Originally from China, En obtained her PhD from China Agricultural University in 2020, where her research focused on the roles of nucleosome organization and three-dimensional chromatin structure in maize growth and development. Following her PhD, She pursued two post-doctoral positions: one investigating the domestication of the Jasmonate pathway in tomatoes at the Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and another studying RNA modification in Arabidopsis at the University of Chicago. In September 2023, She joined Julie Law’s lab at Salk Institute to further her research journey. Her main points of interest are: 1) the molecular mechanisms of RNA-directed DNA methylation establishment, and 2) how chromatin modifications influence DNA repair.

Fuxi Wang received her PhD from University of Maryland – College Park in 2022. Her thesis work focused on understanding how the cell cycle is integrated into plant meristem development in Arabidopsis Thaliana. She worked on characterization of the TSO1 regulatory pathway in the shoot apical meristem and the root apical meristem using both genetic tools and single cell RNA sequencing. As a postdoctoral fellow in Julie Law’s lab, she will be exploring the roles of chromatin modifications in mediating tissue-specific patterns of DNA methylation using both genetic and genomic approaches.

Theresa received her Bachelor of Science degree in Computational and Systems Biology with a concentration in Neurosystems from UCLA. Theresa’s thesis work in Dr. Matteo Pellegrini’s lab focused on whole genome DNA methylation analysis methods using bisulfite sequencing and how methylation levels correlate with age. She joined Dr. Julie Law’s lab in 2023 where she is interested in analyzing genomics data to understand the mechanisms that regulate gene expression and suberin synthesis. Theresa is also a tennis player.

Kristen Werner received her Bachelor’s in Biology from the University of Vermont in 2021. Due to her long-time interest in environmental issues, Kristen spent her first two years at UVM living in the Sustainability learning community where she became familiar with the local ecology through hands-on outdoor classes and worked with her peers to incorporate sustainable practices, like composting, into everyday dorm life. Kristen went on to participate in undergraduate research under evolutionary biologist Dr. Laura J. May-Collado in 2021, using auditory data from Puerto Rico to study how climate change has affected the physiology and vocalizations of the Coquí frog. Kristen joined the Law Lab as a Lab Tech in 2022 to provide support for the projects and research efforts of the lab.

Rongjun Han is an undergraduate student majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology at UCSD. Before moving to San Diego, he was working on investigating the symbiotic interaction between bacteria and seagrass in Dr. Jonathan Eisen Lab at UC Davis. For 2023 summer, he joined Dr. Chao Wang’s lab at Jinan University in China to study protein structures in chicken muscle. In October 2023, Rongjun joined the Law lab as a student trainee. He is working with Dr. Fuxi Wang on studying the chromatin modification in mediating tissue-specific DNA methylation patterns.

Carsten Hoeke is a fourth year General Biology undergraduate student at UCSD. He started his journey in plant research at the Jacobsen lab at UCLA/HHMI. There, he worked on identifying interaction networks of potential Histone binding proteins. Carsten joined the Law lab as a student trainee in October 2023. He is currently working with Dr. Fuxi Wang. He is interested in understanding DNA methylation patterns and inheritance influenced by the CLSYs. Besides studying and research, he likes to go sailing, play golf, and hang out with friends.

Solomon Huang is an undergraduate student at UCSD, majoring in Neurobiology and set to graduate in 2025. Alongside his studies, he has a keen interest in epigenetics. In April 2023, Solomon joined the lab as a volunteer, working under the mentorship of Dr. Laura Martins. His current research investigates the role of CLSY proteins in the RNA-directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) pathway, the latter of which is involved in establishing de novo DNA methylation throughout the Arabidopsis thaliana genome.

Nidhi Noronha is a first-year undergraduate student at UC San Diego. Her passion for genetics, especially epigenetics, led her to join the Law lab in April 2024. She is currently collaborating with Dr. Laura Martins on a research project that explores how CLSY proteins influence methylation patterns in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome through the RNA-directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) pathway. This work contributes to the understanding of how gene expression is regulated at the epigenetic level in plants. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time at the beach.