Anupama received her PhD in Genetics from Duke University, working on the translation regulation of maternal nanos mRNA in Drosophila embryos under the mentorship of Dr. Robin Wharton. She continued working with her favorite model organism during her postdoctoral training with Dr. John Carlson at Yale University. 

Vaibhav is originally from San Jose, CA, but moved to Southern California to earn his BS in Molecular Biology from UC San Diego, with a minor in Cognitive Science. He was first exposed to Drosophila research as an undergraduate in Dr. Ralph Greenspan’s lab, where he explored mechanisms of delay and trace conditioning. In the Dahanukar Lab, Vaibhav is interested in characterizing the effect of early developmental dietary cues on long-term adult feeding behavior. Vaibhav is passionate about outreach and science communication, with a focus on making STEM education and careers more accessible and inclusive. Outside the lab, Vaibhav enjoys playing soccer, cheering on Bay Area sports teams, and reading history books. 

Christopher received his BA in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton in 2022. While there, he studied learning and memory using larval zebrafish as a model organism. At UCR, his project focuses on the specialist species Drosophila sechellia and the genetic components that contribute to its unique feeding preference. In his free time, Christopher enjoys playing the guitar and skateboarding.