Principal Investigator
Aaron Straight, Ph.D.
astraigh [at] stanford.edu
@astraight
Professor and Chair of Biochemistry
Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology (by courtesy)
Our work is directed at understanding the mechanisms that govern the structure and function of chromosomes in all kingdoms of life. We approach problems in chromosome biology using a wide variety of experimental systems (yeasts, frogs, humans, archaea, dinoflagellates) and employing diverse approaches (biochemistry, biophysics, functional genomics, cell biology, microscopy, and computation). We are interested in how cells accurately segregate chromosomes to daughter cells during mitosis and meiosis to produce viable daughters and gametes so that an organism can grow, develop and proliferate. We also investigate how stable states are generated and maintained in chromosomes to control the functions of chromosomal domains. Our research has focused on understanding how the chromosomal centromere and kinetochore are assembled and function to support cell division and how the repetitive regions of the genome are regulated by heterochromatin. We are interested in the mechanisms through which chromosome associated RNA regulates epigenetic states and how chromosomes are structured in interphase and mitosis.
Current Lab Members
Jacob Schwartz
jschwar [at] stanford.edu
Graduate Student in Molecular and Cellular Physiology
I am interested in the control of chromosome functions by epigenetic and genetic factors. I have been studying the process of centromere assembly and the regulation of the centromeric histone chaperone HJURP.
Kelsey Fryer
kfryer [at] stanford.edu
@fryer_kelsey
Graduate Student in Genetics
I’m working on understanding how noncoding RNAs regulate the organization of centromeric chromatin. I have been examining the role of RNA binding by CENP-A assembly machinery in centromere formation and maintenance.
Rae R. Brown (they/them)
rrbrown [at] stanford.edu
Graduate Student in Biochemistry
I’m researching the mechanism of CENP-A assembly and maintenance at the centromere. Specifically, I’m interested in how the biochemical and molecular interactions of proteins like HJURP, M18BP1, and CENP-C maintain CENP-A through rounds of cell division.
Usman Enam
uenam [at] stanford.edu
@UsmanEnam
Graduate Student in Genetics
I am developing and applying a molecular metagenomic screen to discover systems using novel modifications or non-canonical bases in their genomes with the ultimate goal to study the how and why of such a subversion in an evolved system. I am mentored in the Straight Lab and the Fire Lab at Stanford.
Pragya Sidhwani, Ph.D.
psidhwan [at] stanford.edu
@pra_sidh
Post-doctoral Fellow
I am interested in the mechanisms regulating repeat element transcription and centromeric boundary maintenance. I am currently using a combination of genetics, genomics and biochemistry in human cells to identify and characterize factors regulating pericentric transcription.
Eline Hendrix, Ph.D.
hendrixe [at] stanford.edu
@eline_hendrix
Postdoctoral Scholar
I’m interested in understanding how centromeric chromatin is organized in 3 dimensions and how this organization contributes to force resistance and accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis.
Alex Leffell
aleffell [at] stanford.edu
Graduate Student
I’m interested in the physical principles underlying marine dinoflagellate genome organization. How do Symbiodinaceae reorganize their genomes in response to physiological changes in the open ocean and symbiotic state.
Ernesto Orellana
orelle04 [at] stanford.edu
Undergraduate Student
I’m interested in understanding the coordination of centromere function with the cell cycle.
