José Pablo Vázquez-Medina

I am a broadly trained biologist with a strong interest in redox physiology. I have led research projects investigating the role of redox biology in adaptation and disease in a variety of systems, from humans to invertebrates, rodent models of diabetes, hypertension, and lung disease, and marine vertebrates.

Julia María Torres Velarde

UC MEXUS Postdoctoral Fellow

I am from Mazatlán, a small port city in Northwest México. I earned my BS in Chemistry and Pharmacy from Universidad de Guadalajara. I then completed my MS and PhD work at Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, where I studied the regulation of myogenesis and atrophy in a commercially important fish. At UC Berkeley, I want to understand the effects of exposure to glucocorticoids on pathways of muscular atrophy in marine mammals.

Diana Daniela Moreno-Santillan

Postdoctoral researcher

I am an evolutionary biologist from Mexico City, where I obtained my BS in Biology from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM).  During my MS and PhD programs at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional, I developed an interest in evolutionary biology. My research focuses on the dynamics of aging and immunity from an evolutionary perspective, using comparative and integrative studies in mammals. For this, I have been performing comparative analysis at genomic and transcriptomic levels in mammals, with bats being my main species of interest. In the Vazquez-Medina lab, I am conducting comparative genomic analyses to understand diving adaptations in pinnipeds.

Dianna Xing

Postdoctoral researcher

I received my BA in Economics and Biological Chemistry from Grinnell College. Afterwards, I earned my PhD in the Biomedical Sciences from The University of Alabama at Birmingham under the guidance of Dr. Victor Darley-Usmar. I studied the effects of mitochondrial metabolites and redox signaling molecules on regulating cancer metabolism and bioenergetics in a hypoxia-reoxygenation model. Now at UC Berkeley with the Vázquez-Medina lab, I am interested in understanding the role of Peroxiredoxin-6 in regulating mitochondrial responses to oxidative stress using novel transgenic mice models.

Justin Lawrence Conner

Postdoctoral Researcher

I am a broadly trained comparative biologist originally from Miami, Florida. I received my undergraduate degree from Oregon State University, where I studied Zoology. During my PhD at the University of North Texas, I studied the physiology of ectotherms (American alligators, Burmese pythons, common snapping turtles, and air-breathing fish). After receiving an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship to work at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, I developed the skills to create complex in vitro systems (organoids) in hibernating mammals. Recently, I joined the Vázquez-Medina lab supported by an NIGMS Diversity Supplement. Now, I am interested in studying the role of Prdx6 in regulating oxidative stress in renal dysfunction and acute kidney injury utilizing novel transgenic mouse models and cell culture systems. 

Elizabeth Piotrowski

Berkeley Fellow

DOD NDSEG Fellow

I received my BS in Marine Biology from the University of Maine, Orono, where I conducted research in Kristina Cammen’s lab focused on developing new protocols that use environmental DNA for marine mammal studies. I then completed my MS in Biology at the University of the Pacific in Jane Khudyakov's lab, where I profiled muscle and blood gene expression related to carbon monoxide signaling and production across ontogeny and examined muscle and blubber transcriptome and proteome responses to swimming and diving in northern elephant seals. I'm interested in exploring adaptive mechanisms that protect diving mammals from hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and regulate energy balance. I enjoy volunteering at The Marine Mammal Center and hiking in my spare time.

Federico Kong-Gonzalez

Fede studies the physiological mechanisms of how air-breathing animals are able to dive for prolonged periods of time.

Malavika Garimella (Mala)

I am currently a sophomore studying Molecular and Cell Biology and Business Administration. I work with Kaitlin Allen in a project to understand and characterize adipose-derived stem cells isolated from the blubber of northern elephant seal pups during the post-weaning fasting period and develop a differentiation protocol for these stem cells. In my free time, I enjoy going out dancing, going cafe hopping and learning new languages. 

Juan Manuel Vazquez

NSF PRB Fellow, NIH K99 Postdoctoral Fellow, Sudmant Lab

I am a Puerto Rican scientist focused on evolution and longevity-associated traits in extraordinary animals. I study the within-species relationship between chromatin, gene expression, and aging in vivo using single-cell technologies in mice. Using functional genomics and primary cell culture in bats, whales, and elephants, I study the role of genomic stability and stress response in mediating between-species differences in lifespan.

Adi Domer

HFSP Fellow, Dudley Lab

I am an ecologist and a nature enthusiast from Israel. My fields of study include classical ecology and ecophysiology, particularly the evolutionary consequences of flight for animals' physiological traits. For this, I use a broad range of flying animals, including insects and birds. Currently, my research at UC Berkeley focuses on evaluating avian blood glucose regulation and its physiological consequences for flight performance and migratory behavior. When I am not doing science, I enjoy listening to music, going hiking and birdwatching, and rearing my own brood.

