ISB News

ISB Assistant Professor Dr. Sid Venkatesh

Sid Venkatesh Joins ISB as Assistant Professor

Dr. Sid Venkatesh recently joined ISB as assistant professor and is our newest faculty member. In this Q&A, Venkatesh discusses his research, his aspirations in the gut-microbiota field, his philosophy as a scientist, what he does when he’s not in the lab, and more.

Sarah Clemente

AmeriCorps Member Sarah Clemente Joins ISB as Systems Thinkers in STEM Ambassador Coordinator

Sarah Clemente recently joined ISB as a Systems Thinkers in STEM Ambassador Coordinator, and is the third AmeriCorps member to work with us. In this Q&A, Clemente shares what drew her to ISB, what she hopes to accomplish over the next year, and more. 

Dr. Sean Gibbons Spotlighted in Alumni Profile

MIT’s Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics recently featured Dr. Sean Gibbons in an alumni profile. Gibbons discussed his academic arc that started in Montana and led to his master’s studies (sponsored by a Fulbright Graduate Fellowship) at Uppsala University in Sweden, completing his PhD in biophysical sciences at the University of Chicago, and conducting his postdoc work in the lab of Eric Alm. He also talked about some of…

Spotlight On Amy Zamora, Former ISB Systems Research Scholar

Between 2018 and 2020, Amy Zamora’s tenure as a systems research scholar allowed her to merge her two interests – math and biology – and to learn a lot more along the way. “I didn’t really know how to combine my passions until I came to ISB,” she said.

Goldwater Scholar Daniel Chen

ISB Undergraduate Researcher Daniel Chen Earns Goldwater Scholarship

Daniel Chen, an undergraduate researcher in ISB’s Heath Lab and junior at the University of Washington, has been awarded a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. Chen has been a key member of ISB’s COVID-19 Immune Response Study.

the case for masks

Molecular Biologist Dr. Sui Huang: We Should All Be Wearing Masks

ISB’s Dr. Sui Huang has been a powerful voice in a growing chorus contending that masks are an effective tool to stop the spread of COVID-19. Huang calls guidelines from the CDC and other public health agencies “unfortunate,” as they sweep aside a potentially powerful measure that could help “flatten the curve.”

Spotlight on Caroline Cannistra, ISB Systems Research Scholar

Caroline Cannistra joined ISB in 2018 as a Systems Research Scholar. The Systems Research Scholars Program provides recent college undergraduates a springboard to become the next generation’s pioneers of interdisciplinary scientific research.

Nathan Price

Dr. Nathan Price Named NAM Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced ISB’s Dr. Nathan Price as a 2019 Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar. NAM’s Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program provides a platform for a new generation of leaders to collaborate with the NAM and its members across generations and fields of expertise.

Amy Zamora

Spotlight on Amy Zamora, ISB Systems Research Scholar

Amy Zamora joined ISB in August as a Systems Research Scholar. The Systems Research Scholars Program provides recent college undergraduates a springboard to become the next generation’s pioneers of interdisciplinary scientific research. In this Q&A, Zamora describes her experiences at ISB, research interests, future aspirations, and much more.

Spotlight on James Yurkovich, ISB Translational Research Fellow

Dr. James Yurkovich joined ISB this summer as a Translational Research Fellow. The three-year Translational Research Fellows Program provides a unique opportunity for bench-to-bedside translational research with mentorship from experts in systems biology and clinical research. In this Q&A, Yurkovich delves into his research interests, future aspirations, hobbies, and more.

Dr. Wei Wei Joins ISB Faculty

Prior to joining ISB’s faculty, Dr. Wei Wei earned his Ph.D. from Caltech and served as a faculty member at UCLA Medical School. In this Q&A, Wei discusses his research career to date, how research might change over the next decade, and much more.

ISB Associate Professor Dr. Sean Gibbons

Dr. Sean Gibbons joins ISB faculty as WRF Distinguished Investigator

Dr. Sean Gibbons has joined ISB as our newest faculty member. Gibbons’ new position brings a number of changes, including relocating to the Pacific Northwest from the Northeast. Read on for a Q&A with Gibbons that sheds light on his research career to date, areas of study and even a hidden talent.

Spotlight: Ayodale Braimah, Undergraduate Intern

Congratulations to Ayodale Braimah, an undergraduate intern in the Baliga Lab, who has just been accepted into the medical school at the University of Kansas. Ayodale has been studying microbiology at the University of Washington and sought a position in the Baliga Lab in order to immerse himself in an authentic research experience in microbiology and molecular biology. He specifically wanted to better understand how organisms adapt to new environments….

Spotlight: Alison Paquette, Research Scientist

Congratulations to Alison Paquette who recently was promoted to Research Scientist in the Price Lab. Alison received her PhD in Experimental and Molecular Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She is interested in identifying molecular biomarkers that may predict preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes such as preeclampsia. “Pregnancy complications are not very well understood, and we are amongst the only labs really taking a systems biology…

Spotlight: Christine Pham

Christine Pham, 2016 ISB High School Intern, was accepted by WSU’s Honors College and was named a Distinguished Regents Scholar, which awarded her a four-year tuition scholarship. “ISB saw the potential in me when I had not realized it myself. Working with multiple mentors and lab partners fostered my growth as an individual. As I head to college with the hopes of pursuing an interdisciplinary subject, I will build upon…

Spotlight: Claudia Ludwig

Congratulations to Claudia Ludwig, Director, Systems Education Experiences (SEE), on being named the winner of the 2017 AWIS Award for Excellence in Science Outreach from the Seattle Chapter of Association for Women in Science (AWIS). Claudia, a former high school biology and chemistry teacher, is the Director of Systems Education Experiences at ISB, a program that she has been instrumental in building since she joined ISB in 2004. Because of…

Spotlight: Ivan Esmeral

Ivan Esmeral, one of ISB’s 2016 summer high school interns in the Baliga Lab, was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania under its early decision program. He plans on pursuing a dual degree in systems science and engineering at the Engineering School and economics at the Wharton School. Ivan had this to say about his time at ISB: “ISB took a chance on me (for which) I could never repay…

ISB Spotlight: Lisa Iype

Dr. Lisa Iype (Ilya Shmulevich group) has been promoted to Senior Bioinformatics Scientist. She has experience in biochemistry, software and website development, and data analysis. She works with high-dimensional cancer data sets and looks for significant patterns which may provide insight into cancer development and progression. Dr. Shmulevich commented: “Lisa has made major contributions to The Cancer Genome Atlas project through her participation in tumor working groups, including thyroid carcinoma…