I’m originally from East Hampton, CT and have loved nature and science for a long time. I earned a B.S. from the University of Rochester, and my Ph.D. from Brown University. I was a postdoc in the Cheeseman Lab at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, MA, where I started my adventures with cellular processes in sea star oocytes.

I grew up in northeastern Connecticut, did my B.S. at Brown University in molecular and cell biology, and then worked as a research technician at Mass General for two years studying gene regulation in pediatric cancer. I moved to San Diego for my PhD in quantitative biology at UCSD, where I studied how mouse macrophages decode complex environmental stimuli to respond with the appropriate dynamic gene expression patterns. During my PhD I became interested in reproductive biology and in imaging dynamic cellular interactions in vivo and so am excited to be back in New England studying the interactions between oocytes and follicle cells in sea stars. Outside of the lab I enjoy hiking, running, baking, and science outreach.

We are always happy to hear from curious people who love science! Please direct inquires about open positions to Zak.