Jessica LaMae Whited, PhD
Jessica holds a BA in Philosophy and a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri. She earned her PhD at MIT, where she studied neuronal architecture in Paul Garrity's lab. As a postdoc in Cliff Tabin's lab at Harvard Medical School, Jessica focused on developing tools to more thoroughly investigate axolotl limb regeneration, and she established a breeding colony of axolotls. These animals were the seeds of the Whited Lab's first home in Brigham and Women's Hospital. Now at Harvard University, Jessica is an Assistant Professor, a Principal Faculty member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, an Associate Member of the Broad Institute, a Smith Family Foundation fellow, a March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Scholar, an NIH New Innovator Awardee, and the recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). A native of Michigan, Jessica's interest in biology started with butterflies and time in the woods. Outside of lab, Jessica's usually hanging out with her twin 11-year-old boys.
Jessica holds a BA in Philosophy and a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri. She earned her PhD at MIT, where she studied neuronal architecture in Paul Garrity's lab. As a postdoc in Cliff Tabin's lab at Harvard Medical School, Jessica focused on developing tools to more thoroughly investigate axolotl limb regeneration, and she established a breeding colony of axolotls. These animals were the seeds of the Whited Lab's first home in Brigham and Women's Hospital. Now at Harvard University, Jessica is an Assistant Professor, a Principal Faculty member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, an Associate Member of the Broad Institute, a Smith Family Foundation fellow, a March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Scholar, an NIH New Innovator Awardee, and the recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). A native of Michigan, Jessica's interest in biology started with butterflies and time in the woods. Outside of lab, Jessica's usually hanging out with her twin 11-year-old boys.
Duygu Payzin
Duygu is a graduate student in the BBS program at Harvard Medical School. She earned her B.S. degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bilkent University, and holds an M.S. degree in Molecular Biology from Koc University. In her spare time, Duygu enjoys reading, doing yoga and traveling, and she is passionate about animal welfare.
Konstantinos "Kostas" Sousounis, PhD
Kostas joined the lab in the summer of 2016 to lead our collaborative project with Mike Levin's group at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts. He completed his PhD work at the University of Dayton in the lab of Dr. Panagiotis Tsonis. After a postdoctoral research position in the lab of Dr. Joanna Jankowsky at Baylor, Kostas is now reunited with salamanders. Kostas is the recipient of the Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship and the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award.
Hani Singer
Hani received his BS in Biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. As lab manager, Hani is responsible for the coordination between the researchers, administration, and lab operations to facilitate the various projects of the Whited Lab. Outside of the lab, Hani's interests include taking care of his houseplants, skiing, tennis, piano and music production.
Burcu Erdogan, PhD
Burcu received her B.S degree in Genetics and Bioengineering from Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey. She studied the role of ETS transcription factors and identified their potential targets involved in neuronal differentiation in the lab of Isil Aksan Kurnaz. Then she stayed there for a bit more to earn her M.S degree. She then came to Boston to work on optic nerve regeneration as a research intern at Larry Benowitz’s lab. She fell in love with Boston and decided to stay to do her PhD. She received her PhD from the lab of Laura Anne Lowery at Boston College and studied how microtubule dynamics are regulated in the neuronal growth cone during axon growth and guidance in developing Xenopus laevis nervous system. Burcu joined the Whited lab in the summer of 2019 and she is very excited to study the role of bioelectrical signaling during axolotl limb regeneration as well as the establishment of positional information in regenerating limb-tail transplants. Outside of the lab Burcu enjoys riding her bike, running, swimming and hiking.
Nicole Mejia
Nicole Mejia is a sophomore at Harvard College studying Integrative Biology with a secondary in Environmental Science and Engineering. After graduation, Nicole hopes to attend veterinary school and specialize in wildlife conservation. She loves all animals and wants to also help in educating people in Honduras about environmentally-friendly alternatives. She was born in Honduras, but lives in Brockton, Massachusetts. Nicole likes to spend her free time volunteering, hiking, playing clarinet and reading.
Steve Blair
Steven is a visiting senior from the University of Massachusetts studying Bioinformatics. His focus in data science is transcriptomics and data visualization. His interests are evo-devo, synthetic biology, and nanofabrication. Outside of the lab he tutors math and is a mentor for STEM and robot programing at his local Boys and Girls Club. Hobbies include hobby farming and most anything that involves diesel, rust, and/or Volkswagen.
