TEAM MEMBERS
Dr. Jennifer Johnston
Principle Investigator
Dr. Johnston obtained a PhD in Molecular Systems Pharmacology at Emory University. As a PhD student, Dr. Johnston analyzed several components of an integrating lentiviral viral vector in order to delineate an optimal transfer vehicle for the delivery of nucleic acids into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. This work yielded a lentiviral vector that became approved by the Recombinant Advisory Committee for potential future gene therapy clinical trials. Upon graduation, Dr. Johnston continued to pursue gene therapy strategies for blood disorders as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. However, instead of utilizing a lentiviral vector as a transfer vehicle for transgenes, Dr. Johnston explored the use of transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) technology to target transgenes to defined locations in the genome. For the expression of transgenes not endogenously expressed by the hematopoietic system, gene addition would need to occur at genomic safe harbors. Yet, she determined that a location can only truly be considered safe if gene disruption does not occur. Therefore, Dr. Johnston developed an innovative pharmacological strategy that can convert essentially any transcriptionally active genomic location into a safe harbor locus.
DR. JENNIFER JOHNSTON
Principle Investigator
Dr. Johnston obtained a PhD in Molecular Systems Pharmacology at Emory University. As a PhD student, Dr. Johnston analyzed several components of an integrating lentiviral viral vector in order to delineate an optimal transfer vehicle for the delivery of nucleic acids into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. This work yielded a lentiviral vector that became approved by the Recombinant Advisory Committee for potential future gene therapy clinical trials. Upon graduation, Dr. Johnston continued to pursue gene therapy strategies for blood disorders as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. However, instead of utilizing a lentiviral vector as a transfer vehicle for transgenes, Dr. Johnston explored the use of transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) technology to target transgenes to defined locations in the genome. For the expression of transgenes not endogenously expressed by the hematopoietic system, gene addition would need to occur at genomic safe harbors. Yet, she determined that a location can only truly be considered safe if gene disruption does not occur. Therefore, Dr. Johnston developed an innovative pharmacological strategy that can convert essentially any transcriptionally active genomic location into a safe harbor locus.
RAQUEL HALL
Graduate Researcher
BS Molecular Biology from SJSU
After completing her undergraduate degree in molecular biology, Raquel choose to stay on with us and obtain a Master's degree. Raquel hopes to become a geneticist one day.
"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
FERNANDO SANCHEZ
Graduate Researcher
BS Biotechnology from Cal Poly Pomona
We're excited to have Fernando join us. His passion for virus makes him the perfect student researcher to drive our integrate deficient viral production project.
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too." -JFK
JOCELYN LEMUS
Graduate Researcher
BA Biology from University of Mississippi
Jocelyn joined our research lab during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the disruption to every day lab life, Jocelyn has made
significant progress in our platelet-expression projects.
"We don't grow in comfort"
JAEDYN ROLLINS
Graduate Researcher
BS Physiology from SJSU
Jaedyn started in our lab as an undergraduate researcher and choose to join us as she pursued her MS degree.
"Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live." -Mae Jemison
Undergraduate Researcher
Biological Sciences - Microbiology
"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."
ASRITA BHAMIDIPATI
Undergraduate Researcher
Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology
RISE Trainee
“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children."
CASEY ROJAS
KATIE KHAW
Undergraduate Researcher
Biological Sciences
"The most important thing, in anything you do, is always trying your hardest."
JULIAN HERMIDA
Undergraduate Researcher
Biological Sciences -Microbiology
"A thousand stitches today will save nine tomorrow"
SARAH ERIKSON
Undergraduate Researcher
Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology
"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awarenes." -James Thurbar
DONALD HANNEMAN JR.
Undergraduate Researcher
Biomedical Engineering
"Another day, another dollar!"
MASON GALPEAULT
Undergraduate Researcher
Biological Sciences-Systems Physiology
"They misunderestimated me" -George W. Bush
TAMIA TURNER
Undergraduate Researcher
Biological Sciences-Systems Physiology
"lf you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.”
JENNIFER RAMIREZ
Undergraduate Researcher
Biological Sciences-Systems Physiology
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." -Dr. Seuss
Alumni
NAVNEET KAUR
Master's & Undergraduate Researcher
BS Physiology SJSU
KENNEY TUYEN
Master's Student
BS Cell Biology UC Davis
CARLOS GONZALES
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Molecular Biology SJSU
MARC traininee
PhD student University of Oregon
YMER BJÖRNSON
Master's Student
BS San Francisco State University
HAOJUN SONG
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Molecular Biology SJSU
International Student
LAUREN LEISTEN
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Physiology SJSU
PARNIT JHUTTY
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Biochemistry from SJSU
SJSU RSCA Grant Awardee
MEGHANA KAKULAWARAM
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Systems Physicology
HANNAH GARZOTA
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Systems Physiology
GINNY MEHROK
Undergraduate Researcher
BS System Physiology
GUADALUPE CASTANEDA
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Microbiology SJSU
MARC Trainee
VAIBHAVI GARISH
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Molecular Biology.
CODEY HUANG
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Systems Physiology
2018 President's Scholar
EMIKO YAMAMOTO
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Microbiology
SJSU RSCA Grant Awardee
DANIELLA HUINAC
Undergraduate Researcher
BS Systems Physiology
RISE trainee
SHUFAN LI
Undergraduate Researcher
Nursing Student
Undergraduate Researcher
SHKHJIWAN SINGH
BS Biomedical Engineering
2018 President's Scholar
KENNETH ROMAN
BS Molecular Biology
LSAMP trainee
Undergraduate Researcher