Hae-Rim Lee

Hae-Rim obtained her M.Sc. in Botany and Microbiology from Yeung-Nam University in Korea. Her graduate work in the lab of Ki-Joong Kim in the Department of Taxonomy and Ecology at Korea University focussed on the phylogeny and evolution of jasmin. Her postdoctoral work took her from plants via genomics to planarians, and in the Van Wolfswinkel lab she studies the impact of transposons on planarian biology.

Axel Poulet

Axel obtained his M.Sc. from Auvergne University in France specialising in bioinformatics and data modelling. He continued to obtain his PhD from Auvergne University and Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK working on 3D analysis of chromatin organization in a joint project between the labs of Christophe Tatout and David Evans. In the Van Wolfswinkel lab Axel continues this passion and studies the chromatin organisation of planarian cells.

Axel can tell you all you want to know about New Haven restaurants or about computational pitfalls - especially if you bring coffee.

Sudheesh Allikka Parambil

Sudheesh obtained his M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Mahatma Gandhi University in India. His PhD work in the lab of Rakesh Laishram at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology focussed on the regulation of RNA 3' end processing. In the Van Wolfswinkel lab he is disentangling the regulatory RNA pathways in planarians.

Emilio Santillan

Emilio graduated with an M.Sc. in Biological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. For his PhD work he joined the lab of Luisa Cochella, first in Vienna and later at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Here he focussed on the miR-100 family of microRNAs and its role in intercellular interactions in the roundworm C. elegans. In the Van Wolfswinkel lab he is dissecting the regulatory contributions of miRNAs to planarian stem cell function.

Andrew Verdesca

Andrew is a graduate from Brown University with a double major in Biology and English. He has a passion for aging research and in the Van Wolfswinkel lab he is exploring the mechanisms that planarians use to maintain their apparently indefinite life spans.

Andrew also is an extremely fast skier and talented writer which he uses for making complex science accessible to a wide audience.

Karina Ascunce

Karina received her B.A. from Harvard University, with a major in Neuroscience and a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. She splits her time between the Van Wolfswinkel Lab and the Carlson lab to develop planarians into a full-fledged model for neuronal regeneration.

Karina is known to put out hilarious and informative polls for the YSB 2nd floor on topics nobody had thought about before.

Mariana Witmer

Mariana received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Brown University, and fell in love with the mix of molecular and developmental biology while working on sea urchins. Mariana is fascinated by RNA condensates and she studies the contributions of nuage to stem cell regulation.

Mariana has a passion for baking and makes the best sourdough you ever tasted.

Giannis Kastanos

Giannis graduated from NorthEastern University with a B.S. in Biochemistry. He was drawn to research, and in particular to the molecular mechanisms that are required to keep cells under control. In the Van Wolfswinkel Lab he studies the mechanisms that planarian stem cells use to protect themselves from foreign nucleic acids.

Giannis’ passion for aquatic animals extends well beyond planarians, and he nurtures an impressive aquarium to prove it.

Valentina Pannarale

Valentina graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and a Minor in Anthropology. During her undergraduate work she was bitten by the RNA bug, and has a broad interest in RNA regulatory processes, which she now applies to planarians.

Valentina has many additional talents, including as a glass artist and an artisanal ice cream maker.