Graduate Students


Artiukhova, Margarita

Faculty: Brunger (summer 2025)
Hometown: Russia

I grew up in a small town in western Russia and earned my bachelor’s degree at Sechenov Medical University in Moscow, where I developed a strong interest in bio- and tissue engineering, particularly in biodegradable scaffolds for traumatic brain injury. My diverse research internships in Europe, China, and the U.S. fueled my passion for molecular neuroscience, leading to a master’s degree in Neurobiology at Caltech. I then joined Dr. Thomas Südhof's lab to study synaptic adhesion molecules and their roles in synapse dynamics.

At MCP, I am excited to be part of a diverse scientific community that aligns with my research interests. Outside the lab, I enjoy mentoring fellow scientists, engaging in science outreach, and adventuring on mountain slopes.

Bennett, Suzanna

Faculty: Lewis
Hometown: Newton, MA

I chose MCP for both the research and the culture. The research interests and scientific approach of the labs in this department are geared towards solving problems that span across the molecular, cellular and tissue levels for a deeper understanding of how life works.  More Meanwhile, the small size and collaborative environment of MCP means we all know one another and I don’t feel like just another cog in the wheel. I’ve gained more insight into how I learn and work as an individual and how groups of researchers work together as teams as a result of being a part of the MCP research community. I feel like the mentors around me in MCP truly care about me and the other MCP students and are willing to work closely with me to help me succeed. 

             I am the MCP Home Program representative in the Stanford Biosciences Student Association (SBSA), and a few of us MCP students just started as FAST mentors for high school students in San Jose. I went to UT Austin for my undergraduate degree and majored in Neuroscience. AT UT, I worked for 3 years in the Aldrich lab as a volunteer and then as a full-time research assistant for a 4thyear after graduation before coming to Stanford. Outside of science, I’m an avid concert/festival-goer & nature-lover. Once a competitive soccer-player, I now keep my hospital bill down by sticking to yoga, jogging and hiking. I also like to cook, paint with watercolors, road-trip and go camping.

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Cai, Daniel

Faculty: Brunger (summer 2025)
Hometown: San Jose

I am a cell and structural biologist with programming skills, focused on enhancing cryo-electron tomography and advanced microscopy to study complex cellular pathways. I spent two years in Mary Dasso's lab at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, investigating the modularity of nuclear pore complex components. Collaborating with Doreen Matthies and Mario Borgnia, I helped establish our institute's first end-to-end in-situ cryo-electron tomography pipeline.

Outside of research, I enjoy exploring cuisines, cooking, playing the tuba, basketball, and spending time with my cat. I'm currently learning to make Laghman, a Uyghur noodle dish, and as a San Jose native, I'm excited to explore the Bay Area's Asian restaurants.

DeLong, Katie

Faculty: Rohatgi, Biochemistry
Hometown: Massachusetts

I grew up traveling, so while I went to high-school in northern Virginia I often call Massachusetts home! I attended the University of Chicago, where I researched cell biology and protein-protein interactions in neurodevelopment with Robert Carrillo for four years. Post-graduation, I joined Feng Zhang's lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and investigated novel targeted methods for protein and nucleotide delivery. My research interests are broadly structural and developmental, and I chose MCP primarily because of the faculty's specific research on protein roles in disease. Additionally, I loved how every student I met had a clear passion for research even beyond their own projects; the community was tight-knit, friendly, and excited about both science and extracurriculars.  Outside of research, I love reading sci-fi, sailing, sewing, and hiking. As a long-term East-coaster (and short term Midwesterner), I'm excited to explore the West Coast (and escape harsh winters)! 

Greeson, Mia

Faculty: Huttenhain
Hometown: Colorado

 

I graduated from Davidson College in 2023 with a B.S. in biology, and I am now pursuing my PhD in MCP in the Huttenhain Lab. The small, collaborative, and diverse community of MCP has helped broaden my understanding of how carefully regulated processes enable proteins to orchestrate complex signaling pathways. Thus, my current research interests are to understand how members of the extensive GPCR family, which detect and respond to environmental cues, including many drugs, drive signaling pathways that shape cellular responses. I am excited to use proximity labeling and quantitative proteomics as a powerful approach to explore these complex signaling events. Outside of research, I enjoy hiking, weightlifting, cooking, and exploring the vibrant food scene of the Bay Area!

