Huising Lab

Laboratory of Dr. Mark O. Huising, UC Davis

People

My group brings together a talented and dedicated group of passionate students and researchers who bring together a combination of expertise in islet biology, electrophysiology, microscopy, gene editing, and computational biology. Together we unravel how pancreatic islets work, in order to devise therapeutic strategies to fix them when they break down in diabetes.

Dr. Mark O. Huising

Mark obtained his Masters degree in Biology at  Wageningen University in The Netherlands. He went on to conduct his PhD research on the evolution of endocrine and immune systems at the the  Radboud University Nijmegen, work for which he received the Zoology prize from the Royal Dutch Zoological Society. From here he went on to join the group of Wylie Vale at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California as a postdoctoral fellow. It was there that Mark started to work on the pancreas and laid the foundations for his current research program, which he moved to UC Davis in the fall of 2014. When not teaching or conducting research, he likes to go out for a long trail run. He also tries to find time for hikes or road trips with family or friends in beautiful California and beyond.
Contact: mhuising@ucdavis.edu


Dr. Talitha van der Meulen

Talitha received her PhD in developmental biology studying muscle development in zebrafish at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. After studying biochemistry at San Diego State University and diabetes at the Salk Institute in La Jolla she helped set up the Huising diabetes research lab at UC Davis. These days she is an assistant professor of teaching at UC Davis, teaching NPB110A, NPB10 and NPB101L. She is leading a team of professors to enhance equity and inclusion in the NPB curriculum by updating the program learning outcomes (what students should be able to do when they graduate with an NPB degree) and implementing assessment strategies to actually find out if these program learning outcomes are met. After 2 years of Covid-19-related cancellations, her study abroad program for NPB110A in the Netherlands looks like it will be taking off in Summer 2022. She is still associated with the Huising lab and joins in lab meetings, but cannot spend much time there because of teaching. In her spare time, Talitha enjoys her family, cat, baking, camping, hiking and exploring California and nearby states.

 

 

Graduate Students

Michelle Chan

Michelle is a graduate student in the BMCDB PhD program at UC Davis. She graduated with a BS in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from UC San Diego, where she had the opportunity to conduct research in labs at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Scripps Research, and UC San Diego School of Medicine. After graduation, she worked in the lab of Dr. Steve Finkbeiner at the Gladstone Institutes to investigate the molecular mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Michelle’s interest in investigating cell signaling drew her to the Huising lab for her doctoral work, and she is excited to learn more about islet biology. Aside from research, she likes to read, visit new coffee shops, and watch Netflix in her free time.


Ryan Hart

Ryan is a graduate student in the Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (BMCDB) Ph.D. program at UC Davis. He graduated from Truman State University in 2011 with a B.S. in Biology, and A.T. Still University in 2013 with an M.S. in Biomedical Science. Prior to joining the Huising Lab, he studied actomyosin associated cytoskeletal forces in the lab of Dr. Indra Chandrasekar at the University of South Dakota. In his free time he enjoys exploring California with his wife Kimmy, his daughter Allie, and their dog Jethro.


 

Mohammad Pourhosseinzadeh

Mohammad graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and is a current MD/PhD student. While a student at UC Davis, he gained an interest in research studying meiotic recombination in yeast. His interest in research and its applications in medicine drove him to join the Huising lab. In his free time he enjoys watching Netflix and reading.


 

 

 

Max Shin

Nathan Cook

nathan Nathan is graduate student in the BMCDB PhD program at UC Davis. He graduated with a BS in bimolecular engineering from UC Santa Cruz, where he had the opportunity to study MAPK signaling's regulation of Nanog in mouse embryonic stem cells under Ali Shariati. The Huising Lab's research caught his eyes as an interesting intersection of his interest in cellular regulation and differentiation from his undergrad research and his long standing interest in beta cell biology and diabetes. His research now focuses on the functional heterogeneity mouse beta cells display, and differences in calcium behavior between different beta cell model systems. In his free time Nathan enjoys reading, fencing, and playing board games, especially with friends.


 

 

 

Catherine Dombroski

Catherine Catherine is a DVM/PhD student in the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology (MCIP) program at UC Davis. She graduated with a BS in Biochemistry and minor in Biomedical Research from UCLA where she had the opportunity to conduct research in Dr. Karen Reue's lab investigating the role of genetics on sex differences in obesity. She has always had an interest in the underlying mechanisms driving metabolic disease, which drove her to join the Huising lab where she could utilize her veterinary background to further understand islet biology. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and attending concerts.


 

 

 

Junior Specialist - Lab Manager

Naomi Cinque

Naomi graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior in Spring 2022. She first joined the Huising Lab as an undergraduate researcher in hopes of better understanding human physiology on a microscopic level and is continuing as the Junior Specialist/Lab Manager due to her interest in researching intercellular signlaing and signal transduction pathways. In her free time, Naomi enjoys discovering new eateries, exploring the outdoors, listening to music and spending time with friends and family.

