Lab Members and Alumni

King Cada
kingcada [at] berkeley.edu

NIH NRSA F31 predoctoral fellow from NIAID
Joint with Bustamante Lab

King is a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines and a product of community college and public state university (San Francisco State University). In the lab he studies how membranes are severed by ESCRTs using fluorescence and optical force microscopy.

Liv Jensen
livjensen [at] berkeley.edu

A Bay Area native, Liv did her undergraduate work here at Berkeley while also competing with Cal Women’s Swimming. In the Hurley lab, she uses fluorescence microscopy and optical trapping to understand autophagy cargo engulfment. In addition to autophagy, she applies her interest in the regulation of complex systems to racing sailboats on San Francisco Bay.

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.

Yuichiro Iwamoto
yuichiro_iwamoto [at] berkeley.edu

Joint with Drubin Lab

Lisa Strong
lmstrong [at] berkeley.edu

Lisa received a BS in Biochemistry from UT Austin where she worked with Dr. Lauren Webb measuring the electrostatic field at protein-protein interfaces. She is now working towards determining structures of proteins involved in autophagy.

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.

Adam Yokom
alyokom [at] berkeley.edu

Jane Coffin Childs postdoctoral fellow

I am a first-gen scientist who is interested in studying ‘stubborn’ structural biology complexes. In my postdoctoral studies in the Hurley group this has focused on autophagy initiation complexes. Outside of the lab I work with the iMCB program, hunt for sour beers and host board game nights.

Cosmo Buffalo

Ruth Kirchstein NRSA postdoctoral fellow
buffalo [at] berkeley.edu

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

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.

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.

Emma Garst
egarst {at} berkeley.edu

Emma completed her Ph.D. work at the Rockefeller University under the guidance of Howard Hang, where she studied the effects of lipidation on immune protein function. In the Hurley lab, her work focuses on how autophagy receptors promote selective cargo uptake. When not in lab, Emma enjoys hiking, skiing, reading, and hanging out with her dog.

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. 

Xuefeng Ren

snowren [at] berkeley.edu

Chenxi Ou
co3154 [at] berkeley.edu

Chenxi is an undergrad in MCB, who is generally interested in aging science and still exploring his path. Aside from biology, he enjoys fencing and casual gaming.

Albert Tran
albert.tran.100 [at] berkeley.edu

Albert is an undergraduate majoring in Public Health, Data Science (emphasis in Economics), and MCB (emphasis in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology). He has an interest in lysosomal regulation, biomedical engineering, and data optimization. Outside of academics, Albert enjoys participating in student organizations involving dance, consulting, and volunteering.

Eshika Aggarwal
eshika09 [at] berkeley.edu

Eshika is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular and Cell Biology and Data Science. She’s been very interested in neurodegenerative diseases and their neurological presentation over time. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new restaurants around Berkeley, practicing piano, and reading.

Owen Ong
owenjovianong [at] berkeley.edu

Owen is an undergrad in MCB, interested in structural biology. He joins the Hurley Lab to learn more about research and to explore his path. Outside of the lab, he enjoys coding, playing video games, and skateboarding.