Lab Members and Alumni

Rachel Jansen
rachel_jansen [at] berkeley.edu

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Originally from the East Coast, Rachel completed her BS in Biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst where she studied the structure and function of the chaperone DnaK. In the Hurley lab, she uses cryo-electron microscopy to understand lysosomal regulation. Outside of lab, Rachel enjoys hiking, puzzles and playing the cello.

Dan Tudorica
dan_tudorica [at] berkeley.edu

Dan graduated from the University of Oregon with a BS in Biochemistry and Mathematics. At Oregon, he studied bacterial sensing and motility in the Karen Guillemin lab, with a focus on the structural aspects of oxidation sensors. In the Hurley lab, he studies the structure and function of autophagy regulation. Outside of lab, Dan loves to read, hike, and explore the city.

Kevin Rose
kevin_rose [at] berkeley.edu

Kevin completed a BS in Microbiology from UMD, College Park where he worked with Dr. Jeffrey DeStefano selecting for nucleic acid inhibitors against HIV Gag and Pol proteins. He is now working towards understanding viral co-option mechanisms of ESCRTs during virus budding and assembly using structural biology techniques.

Zeke Cook
zeke_cook [at] berkeley.edu

Zeke is a Pennsylvania Amish country native with a BS in physics from Penn State.  He will be working on piecing together the structural organization of autophagy machinery using cryo-electron microscopy.  When not in the lab, Zeke enjoys trail running, rock climbing, and donkey racing.

Kevin Larsen
kplarsen [at] berkeley.edu

Ruth Kirschstein Fellow

Kevin received his Ph.D. at Stanford University under the guidance of Joseph and Elisabetta Puglisi. He is broadly interested in applying electron microscopy methods to uncover the molecular mechanisms that govern host-pathogen interactions. When not in the lab, he enjoys volleyball, exploring California parks, and discovering local food and drink.

Sankalp Shukla
sankalp {at} berkeley.edu

BrightFocus Foundation Fellow

Sankalp received his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania under the guidance of Tobias Baumgart. He is broadly interested in the mechanistic studies of membrane-protein interactions and their effect on membrane mechanics. His life outside the lab involves playing recreational sports, cooking spicy food, and practicing mindfulness.

Zhicheng Cui
zhicheng.cui {at} berkeley.edu

Zhicheng(Chen) received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University under the guidance of Junjie Zhang. He used cryoEM to study ssRNA phage and translational regulation of Mycobaterium tuberculosis. In the Hurley lab, he focuses on the lysosomal biogenesis and lysosome mitochondria crosstalk. Outside the lab, he enjoys spending time with his family and biking. 

Eric Herrmann
eric.herrmann {at} berkeley.edu

Eric received his Ph.D. in the lab of Daniel Kuemmel at the University of Münster in Germany. His dissertation focused on the recruitment mechanisms of GEFs to membranes to mediate nucleotide exchange of small GTPases. He is currently working on the structural analysis of the autophagy maturation pathway. Outside of the lab, Eric enjoys weightlifting, progressive metal, and anime.

Yongjia Duan
duanyj2024 {at} berkeley.edu

Yongjia received his Ph.D. from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the guidance of Yanshan Fang. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Baoxue Ge’s lab at Tongji University. His previous research focused on the role of phase separation in the pathogenesis of ALS and tuberculosis. He joined the Hurley lab in 2024 and is currently working on the regulation of autophagy initiation by protein condensation. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing basketball and traveling.

Rick Hooy
rhooy1 [at] berkeley.edu

Ruth Kirschstein Fellow

Rick completed his Ph.D. work in the lab of Jungsan Sohn at the Johns Hopkins University. His research strives to understand the molecular basis for immunity, including mechanisms used by pathogens to thwart the immune system. Rick, a native Californian, has a love/hate relationship with the Giants and Niners, and spends as much time as possible outdoors.

Aaron Joiner
amj85 {at} berkeley.edu

Miller Institute Fellow

Aaron earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University while working in the lab of Dr. Chris Fromme. His doctoral work unveiled the mechanisms of GEF-mediated nucleotide exchange of small GTPases. He is broadly interested in using structural and biochemical approaches to understand the molecular logic of protein functions at the surface of a membrane.

Minghao Chen
minghao.chen {at} berkeley.edu

Minghao received his Ph.D. at Hokkaido University in Japan and learned cryo-EM at the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology / University of Münster in Germany. He joined Hurley Lab in 2022 and is currently working on the investigation of the autophagy initiation pathway from a structural aspect. In his off time, he is an enthusiastic player of table tennis. 

Bin Xie
xbin {at} berkeley.edu

Bin earned his Ph.D. in Biophysics from UC Davis in the Sivasankar lab, where he studied antibody regulation of cell adhesion. Now in the Hurley lab, he uses Cryo-EM to examine protein complexes in the mTORC pathway. Outside the lab, he’s an avid Celtics basketball fan.

Shuixia Tan
shuixiatan2024 {at} berkeley.edu

Shuixia got her Ph.D. in cell biology from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Then, she received postdoctoral training at Fudan University in China. In 2024, She joined the Hurley lab, where her research focuses on lysosome repair and Tau spread. Outside the lab, she finds pleasure in listening to music and taking leisurely strolls in the park.

Xuefeng Ren

snowren [at] berkeley.edu

Grayce Yang
grayceyang [at] berkeley.edu

Grayce is an undergrad in MCB and Stats, interested in bioinformatics and structural biology. She joined the Hurley lab to explore her areas of interest and gain more lab experience. During her free time, she enjoys dancing, playing video games, and traveling.

Wonjae Lee
wonjaelee [at] berkeley.edu

Bakar Ignite Scholar

Wonjae Lee is an undergraduate researcher working with Dr. Sankalp Shukla. He is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology with an emphasis in CDP. He is particularly interested in studying the cellular mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction and their impacts on human health. Outside the lab, he enjoys teaching and mentoring aspiring students, as well as playing tennis and exploring new restaurants in his free time.

Alexia Puerta Cordova
alexiascordova [at] berkeley.edu

Alexia is an undergraduate researcher curious about protein reaction pathways, development, and application in human health. As she works with graduate student Dan Tudorica, she learns various techniques and enjoys seeing material from class practically applied in research. During her time off, she spends time playing video and board games, exploring the city, and crafting.

Karla Tapia
karla.tapia [at] berkeley.edu

Karla is intended MCB interested in exploring the different fields in molecular biology especially through the Hurley Lab. During her free time, she likes going to escape rooms, reading, and just watching random shows.

Selina Wu
selinawu [at] berkeley.edu

Selina is an undergrad pursuing studies in MCB, Business, and Data Science. She is passionate about exploring molecular therapeutics and the connection between science and business. Selina joined the Hurley Lab to gain insight into generating innovative scientific solutions and advancements that positively impact human health. During her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, playing video games, and watching shows and anime.