 

 

Jordan Lee

Jordan joined the Huising lab in 2022 as an undergraduate and graduated from UC Davis in Spring 2024 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. She plans to continue building her interest in research as a Junior Specialist in the lab and expand her knowledge of human physiology and microscopy. In her free time, Jordan likes to draw, read, and drink sprite.

 

 

Rashita Chauhan

Rashita graduated from UC Davis in the spring of 2024 with a major in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior and a minor in Political Science. She joined the Huising Lab as a Junior Specialist due to her interest in epigenetics and the role it can play in diseases. She is also interested in mapping on a cellular level using microscopic techniques. Outside of the lab, Rashita enjoys weightlifting, cooking, gaming and listening to electronic dance music!

 

 

Undergraduate Researchers

Jordan Lee

Jordan is a fourth year Biological Sciences major at UC Davis. She was interested in clinical research and wanted to gain experience in a professional laboratory which led her to the Huising Lab! Her favorite part of working in the lab is getting to actively connect what she learns in class to the work she does in lab. She likes to spend her time gardening, drawing, and drinking tea.


 

 

Anishka Mangrulkar

Anishka is a third year NPB major with a Public Health minor and aspires to attend medical school in order to become a physician. Due to an interest in laboratory research as well as cellular biology, she joined the Huising lab and loves being able to apply learned class material to her work in lab. In her free time, she enjoys playing basketball, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.


 

 

Sriansh Pasumarthi

Sriansh is a third-year Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior major. His interest in investigating diabetes — a disease that has impacted many members of his family and community — led him to join the Huising lab. After he graduates, he hopes to attend medical school and continue his research endeavors. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball with his friends.


 

 

Joel Sanchez

Joel is a third-year Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior major and Music minor at UC Davis. In his free time, he enjoys playing instruments, listening to music, and playing video games.


 

 

 

 

Taven Cunningham

Taven is a 4th year human biology major who graduated in Spring 2024! He thought that his abundance of islet cells made him an expert in the field (he's not), and was very interested to learn more. Although he spends his mornings pipetting and gelling, in his spare time, Taven loves to play badminton, and look at the stars. His goal is to go into emergency medicine, but is excited for whatever life has in store!


 

 

Ramir Tirado

Ramir is a 4th year Neurobiology student and minoring in Psychology. He has always been so curious about brain and mind works. He loves cooking and trying new dishes.


 

 

Karen Zhai

Karen graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior in Fall 2023. She joined the Huising Lab in her second year of undergraduate studies to study molecular cell biology and human physiology, as she is interested in pursuing and MD/PhD. Outside of lab, she enjoys drawing, sewing, and figure skating.


 

 

 

 

 

Pierre Napaa

Pierre is a fourth year student studying Biological Sciences. His interest in human physiology and experiences involving Diabetes encouraged him to join the Huising Lab. After graduation, Pierre plans to pursue a path in clinical medicine, research, or maybe even both. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the drums, cooking, and staying active.


 

 

Harnejan Atwal

Harnejan is currently in her third year studying Biological Sciences. She was influenced by her grandfather's battle with diabetes and her experience volunteering at Shifa Community Clinic, where she witnessed the widespread impact of diabetes on patients. These experiences, combined with her interest in cell signaling pathways she learned from her BIS 104 course, led her to join Huising Lab. Outside of academics, she finds joy in activities such as cooking, arts and crafts, henna art, and cherishing moments with family.


 

 

Abby Gailmard

Abby is a first year biochemistry undergraduate with a passion for research in the field of diabetes. As a diabetic herself, she was ecstatic to join the Huising Lab! In the future, Abby hopes to get a PhD in a related field, and do research as a career. In her free time, she loves to walk through the arboretum, spend time with friends, and watch youtube.


 

 

Jacob Boi

Jacob is a second-year Cell Biology student. As someone who was pre-diabetic growing up and has several friends and family members who are diabetic, he wants to learn more about the disease while also gaining experience in research. In the future, he hopes to pursue a career in medicine. Outside of school and lab, he spends his time as the bullpen catcher for the UC Davis Baseball Team.


 

 

Seth Kim

Seth is a third-year biochemistry major and public health minor. As a part of the Diabetes Empowerment Program at Bayanihan Clinic, he was interested in gaining research and learning more about the biology and physiology surrounding blood sugar regulation, which led him to Huising Lab. In the future, he hopes to become a pediatrician. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing basketball, going to the gym, and listening to music.


 

 

Sharlene Lee

Sharlene is a second-year Psychology major and Nutrition Science minor pursuing a Bachelor's of Science. Her interests in holistic health and developing a well round understanding of the human body has led to her joining the Huising Lab. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school and become a clinical psychologist. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and crochet.


 

 

Muskaan Wadhava

Muskaan is a third year Biology/Psychology major at Loyola University Maryland. She joined the Huising Lab in conjunction with the National Institute of Health NIDDK's STEP-UP research program. After she graduates, she hopes to continue her passion in the field of science by attending medical school and becoming a physician. In her free time, Muskaan loves to go on walks, play board games with friends, cook, and go on long drives!


 

 

 

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