CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

Collin Barnum (WU’18)

Senior Thesis: In Progress

Carrie Moore (WU’18)

Senior Thesis: In Progress

PAST LAB MEMBERS

Melissa Rogers (WU’17)

Senior Thesis: Identification of a Genetic Interaction Between Slingshot and  Spaghetti Squash Required for the Maintenance of Ring Canals During Oogenesis in Drosophila

After graduation, Melissa entered a PhD program with the Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group at the University of California Davis. (Updated 7/1/2017)

   

Berlin Semlacher (WU’15)

Senior Thesis: An Immunohistochemical Analysis of ADF/Cofilin Localization in Slingshot Mutant Drosophila Egg Chambers

After graduation, Berlin worked as an emergency department scribe at Tacoma General Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. Berlin will be submitting applications for Physician Assistant Training Programs during the 2018 application cycle. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Jonathan Ross (WU’15)

Senior Thesis: An Slingshot Gene is Required for Proper Localization of the Oocyte Nucleus in Stage 10A Egg Chambers in Drosophila melanogaster

After graduation, Jonathan secured a position as a Research Assistant at Seattle Genetics, Seattle, Washington. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Serena Meng (WU’15)

Senior Thesis: Slingshot is Required for the Growth and Maintenance of Ring Canals in Developing Egg Chambers of Drosophila melanogaster

After graduation, Serena worked as an emergency department scribe at Salem Hospital in Salem, Oregon. Serena is currently manager of the Scribe America program at Salem Hospital and will be submitting applications for Medical School during the 2018 application cycle. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Serena Meng ’15 Credits Her Biology Mentor for Spurring Her Curiosity.pdf

Beatrix Zenger  (WU’14)

Senior Thesis: The ADF/Cofilin Phosphatase Slingshot is Required for Maintenance of Ring Canals in Late Stage Drosophila Egg Chambers

After graduation, Beatrix worked as a clinical associate for Zoom+Care Medical Clinics, working closely with a dentist to help open the company’s first dental practice. It was the hands on experience of starting up a dental practice and front office management that led her to apply to dental school. Currently, Beatrix is a student in the School of Dentistry at Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, Class of 2020 (Updated 7/1/2017)

Sabine Wetzel (WU’14)

Senior Thesis: The ADF/Cofilin Phosphatase Controls Synaptic Morphology at the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction

After graduation, Sabine worked as a medial scribe in the Department of Gastroenterology at Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon and in the Burn Treatment and Surgery, and Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery departments at The Oregon Clinic, Portland, Oregon. In addition, Sabine worked as a phlebotomist with the American Red Cross. Currently, Sabine is undergoing training to be a Physician’s Assistant in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of St. Francis, Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Kayla Johnson (WU’13)

Senior Thesis: A Novel Mutation in the Drosophila Slingshot (ssh) Gene Identifies a Requirement for its Function in the Maintenance of Synapse Morphology

After graduation, Kayla worked as an emergency department medical scribe at the Salem Hospital Emergency Department in Salem, Oregon. Kayla is currently a third year medical student at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Medical School in Portland, Oregon. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Alfredo Zuniga (WU’12)

Senior Thesis: The Microtubule Regulatory Protein Stathmin is Essential for Axonal Transport

After graduation, Alfredo earned a MSc in the laboratory of Dr. Christopher Lowry in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. Currently, Alfredo is a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Andrey Ryabinin in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at the Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Willamette University Senior Overcomes Obstacles to Pursue His Education.pdf

Stephanie Skelly (WU’12)

Senior Thesis: Identification, Molecular Genetic and Phenotypic Characterization of a Mutant Allele of fat facets (fafWU12) in Drosophila melanogaster

After graduation, Stephanie worked as an emergency department medical scribe at the Salem Hospital Emergency Department in Salem, Oregon. Stephanie is currently a fourth year medical student at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine (USUHS SOM) in Rockville, Maryland. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Academic All-American Excels in the Classroom and on the Soccer Field.pdf

Emma Hill (WU’11)

