Who we are

Specialists

Stephanie has 20+ years of experience with hematopoietic, neural and cancer stem cells. She is the lab's research specialist and lab manager, studying the role of hematopoietic and vascular Robo4 in the location, homing, mobilization and maintenance of HSCs. In recent years she has contributed work on the Aging Megakaryocyte Project and continues to study regulators involved in vascular permeability and traficking. She has a Masters of Science degree in Molecular/Microbiology from San Jose State University.  While working under the direction of Dr. Irving Weissman at Stanford University, she discovered her passion for Stem Cell Research. Outside of stem cell research, Stephanie is an avid home wine-maker and has produced award winning wines.

Contact me at: ssmithbe@ucsc.edu

Paloma joined the Forsberg lab as a Bioinformatic Specialist in 2023. They received their Bachelors degree in Biology from Scripps College in Claremont, CA, and subsequently received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue evolutionary genomics research with Dr. Frank Chan in Germany. Paloma then pursued their Ph.D. in Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics at the U.C. Santa Cruz where they developed novel computation tools to study genomic evolution of numerous model and non-model systems including pathogens, plants, and Drosophila. Continuing their interests in bioinformatics, Paloma joined the Forsberg lab to study hematopoiesis through genomic, epigenomic, and protein approaches. Paloma is excited to use single cell, ATAC-seq, and mass spec data to unveil how the hematopoietic system changes as a consequence of aging.   

Contact me at: pamedina@ucsc.edu

Beau is a Jr Specialist in the lab. He graduated from UCSC with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2024. He became interested in hematopoietic stem cells after taking Camilla’s stem cell biology class. He then joined the lab as an undergrad in Spring 2024 and was hired as a junior research specialist during the summer of 2024. Beau’s science related interests include hematopoiesis, developmental biology, cancer, cell biology, biochemistry and chemistry. In his free time, he enjoys drawing, weightlifting, hiking and fishkeeping.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Bryce joined the Forsberg lab as a postdoc in 2020. He received his B.Sc. degree in Biology from Pacific Lutheran University and subsequently worked for several years in HIV vaccine research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Bryce then pursued his Ph.D. in Immunology at the Mayo Clinic where he studied the effects that bone marrow infiltrating leukemia cells (CLL) have on human hematopoietic stem cell biology. Continuing his interests in aging and inflammation, Bryce joined the Forsberg lab to study how aging-associated inflammation modulates steady-state hematopoiesis. After joining the lab, Bryce was selected as an NIH IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellow, one of the inaugural cohort, and is currently receiving pedagogy training at California State University, Monterey Bay. Bryce is also involved with the UC Santa Cruz Postdocs Association (USPA), where he currently serves as treasurer and symposium co-chair.  He has recently received a NIH T32 fellowship.

IRACDA at UCSC and CSUMB:
https://ibsc.ucsc.edu/postdoc-training/iracda

Saran Joined the Forsberg Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow. He received his M.Sc. degree in Life Science and Biotechnology from Jadavpur University. As a PhD student in Subrata Banerjee`s lab at Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics he studied the involvement of DNA methylation and nucleolus shape/size in the development and maturation of megakaryocytes. Continuing his interest in the development of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, he is currently investigating the cause and consequences of expansion capacity of age specific megakaryocyte progenitors. He has recently received a NIH T32 fellowship.

Contact me at: sachatto@ucsc.edu

Marcel met Camilla during spicy Cantonese food at the 2022 ISEH conferernce.  He continued his passion about hematopoietic stem cells he joined the Forsberg lab as postdoc in 2023. Derived from the Swabian Alps in southern Germany, Marcel found during graduate school already his way into Pharmaceutical Sciences B.Sc. at the university of Freiburg/Germany. He investigated new antibiotically and antimycotic active compounds derived from bacteria in the lab of Andreas Bechthold. With his widening field of interest, he studied Molecular Biotechnology M.Sc. at the Technical University Munich/Germany and made his path into protein-protein interaction and misfolding mediating neurodegenerative diseases under the supervision of Aphrodite Kapurniotu. Intrigued by the field of gene therapy and hematology he joined Ute Modlich’s lab at the Federal Institute for Vaccine and Biomedicines Paul-Ehrlich-Institute/Germany for his Ph.D. His research focused on stress hematopoiesis and platelet-mediated gene therapy. He investigated fast generation of megakaryocytes and platelets from hematopoietic stem cells during a non-systemic respiratory infection (influenza). Marcel loves to be spontaneous in his leisure time, being quickly intrigued by crazy ideas. Outstanding to name his fondness of modern and classic cars, the origin Italian and Asian cuisines, sweet white wine (Riesling is preferred), traveling, hiking and cross-country skiing.  He received CIRM PostDoc fellowship.

