Diego Calderon

Principal Investigator

Diego received his B.A. from Wesleyan University and then did his Ph.D. research on the genetics underlying complex traits at Stanford University. Intrigued by massively parallel molecular biology, he then went on to become a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington, where he led projects involving the computational analysis of large-scale single-cell data and developed new massively parallel reporter assays to investigate gene regulation. In 2024, Diego joined UCSF as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences.

Outside of lab, Diego can be found jogging and engrossed in his latest audiobook, while liberally sending kudos on Strava. Currently, he’s finally finished listening to ‘Oathbringer’, and is starting ‘Dawnshed’, which are both part of Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive series. He’s also has started the first few pages of ‘The Eight Day of Creation’ and just finished ‘The Ministry of Time’.

Adriann Brodeth

Rotation student (BioE) Winter 2025

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!

Talia Delambre

Rotation student (PSPG) Winter 2025

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).

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.

Kina Atkin-Yamaguchi

Lab Manager

I am the Lab Manager at the Calderon Lab and a Junior Specialist in the PROPEL Program at UCSF. My responsibilities in the lab include general lab operations and research. I obtained my General Biology (B.S.) Degree from the University of Washington in 2024 and worked as a Laboratory Technician at the Shendure Lab in the Department of Genome Sciences during my time there. I conducted plant genetics research at Hokkaido University in the Miwa Lab as a Special Auditor in the Department of Biology. My goal is to attend graduate school to obtain a PhD in a field related to genetics and genomics.

In my free time, I love to run, hike, read at coffee shops, bake, and spend time with my friends and family. My favorite place to visit is Japan!

Madeline Chertkow

PhD student (BioE)

I am a Ph.D. student in the Bioengineering joint program between UC Berkeley and UCSF. My research interests include understanding how oncogenic progression impacts cell state. I am building a tool that we can use to investigating whether the consequences that stem from titrated oncogeneic events can be encoded within a cell’s “memory”. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics from UCSC. I am a 2023 UCSF SRTP alumni. Outside of lab, I enjoy trying new food, expanding my wine palette, reading, cooking, and exploring the city.

Poorvi Dua

Rotation student (PSPG) Winter 2025

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!

Peter Lu

Purchasing Analyst and Asset Custodian

I am a Purchasing Analyst and Asset Custodian for Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences. I also provide administrative support for Dr. Calderon, Dr. Ahituv and Dr. Giacomini/Chen.

In my free time, I like fishing and biking around the city.

Julia Saltz

Rotation student (BioE) Winter 2025

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.

Rashad Reid Jr.

PhD student (BMI)

I am a Ph.D. student in the Biological and Medical Informatics program at UCSF. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Temple University. As an undergraduate, I conducted research in Dr. Vincent Voelz’s lab in the Department of Chemistry, where I worked on several projects revolving around the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. I also participated in a summer research experience at UC Santa Cruz in Dr. Russell Corbett-Detig’s lab, where we used phylogenetic trees to identify mutations associated with the extinction of viral lineages. When I’m not doing science, I enjoy walking, hiking, and playing video games.

Shona Park

Laboratory Assistant

I am a Laboratory Technician in the Calderon Lab and a sophomore undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology. In my role, I support ongoing research by assisting with day-to-day laboratory operations, including preparing reagents, maintaining lab organization, and carrying out experimental tasks essential to data collection and analysis. Through this position, I hope to strengthen my technical skills, deepen my understanding of experimental design, and gain hands-on exposure to the research process in a collaborative scientific environment.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, traveling, exploring new coffee shops, and taking Pilates classes.

Join our team!

The lab is looking to recruit talented inviduals interested in joining our science community. If the following roles don’t apply to you, and you’re still interested in joining, feel free to reach out and we’ll figure something out.

Graduate students. Applicants should be accepted through one of UCSF’s graduate programs. Still, I encourage you to reach out before submitting an application because I can I advise you on what might be the most relevant program. Potential rotation students should contact Diego to discuss. A typical ~10 week rotation, will include:

• A rotation project that we collaboratively choose to blend your interests with the interests of the lab, along with mentor availability.
• An initial short lab meeting (5 min) to introduce yourself and your rotation project.
• Scheduled weekly meetings with Diego to update him on your research and career.
• A final lab meeting presentation.

Postdocs. Reach out to Diego with a bit about yourself and your science interests, along with a CV or resume. Promising postdoc candidates will be expected to provide contact information for references. We are happy to submit any paperwork on behalf of the lab for any postdoctoral fellowships.

Environment. Our lab aims to be composed of a unique mix of smart, interactive people from a wide range of personal backgrounds and scientific backgrounds, including genetics/genomics, biology, and quantitative fields like CS/math/stats. My goal is that everyone should have the resources and support that they need to be successful.