Lab Members and Alumni

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.

Yuchao Zhang
yuchao_zhang {at} berkeley.edu

Yuchao received his Ph.D. from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS under the guidance of Lifeng Pan. He used crystallography to study the mechanism of glycophagy and studied on the quality control of glycogen. In Hurley lab, he is currently working on the regulation of membrane sealing process by using structural biology techniques. Outside of lab, he enjoys staying with his family and playing with his cat.

Jared Smothers
jaredsmothers {at} berkeley.edu

Jared completed his Ph.D. at UT Southwestern, where he was mentored by Arun Radhakrishnan. His thesis research focused on how membrane cholesterol regulates the activity of cholesterol-sensing proteins. More broadly, he is interested in how membrane platforms organize protein complexes. When not in the lab, Jared is usually trying to get lost in the woods.

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.

Ye Lu
luye {at} berkeley.edu

Ye earned her Ph.D. from Tsinghua University under the mentorship of Hong-Wei Wang, where she developed various functionalized graphene grids to optimize sample preparation for Cryo-EM. In 2025, she joined the Hurley Lab, focusing her research on observing native membrane structures during autophagy. Outside the lab, Ye enjoys reading, hiking, running, and practicing yoga. She is a passionate marathon enthusiast.

Originally from Minnesota, Kevin received a BA in Biological Sciences from Carleton College. His previous research involved exploring epigenetic gene regulation in plants. Now in the Hurley lab he serves as the lab manager. In his free time he enjoys baking, games, and the rule of threes.

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.

Shriprithi Vel Murugan 
shriprithi [at] berkeley.edu

Bakar Ignite Scholar

Shriprithi is an undergraduate researcher majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology with a CDP emphasis. Working with Dr. Sankalp Shukla, she is excited to learn more about lab techniques such as protein purification as well as the cellular mechanisms that contribute to neurodegenerative disease. Outside of the lab, Shriprithi enjoys listening to music, reading, and playing tennis.

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.

Qingyang Ni
qingyangni [at] berkeley.edu

Qingyang is an undergraduate researcher exploring the initiation pathway of autophagy from a structural perspective. As she works with Dr. Minghao Chen, she learns various techniques and intends to explore more interdisciplinary approach through the Hurley lab. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling to different cities and watching shows.