Yogesh Goyal (he/him)

Assistant Professor

Ph.D., Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University
B.S., Chemical Engineering (Honors), Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

Yogesh grew up in a rural village in Jammu & Kashmir in India, and has a multidisciplinary background with his undergraduate in chemical engineering, graduate research in quantitative developmental biology, and postdoctoral training in single-cell biology. Yogesh is excited and committed to building an interdisciplinary, collaborative, vibrant, and supportive team. Outside of research, Yogesh enjoys sports, drawing and engaging in art-science projects, pumpkin spice lattes, and (intuitive) cooking. Here’s Yogesh’s CV, a brief video on his journey, and a podcast on his group’s recent discovery.

Email | LinkedIn

Postdocs/Research Scientists

Nitu Kumari (she/her)

Postdoc | HFSP Long-term Fellow | CSB Postdoc Fellow

B.Sc., Biotechnology, Vinoba Bhave University, Jharkhand M.S., and Ph.D., Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Nitu is a postdoc in the Goyal lab. Her broad research interest is quantitative biology of DNA repair, non-B DNA structures, genome organization and gene expression regulation in single cells. She is born and brought up in Jharkhand, India.  Beyond the laboratory, Nitu finds joy in immersing herself in the melodies of music and exploring the world around her, embracing the simple pleasures of wandering and discovery.

Nathaniel Campbell (he/him)

Postdoc | Dermatology T32 Fellow

B.A. and M.S., Chemistry, Brandeis University Ph.D., Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Cornell University/Sloan Kettering Institute M.D., University of Illinois College of Medicine

Nate is a postdoctoral fellow and Dermatology resident in the Goyal lab. Building on his background in chemistry, nanotechnology, cancer and systems biology, he is interested in the role of cell-cell interaction in melanoma initiation and progression. In his free time, Nate can be found exploring Chicago, riding his bike and trying to find a great cup of coffee.

Ben Kuznets-Speck (he/him)

Postdoc | NUCATS T32 Fellow

B.S., Mathematics and Physics, Case Western Reserve University Ph.D., Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley

Ben is a postdoctoral researcher in the Goyal lab. Building on his background in statistical physics and transcriptomics, Ben is broadly interested in rare events in single-cell biophysics, from cancer metastasis to drug resistance. Outside the lab, you can find Ben running, cooking and hanging out with friends by the water when it's nice out.

Email  |Twitter | Website

Yuval Scher (he/him)

Postdoc

B.Sc., Chemistry, Tel Aviv University M.Sc. and Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, Tel Aviv University

Yuval is a postdoctoral researcher in the Goyal lab. His background ranges over various fields of physical chemistry: diffusion-NMR, stochastic processes, first-passage problems and chemical kinetics. In the Goyal lab, Yuval is broadly interested in lineage tracing and aims to research cellular fate choices during early development, using tools from synthetic biology. Outside the lab, you can find Yuval composing for his music project UNK, learning languages, and doing sports.

Website

Kalki Kukreja (she/her)

Postdoc

B.Tech./M.Tech., Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi PhD., Developmental Biology, Systems Biology, Harvard University

Kalki is a postdoctoral fellow in the Goyal lab. Her background is in systems developmental biology. She is broadly interested in genetic and developmental robustness. Outside lab, she enjoys listening to music and running along Lake Michigan.

PhD Students

Emanuelle Grody (she/her)

PhD student | Driskill Graduate Program | SynBAS NRT Fellow | NIH F31 Fellow

B.S. Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan

Emmie is a fifth year PhD student in the Goyal lab, hailing originally from Newton, MA, just outside Boston. Her research interests include how single cell heterogeneity drives disease progression, and using and building new technologies. Other passions include books, fencing and other sports, and bringing people together over food.

Twitter

Amir Darbar (he/him)

MSTP (MD-PhD) student | Driskill Graduate Program

B.S., Computer Science, University of Chicago

Amir is an MD PhD student in the Goyal lab who grew up in Chicago. He is interested in developing quantitative understandings of biological phenomena and studying emergence. Outside of the lab, he likes reading, working out, hiking, and drinking tea.

