Froggers Unite!
Our team
Helen Willsey, PhD (she/her)
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Helen is passionate about mentoring and using frogs to do the legwork of interpreting psychiatric disorder genetics. She received her PhD in genetics from Yale University and postdoctoral training from Richard Harland (UC Berkeley) and Matthew State (UCSF). She is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF and an Investigator with the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. Outside lab, Helen enjoys the performing arts and crafting.
Micaela Lasser, PhD (she/her)
POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR
Micaela is originally from the Great Lakes State and received her B.S. at Michigan State University. She discovered her love of frogs in graduate school studying the developmental and cellular mechanisms related to intellectual disability disorder genetics. She received her PhD in Biology at Boston College under the mentorship of Dr. Laura Anne Lowery and then began her postdoctoral training at UCSF with Matthew State and Helen Willsey, where she continues to work with frogs to study psychiatric disorder genetics. Aside from her passion for microscopy, Micaela loves reading, creating art, running, cooking, and any excuse to be outdoors.
Kate McCluskey (she/her)
GRADUATE STUDENT, NEUROSCIENCE
Kate is a UCSF Neuroscience graduate student studying the development of the enteric nervous system in Xenopus and the role of ASD risk genes in this process. She went to Middlebury for her undergraduate education before coming to the Bay Area. Outside of lab, Kate is an avid bike rider and enjoys participating in scientific outreach programs and Twitter.
Elina Kostyanovskaya
GRADUATE STUDENT, DEVELOPMENTAL & STEM CELL BIOLOGY
Elina is a PhD graduate student studying the role of SYNGAP1 in development using Xenopus as a model organism. She received her B.S. in Biology with a specialization in genetics from the University of Chicago. She is passionate about inclusive teaching and mentorship, with a focus on disability justice. Outside of lab, she enjoys Olympic weightlifting and attempting small scale DIY furniture projects.
Christina Roca (she/her)
GRADUATE STUDENT, NEUROSCIENCE
Christina is a Neuroscience graduate student at UCSF studying ciliogenesis and neurodevelopment in Xenopus, specifically the role of cilia in pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders. She earned her B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience at Florida International University in Miami, FL. Christina enjoys participating in educational outreach programs to teach students about science. Outside of the lab, Christina loves to hike around the Bay Area.
Catherine Nguyen (she/her)
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Catherine graduated from UC San Diego in June 2023 with a B.S. in Chemistry. She assists with different research projects in the lab by performing molecular biology techniques. She hopes to continue learning more about the genes associated with ASD and incorporate her love for chemistry and biology. Outside of lab, she enjoys reading and traveling whenever she gets the chance.
Juan Arbelaez (he/him)
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Juan received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from UC San Diego. With extensive experience working with stem cells, he lends his guidance, leadership, and wet-lab management skills to the Willsey Lab as well as the State Lab. Currently, Juan is working on several projects involving iPSCs and CRISPR-Cas9.
Ethel Bader (she/her)
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Ethel has a B.S. in Electronics and Communications Engineering from the Philippines. Through the Bridge to Biotech Program offered by City College of San Francisco, she earned a Laboratory Technician Certificate. Prior to working with the Willsey Lab, she was an SRA at Dr. Tecott’s Laboratory managing his animal colony and helped design and execute several mouse behavior experiments using standard behavioral assays and a novel quantitative approach to home cage behavioral monitoring. She now has experience in human cell culture and her work in the lab uses these cells to translate results from the frogs to human cells.
James Schmidt (he/him)
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
James graduated in 2023 with a B.A. in Neuroscience from Pomona College, where he played baseball and focused his on-campus research towards chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in Drosophila. He recently returned home to the Bay Area to expand his model organism expertise to Xenopus. Outside of the lab he enjoys spending as much time outdoors with his dogs as humanly possible.
Nolan Wong (he/him)
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Nolan graduated from UC Davis and is a research assistant in the laboratory, taking care of all frog-related matters. He has a passion for veterinary work and animal pathogens.
Ashley Clement (she/her)
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Ashley helps the lab with all things admin! She has been with the Willsey-State group since 2018 and loves to help find solutions to any and all problems. Ashley attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts where she studied Sociology and Gender Studies. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and son.
Become a frogger!
Former Froggers— Where are they now?
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Yuxiao Xu
MD/PhD Student
Yuxiao discovered fascinating biology about ASD risk gene DYRK1A’s role in brain development and ciliogenesis as a lab undergrad and then as a research assistant. She is now a MD/PhD student at WashU.
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Cameron Exner, PhD
Science Coordinator
Cameron made amazing discoveries about the role of estrogen signaling in early development and its role repressing SHH signaling. She is now a science coordinator at College Preparatory School.
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Albert Kim
MD Student
Albert made great contributions to our study of ASD risk gene NXRN1 and made essential tools with a 3D printer as a lab undergrad and then as a research assistant. He is now a medical student at California Northstate University College of Medicine.