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 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 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

Hassaan Rehman

Hassaan graduated Spring 2023 from UC Davis with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. His interest in pursuing an MD/PhD led him to join the Huising Lab with hopes of gaining exposure to a formal research experience. During his free time, he likes to watch/play basketball and bake.

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!