Madeline Melzer (she/her)

PhD student | Driskill Graduate Program | Ryan Fellow | Carcinogenesis T32

B.S., Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Madeline is a fourth year PhD student in the Goyal lab. She is a Chicago native and has a background in biochemistry and analytical chemistry. Madeline is broadly interested in what makes a cell good (or bad) at adapting to change. Outside of the lab, you can find her at one of the city’s beaches biking, playing volleyball, and hammocking, or at home cooking and watercolor painting.

Hanxiao Sun (she/her)

PhD student | Biomedical Engineering

B.S., Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles
M.S., Biotechnology, Northwestern University

Hanxiao joined Goyal Lab as a MBP student and is now a first year BME PhD student. Originally from Wuxi, China, she embarked on her undergraduate journey in the United States in 2018. Her research interests revolve around investigating the response of cancer cells to drug treatments and exploring the realm of single cell.  Outside the lab, she finds joy in traveling and experiencing diverse cultures, cooking, reading, and engaging in deep conversations.

Gillian Primavera (she/her)

PhD student | Biomedical Engineering | BTP T32 Fellow

B.S.E., Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan

Gillian is a second year BME PhD student in the Goyal lab, originally from Trumbull, CT. She is interested in developmental biology and regenerative engineering. She aims to research what factors influence stem cell fate within the tissue/3D space. She is a huge animal lover, loves skiing, and being outdoors!

Email

Jacob Schlamowitz (he/him)

MSTP (MD-PhD) student | Driskill Graduate Program

B.S., Applied Mathematics and Biology, City University of New York - Brooklyn College

Jacob is an MD/PhD student in the Goyal lab, originally from Brooklyn, NY, with a background in biology and applied mathematics. He is interested in making predictive cancer models to better understand how cancer progresses. Outside of lab, he enjoys mixology, cooking, and climbing.

Masters Students

Leon Schwartz (he/him)

Masters Thesis Student | Bioinformatics

B.S., Bioinformatics, Technical University of Munich/ Ludwigs-Maximilian-University, Munich

Leon is a master’s student in bioinformatics in the Goyal Lab. He was born and raised in Munich, Germany. Previous studies on nuclear reprogramming of somatic cells, particularly using single-cell sequencing, prompted him to join the Goyal Lab. He would be excited to continue his academic journey with a Ph.D. after the master’s program. When he's not in the lab, he enjoys traveling with friends, engaging in outdoor sports, and playing the piano.

Jaekwon Jung (he/him)

Masters Thesis Student | Biotechnology

B.S., Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University

Jaekwon is a Master of Biotechnology Program (MBP) student conducting his master's project in the Goyal Lab. Originally from South Korea, he earned his undergraduate degree in molecular biotechnology from a Belgian university with a campus in Korea, also spending time at its main campus in Belgium. His research interests include single-cell RNA sequencing, transcriptomics, and cell biology. His undergraduate thesis using single-cell RNA sequencing inspired him to pursue another thesis focused on single-cell research. Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling, cooking, swimming, and skiing

Research Scholars

Lingzhu Zhang (she/her)

Masters Thesis Student | Biotechnology

Bachelor of Medicine, Stromatology, Nankai University

Lingzhu is a Master of Biotechnology Program (MBP) student conducting her master’s research in the Goyal Lab. Originally from China, she completed her Bachelor of Medicine in Dentistry at Nankai University, where her clinical rotations sparked a deep interest in understanding how molecular mechanisms shape cellular behavior. Motivated by her clinical background and multidisciplinary training, she is passionate about bridging experimental biology with quantitative and computational approaches to uncover how cells respond, adapt, and maintain function. She hopes to continue her academic journey with a Ph.D. after completing her master’s program. Outside the lab, she enjoys dancing, doing yoga, playing the piano, playing table tennis and traveling. Also, she is a yoga and aerial dance instructor and has been teaching part-time for three years.

Pornchanan (Cherlyn) Pholraksa (she/her)

Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow

B.S., Biology, Indiana University Indianapolis
M.S., Biotechnology, Northwestern University

Cherlyn is a research fellow in the Goyal lab. She is from Kalasin, Thailand. She was awarded the Royal Thai Government Scholarship, which brought her to the U.S. in 2018 to pursue her academic dreams. With a background in biology, she is driven to explore synthetic biology, single-cell biology, and cancer biology to enhance cancer treatment paradigms. Outside of the lab, Cherlyn enjoys playing pickleball and catching up on the latest movie releases.

