People

Prof. Dominguez is the Endometrial Receptivity and Embryonic Competence Research Group Leader at the IVI Foundation Research Department at FIVI-Hospital La Fe, Valencia. He obtained his doctorate degree “cum laude” in 2003 from the Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynaecology Department at the University of Valencia School of Medicine. He completed his post-doctoral training at the Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) and the Hospital de la Princesa in Madrid.

As a researcher, his focus is the study of the endometrium and the human embryo implantation process at both the transcriptomic and proteomic levels, while also developing new non-invasive aneuploidy diagnostic systems. Prof. Domínguez has been teaching postgraduate courses since 2003. He is currently the Coordinator of the Basic Research in Human Reproduction Module in the Master’s Degree in Biotechnology of Assisted Human Reproduction, a position he has held since 2001. He has received several awards for his research projects, including the ICIRA Award in 2009, the Spanish Fertility Society Award in 2000, and the Salud 2000 Foundation Award in 2004.

Prof. Domínguez loves traveling around the world, has two beautiful Labradors that always accompany him, and enjoys a good fantasy or science fiction book or TV show.

Esteban Etcheverry is the Lab Service Manager at the Stanford Matteo Molè Lab. With a diverse background in project management, IT, and operations, he brings a unique blend of technical and organizational expertise to support the lab's groundbreaking research. Esteban holds advanced degrees in Cultural Management from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) and in Music from Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Argentina).

An expert in managing large-scale projects funded by the European Research Council, Esteban has collaborated with renowned academic institutions and international partners. His professional experience spans roles in academia, healthcare, and the arts, emphasizing innovation, precision, and teamwork.

Outside of work, Esteban enjoys spending time outdoors with his dogs, cooking for friends, traveling to explore new cultures and cuisines, and working out to stay active. He is also a passionate choir conductor, dedicated to fostering musical excellence and bringing people together through the power of music.

At the Matteo Molè Lab, Esteban is committed to fostering efficient lab services and supporting the team’s scientific advancements.

Nicole Horsley is a current PhD candidate in Stanford's Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine program, originally hails from Portland, Oregon. Throughout her journey, which included a six-year stint in the Air Force, she has cultivated a love for contemplating the intricacies of early development. Beyond her academic pursuits, she finds joy in outdoor adventures such as skiing, hiking, and skydiving. Her overarching aim is to merge insights from various scientific disciplines to advance stem cell models, with the ultimate goal of authentically replicating the complexities of development and embryogenesis in a dish.

Magdalena Ladrón de Guevara, D.V.M., M.Sc., Ph.D., is a developmental and reproductive biologist with a multidisciplinary background spanning veterinary medicine, molecular biology, and advanced reproductive technologies. Originally from Argentina, she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Universidad Católica de Córdoba, specializing in animal production and public health. Driven by a growing interest in reproductive science, she pursued a master’s degree in Animal Genetics and Reproductive Biotechnology in Spain, where she also conducted research at INIA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria) on bovine oocyte maturation and embryo development.

Magdalena further expanded her expertise at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), where she served as an Embryo Transfer Technician and Group Technician in the Novarino Lab. There, she was responsible for generating genetically modified mouse models using CRISPR/Cas9 and embryo manipulation techniques, including electroporation, microinjection, and in utero viral delivery. She was also instrumental in establishing protocols and infrastructure for the transgenic core facility.

Most recently, she completed her Ph.D. in Reproductive and Developmental Biology at the Università degli Studi di Milano, as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie-funded EUROVA training network. Her doctoral research focused on somatic signaling pathways regulating mRNA translation in mammalian oocytes, with broader implications for understanding oocyte competence and optimizing assisted reproductive strategies. In parallel, she contributed to the CO-MATRIX project, investigating extracellular matrix markers of follicular development and oocyte quality using bovine models.

Across each of these stages, Magdalena has developed a unique blend of hands-on expertise in embryology, bioinformatics, gene regulation, and translational reproductive biology — laying a strong foundation for her current and future research in early developmental processes and human implantation.

For fun, Magdalena enjoys going to the gym and spending time at the beach, lakes, or rivers. She is a big fan of water and nature, and likes to go hiking to recharge her energy.

May Levin is an undergraduate at Stanford University, majoring in Computer Science, specializing in Bio-computation and Artificial Intelligence. Her past research experience spans population genetics and genotype-to-phenotype prediction utilizing machine learning techniques. Previously, May has also collaborated with government agencies to develop COVID-19 dashboards to guide policy decisions. Later on, she joined Pfizer, applying her expertise to build disease prediction models that inform vaccine development strategies. She is excited to use her computational skills to improve embryo implantation analysis and modeling, focusing on automating metrics extraction and creating more precise predictive models. Outside the lab, you can find May scuba diving, taking film photography, or trying to fix her 3D printer.

Zach joined the lab in Summer 2025 as a student in the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine PhD program. Born and raised in Florida, he has survived many hurricane seasons and alligator encounters. Nevertheless, he stuck around to attend the New College of Florida, where he graduated with a BA in Biochemistry in 2019. He then completed a Post-baccalaureate IRTA Fellowship at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH, studying rare, metabolic bone disorders such as fibrous dysplasia. In the Molè lab, Zach is excited to pivot to reproductive health and investigate cellular signalling between the embryo and maternal endometrium necessary for successful implantation. Outside of the lab, you can find him experimenting in the kitchen, running around in the woods, or hanging out with friends.

Max is rotating jointly with Matteo Molè and Alex Dunn, working on modeling the human endometrium to study processes of placentation and vascularization in the context of healthy and pathological pregnancies such as endometriosis. In his spare time, he enjoys practicing the pipe organ in MemChu and going on walks. He previously worked with Brendan Harley under Aliki Kolliopoulos at UIUC. You can connect with him via LinkedIn and find his publications on Google Scholar.

Dr. Xixi Plummer is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow in the department of OB/GYN and jointly mentored by Drs. Matteo Molè and Virginia D Winn. She completed an MD/PhD at the University of Michigan where her thesis work was focused on understanding neurodevelopment in epilepsy using animal and stem cell models. She went on to complete OB/GYN residency at Case Western Reserve University and subsequently moved to California for fellowship. She is interested in studying placental development in the context of preeclampsia and other obstetrical conditions. Outside of the workplace, she enjoys spending time with her family, riding her Peloton and being outdoors.

Odette Vera was born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Cellular & Molecular Biology with a Minor in Chemistry from Westmont College. After completing her studies, she volunteered at the Hospital del Niño y la Mujer in Querétaro, México. Currently, she is a Biomedical graduate student and a CIRM Bridges Science Master’s trainee, visiting the Molè Lab from San Francisco State University. Her previous research at the University of California, Santa Barbara focused on understanding behavior in Drosophila melanogaster in the absence of external cues. Now, she is eager to broaden her expertise in reproductive health during her time at the Molè Lab. Outside of academics, Odette enjoys reading, traveling, and spending quality time with friends and family.