Lena Pernas, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, UCLA
Dept. Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics
HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar
Max Planck Research Affiliate

see Lena’s TED talk

2014–2018 LSRF-Simons Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Padua, Dept. of Biology

2008–2013 Ph.D.
Stanford University, Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology

2004–2008 B.Sc.
University of California, Los Angeles
Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

Bruna Martins Garcia

Graduate Student

2016–2018 M.Sc.
Federal University of São Carlos, Dept. of Genetics and Evolution

2017–2018 São Paulo Research Foundation Internship
University of Padua, Dept. of Biology

2011–2016 B.Sc.
São Paulo State University
Dept. of Biotechnology Engineering

Interested in mitochondrial regulation of cholesterol metabolism and steroidogenesis in the ovary

Xianhe Li, PhD

Postdoc

2019-2023 PhD
University of Cologne/Max Planck Biology of Ageing

2018-2019 Internship,
Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Dept. of Molecular Biology

2015-2018 M.Sc.
Jilin University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture

2010-2015 B.Sc.
Jilin University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture

Interested in how organelles sense and response to intracellular pathogens

Philipp Melchinger

Graduate Student (RTG 1550 Fellow)

2016-2019 M.Sc. Biochemistry & Biophysics,
Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg

2015 International Exchange Student,
Australian National University, Canberra

2012-2016 B.Sc. Biology,
Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg

Interested in coordination of cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis by dynamic protein relocalization

Tania Medeiros, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

2015-2019 Ph.D. in Genetics,
University of Cologne/Max Planck Biology of Ageing, Regulation of Autophagy Research Group

2011-2013 M.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology,
University of Porto, Redox Cell Signaling Research Group

2008-2011 B.Sc. in Genetics and Biotechnology,
University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Dept. of Genetics and Biotechnology

Interested in using the host-parasite metabolic relationship to study how complex life evolved in the perplexing way it did

Chahat Mehra

Graduate Student (IMPRS Fellow)

2017-2019 M.Sc.
McGill University, Dept. of Cell Biology

2013-2017 B.Sc.
McGill University, Dept. of Anatomy and Cell Biology

Interested in investigating how Toxoplasma find mitochondria during infection

Patrick Krüger

Graduate Student (IMPRS fellow)

2015-2020 M.Sc. in Life Science,
University of Konstanz and Mayo Clinic

2012-2015 B.Sc. in Life Science,
University of Konstanz and Heidelberg University Hospital, German Cancer Research Center

Interested in the role of cellular senescence during Toxoplasma gondii infection

Julian Straub

Graduate Student

2018-2021 M.Sc in Biochemistry,
University of Cologne

2015-2018 B.Sc. in Biochemistry,
University of Cologne

Interested in the contact sites between Toxoplasma gondii and host mitochondria

Tim Bartsch

Graduate Student

2019-2022 M.Sc.
University of Cologne, Institute for Biochemistry

2016-2019 B.Sc.
University of Cologne, Institute for Biochemistry

Interested in cellular responses to outer mitochondrial membrane stresses

Temitope Wilson Ademolue

Postdoc

2017-2023 PhD in Integrative Biology and Biomedicine Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Portugal.

2014-2017 M.Phil. Molecular and Cell Biiology of Infectious Pathogens University of Ghana, Ghana

2008-2012 B.Sc. Microbiology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Studies the role of olfaction in immunity

Sam Leistiko

Undergraduate Student Volunteer

2022-2026 B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, minor in Biomedical Research, University of California at Los Angeles

2018-2022 Homestead High School, Valedictorian

Marta Olson

Undergraduate Student Volunteer

2022 - Current

B.Sc. Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics

Interested in the origins and mechanisms of mitochondrial stress response

Nathan Peng

Undergraduate Student Volunteer

2022 - 2026 B.S. Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics

Interested in the mechanisms of cell signaling and information flow involved in the cell’s immune response to pathogens.

Silvia Reato

Lab Manager

2013-2015 M.Sc. in Healthcare Biology,
Department of Biology, University of Padua

2010-2013 B.Sc. in Molecular Biology,
Department of Biology, University of Padua

Cindy Chau

Administrative Coordinator