Hermsmeier, Maiko

Faculty: Bhutani, Cancer Biology
Hometown: San Jose, CA

Born in South San Jose, I would often visit Stanford for events and tennis matches and I fell in love with the atmosphere. I was fortunate to attend UCSD, close to home but not too close, and graduated with a molecular biology degree. I was offered a scientist position at a Silicon Valley bio startup, and through this opportunity, I continually met outstanding scientists from Stanford University. Given a keen interest in understanding cellular mechanisms and the orchestration cells play in tissue function in creating a viable organism, I knew MCP would be a great fit where collaborations are encouraged and leading experts are in every lab

 

Jeffries, Jamie

I attended the University of Michigan-Dearborn and graduated with a major in Microbiology and a minor in Hispanic Studies. In undergrad, I worked in a chemistry lab on a project to generate metal-silica, core-shell nanostructures. At Stanford,  More I joined Lynette Cegelski’s lab, which uses biophysical techniques to study complex biological systems.  My thesis focuses on the extracellular matrix of Escherichia coli biofilms, more specifically investigating the structure and function of phosphoethanolamine modified cellulose, the first discovered naturally chemically modified cellulose! My hobbies include watching movies and playing intramural basketball, softball, volleyball, and soccer.

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Johnson, Samantha

Faculty: Straight (Biochemistry)
Hometown:  Colorado

I grew up in a small town about an hour outside of Denver, Colorado. Some of my favorite things are hiking, crocheting, reading, and my cat Machiavelli!
I graduated from a small liberal arts college, Colorado Christian University, with my bachelor’s in biology in 2023. There I studied the regulation of a protein that is involved in loading cohesin onto sister-chromatids during S phase of the cell cycle. I also worked in a lab at CU Anschutz on and off for 2 ½ years studying Microtubules. My main project focused on the regulation and maintenance of the tubulin pool.
I chose MCP because of the wide-ranging interests and expertise of the faculty, as well as the tight-knit community. I especially like the department’s focus on protein function and their roles in disease.

 

Khan, Yousuf

 I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland, traveled to the University of Cambridge to attain my MPhil, and am now pursuing a joint PhD in MCP and a MS in the BMI as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. Outside of research, I enjoy basketball, exercising, and tennis.  More My interests in science have certainly changed over time but I am currently interested in understanding the basic, macromolecular principles that govern basic processes such as protein-protein or RNA-protein interactions. I believe that this can uncovered through a mixture of bioinformatics and informed biophysical measurements. I hope to engage and learn as much as I can while I am at Stanford, so please feel free to reach out whenever!

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Krishnamurthy, Ipsita

I graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 2020 and have called the Pacific Northwest home ever since. During my undergraduate thesis in Dr. Shivani Ahuja’s lab, I became interested in the structural changes that accompany receptor transmission of extracellular signals to intracellular actions. After graduation, I worked as a research assistant in the Mansoor lab at Oregon Health and Sciences University, structurally and functionally characterizing the response of ion channel P2X7 to competitive and noncompetitive agonists and antagonists by electrophysiology and cryoEM. Broadly, my research interests include structural biology, cell biology, and microbiology. I chose MCP because this program offers both the intellectual freedom to pursue my evolving research interests and exceptional support along the way. In my free time, you can find me at a local coffee shop, trying new restaurants, or scouring vintage shops for a new outfit!


Liang, Jiahao

Faculty: Brunger & Feng
DEI Cabinet Chair
Hometown: San Mateo/Redwood City, CA

I grew up in the Bay Area and got my undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara. After soaking up a ton of (but not quite enough) sun, sand, and salt water, I returned to the bay and worked as a research associate/lab manager in the Manglik lab.  More There, I constantly patched up our leaky cell culture CO2 system and used yeast display platforms to study antibody fitness and hedgehog signaling. Applying to grad school as a first-generation college student and immigrant, I knew I wanted to find a department that housed diverse science and people – I found that within MCP. Outside of science, you can find me mentoring young students, snowboarding, or indulging in my guilty pleasures of drinking crispy cold PBRs and eating very spicy tacos.

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Lopez, Liz

Faculty: Ricci
Hometown:  Seattle, WA

Muir, Colin

Faculty: Feng
Hometown: Westlake Village, CA

I chose to join MCP because the research in the department fits my interests, the faculty are amazing, and the students are smart and very friendly. I want to pursue high impact research at the interface of structural biology and cell signaling.  More Before joining MCP, I studied biochemistry at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. When I’m not in the lab I love to be outside hiking, running, and climbing.

