Mark grew up in the northeastern US, primarily in New York state, but he has called California home for a long time. Mark is a cell biologist and psychiatrist who is fascinated by how the brain works, and by how drugs work on the brain. In his free time, he works on old lab equipment and enjoys hiking, kayaking, biking and reading trashy crime novels.

Aaron was born and raised in California. His research interests focus on signaling in the primary cilia. He is particularly interested in identifying and understanding the roles of novel proteins that regulate the trafficking and/or function of ciliary GPCRs. Outside of lab, Aaron enjoys traveling and camping with his family. 

Aliza grew up in south Florida but has lived throughout the world in pursuing scientific adventures. Her scientific interests include receptor biology, the interplay between GPCR signaling and trafficking, and how GPCRs signal in the primary cilium of neurons. Aliza also enjoys running, cycling, cooking, baking and getting in long hours of microscopy analysis - while the dough is rising and goodies are baking.

Nicole grew up in Ohio and earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Vanderbilt University. Nicole is interested in the signaling of Gi/o coupled receptors from internal compartments. In her free time, Nicole enjoys trying out new restaurants, attending concerts and hiking in the Bay Area with her dog. 

Rita is from Massachusetts, where she did her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Neuroscience and Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts. In the lab she is working on understanding the trafficking and signaling of dopamine receptors in neuronal primary cilia. In her free time, Rita enjoys taking pottery classes, seeing live music, and exploring San Francisco. 

Jenny went to Pomona College for undergrad and UCSD for her PhD in Biology. She is studying the diversity of GPCRs in neurons and their signaling patterns. When not in the lab, you can usually find Jenny camping and rock climbing, and snuggling her dog. 

Joy grew up in China and did technology marketing prior to transitioning to science. She completed her PhD in the Tetrad program at UCSF and in the von Zastrow lab she studies ligand-selective GPCR activities. Outside of lab, she enjoys biking, cooking, and playing with family. 

Born and raised in Southern California, Drew swapped his flip flops for snow boots as his studies took him east to Pittsburgh and Boston. In the lab, he’s excited by the spatial and temporal dynamics of G protein signaling. Beyond the bench, Drew loves to explore – whether he’s camping in the mountains, hopping on a plane to somewhere new, or chasing the sun wherever it shines brightest.

Brian is from New Haven, Connecticut. He did his Master's degree at Cambridge University in Biology and he is currently a PhD student in the Tetrad graduate program. In the lab, he studies G protein trafficking and signaling. Outside of lab, he likes to ski, hike, and travel.

Luis grew up in Los Angeles and practiced computational modeling at CSU Northridge. He worked at Labcorp Drug Development before joining the UCSF Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics program as a PhD student. Besides doing science, Luis also loves cooking and baking. His latest creation was chocoflan!

Yenni is from Mexico, and she is a Master's student at San Francisco State University. In the lab, she is studying the localization of GPR88 to cilia in different regions of the mouse brain. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and eating with friends in the city. 

Aaliyah Chanel, originally from Los Angeles, is a master's student in Cellular and Molecular Biology at San Francisco State University. Her research focuses on the signaling of Gi/o-coupled receptors. Outside of the lab, Aaliyah enjoys crafting homemade lattes, baking artisan breads and pastries, and relaxing with her favorite video games.

Chad is a junior specialist who received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry at San José State University in 2022.  In the von Zastrow lab, he studies the orphan GPCR “GPR88” and the function of its exclusive enrichment in primary cilia. Outside of the lab, Chad enjoys training for marathons, cooking vegetarian meals, smothering his two cats, and exploring the beautiful city of San Francisco. 

Praise Diresu is a visiting undergraduate biochemistry student from the University of Surrey. She’s currently diving into a project on the trafficking of D1 and GPR88 receptors. Outside the lab, you’ll find her writing, exploring the city’s hidden gems, and making friends.