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 groups recent discovery.
Postdocs/Research Scientists
Nitu Kumari (she/her)
Postdoctoral Researcher
B.Sc., Biotechnology, Vinoba Bhave University, Jharkhand
M.S., and Ph.D., Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Nitu is a post-doctoral fellow 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. After completing her Bachelors in Biotechnology, she joined IISc Bangalore for integrated MS-PhD program. 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.
Ben Kuznets-Speck (he/him)
Postdoctoral Researcher
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.
Nathaniel Campbell (he/him)
Postdoctoral Researcher and Dermatology Resident
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.
Graduate Students
Emanuelle Grody (she/her)
PhD student | Driskill Graduate Program | SynBAS NRT Fellow
B.S. Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan
Emmie is a third year PhD student in the Goyal lab, hailing originally from a suburb of Boston, MA. Her research interests include single cell heterogeneity of tissues and its implications for disease progression and treatment. Other passions include podcasts, propagating plants, and bring people together over food.
Aurelia Leona (she/her)
PhD student | Chemical and Biological Engineering
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Boston University
Aurelia is a first-year PhD student in the Goyal lab. Growing up in Jakarta, Indonesia, a tropical car-centric overcrowded economic hub, she decided to fly halfway across the world for college. She is interested in genetic engineering and understanding implications of DNA specificity towards emergent diseases and immunity. She is a coffee-enthusiast who enjoys watching, drawing and reading books (any kind) on top of being a soccer fan!
Madeline Melzer (she/her)
PhD student | Driskill Graduate Program | Ryan Fellow
B.S., Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Madeline is a second 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 the dynamics of single-cell events and how they can be quantified and controlled. 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.
Masters Thesis Students
Hanxiao Sun (she/her)
Masters Thesis Student | Biotechnology
B.S., Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles
Hanxiao is an MBP student in the Goyal lab. 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 genetic engineering. She envisions pursuing a Ph.D. in the future to further delve into her academic pursuits. Outside the lab, she finds joy in traveling and experiencing diverse cultures, cooking, reading, and engaging in deep conversations with friends.
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 and originally enrolled at the Technical University of Munich. He was born and raised in Munich, Germany, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Bioinformatics. Previous studies on nuclear reprogramming of somatic cells, particularly using single-cell sequencing, prompted him to further investigate the possibilities of this field in the Goyal Lab. To deepen his knowledge of biotechnology and bioinformatics, 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.
Pornchanan (Cherlyn) Pholraksa (she/her)
Masters Thesis Student | Biotechnology
B.S., Biology, Indiana University Indianapolis
Cherlyn is a master of biotechnology student 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 and chemistry, she is driven to explore the exciting realms of synthetic biology, single-cell biology, and computational biology to advance genetic engineering and disease treatment. Outside of the lab, Cherlyn likes to groove to her favorite music and catch up on the latest movie releases. She's also a foodie, constantly on the lookout for exciting new spots around town.
Technical Staff
Syeda Subia Ahmed (she/her)
Research Technologist
M.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago
B.S., Molecular Biochemistry & Biophysics, Illinois Institute of Technology
Subia is from the Chicagoland area. She has experience in protein purification and microfluidics. She is excitedly diving into single-cell biology of cancer. In addition, she's passionate about equity in STEM education and taught math in the Chicagoland area for some time. Outside of the lab, she enjoys food (cooking and eating), volunteering, reading, and playing with her sister's cats.
Keerthana M Arun (she/her)
Research Technologist
B.S., Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Keerthana is from Bangalore, India and frequently spends her energy extolling its many virtues. She joined lab in July 2023. She is interested in understanding information processing in a biological context and how physical theories can provide a deeper insight. She has previously worked on understanding disordered protein domains and analyzing transcriptomics data. Besides work, she can be often found immersed in a book on the sofa or furiously playing Scrabble online. She is also interested in exploring bookshops and museums in the remaining time. In addition, she is also passionate about learning about feminism and promoting positive mental health.
Ida Büschel (she/her)
Visiting Research Scholar (Jointly with Carsten Marr)
B.Sc. Engineering Science, Technical University of Munich
M.Sc. Mathematics, Technical University of Munich
Ida grew up in Bonn, Germany, and pursued her multidisciplinary studies in engineering and applied mathematics in Munich and Eindhoven, Netherlands. During the final year of her master’s program, she joined Helmholtz Munich, where she discovered her passion for computational biology. She will be visiting the Goyal lab to conduct research on the dynamics of clonal haematopoiesis. Beyond academia, she is a sports, music and movie enthusiast who loves spending time outdoors and enjoys lively conversations with great friends over good food.
Undergraduate/High School Students
Rohan Sohini (he/him)
Undergraduate Student | DeFeo Family Fellow
Northwestern University
Rohan is an undergraduate student at Northwestern University originally from Lufkin, TX. He enjoys exploring mathematics and chemistry 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.
Ryan Bui (he/him)
Undergraduate Student
Northwestern University
Ryan is an undergraduate student at Northwestern University. He is from Manhattan Beach, CA. He is interested in mathematics, machine learning, and molecular biology. In addition to research, he loves playing sports, spending time outdoors, eating with friends, and hanging out with his dog.
Alexander Sorescu (he/him)
High School Researcher
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Alex is from the Chicago Suburbs and attends a boarding school which is also situated in the Chicago Suburbs. His areas of interest are computer programming and image analysis. Outside of the lab, he watches a lot of soccer as he is a huge Tottenham Hotspur supporter. He also enjoys playing soccer with his friends outside of school.
Friends of the Lab
Ian Mellis (he/him)
Lab Friend + Collaborator (currently a resident 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).
You? 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
| Name | Years in lab | Program/Degree | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julia Jimenez | 2022 | Undergraduate, Elmhurst U (SynBio REU) | Rotational Scientist, Genentech |
| Jonas Braun | 2022-23 | Masters Thesis (Mathematics), TU Munich | PhD Student, Princeton University |
| Emilia Hojel | 2022-23 | Undergraduate, Northwestern U | Continuing Undergraduate Degree |
| Sofia White | 2023 | Undergraduate, Harvard University (ACS SROP) | Continuing Undergraduate Degree |
| Naima Akhter | 2023 | Undergraduate, Hamilton College (PGTP SROP) | Postbac, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center |
| Abdurrahman Waajid | 2023 | Undergraduate, U. Chicago (SynBio REU) | Continuing Undergraduate Degree | Tito Chai | 2024 | Masters Thesis (Reproductive Science), Northwestern U | Embryologist, CNY fertility | Sayantan Dutta | 2024 | Short-term Postdoc | Assistant Professor, IIT Bombay | Sharon Choi | 2022-24 | Undergraduate, Northwestern U | Continuing Undergraduate Degree |