Members — Kwan Lab

Kristen Kwan, PhD. Assistant Professor. Kristen is a native of Southern California, where she grew up in Agoura Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles.  She attended Stanford University, majoring in Biological Sciences, and then moved to Harvard M… — Kristen Kwan, PhD. Assistant Professor.
Kristen is a native of Southern California, where she grew up in Agoura Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles. She attended Stanford University, majoring in Biological Sciences, and then moved to Harvard Medical School for her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology. When not in the lab, Kristen can be found chasing her kids, watching football, knitting, and trying out new restaurants.

Hannah Gordon, PhD. Postdoctoral ResearcherHannah is from Renton, Washington.  She completed her undergraduate studies in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, and worked with Anthea Letsou at the Univers… — Hannah Gordon, PhD. Postdoctoral Researcher
Hannah is from Renton, Washington. She completed her undergraduate studies in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, and worked with Anthea Letsou at the University of Utah for her PhD. Hannah has a background in microbiology/pathology, lipid metabolism, and neurodegeneration and is excited to apply her experience in Drosophila melanogaster and the awesome power of genetics to her next adventures in Danio rerio. When she is not at the bench, Hannah takes full advantage of the Utah outdoors with her partner, Alex, and dog, Milo.

Sydney Stringham, PhD. Postdoctoral ResearcherSydney started as an undergraduate researcher in the laboratory of Chi-Bin Chien where she worked on a project examining factors influencing axon branching. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in biolog… — Sydney Stringham, PhD. Postdoctoral Researcher
Sydney started as an undergraduate researcher in the laboratory of Chi-Bin Chien where she worked on a project examining factors influencing axon branching. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Utah, she joined the lab of Michael Shapiro where she studied the genetic basis of morphological differences in natural populations using the ninespine stickleback as a model. Sydney works as a teacher at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education and as a seasonal post-doc during her summer vacations. Outside of lab and school, Sydney enjoys hiking, camping, photography and her canine sidekick, Elphie.

Chase Bryan, BS. PhD CandidateChase is from Salt Lake City, Utah.  He received his Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry from the University of Utah.  Chase began working with zebrafish as an undergraduate at the Huntsman Cancer Institute whe… — Chase Bryan, BS. PhD Candidate
Chase is from Salt Lake City, Utah. He received his Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry from the University of Utah. Chase began working with zebrafish as an undergraduate at the Huntsman Cancer Institute where he took on a project studying epithelial maintenance during tissue growth. He is interested in understanding the role of extracellular matrix adhesion during optic stalk development. In his spare time, Chase is a marathon runner, mountain biker, and maintains and restores motorcycles and classic cars.

Sarah Lusk, BS. Graduate StudentSarah is from Portland, Oregon. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biology from the University of Oregon. Sarah was first introduced to zebrafish as an undergraduate and following graduation continued her rese… — Sarah Lusk, BS. Graduate Student
Sarah is from Portland, Oregon. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biology from the University of Oregon. Sarah was first introduced to zebrafish as an undergraduate and following graduation continued her research studying axonal transport and microtubule dynamics. Sarah is currently interested in understanding the role of Hedgehog signaling and its underlying genetics in early development of the optic cup. When not in lab, Sarah enjoys exploring Utah's wilderness and parks, photography, and an Oregonian microbrew.

Benjamin Jussila, BS. Lab ManagerBen is from the small town of Two Harbors, Minnesota.  He completed his undergraduate studies in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  Ben has a particular in… — Benjamin Jussila, BS. Lab Manager
Ben is from the small town of Two Harbors, Minnesota. He completed his undergraduate studies in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Ben has a particular interest in the evolution of morphogenetic processes in development. He is exploring that interest through interrogating the interplay of cilia and Hedgehog signaling in the context of Danio rerio eye morphogenesis. When he is away from the lab, Ben enjoys reading, befriending cats, and the outdoors.

Brooke Froelich, BS. Lab SpecialistBrooke graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Neuroscience. In the Kwan lab, she helped develop Gateway cloning tools, and helps members of the lab with their projects. In her free time Brooke likes t… — Brooke Froelich, BS. Lab Specialist
Brooke graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Neuroscience. In the Kwan lab, she helped develop Gateway cloning tools, and helps members of the lab with their projects. In her free time Brooke likes to backcountry ski, climb, mountain bike, and trail run, and is currently working on a film about motherhood in the outdoors.

Thomas Brown. Research AssistantThomas Brown was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is currently a junior at the University of Utah, studying Biomedical Engineering and Spanish with the hopes of becoming a doctor one day. He enjoys being in… — Thomas Brown. Research Assistant
Thomas Brown was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is currently a junior at the University of Utah, studying Biomedical Engineering and Spanish with the hopes of becoming a doctor one day. He enjoys being involved with research as he learns how scientific discovery and development increase our understanding of life and its processes to ultimately improve society. In his free time he enjoys playing soccer, running, hiking, skiing, and spending time with his family.

Kwan Lab Alumni:

Emily Wirick, MS. Currently at Great Basin Scientific.

Aaron Scoresby, BS. Currently at Biofire Diagnostics.

Shadai Flores Arce, BS. Currently at the University of Utah Medical School.