People
The Dickinson Lab strives to uphold the UC San Diego Principles of Community. We support all people, no matter their background, and we believe that everyone has a fundamental right to equality, justice, life, liberty, happiness, and the scientific pursuit of truth. We have astounding challenges to address over the next several decades: curing deadly diseases, feeding a rising global population, preventing extinction of species, developing new technology, and understanding the natural world. Solving these complex problems will not be possible without building a strong community that supports scientists from all walks of life. We are committed to sharing our core values and doing the important work needed to develop and sustain a fair and thriving scientific community.
Alexandra Jazz Dickinson
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Jazz Dickinson received her PhD in chemistry from University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. She conducted her post-doctoral research in developmental plant biology with Prof. Philip Benfey at Duke University. She has also served as a visiting scientist at Stanford University and is a recipient of the Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, the Boka W. Hadzija Award for Distinguished University Service at UNC-CH, and the Ruth L. Kirschstein Graduate Fellowship Award. She joined the UCSD faculty in 2020 to pursue research in small molecule regulation of development.
Jie Chu
POSDOCTORAL SCHOLAR
Jie is a postdoctoral scholar in the Biological Sciences department at UC San Diego. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2024. Jie is interested in discovering small molecules that regulate Arabidopsis root development.
Olivia Ottone
POSDOCTORAL SCHOLAR
Nathan Stutzman
PhD CANDIDATE
Nathan is a PhD candidate in the department of biological sciences at UC San Diego. Nathan is interested in uncovering the mechanisms of de novo root organogenesis in Arabidopsis as a response to wounding.
Abigail Tripka
PhD CANDIDATE
Abby is a Chemistry PhD candidate in the chemistry and biochemistry department at UC San Diego. Abby is working to uncover the chemical regulators controlling plant root development.
Andrea Sama
PhD CANDIDATE
Andrea is a PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. Andrea has a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Wellesley College. She is interested in understanding the mechanisms of root development, and is focusing on how environmental stress impacts metabolite profiles in Maize and Arabidopsis roots.
Gabrielle Meza
PhD CANDIDATE
Gabrielle is a PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences department at UC San Diego. She received her B.S in Genetics and Plant Biology from UC Berkeley in 2020. Gabrielle is utilizing algae to uncover the biosynthesis and regulation of the small molecule, retinal, within plants to better understand the growth and development of root systems in plants.
Katreena Gundran
STAFF RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Katreena is a staff researcher and lab manager at the Dickinson lab, receiving her B.S. in General Biology from UC San Diego. She is working to understand how abiotic stresses and various small molecules have an affect on plant growth and development in Setaria viridis (Green Foxtail), Maize, and Arabidopsis.
Samantha Dyer
STAFF RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Samantha earned her bachelor’s degree in General Biology from UC San Diego. She is interested in the root development of native California plants during prolonged periods of drought. Samantha plans on pursuing a career in higher education to continue sharing her passion for conservation ecology and increase equitable opportunities for future generations.
Shihong Luo
STAFF RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Shihong received his B.S. in Pharmacological Chemistry from UC San Diego. He is interested in understanding biosynthesis of plant-specialized metabolites
Gwein Gagarin
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Gwein is a third year undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology. Gwein is interested in the biosynthesis of retinal in plants. Gwein plans to pursue a career in medical research.
Stephanie Encarnacion
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Stephanie is a second year undergraduate pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology. Stephanie is interested in understanding metabolite impacts on plant root responses to abiotic stresses such as salinity. She plans to later pursue a PhD in vaccine research.
Claudia Ling
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Kayyo Lan
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Past Members
Thank you for all your work!
Postdocs/Graduate Students
Tao Zhang
POSTDOC
Rupak Timilsina
POSTDOC
Casey Cheng
MASTER’S STUDENT
Amman Klair
MASTER’S STUDENT
Visiting Scholars/Staff
Adriana Garay Arroyo – Visiting Scholar (2023)
Joseph Stagg – Lab Manager
Undergraduates
Jennifer Rodriguez
Jesus Peng
Xavier Claude
Delainey Iles
Patrick Tram
Amy Takaya
Sinead Cahill
Alejandro Perez Ortiz
Jihyeon Lee
Gage Rullhausen