of Cambridge. At nearby Stanford University and Hopkins Marine Station, Noah developed computational methods to understand the dynamics of hematopoietic stem cell competition.

Noah played varsity basketball for Cambridge and Board 1 for the Downing College Chess Team, but these days he enjoys being a tennis beginner, playing guitar, and maintaining his home Linux server.

Lia Sorrell

SRTP student Summer 2025

I am an undergraduate student in the biomedical engineering department at the University of Texas at San Antonio graduating spring of 2027. I am excited to be a part of Dr. Calderon’s lab summer 2025 through the Summer Research Training program at UCSF, working on how the genome is affected when treated with different oncogenes under PhD student Madeline Chertkow. Some of my background includes genetics work using Drosophila, and tactics like microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. When I am not in the lab, I love to ride my bike, go to yoga, paint, and spend time with my dog June.

Benjamin Lu

Summer Student

I’m a high school student at Gunn High School (Class of 2028) with a strong interest in genetics and molecular biology. This summer (2025), I’m thrilled to be joining the Calderon Lab as a student volunteer, where I’ll be shadowing and learning wet lab techniques under lab manager Kina Atkin-Yamaguchi. I’ll be getting hands-on experience with procedures such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), plasmid extraction, E. coli transformation, and more. Previously, I worked on neurodegeneration research using Drosophila, focusing on the tau protein, Reverse Electron Transport in the mitochondrial complex, and their connections to Alzheimer’s disease.

Outside the lab, I enjoy playing basketball, walking dogs as a side hustle, and watching Tarantino films. I also play the saxophone, and some of my favorite musical artists are Frank Ocean, Lil Wayne, and Coldplay.

Isobel Beasley

Rotation student (BMI) Spring 2025

I am a Biological and Medical Informatics PhD student at UCSF. Broadly speaking, I’m interested in advancing equitable genetics research with interdisciplinary approaches. My current rotation project is a collaboration between the Calderon and Andrews labs, aiming to better understand the cell types and traits important in Alzheimer’s development.

Outside the lab, I maintain a science blog sharing code snippets, teaching resources, and research reflections. In my free time, I love photographing and drawing wildlife.

Wan-Yu Lai

Project Coordinator

I am a project coordinator in the Department of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences, and I provide administrative support for multiple PIs, including Drs. Shuvo Roy, Catera Wilder, and Diego Calderon.

In my free time, I like to knit, hike, and try new foods.

Angela Gao

Rotation student (Tetrad) Fall 2024

Hi everyone, my name is Angela! I was born and raised in Beijing, China, but I immigrated to Chino Hills, CA when I was 11 years old. After receiving a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA, I spent two years in the Floor Lab at UCSF, where I studied the molecular pathways involved in stress granule formation when human cells are treated with periodic stress. Moving forward, my goal is to incorporate my engineering background into developing new methods that advance the fundamental understanding of the natural world. Outside the lab, I enjoy watching sci-fi movies, going to the beach, playing with my cats and dogs, and exploring local bars.

Fantasy Wang

Laboratory Assistant

I am a student studying Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley, interested in the intersection of healthcare and biotechnology. Currently, I work at the Flow Cytometry Core Facility at Berkeley’s Cancer Research Laboratory, where I train researchers and those from industry in advanced flow analysis and FACS. Now joining the Calderon Lab as an undergraduate lab assistant, I look forward to deepening my experience across various disciplines and to apply my skills to support the lab’s ongoing projects.

In my free time I like to review restaurants around the Bay Area and design floral arrangements (bouquets / ikebana) with my friends at Cal!