Giovanna Selleghin Veiga

Visiting Scholar, Nery Lab

I’m a PhD student from Brazil interested in studying comparative evolutionary genomics of marine mammals. I did my BS at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) where I’m also doing my PhD at the Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics under the supervision of Dr. Mariana Nery. The main focus of my work is to use bioinformatics and genomes to understand the evolution of antioxidant enzymes. Recently, I am currently a Visiting Scholar at the Vázquez-Medina lab where I am comparing the gene expression signatures of whale and seal primary cells under hypoxia and reoxygenation, trying to understand how these different mammalian groups respond to low oxygen tensions.

Kaitlin Allen

Berkeley Fellow

NSF GRFP Fellow

Graduated in 2024

I received my BS in biology from MIT, where I worked in Sangeeta Bhatia’s lab on an engineered bacterial chemotherapeutics system. I changed gears after graduation, moving to the Anesthesia Center for Critical Care Research at the Massachusetts General Hospital with Allyson Hindle and Emmanuel Buys. Here, I studied the physiological and molecular effects of the NO-cGMP pathway, including two field seasons in Antarctica, working on the diving response in Weddell seals. At UC Berkeley, I studied oxidative stress and ischemia/reperfusion tolerance mechanisms in diving mammals. Kaitlin is now a postdoctoral researcher with Michelle Shero at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

José Arevalo

American Physiological Society Porter Physiology Fellow

Graduated in 2024

I was born in Guatemala and grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles. My interest is in physiological changes following stress and exercise. I received a BS in genetics and plant biology from Cal Berkeley - go Bears! - and an MS in kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton. At Berkeley, Jose studied physiological mechanisms underlying metabolic inflexibility in aging. José is now a postdoctoral fellow with Ashley Webb at the Buck Institute of Aging.

Heidi Avalos

Undergraduate Alumni

Heidi graduated in Molecular and Cell Biology, with an emphasis in Cell Biology, Development, and Physiology. She worked with José Arevalo investigating mitochondrial function and lipid peroxidation in skeletal muscle cells.

Sarah Villa

Undergraduate Alumni

Sarah majored in molecular and cell biology and minored in nutritional science. She was working with Manny to understand the metabolic response in bats when subjected to hypoxic and normoxic conditions.

Maxine Mouly

Undergraduate Alumni, ESPM Honors Thesis

Maxine assessed the effects of warming on the thermoregulatory capacity of elephant seals and their potential for behavioral adjustments. Maxine is currently a graduate student at the University of Amsterdam.

Queenie Li

Undergraduate Alumni

Queenie studied mitochondrial dysfunction in Prdx6 knock-out mice under Jose Arevalo’s mentorship.

Yuka Takahashi

Undergraduate Alumni

Yuka studied the thermoregulatory capacity of elephant seals in the field, as well as using cell culture lab techniques.

Ana Castello

Undergraduate Alumni, MCB Honors Thesis

Anna graduated with a BS in Molecular Cellular Biology and minored in History. Anna analyzed thermal images of elephant seals to determine how thermoregulation and thermal stress change with warming temperatures.

Kyra Henderson

Undergraduate Alumni

Kyra studied Molecular and Cellular Biology, with an emphasis on Neurobiology. Kyra conducted cell research on elephant seals, California sea lions, and sea turtles. 

Marvin Miller

Undergraduate Alumni

Marvin researched the effect of aging on the lactate receptor GPR81 and metabolic inflexibility.

Alexander Li

Undergraduate Alumni, MCB Honors thesis

Alex studied how endothelial cells derived from seals adapt to hypoxia and oxidative stress. Alex is a Senior Research Associate at Calico.

Lauren Zane

Undergraduate Alumni, IB Honors Thesis

Lauren studied the relationship between glucocorticoids and telomeres across non-primate vertebrates and received the Departmental Natural History award for her work. She is now a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island.

Diamond Luong

Undergraduate Alumni, IB Honors Thesis

Diamond studied the role of peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6) in the response to lipid peroxidation in seal and human placenta cells. Diamond first worked as a Research Coordinator at UCSF is now a Medical Student at UC San Diego.

Emily Gibson

Undergraduate Alumni, MCB Honors thesis

Emily studied DNA methylation and gene expression in response to fasting in elephant seals. Emily is currently a Research Associate at the Arc Institute and will start her PhD at Princeton in Fall 2024.

Noemi Reyes

Undergraduate Alumni

Noemi worked to develop a novel model system using primary cell cultures derived from marine mammals to study the effects of chronic stress on muscle atrophy. Noemi is currently a Project Coordinator at LGC Biosearch Technologies.

Esmeralda Garcia-Orosco

Undergraduate Alumni

Esmeralda studied oxidative stress and ischemic tolerance in seal and human cells. Esme went to grad school at Thomas Jefferson University and is currently a Scientist at Avid Bioservices.