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 recently graduated with a MSc. Biotechnology from the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, University of Pune. In the Swartz Lab, I am working on developing tools for cargo delivery into sea star (and potentially other species) oocytes. I am interested in the cell biological aspect of development and body axis patterning. Outside of the lab, I love reading dystopian novels, wildlife photography, and listening to any and all kinds of music.

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.

I’m originally from Athens, Greece and I’m fascinated by organismal development and evolution. I earned my BSc and MSc from University of Patras (GR) and my PhD from the Open University (UK). In the course of my MSc, carried out in the Flytzanis lab, I found my passion for embryonic development and echinoderms. During my PhD and 2 years of Postdoc in the Arnone lab at Stazione Zoologica Anton Dorn (IT) I got fascinated by cell type evolution and its assessment using sea urchin as a model. In the Swartz lab I will be working on the intersection between cellular and evolutionary biology, diving into the evolution of the cellular mechanisms controlling echinoderm oogenesis and embryonic development.

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