Meet Our Team
Zhiwen (Carmen) Liao
Year started in the lab: 2002
Expertise: Oocyte isolation, C. elegans husbandry, freezing/thawing worms, TEVC of oocytes, C. elegans genetics, C. elegans transgenesis, measuring surface expression of membrane proteins expressed in oocytes, cRNA synthesis, plasmid propagation and maintenance.
Born and grew up in Guangzhou, China. Came to the Golden State in 2000. Became a worm sensorian soon after till now.
Emily Fryer
Degree: B.S. in Biology (Ecology), San Francisco State University
Year started in lab: 2019
Project Title: Neuroplant
Expertise: Developing computational tools to increase screening throughput. Data analysis and data management.
Broadly, I am interested in studying coevolutionary relationships using computational methods. My current work on the Neuroplant project provides me with a unique opportunity to explore this topic by investigating how secondary plant metabolites modulate the behaviors of C. elegans. My work with Neuroplant includes using computational tools to automate our screening pipeline in addition to using bioinformatic tools to assist with target identification.
Chandni Jaisinghani
she/her
Degree: Master of Science in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Houston - Clear Lake, Texas
Year started in lab: 2021
Project Title: To evaluate the p38a MAP kinase protein as a molecular target for preventing or treating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)
Expertise: Molecular biology, Fluorescence imaging of neurons and proteins in living cells and animals, Creating transgenic C. elegans strains, C. elegans cell culture, Touch sensation behavioral assays
My research is centered around assessing the efficacy of the p38a MAP kinase protein as a potential therapeutic target for preventing or treating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which is a debilitating side effect of cancer treatment that affects millions of cancer survivors.
I was born and raised in Mumbai, India.
In my free time, I enjoy taking a stroll on the beach and exploring all the wonderful things the Bay Area has to offer.