Shifa Hossain
Shifa Hossain is a first year student in Harvard college. She was born and raised in LA and has had a passion in research since high school. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and watching informational videos during her spare time, such as Ted-Ed and Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.
Michael Del Mundo
Michael is a Harvard College undergraduate studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology. He was raised in Bakersfield, California, and he currently lives in Adams House. In the future, he hopes to pursue a career in medicine, hopefully as a surgeon. Outside the lab, most of his time is spent studying or training as part of the Varsity Men’s Water Polo team. In his free time, he enjoys attending social events, practicing guitar, and watching sports.
Juan Carlos Velazquez Matos
Juan was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he received his B.S. in Microbiology. At the University of Puerto Rico - Humacao, he studied the early muscle development in Xenopus laevis. Juan joined the Whited lab in Fall 2020 as a Harvard post-bac student to study whether amphiregulin is required for limb regeneration. Apart from Biology, Juan loves to take wildlife photographs, travel and listen to classical music. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, playing volleyball and shopping.
Sarah Wilson
Sarah is a Research Assistant who graduated from Trinity College in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. Her previous research experience has focused primarily on plants. Outside of the lab, Sarah enjoys watching documentaries and Jeopardy, running, reading, and cooking.
Anika Allen
Anika is a Harvard College undergraduate studying Neuroscience with a secondary in African American Studies. She is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and currently lives in Adams House. In her free time, Anika enjoys playing and watching soccer, reading, and doing anything outdoors. After graduation, she hopes to pursue an MD and eventually becoming a neurosurgeon.
Kelly Dooling
Kelly is a Laboratory Technician mainly responsible for the care of the axolotls in the facility. She earned a BA in Environmental Studies from New York University and a MS in Marine Biology from Northeastern University, where she studied shark behavior. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, doing yoga, and scuba diving (when weather allows).
Sangwon Min, PhD
Benjamin Tajer, PhD
Aaron Savage, PhD
Maddy Kidd
Maddy is a sophomore at Harvard College, studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology. She grew up in Virginia and now calls Kirkland House home. She is on the board of the Harvard Science Review and mentors local elementary school students with Science Club for Girls, both in efforts to make STEM fields more accessible and diverse. In the future, she plans on attending medical school and has an interest in oncology. Outside of academics and extracurriculars, Maddy loves reading, baking, and spending time with her or Kirkland’s house dogs.
Vivian Yee
Vivian is a part of the Harvard College Class of 2025 and is planning to study either Molecular and Cellular Biology or Economics. She is originally from Beverly Hills, Michigan. Outside of the lab, Vivian enjoys hanging out with friends, singing, exploring the food scene, and watercolor painting. In addition to regenerative biology, she is passionate about international relations, health policy, and educational equity.
Angela Dela Cruz
Angela is a sophomore at Harvard College studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology with a secondary in Psychology or Economics and a Language Citation in Italian. She previously worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY and hopes to attend medical school, eventually specializing in pediatric surgery. She was born in Quezon City, Philippines, but was raised on Long Island, NY. When she is not conducting research or stressing over organic chemistry, Angela enjoys photography, playing the guitar, and finding new artists on Spotify.
Lab Alumni
Anna Guzikowski (technician; currently PhD candidate at UCSD)
Colleen Carmody (student assistant, Simmons College; currently student researcher in Dr. Matt Harris's lab, HMS)
Samantha Furgason (student assistant, Simmons College; currently a registered nurse)
Neng Thao (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2015; currently Youth Development and Employment Coordinator, Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle)
Mandi Nyambi (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2015; currently MPH student, Columbia U.)