Senior Thesis: The Effect of Invertebrate Stathmin on Microtubule Dynamics

After graduation, Emma worked as the Lead Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Dermatology at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), Portland, Oregon. Presently, Emma is a Medical Student at OHSU. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Lauren Hagel (WU’11)

Senior Thesis: Identification, Molecular Genetic and Phenotypic Characterization of a Mutant Allele of nonstop (notWU3) in Drosophila melanogaster

After graduation, Lauren managed the Bruner Orthodontics clinic in Redmond, Washington for four years. Lauren is currently a student in the University of Washington School of Dentistry Class of 2019, and a member of the RIDE program, a unique program committed to providing dental services to rural and underserved areas in Washington. Lauren spent her first year in Spokane, WA, followed by two and one-half years in Seattle, WA. The second half of Lauren’s fourth year will be spent in a community clinic in Wenatchee, WA. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Megan Ross (ne: Moore) (WU’11)

Senior Thesis: Phenotypic Characterization of a Mutant Allele of the Peroxisome Biogenesis Gene 1 (Pex1) in Drosophila melanogaster

After graduation, Megan worked as a Physical Therapy Aid at Sports Medicine Oregon in Portland, Oregon. Megan is currently a corps member of Teach for America at Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Washington. Megan will graduate with a Masters of Science Education from the University of Washington School of Education in June 2017. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Romain Tropee (WU’11)

Senior Thesis: Identification of a Viable Mutation in the Drosophila melanogaster Protein Phosphatase Gene Slingshot

After graduation, Roman earned a MSc from the Universite de Rennes, Rennes, France. Presently, Romain is a PhD Candidate in the lab of Dr. Eloise Dray in the Breast Cancer Research Group at the Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Nikki Lytle (WU’10)

Senior Thesis: Investigating the Function of Drosophila Stathmin in Axonal Transport

After graduation, Nikki worked as a Research Technician in the laboratory of Dr. Detlev Boison in the Robert S Dow Neurobiology Laboratories at Legacy Research Institute in Portland, Oregon. Nikki is currently a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Tannishtha Reya’s in the Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Program at the University of California San Diego. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Raquel Bell (WU’10)

Senior Thesis: pH Dependance of the Binding of the Anti-Cancer Drug NAMI-A to Phenylalanine Specific tRNA

After graduation, Raquel worked as a medical assistant with Dr. Doug Crane, at the North Bend Medical Center and Coquille Valley Hospital in Coos Bay, Oregon. Raquel graduated from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Medical School in June 2017, and will begin a residency in General Surgery at OHSU in July 2017. (Updated 7/1/2017)

Chance Scott (WU’09)

Senior Thesis: Is the Microtubule Regulatory Protein Transported by Kinesin?

After graduation, Chance attended the Keck Graduate Institute of the Claremont Colleges and earned a Master of Bioscience (MBS).  After graduating, Chance moved into the bio-pharmaceutical industry holding a variety of commercialization roles at Genentech. Currently, Chance is the Associate Director of Strategy at Quorum Consulting, a reimbursement consulting firm. Quorum specializes in designing reimbursement and patient access strategies, including design of clinical and economic studies, to drive uptake and access to innovative therapeutics. (Updated 7/1/2017)

            Dr. Jason Duncan

   B.Sc. (Hons) Zoology (1993) University of Manitoba

    Thesis: The life cycle and host-parasite interactions of the nematode Heligmosomoides

                      polygyrus

    M.Sc. Physiology (1995) University of Manitoba

    Thesis: The vasoactive potential of lysophosphatidylcholine, a product of surfactant

                     degradation in the lung, on the pulmonary vasculature following exogenous

                     surfactant replacement therapy for Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome

    Ph.D. Molecular Biology (2002) University of Southern California

    Thesis: The Drosophila dynamitin gene: Using molecular dynamite to study the

                     developmental roles of cytoplasmic dynein

    PostDoctoral Fellowship  (2008) Cellular and Molecular Medicine

    University of California San Diego