Kristen Kwan, PhD. Associate 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. Click through to see Kristen pictured with  Heisman trophy winner and former NFL quarterback Jim Plunkett (no big deal).

kmkwan[at]genetics.utah.edu

Jason Presnell, PhD. Senior Lab Specialist

Jason grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina where he received his bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He completed his PhD at the University of Miami where he worked on KLF gene family evolution and function during development in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Jason helped establish protocols for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in M. leidyi and for closing the life cycle of lab cultured ctenophores. He then moved to Oregon State University where he mostly worked on developing molecular genetic tools to investigate cnidarian-algal symbiosis in the model sea anemone Aiptasia. Broadly, his research interests include evolutionary developmental biology and the role of gene regulation during development. Outside of lab, Jason enjoys reading science fiction, hiking, watching hockey, playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons.

jason.presnell[at]utah.edu

Keith Carney, MS. Research Engineer

Originally from Utica, New York, Keith studied physics at Stony Brook University, and earned a Master’s degree in physics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He moved to Salt Lake City in 2003 to pursue long track speed skating as a fulltime athlete, and also began working as a lab tech at the University of Utah. Following retirement from skating in 2010, Keith transitioned to research engineering positions, and has worked in several labs prototyping instrumentation and writing software. Keith is a master of MATLAB, but outside the lab, he is a passionate singer/songwriter.

keith.carney[at]utah.edu

Emily Woodruff, PhD. Postdoctoral Researcher

Emily grew up in Longmeadow, Massachusetts and she completed her undergraduate education at Mount Holyoke College. She attended the University of Bristol in the UK and earned a Master of Science with Distinction in Palaeobiology. She completed her doctoral research in Zoology from the University of Florida where she studied dental development and evolution in mammals. Emily’s interests are broad and span the fields of developmental biology, evolutionary biology, and paleontology, with a special interest in craniofacial morphogenesis and evolution. In her spare time Emily enjoys hiking and climbing and loves riding horses whenever possible.

ewoodruff[at]genetics.utah.edu

Sarah LaPotin, BS. PhD Candidate

Sarah is from Austin, Texas. She attended Tulane University where she received her bachelor's degree in evolutionary biology. She then returned to Austin as a research assistant at the University of Texas, where her research focused on investigating the independent evolution of the electrosensory system in African and South American electric fish. It was during this time that she began working with zebrafish and became interested in developmental biology. Sarah joined the Kwan lab in 2021 and is currently investigating how an early immune response affects eye development. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, swimming, and sci-fi/horror TV.

u1317814[at]utah.edu

Ryan Clough, BS. Graduate Student

Ella Habbeshaw. Undergraduate Researcher

Ella grew up in Salt Lake City. She is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Utah, studying chemistry with an emphasis in biology. She is interested in understanding the morphogenesis in the anterior segment of the eye. Besides working in the lab, Ella enjoys photography, cooking and traveling to art museums

ellahabbeshaw[at]gmail.com

Belize Iteriteka. GSRM Undergraduate Researcher

Lab Alumni

Sarah Lusk, PhD. Currently at Oregon Health & Science University.

Macaulie Casey, PhD. Currently at Enveda Biosciences.

Sri Pratima Nandamuri, PhD. Currently at Prescient Healthcare Group.

Chase Bryan, PhD. Currently at ZEISS Microscopy.

Sydney Stringham, PhD. Currently at Salt Lake Center for Science Education.

Hannah Gordon, PhD. Currently at Enveda Biosciences.

Brooke Froelich Murray, BS. Currently an outdoor brand ambassador.

Ben Jussila, BS. Currently at InVivo Biosystems.

J Thomas Brown, BS. Currently at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Emily Wirick, MS. Currently at Pro-Testing Solutions.

Aaron Scoresby, BS. Currently at Karius. 

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