Tzu-Hsing (April) Kuo, PhD (postdoc; currently Senior Scientist, Acceleron Pharma, Cambridge, MA)
Tia DiTommaso, PhD (postdoc; currently Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacology, Arbor Biotechnologies, Cambridge, MA)
May Barakat (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2016; currently MD/PhD student at University of Illinois-Chicago)
Frankie Davis (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2016; currently Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps)
Emily Pate (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2016; currently enlisted in the U.S. Navy)
Janine Kopeski (aquatics technician; currently head coach/aquatics director for a swim team)
Tae Lee, PhD (postdoc; currently scientist at GlaxoSmithKline)
Cameron Waites (HMS MD student, Pursuing Interests in Medicine researcher)
Joel Bateman (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2017)
Nathaniel Dale (high school student; currently undergraduate at Emmanuel College)
Anna Saltman (MS student from BU; currently MD student at U. Cincinnati)
Donald Bryant, PhD (Harvard BBS program, HHMI Gilliam fellow; defended July, 2017; currently Executive Search and Assessment Professional at Russell Reynolds Associates)
Aaron Sandoval (summer undergrad researcher 2x, U. Florida; currently Marshall Scholar in UK)
Rachelle Mariano (Harvard BBS program, awarded master's degree; currently programmer in industry)
Kimberly Johnson, PhD (postdoc; currently scientist, Foundation Medicine)
Rachel Oshiro (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2019; now tech at Broad Institute/Feng Zhang lab)
Alan Wong (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2019; now MD/PhD student at Harvard)
Nicholas Leigh, PhD (postdoc; currently Asst. Professor, Lund University, Sweden)
Jose Martinez Fernandez (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2020; currently PhD student at UC Berkeley in Chemistry and NSF GRFP Fellow)
Jihee Han (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2020)
Kath Courtemanche (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2021; now RA at Rockefeller U.)
Julia Losner (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2021; now MD/PhD student at Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering)
Greg Gundberg (RA)
Madison Hurley (RA, currently PhD student at U. New Hampshire)
Fallon Durant, PhD (postdoc; currently embryologist)
Nina Uzoigwe (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2021; now MD/PhD student at NYU)
Garrett Dunlap (Harvard BBS program)
Emily Travers
Annabella Espinoza
Anna Henricks
Anna Guzikowski (technician; currently PhD candidate at UCSD)
Colleen Carmody (student assistant, Simmons College; currently student researcher in Dr. Matt Harris's lab, HMS)
Samantha Furgason (student assistant, Simmons College; currently a registered nurse)
Neng Thao (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2015; currently Youth Development and Employment Coordinator, Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle)
Mandi Nyambi (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2015; currently MPH student, Columbia U.)
Tzu-Hsing (April) Kuo, PhD (postdoc; currently Senior Scientist, Acceleron Pharma, Cambridge, MA)
Tia DiTommaso, PhD (postdoc; currently Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacology, Arbor Biotechnologies, Cambridge, MA)
May Barakat (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2016; currently MD/PhD student at University of Illinois-Chicago)
Frankie Davis (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2016; currently Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps)
Emily Pate (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2016; currently enlisted in the U.S. Navy)
Janine Kopeski (aquatics technician; currently head coach/aquatics director for a swim team)
Tae Lee, PhD (postdoc; currently scientist at GlaxoSmithKline)
Cameron Waites (HMS MD student, Pursuing Interests in Medicine researcher)
Joel Bateman (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2017)
Nathaniel Dale (high school student; currently undergraduate at Emmanuel College)
Anna Saltman (MS student from BU; currently MD student at U. Cincinnati)
Donald Bryant, PhD (Harvard BBS program, HHMI Gilliam fellow; defended July, 2017; currently Executive Search and Assessment Professional at Russell Reynolds Associates)
Aaron Sandoval (summer undergrad researcher 2x, U. Florida; currently Marshall Scholar in UK)
Rachelle Mariano (Harvard BBS program, awarded master's degree; currently programmer in industry)
Kimberly Johnson, PhD (postdoc; currently scientist, Foundation Medicine)
Rachel Oshiro (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2019; now tech at Broad Institute/Feng Zhang lab)
Alan Wong (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2019; now MD/PhD student at Harvard)
Nicholas Leigh, PhD (postdoc; currently Asst. Professor, Lund University, Sweden)
Jose Martinez Fernandez (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2020; currently PhD student at UC Berkeley in Chemistry and NSF GRFP Fellow)
Jihee Han (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2020)
Kath Courtemanche (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2021; now RA at Rockefeller U.)
Julia Losner (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2021; now MD/PhD student at Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering)
Greg Gundberg (RA)
Madison Hurley (RA, currently PhD student at U. New Hampshire)
Fallon Durant, PhD (postdoc; currently embryologist)
Nina Uzoigwe (undergrad researcher, Harvard, class of 2021; now MD/PhD student at NYU)
Garrett Dunlap (Harvard BBS program)
Emily Travers
Annabella Espinoza
Anna Henricks
