Alumni

Graduate Students

Dr. Jessica L. Huang

Jessica completed her Ph.D. in BMCDB from Davis in Spring 2022. She graduated with a B.S. in Molecular Biology from UC San Diego, where she had the opportunity to study microRNAs in Amy Pasquinelli's lab. Although RNA will always have a place in her heart, she is very excited about the research being done on diabetes and islets in the Huising Lab. In her free time, she likes jogging, baking, and singing when nobody can hear her. Occasionally, she takes pictures of and with her stuffed sheep Doufu.

Dr. Sharon Lee

Sharon completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from Davis in Spring 2022. She earned her B.S. from UCLA where she was exposed to the thrill and rigor of of scientific research working with fruit flies in the lab of Dr. Leanne Jones. Her research interests broadly include cell fate decisions and identity changes, which led her to join the Huising Lab to learn more about the lineage plasticity of pancreatic islet cells. Apart from research, Sharon enjoys sightseeing, stress cooking, and binge watching her shows!

Dr. Alex M. Mawla

Alex completed his Ph.D. in Integrative Genetics & Genomics (IGG) from UC Davis in Winter 2021. He realized his passion in combining translational health research with computational biology after graduating with a Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior B.S. and a minor in Quantitative Biology & Bioinformatics from Davis. Outside of lab, he enjoys playing guitar, cooking and trying new foods, and spending time with his family and friends.

Dr. Glyn M. Noguchi

Glyn ompleted his Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (BMCDB) from Davis in Winter 2021. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2013 with a B.S. in Biology of Global Health, after which he spent two years doing research at Duke University in the lab of Dr. Dennis Thiele. Having grown up in California, he was thrilled to return to the West Coast and attend UC Davis. He is particularly motivated by science with translational implications in human health, which drove him to join the Huising Lab. While he enjoys the rigors of research, he tries to find time for hanging out with friends, cooking and traveling.

Master Students

Rick Pelle Hoek

Pelle is a graduate student from the Radboud University in Nijmegen (The Netherlands) who is currently pursuing his Master's degree in Medical Biology. He took the trip across the ocean to contribute to the research done here at the Huising Lab, and ultimately the improvement of healthcare for diabetic patients. When not in the lab, he enjoys doing sports like road biking and (trail)running, playing guitar, getting out into nature, and having game nights.

Niels Krämer

Niels came to the Huising Lab to run his graduation project for his master’s degree in Medical Biology at the Radboud University Nijmegen (The Netherlands). Under the guidance of Mark he studied the UCN3-Crhr2-Sst axis in the hypothalamus. For this work he won the best thesis award of the faculty of science back in Nijmegen in 2020. After graduating, Niels moved to Stockholm, Sweden to start his PhD studies in the lab of Dr. Kirsty Spalding . There he studies the transdifferentiation potential of white adipocytes.

Els Noordeloos

Els is a graduate student from overseas; she obtained her Bio-medicine undergraduate degree in the Netherlands, at Leiden University. Her diagnosis at the age of 12 with Type 1 Diabetes caused her to develop a keen interest in diabetes research. Besides labwork, Els loves traveling, biking, shopping, and guinea pigs.

Jing Zhang

Jing was a masters student at UC Davis in the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology graduate program. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Capital Normal University, China. She is excited by research related to human disease, which lead her to join the Huising lab to better understand endocrine pancreas biology and diabetes. Outside of lab, she enjoys watching movies, trying new food places, and photography.

Post Docs

Dr. Michael R. DiGruccio

Staff and Junior Specialists

Dr. Siming Liu

Siming received his M.D. in Tianjin Medical University, China. After a couple of years of researching molecular markers for colon and lung cancer, he came to Miami University, Ohio, and pursued his Ph.D research on the mechanisms of dynein ATPases in ciliary movements. Siming then began his postdoc training in Dr. Rohit Kulkarni’s lab at Joslin Diabetes Center, where he started his diabetes research and focused on endocrine pancreas biology. He then continued his pancreas islet research in Dr. Fawaz Haj’s lab at UC-Davis. Siming joined Dr. Mark Huising’s group in 2015 and continues enjoying the exciting islet research. Beyond research, he likes long bike rides along the beautiful bike trails here in Davis.

Marcus Flisher

Marcus graduated from UC Davis in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As a type one diabetic, he became interested in the study of biology and appreciative for scientific discoveries, such as insulin, that have saved his life and millions of others. He worked as an undergraduate in the Huising Lab as a mentee of Sharon Lee studying virgin beta cell fate and is happy to continue in the lab studying islet cell signalling dynamics. In his free time, Marcus enjoys exploring the outdoors and new coffee shops, playing sports, and amusing himself with curiosity.

