Wallingford Lab Members
Principal Investigator, John Wallingford, Ph.D.
El PatronSecretary of Defense, Robert Huebner
Robert received his PhD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As a doctoral student he developed a deep interest in how cell biology controls animal development. This interest in cellular developmental biology led him to the Wallingford lab for a postdoc. Robert currently studies how cell adhesion governs the cell movements that organize the early embryo. Most of Robert's free time is consumed by being a parent but that makes him happy.Postdoc, Nayeli Reyes-Nava
Nayeli is an Early Career Postdoctoral Fellow in the Wallingford lab. Nayeli is a proud first-generation student who obtained her Doctoral degree in Biosciences from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2023 after earning a BS in Biology from the Autonomous University of Juarez City, Mexico. Her research interests include investigating the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of rare genetic disorders. As a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Wallingford lab, Nayeli will focus on exploring the mechanistic basis of ciliopathies. Outside of research, she enjoys long walks, hiking, sunsets, and having coffee or beer with her partner in crime, Chewbacca (aka Chuwy), her 5-pound Yorkshire.Graduate Student, Vidal Bejar-Padilla
Trained as an engineer, Vidal began his research with Dr. Daniel Conway studying the dynamics of the cell cytoskeleton in cell culture. He's currently applying those concepts to understand the relationship between planar cell polarity complexes and the actin cytoskeleton in developing embryos. Outside the lab, Vidal likes playing music, making art, and rock climbing!Graduate Student, Ece Atayeter
Ece Atayeter is a PhD student in the ILS Cellular and Molecular Biology program, under the mentorship of John B. Wallingford and Ryan S. Gray. She received her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bilkent University, Turkey in 2022. Ece's research focuses on the zebrafish scoliosis model and associated cellular structures, including cilia and the Reissner fiber. Beyond her academic pursuits, she enjoys pottery, jazz music and tennis.Graduate Student, Juyeon Hong
Juyeon is a graduate student joining with prof. Taejoo's lab at UNIST, South Korea. She also completed her undergraduate at UNIST biology and keep working on developmental biology. She is interested in cilia related early development and disease. Her goal during in Wallingford's lab is to identify the molecular mechanism of genes involved in ciliogenesis. She loves animals, especially her four dogs in Korea. Juyeon zones out often to restore her energy, but likes to spending time with good peopleUndergraduate Student, Kristen Holladay
Kristen is a biochemistry and mathematics double major, who is interested in morphogenesis and convergent extension. Outside of academics, she likes to volunteer, listen to Taylor Swift, and spend time with her dog, Dumpling!Undergraduate Student, Mindy Li
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Director of Operations, Chanjae Lee, Ph.D.
Chanjae earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and was among the early members of the Wallingford Lab. Her research primarily focuses on ciliogenesis and ciliopathies, a group of human genetic disorders involving cilium dysfunction. Outside of research, she enjoys singing in a choir.Chief of Staff, Eirene Jo
Eirene Jo is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Biochemistry. She works as the lab manager to ensure that everything is ready for the lab members to run their projects smoothly. During her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with friends and family, and watching Korean dramas.Technician, Krishna Vaidyanathan
Krishna received her bachelor's degree in Genomics and Computational Biology, with a minor in Computer Science, from Washington University in St. Louis in 2022. She is currently working with Dr. Chanjae Lee and senior lab members on mechanistic research studies related to neural tube closure and ciliogenesis. When she’s not in the lab, Krishna loves to bake!Graduate Student, Neftalí Vázquez
Neftalí started out her research path in the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where she received her Bachelors and Masters in Biology. At UTRGV she researched apoptotic pathways in cancer cell lines in Dr. Megan Keniry's lab. At UT, she became fascinated by the intricacies in developmental processes. She’s currently exploring mechanisms of protein complexes that contribute to ciliary formation. Outside of research she enjoys watching tv shows, crafting, painting, gardening, and last but not least: spending time with her two cats.Graduate Student, Cristina Raya-Vaca
Cristina is a graduate student in the lab. She earned a Biology B.S. from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where she focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying plant-insect interactions. During her undergraduate studies, she took part in UT Austin's SUPER program in 2018 and 2019, conducting research in the Stachowiak Lab (2018) and the Yang Zhang lab (2019). Cristina is currently collaborating with fellow graduate student Neftali Vazquez on a project investigating CPLANE protein, RSG1, and its interactors aiming to uncover their role in ciliopathies. In her free time, Cristina enjoys hiking, practicing amateur entomology and jogging.Graduate Student, Tynan Gardner
Tynan received a B.A. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University before working as a research assistant in a fly development lab. Now, he studies ciliogenesis and systems biology using Xenopus embryos and Tetrahymena. Outside the lab, he enjoys backpacking, cooking, and making music with his fiancée. He's totally going to win next year's chili cookoff - meet his sous chef on instagram @mochi.pbpUndergraduate Student, Anna Havnen
Anna is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, pursuing a BSA in Biochemistry. As an undergraduate student in the Wallingford lab, Anna will focus on exploring the mechanisms and protein interactions involved in convergent extension. Her research interests include adapting existing techniques for protein degradation to fit the Xenopus laevis model. Outside of research, she enjoys painting, cooking food, and reading books of all genres.Undergraduate Student, Swara KaleSwara is a Biology major working towards certifications in Computer Science and Spanish with an interest in morphogenesis and its genetic basis. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking & baking, and Pilates! |
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