Contact me at: mrommel@ucsc.edu

Alessandra joined the Forsberg lab in 2019 as a Ph.D. student in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental (MCD) Biology (PhD 2023). She originally moved from Italy to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology at San Jose State University (BS 2015). She then pursued her Master of Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Regenerative Medicine (MS 2018), supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). After finishing her PhD in the lab, she received the NIH IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue her work in the Forsberg lab. She is studying the epigenetic changes in the hematopoietic system during aging. In addition to research, Alessandra is currently teaching and receiving pedagogical training at California State University, Monterey Bay.

Graduate students

Recent Post Bac Researcher/CIRM Scholar

Undergraduate Researchers

Connor joined the Forsberg Lab as an undergraduate volunteer Winter of 2024. He is actively involved in all projects in the lab and eagerly persuing a project involving Bioinformatics and inflammation.  In his free time he enjoys baking and has kept his labmates delighted with his delectable chocolate creations.  And he lives in the lab.....

Bianca is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Global and Community Health Science with a specialization in Public Health at UC Santa Cruz. Within the Forsberg lab, she aims to immerse herself in a spectrum of laboratory techniques and research methodologies, aspiring to contribute meaningfully to impactful projects beyond herself. While her career path remains open-ended, she harbors a passion for delving into the realms of research and healthcare to discover her niche. She is interested in enhancing health outcomes within marginalized communities and advocating for the advancement of women's health research. In her leisure time, she enjoys being in nature, weightlifting, visiting vintage markets, and spending time with loved ones (probably watching reality television)

Alumni

Fernando was the first post doc in the Forsberg Lab.  His work focused on the Progressive Chromatin Condensation and H3K9 Methylation Regulate the Differentiation of Embryonic and Hematopoietic Stem Cells.  He is currently is the Director at Enceladus Bio, South San Francisco.

Scott was a graduate student and post in the Forsberg Lab.  His work focused on the development of all hematopoietic cells through the Flk2/Flt3 cell surface marker.  His work demonstrated that HSC specification and maintenance are Flk2-independent, and that hematopoietic lineage separation occurs downstream of Flk2 upregulation.  He is currently is the Global Product Marketing Manager at Agilent Technologies.

Andy was a graduate student in the Forsberg Lab. His work focused on HSC trafficking.  He is currently the Director of Computational Immunology at Immunity Bio.

Riva was a postdoc in the Forsberg Lab.  Her worked focused on the effects of hormones on HSC mobilization.  She is currently working as Regulatory Affairs Professional / Biotech & Biopharma Career Coach / Breathwork & Yoga Instructor / Mindfulness Coach.

Mark was a fourth year Biomolecular Engineering undergraduate interested in immunology and its applications in translational medicine. He studies the development of infant leukemias and the hematopoietic system. He is currently a Scientist at ArsenalBio.

Gloria was a junior specialist and her main project focuses on investigating how developmental insult affects developmental hematopoiesis and immune function into adulthood. She graduated from UCSC with a B.S. in bioengineering in 2014 and during her free time she likes to play soccer and participate in outdoor activities. Gloria is currently a Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow @ Genentech Inc.

Susan as a maste's student she was interested in understanding disease mechanisms and discovering novel ways in which we can detect and treat diseases. Her current research involves trying to understand the molecular factors that regulate the directionality of hematopoietic stem cell trafficking. She is a former CIRM scholar and has since completed her masters degree in the Forsbergh Lab.  She is currently a Scientist at IGM Biosciences, Inc.

Jessica was a graduate student in the Forsberg interested in immunology, translational medicine, and cancer immunotherapy. She has founded the Cancer Research Club at UCSC and is the department representative for the Graduate Student Association. She is currently supported by a HHMI Gilliam fellowship which she is using to explore fetal hematopoitic development as well as mechanisms of oncogenesis in infant leukemias.