Jaresley Guillen

Jaresley graduated with a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology B.S. from UC Davis. She became interested in working in Dr. Huising’s Lab after taking his seminar on diabetes, and volunteered at his lab during her time as an undergraduate. She hopes to gain a deeper understanding of what controls the performance of pancreatic islets and the causes that drive diabetes. In her free time, she enjoys visiting new places, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.

Anna Hunter

Anna was a banana slug and got her BS in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from UC Santa Cruz. She started in Mark’s Lab when it was still at the Salk Institute in Oct. 2013. She made the move to Davis and worked as Mark’s junior specialist; and was happy that she was able to help develop the lab into what it is now. She left back to San Diego in 2015 to pressure her MS at San Diego State in nutritional science. She is currently conducting research on the effects of post metabolized plum polyphenols on bone health. Once she graduates she wants to work as a clinical registered dietitian. In her free time she enjoys the beach, hiking, and sharing a meal with good company.

Undergraduate Researchers

Camille C. Andre

Camille graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from UC Davis. Her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes at the age of 7 greatly contributed to her interest in becoming involved in research directly related to a disease that greatly affects her and millions of others. After graduating, Camille now attends medical school at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. Outside of studying and lab, Camille enjoys competing in triathlons for the UC Davis triathlon team, camping, hiking, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

Arya Azinfar

Arya graduated with a Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior B.S. from UC Davis. Prior to joining the Huising lab, his research focused on synthesizing analogs of classical psychedelics and psychostimulants in the Olson Group. As he intends to pursue a career in healthcare in the coming future, he is now focused on learning more about endocrinology, diabetes and also research in the field of biochemistry. Aside from the world of academia, he enjoys playing billiards, and is enamored by the writings of Zadie Smith and Noam Chomsky.

Riya Bansal

Riya is a graduate of UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She became interested in Dr. Huising's lab through to her desire to learn more about the molecular basis of diabetes, and she hopes to use what she learns in her future career as a physician. In her free time, Riya likes to paint, go on adventures, and volunteer.

Thomas W. Butler

Tommy graduated as a Microbiology major from UC Davis in Spring 2016. Prior to graduating, he had worked in the Huising lab for over a year. He is currently pursuing his dream to attend medical school. In his free time he enjoys clay sculpting, trying local beer breweries, and watching the San Francisco Giants.

Elena Caceres

Vincent Castillo

Vincent graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior in Spring 2022. He has a passionate interest as to how aging and diabetic factors affect pancreatic alpha cell function. He also plans on applying to MD/PhD programs in the coming year. Apart from academics, he enjoys surfing, playing video games, reading, and chillaxing with friends.

Chielsea Cenal

Chielsea graduated from UC Davis with a B.S in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. With a family of diabetics, she wants to be the first non-diabetic person. After years of giving up sweets and processed food, Chielsea learned food style is not enough. In her search to find answers, she found Dr. Huising's lab and hopes to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis of diabetes and its implications for diabetes prevention. Outside of the lab, Chielsea enjoys meal prepping, exploring outdoors, and watching standup comedy.

Sophia Chen

Sophia graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior in Spring 2022. She is super excited to be a part of the Huising Lab and to continue deepening her interest in pancreatic islet biology. Outside of academics, she can be found going on ice cream crawls, traveling or enjoying a nice nap.

Andre Codner

Andre graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. After auditing one of Dr. Huising lectures, Andre went up to him to talk about how great of a professor he was, which lead him to Huising Lab. After his undergradate degree, he plans on attending medical school. In his free time, Andre enjoys learning Spanish, critiquing movies with friends, and volunteering at various organizations.

Christopher Cowing-Zitron

Hansen Dang

Hansen graduated with a Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior B.S. from UC Davis. His interest in the study of chronic diseases led him to Huising Lab, where he hopes to learn more about the molecular processes that could lead to a cure for diabetes. In his free time, Hansen enjoys exercising, hiking, and spending time with friends.

Ashley DeLong

Ashley graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Genetics and Genomics. She has had type 1 diabetes for 15 years, and her experience with this condition is what led her to the Huising lab. In the future, Ashley plans on pursuing a career in medicine, specializing in neonatology. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family, reading books, and volunteering for an animal rescue.

Wahed Firoz

Wahed graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is excited to learn more about the molecular and physiological basis of diabetes through working in the Huising lab, and hopes to apply it in a career in health or research. In his free time, Wahed likes to spend time with friends and family.

Grecia Ortiz Flores

Grecia graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Exposure to diabetes in her household and in her community has inspired her to seek a better understanding of the biological process of diabetes. She plans to use this knowledge to become a well-informed health professional and a positive agent of her community. In her spare time, Grecia likes to go on spur of the moment adventures, hikes, and spend time with her friends and family.