Administrative Assistant
Maria Arzate
Administrative Assistant
mdarzate [at] stanford.edu
Former Lab Members
Owen Smith, Twist Biosciences, South San Francisco
Kousik Sundararajan, Twist Biosciences, South San Francisco
Charles Limouse, Inceptive, Palo Alto
Lyin (Leen) Ghadri, Undergraduate Student, University of Denver
Magda Gebala, Senior Scientist, Exai Bio, Menlo Park
Rene Ladurner, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Vienna
David Jukam, Research Scientist, Stanford University
Linda Yen, Morrison Foerster, Palo Alto
Viviana Risca, Assistant Professor, The Rockefeller University
Julio Flores Servin, Ph.D., Medical Student, Harvard University
Bradley French, Lab Head, Novartis
Shengya Cao, Senior Scientist, Genentech
Fred Westhorpe, Director, Discovery Pharmacology, London
Jason Bell, Associate Director, Technology Strategy, 10X Genomics
Whitney Johnson, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Arbor Biotechnologies, Boston
Teddy Yewdell, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Genentech, South San Francisco
Annika Guse, Ph.D., Professor, LMU Munich, Germany
Colin Fuller, Ph.D., Data Scientist/Engineer, Spring Discovery
Ben Moree, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Quantum-Si
Topher Carroll, Ph.D., Associate Director, Neomorph
Rebecca Purdom, J.D. Emory Law School
Laila Strickland, Ph.D., Scientist, 108Labs
Kristina Godek, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Dartmouth College (Duane Compton Lab)
Kristin Milks, Ph.D., Teacher, Bloomington High School South
Ian Brennan, Ph.D., Global Head, Competitive Intelligence, Roche/Genentech
Craig Betts, Ph.D., Scientist, Grail
Dina Finan, Ph.D., Scientist, 10x Genomics
Corey Meyer, Ph.D., Senior Analyst, Gryphon Scientific
Amanda Amodeo, Lewis Sigler Fellow, Princeton University
Justin Smith, Undergraduate Summer Student, Catawba College
Marieke Rozendaal, Research Associate, McGill University
Caroline Horn, Life Science Research Professional, Stanford Bioengineering
Melanie Santos-Marrero, Graduate Student in Immunology, U. Penn
Mark Kelly, Graduate Student in Structural Biology, Stanford University
Andy Nguyen, Medical Student, Harvard Medical, School
Anthony Cordova, MSTP Student, Stanford
Matthew Miell, Business Development, Cytiva
Owen Smith, Twist Biosciences, South San Francisco
Magda Gebala, Senior Scientist, Exai Bio, Menlo Park
Rene Ladurner, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Vienna
David Jukam, Research Scientist, Stanford University
Linda Yen, Morrison Foerster, Palo Alto
Viviana Risca, Assistant Professor, The Rockefeller University
Julio Flores Servin, Ph.D., Medical Student, Harvard University
Bradley French, Lab Head, Novartis
Shengya Cao, Senior Scientist, Genentech
Fred Westhorpe, Director, Discovery Pharmacology, London
Jason Bell, Associate Director, Technology Strategy, 10X Genomics
Whitney Johnson, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Arbor Biotechnologies, Boston
Teddy Yewdell, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Genentech, South San Francisco
Annika Guse, Ph.D., Professor, LMU Munich, Germany
Colin Fuller, Ph.D., Data Scientist/Engineer, Spring Discovery
Ben Moree, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Quantum-Si
Topher Carroll, Ph.D., Associate Director, Neomorph
Rebecca Purdom, J.D. Emory Law School
Laila Strickland, Ph.D., Scientist, 108Labs
Kristina Godek, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Dartmouth College (Duane Compton Lab)
Kristin Milks, Ph.D., Teacher, Bloomington High School South
Ian Brennan, Ph.D., Global Head, Competitive Intelligence, Roche/Genentech
Craig Betts, Ph.D., Scientist, Grail
Dina Finan, Ph.D., Scientist, 10x Genomics
Corey Meyer, Ph.D., Senior Analyst, Gryphon Scientific
Amanda Amodeo, Lewis Sigler Fellow, Princeton University
Justin Smith, Undergraduate Summer Student, Catawba College
Marieke Rozendaal, Research Associate, McGill University
Caroline Horn, Life Science Research Professional, Stanford Bioengineering
Melanie Santos-Marrero, Graduate Student in Immunology, U. Penn
Mark Kelly, Graduate Student in Structural Biology, Stanford University
Andy Nguyen, Medical Student, Harvard Medical, School
Anthony Cordova, MSTP Student, Stanford
Matthew Miell, Business Development, Cytiva