Undergraduate/High School Students

Rohan Sohini (he/him)

Undergraduate Student | DeFeo Family Fellow

B.S. Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University

Rohan is an undergraduate student at Northwestern University originally from Lufkin, TX. He enjoys exploring mathematics and biology and hopes to pursue a career as a physician scientist. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing basketball, watching new movies and TV shows, and exploring Chicago restaurants.

Yuhan Zhang (she/her)

Undergraduate Student

B.A. Biological Sciences and Mathematics, Northwestern University

Hannah is an undergraduate student at Northwestern University originally from Beijing, China. She is passionate about exploring how mathematical models can deepen our understanding of complex biological systems. Outside of the lab, she enjoys practicing Taekwondo, reading Japanese detective fictions, translating literary works, and exploring matcha in all its forms.

Friends of the Lab

Ian Mellis (he/him)

Lab Friend + Collaborator (Faculty at Columbia)

M.D., Ph.D., Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania
B.A., Mathematics and Interdisciplinary, Amherst College

Ian is a research-track Clinical Pathology resident at Columbia, and he works with the Goyal lab as a collaborator and consultant. He is originally from the suburbs of NYC. He has a background in genetics, cellular reprogramming, applied math, and statistics, and is developing new areas of interest in postdoctoral work at Columbia. In addition to research and medicine, Ian enjoys cooking, learning languages, traveling, and bantering (often with Yogesh).

Personal Website

Danielle Pi (she/her)

MD/PhD student, Northwestern University

B.A., English, Biology, University of Pennsylvania

Danielle is an MD/PhD trainee in the Arispe Lab who frequently crashes Goyal lab meetings and journal clubs. She is originally from the Bay Area and grew up in Shanghai, China. She currently works on organ growth and cell proliferation in the vascular system, but is always looking for new topics to tickle her brain. Outside of lab Danielle enjoys writing, traveling, and making bad jokes.

We are Hiring!

Our interdisciplinary and inclusive research program welcomes artists, biologists, chemists, clinicians, computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and physicists to come work with us! Please check the Contact page for current openings.

If you would like to know about Yogesh’s mentorship and first-hand experiences of his past mentees, Yogesh is happy to connect you with them (both undergraduate and graduate mentees). Please email Yogesh expressing interest in speaking with his current and past mentees.

Lab Alumni

Undergraduate Information

Postdocs

Sayantan Dutta, PhD

Short-term Postdoc (2024)

Subsequent Position: Assistant Professor, IIT Bombay

Undergraduate Information

Graduate Students

Jonas Braun

Masters Thesis (Mathematics), TU Munich (2023)

Subsequent Position: PhD Student, Princeton University

Tito Chai

Masters Thesis (Reproductive Science), Northwestern University (2024)

Subsequent Position: Embryologist, CNY fertility

Ida Büschel

Visiting Research Scholar (Jointly with Carsten Marr)(2024)

Subsequent Position: PhD Student, Munich School for Data Science, Helmholtz Munich

Undergraduate Information

Undergraduate

Julia Jiminez

Undergraduate (SynBio REU), Elmhurst University (2022)

Subsequent Position: Rotational Scientist, Genentech

Emilia Hojel

Undergraduate (2022-23)

Subsequent Position: Undergraduate, Northwestern University

Sharon Choi

Undergraduate (2022-24)

Subsequent Position: Medical Student, UTSW

Sofia White

Undergraduate (ACS SROP) (2023)

Subsequent Position: Undergraduate, Harvard University

Naima Akhter

Undergraduate (PGTP SROP), Hamilton College (2023)

Subsequent Position: Postbac, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Abdurrahman Waajid

Undergraduate (SynBio REU) (2023)

Subsequent Position: Undergraduate, University of Chicago

Linda Wang

Undergraduate (SynBio REU) (2024)

Subsequent Position: Undergraduate, University of Washington

Ryan Bui

Undergraduate (2023-24)

Subsequent Position: Undergraduate, Northwestern University

Alex Sorescu

High School Student (IMSA) (2024-25)

Subsequent Position: Undergraduate, University of Maryland

Undergraduate Information

Research Staff

Syeda S Ahmed

Research Technician (2022-2025)

Subsequent Position: PhD Student, UIUC

Keerthana Arun

Research Technician (2022-2025)

Subsequent Position: PhD Student, UPenn