David R. Grimm

David graduated with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior from UC Davis Spring 2016. He agreed to join the lab after meeting Dr. Huising at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, while conducting research on the transcription factor known as “CREB.” Torn between the bench and the bedside, David hopes to pursue an MD/PhD after graduation. While not in the lab, David enjoys a good game of soccer as well as spending time with family in Canada.

Rebecca Harris

Rebecca graduated with a degree in Genetics and Genomics and with a minor in Professional Writing. She values the research experience she is gaining in Dr. Huising’s lab and hopes it will help her become involved in research when she graduates. Eventually she hopes to attend graduate school for Genetics or a closely related field. Outside of the lab, Rebecca enjoys traveling and reading a good book in a coffee shop.

Aidean Hosseini

Aidean graduated from UC Davis with a degree in biochemistry and with a music minor in Spring 2022. He became interested in the Huising Lab after taking Mark’s class on physiology and having the opportunity to learn about the endocrine system. He hopes to apply what he learns from the lab to a career in either medicine, research, or bioengineering. In his free time, Aidean enjoys soccer, football, playing the piano, and camping with friends and family.

Justin Huynh

Justin graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. While exploring his options as a freshman, he stumbled upon Dr. Huising's seminar on diabetes and its effects in the past, present, and future. Inspired, he joined the Huising Lab where he hopes to gain a deeper understanding about the pancreas and the biological processes that cause diabetes. In the future, Justin hopes to take what he has learned in lab and pursue a career in medicine or research. If he has any free time, he enjoys going to the beach, visiting museums, playing tennis, and most importantly, taking "power naps."

Carrina Iacobacci

Carrina graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with a minor in Biological Psychology in Spring 2022. After studying the pancreas and endocrine system in her classes, she became interested in the Huising lab and hopes to use the knowledge she gains to better connect with and understand the plight of people suffering from related diseases. When not studying she can be found sleeping in odd places, swimming, or wandering around interesting buildings.

Andrew Kimelman

Andrew is a fifth-year Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior major at UC Davis. His interest in the Huising Lab arose from his family member's history with diabetes. He hopes to practice medicine in the future. In his free time, he enjoys going to the beach, hiking, and watching TV.

Matthew Ko

Matthew graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. His interest in pancreatic research began after seeing one of his relatives get diagnosed with diabetes. By joining the Huising Lab, he hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the complex biological and chemical process of the pancreatic islets. In the future, Matthew hopes to pursue a career in the health or research field. Outside of the lab, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, traveling, biking, and watching/playing sports.

Elaine Lau

Elaine graduated with a degree in NPB was interested in Dr. Huising's research upon visiting a research fair on campus. She's currently interested in healthcare and medical technology, and enjoys learning new processes in the laboratory. During the off hours, she enjoys drawing, cooking, and video games.

Gregory Lee

Gregory graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurology, Physiology and Behavior. He volunteered in the lab to learn more about diabetes and the research process that studies it. He is currently interested in pursuing a career in public health. In his spare time he enjoys running and cooking.

Yvonne Lee

Yvonne graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Biological Sciences with an Emphasis in Neurology, Physiology, and Behavioral Sciences major at UC Davis. She is interested in the field of pharmacy, and plans on attending pharmacy school in the future. Outside of lab , she enjoys watching creative films, learning about Vietnamese history and culture, and spending time with family and friends in Davis and San Jose.

Helena Love

Helena graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Nutritional Biology major. Her interests in the biochemical processes underlying endocrine disorders led her to join the Huising Lab. Her goals upon graduation are to attend graduate school and to start a nonprofit that provides nutrition and health resources to kids in low-income communities. Outside of the lab, she enjoys being active outdoors, traveling, and media production.

Mira Mastoras

Mira graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Cell Biology major and Computer Science minor. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 13, she is excited to learn about the disease in further detail while working in the Huising lab. In the future she hopes to pursue diabetes research as a career. In her free time Mira enjoys running, swimming, cycling, skiing, cooking, and spending time with friends.

Ayesha Mehra

Ayesha graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior, hoping to pursue a career in Neuroscience. She hopes to gain a better understanding of human physiological functioning through Dr. Huising's lab. Ayesha believes in viewing the brain and body as one whole, and is very excited to join a team that is so rigorous in its research on islets. In her free time, she likes to make ice cream.

Ariana Momen

Ariana was an international student from Vancouver, Canada who graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. After seeing a family member get diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at a very young age, she hopes to gain a stronger understanding of the dynamics of pancreatic islets and the processes that lead to diabetes. While not studying or in the lab, Ariana spends most of her time in the water playing for the UC Davis Women’s Water Polo team.