Rebekah was a masters student while in the Forsberg Lab.  She worked on the chromatin project with Fernando.  She is currently working at Open Innovations, LLC.

Matthew worked as a Jr. Specialist in the Forsberg Lab.  He has since moved on and is the director of Flow Cytometry at the New York Stem Cell Institute.

Herman was an undergraduate in the Forsberg Lab.  He worked both with on the Flk2 development and HSC trafficking projects.  He is currently working in Surgical robotics at Johnson & Johnson.

Jackson is a junior specialist and mainly works on a project designing an inducible, fluorescent cell line to be used as a model for further study in the lab. He graduated in 2018 with a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. In his free time he likes to surf, mountain bike, snowboard and play with his puppy. He is attending medical school in August and hopes to specialize in Emergency Medicine.

Alyssa was a Human Biology undergraduate at UCSC and a Koret Scholar with the Forsberg Lab. In the lab, she studied HSC trafficking in the Robo 4 model. She also worked as an ACE tutor and was on the path to applying to medical school. When she was not studying or working, she is probably dancing at the local ballet studio or in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes.  She is currently working as a Project Coordinator at the Virtual Training Academy through UCSF's Pandemic Initiative for Equity and Action (UPIEA) and with Strengthening Interprofessional Education for HIV (STRIPE HIV) at IGHS

Tuan was a Human Bio major at UCSC. He was interested in tumor cell angiogenesis and metastasis. He is in the progress of either applying to medical school or continuing research. In his free time, he will sleep or sometimes eat. He enjoys caffeine, water-related activities, and working out with the boys.

Joselyn was a Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology/Economics undergraduate at UCSC and a Koret Scholar with the Forsberg Lab. In the lab, she studied the effects of hormones on HSC trafficking. She also worked as an ACE tutor and is working toward applying to medical school. When she wasn't in lab, studying, or working, she enjoys volunteering at the hospital, watching her favorite shows on Netflix, playing with her dog Stella, and supporting the Golden State Warriors!  She is currently a Medical Student at Western University of Health Sciences.

Steven graduated in 2020 with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is working towards applying to graduate school and getting into a Ph.D program. He enjoys video games, hiking, and playing with his gecko in his free time.

Jess rgraduated in 2020 with a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.  I plan on going to medical school to become an OBGYN or to graduate school to become a researcher in biology.  My hobbies include going to the gym, doing makeup, and spending time with my family and dogs.

Tobin graduated in 2022 with a BS in Human Biology. He is interested in studying stem cell biology and its potential for clinical use. He hopes to one day attend medical school and to pursue a career as a clinical scientist. In his free time he enjoys scuba diving, volunteering as an EMT, and spending time with family. He is currently a MD Candidate at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Connor joined the Forsberg Lab in 2021 as a junior specialist. I received my Bachelors of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2021. While attending UCSC I was an undergraduate researcher in the Yilidiz Lab, studying biofilm formation of Vibrio Cholerae. I became interested in stem cell biology from a high school biotechnology class and after taking the stem cell biology class at UCSC I wanted to pursue it more. Since joining the Forsberg lab, I have had the opportunity to work on multiple projects including nicotine exposure, CRISPRi, and Aging. He is currently an UCSC as a graduate student in the BME department.

Atesh graduated from Molecular, Cell and Developmental (MCD) Biology department in 2023. She completed her B.S. in MCD Biology at UC Santa Cruz in 2013. After graduation, she pursued research in Dr. Cagla Eroglu's lab at Duke University, studying synapse development in Hungtinton's disease. In 2016, she returned to UCSC to begin her doctorate studies. Her research focuses on understanding how differences in regenerative capacity between fetal and adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are regulated at the transcriptional and chromatin level. She is currently supported by an NRSA F31 predoctoral fellowship through the NHLBI. She was previously supported by a California TRDRP predoctoral fellowship and the MCD department's NIH T32 Training grant. In addition to research, Atesh is passionate about pedagogy and developing equitable and inclusive teaching practice to make higher education more accessible to a diversity of students. She is the MCD student representative on the PBSE Grad Council and was a fellow in the 2019 Graduate Pedagogy Fellows program at UCSC's CITL . She is currently a PostDoc at UCSF.