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Nors, Wagner

Faculty: Goodman
Hometown: Abbott, TX

I felt that MCP was a good fit for me because it offered the perfect blend of science, people, and place. I grew up in Abbott, Texas (the birthplace of Wille Nelson!) and did my undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin, where I majored in Neuroscience and Biochemistry. There, I worked in the lab of Dr. Marcel Goldshen-Ohm on better understanding the structure/function relationship of ion channels with their ligands - or more simply put, how they work! In MCP, I hope to better understand ion channels in their physiological context, and I feel that there are multiple avenues here where I can achieve this aim and grow as a scientist. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy trying out new restaurants, wineries, and breweries, diving deep into arthouse movies/TV, and taking advantage of all the wonderful natural beauty California has to offer!

Outlaw, Kennedy

Faculty: Huttenhain & Hawa (BioE)
Hometown: NYC

 

I'm originally from just outside of NYC. Some of my favorite activities outside of science are going to broadway shows, museums, kayaking and playing soccer!

I graduated from Purdue University in 2024, doing signal transduction and structural biology with peripheral membrane proteins. I also worked at the Broad Institute for two summers where I worked with splicing factors involved in blood cancer. I chose MCP because of the breadth of research interests and the small community. I am looking forward to studying molecular mechanisms and structure function relationships.

Peddada, Teja

Program: MSTP/MCP
Faculty: Kobilka
Hometown: Cary, NC

I grew up in Cary, North Carolina, in the heart of the Research Triangle, and later pursued my undergraduate studies in neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. During my time there, I developed a strong interest in pharmacology, fascinated by how drugs influence the body at the molecular level. To further explore this passion, I joined the MCP program, where I study GPCR pharmacology, complementing my ongoing medical education. Outside of the lab, I enjoy unwinding at trivia nights and exploring the Bay Area food scene.

Scheuing, Caroline

Faculty: Pleiner
Hometown: Canton, MI

I graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where I studied cellular and molecular biology and completed an undergraduate thesis exploring the cell adhesion function of an auxiliary subunit on the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.1, and its role in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. I also lived in Germany for a year, where I worked across a few labs in Göttingen that focused on membrane protein physiology and translational cardiology. Broadly, my research interests include cell biology, membrane protein physiology, and protein biogenesis! 

In my free time you can find me hiking, biking, thrifting, trying new restaurants, and playing with my cats! I chose MCP because of the friendly, welcoming atmosphere of the department, and the vibrant mix of people who work in it. 

 

Schwartz, Jacob

Faculty: Straight, Biochem
Hometown: Newton, MA

Tamm, Lilli

Faculty: Maduke (summer 2025)
Hometown: Rochester, NY

I recently graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.S. in Biochemistry. Over the course of my degree, I worked on several different projects: examining protein-folding of linker histones in chromatin, characterizing pharmacological properties of allosteric modulators at the delta opioid receptor, and simulating passive permeation of small molecules through lipid bilayers. I was also fortunate to intern at Merck Research Laboratories, where I learned about the drug discovery pipeline and opportunities available to scientists in industry. Outside of the lab, I love reading (especially sci-fi and literary fiction), going on long walks, meeting cats, and yoga. I am excited to get to know the MCP community!

Tuen Kiet (Kyle) Trinh

Faculty: Feng & Long
Hometown: Vietnam

I hail from the beautiful country of Vietnam in Southeast Asia. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University. During my undergraduate career, I conducted research at my home institution, as well as at UofM and Rockefeller, focusing on membrane-related biological processes including drug metabolism, mechanosensation, ion transport, and membrane protein targeting. Beyond my enormous passion for biosciences, I also find pleasure in plane spotting and spending time with friends.

Zhao, Andy

Faculty: O'Brien
Hometown: Shanghai, China

I grew up in Shanghai, China as the son of two expats. I then attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon as an undergraduate, where I worked in Dr. Derek Applewhite's lab. My projects were formally centered around using various forms of microscopy to elucidate the regulation of the cellular cytoskeleton, although I was mainly enamored with collecting pretty images of fluorescent proteins. Dr. Applewhite was especially fond of the aphorism "seeing is believing" and this maxim proved to be prudent advice when it came to choosing a graduate program. During my visit, I was especially impressed by the strong sense of community and belongingness fostered by the program, cementing my decision to choose MCP. The sunny climate also seemed like an appropriate antidote to the grey, rainy skies of Portland. Outside of lab, you can find me agonizing over my fantasy football lineup, reading, or trying to perfect my pour-over coffee technique.