Aryana Nabavizadeh

Aryana is a fourth year neurobiology, physiology, and behavior major at UC Davis. Her interest in developing a deeper understanding of the biological basis of type one and two diabetes led her to join the Huising Lab. She hopes to pursue a career either in medicine or research in the future. While not studying or in lab, Aryana loves to spend her time with friends and family, paint, and visit Tahoe.

Ariana Salimi

Ariana graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Medical and Molecular Microbiology. Her interest in diabetes sparked while learning about endocrinology in Dr. Huising’s systemic physiology class, which helped her better understand this condition that also affected her loved ones. In the future, Ariana hopes to become a physician. Outside of school and lab, Ariana enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with family and friends

Kelly A. O’Callaghan

Kelly graduated with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior from UC Davis in Spring 2016. She is now attending University College London where she will complete a Master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. She then hopes to go on to pursue a PhD and a career in research. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing lacrosse and cooking.

Rosie Ou

Rosie graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Nutrition Science (Nutritional Biology). While furthering her interest in bodybuilding, she learned the significant impact of diet on the state of our bodies and health. This led her to Huising Lab, where she hopes to learn more about the physiological aspects of food uptake and their feedback loops, including those involved in diabetes. Rosie hopes to either go on to pursue a PhD or to conduct research on products for increasing ease of access to proper nutrition. In her free time, Rosie enjoys hitting the gym, training her puppy, and taking naps.

Martin J. Phan

Martin graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. His interest in human physiology brought him to the Huising Lab in the fall of 2015. He hopes to keep his options open after graduation. Outside of lab, he enjoys playing volleyball and spending time with family and friends.

Veronica Polyakova

Veronica graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior and International Relations. She is interested in pursuing a career in the medical field and hopes to practice public health in rural communities around the world. Outside of the laboratory, Veronica enjoys drawing, playing piano, and volunteering at local animal shelters.

Supraja Saravanakumar

Supraja graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior major at UC Davis. Her interaction with diabetes patients at Willow Clinic motivated her to do research at Huising Lab. She is planning to pursue a career in medicine. In her free time, Supraja enjoys reading books, watching movies, running and spending time with her family and friends.

Roxanna Sharifi

Roxanna graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She joined the Huising Lab due to her family’s history with diabetes and her interest in the underlying biological processes and their applications. In the future, Roxanna hopes to practice medicine as a pediatrician. In her free time, she enjoys being with friends and family, hiking, and volunteering.

Jodie Stroeve

Jodie graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She became interested in researching diabetes through its impact on three of her family members, and was delighted to join a lab that would combine her love of research and stroopwafels. Outside of lab, Jodie loves wearing open-toed shoes, eating dark chocolate, training for triathlons, and deeply embarrassing her friends. Some liken her to a sunflower, hence this image.

Gurpreet Telwar

Gurpreet graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology Physiology and Behavior. She has been at UCD for three years now and hopes to one day attend medical school and become a physician to provide care in rural areas around the world. She was introduced to Dr. Huising’s work through one of her NPB classes with Dr. Talthia Van der Muelen and did further research sparking her interest on the importance of researching a disease that is so prominent in the United States. She enjoys hiking, traveling, and trying new food in her free time.

Toan Tran

Toan graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and with an Asian American Studies minor. His interest in the field of diabetes grew through his experiences in the student-run clinic he is involved in—VN CARES. Seeing so many patients and working with their medications, he saw the importance of this matter and seeks out methods of prevention and reversal of diabetes through research and functional medicine practices. Aside from his life as a student, he enjoys photography, concerts, dancing, and watching tv shows/anime.

Sarena Yang

Sarena graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Biological Sciences. She initially became interested in diabetes after learning about it in class, and hopes to deepen her understanding in the Huising Lab. Outside of school she enjoys dancing, exploring new places, watching shows, and spending time with friends and family.

Richard Van

Richard graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. His curiosity in diabetes research led him to the Huising Lab, where he hopes to gain experience and carry them on to a career in medicine or research. In his free time, Richard enjoys playing tennis and spending time with friends in Davis.

Alex Villegas

Alex graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Biological Sciences in 2016 and recently completed a post baccalaureate program through the UC Davis School of Medicine. His clinical exposure to diabetes intrigued him to take Dr. Huising’s diabetes seminar where he became interested in diabetes research. Wanting to further understand the physiologic mechanism of this condition, he joined the Huising lab. He hopes to one day apply his clinical and research knowledge in diabetes in order to help the many underserved communities that are affected by this condition. During his free time, Alex enjoys hiking, dancing salsa and training for running events.

James W. Warwick

James graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and History Minor. He joined the Huising lab to get a taste for research and learn more about a disease that affects millions of Americans every day. For fun, he enjoys long distance cycling, hiking, and archery.

Huising Lab

Laboratory of Dr. Mark O. Huising, UC Davis