David Taylor, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
David is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences. He started as an Assistant Professor at UT Austin in September 2016. He earned his Ph.D. at Yale University and performed postdoctoral training at UC Berkeley with Eva Nogales and Jennifer Doudna. He has a passion for RNPs. He loves the Warriors, Syracuse basketball, teaching, and ‘starting’ projects that other lab members actually finish.
Helen Chen, Ph.D.
Research Associate and Lab Manager
Helen joined the lab as Research Associate/Lab manager in October 2016. She got her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Texas A&M University with Dr. James Sacchettini. She enjoys gardening and cooking in addition to Science.
Jack Bravo, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Researcher
Jack joined the group as a postdoctoral researcher in early 2020, having completed his Ph.D. at the University of Leeds, UK in 2019. During his Ph.D., he used various structural and biophysical approaches to understand the molecular mechanisms of RNA chaperone proteins involved in virus assembly. Jack is particularly interested in using cryo-EM to understand the inner workings of various biomacromolecular machines, with a particular focus on bacterial nucleoprotein complexes. Learn more…
Isabel Strohkendl, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Researcher
Isabel joined the group in the summer of 2021 after completing her PhD at UT. Her dissertation work focused on class 2 CRISPR effectors, using kinetics-based assays and a biophysical approach to characterize the DNA targeting specificity of these RNA-guided nucleases. Isabel is interested in learning cryo-EM to uncover how CRISPR effectors assemble with their guide RNAs and how these contacts influence DNA targeting behaviour. When not in lab, Isabel enjoys fun under the sun.
Kaoling Guan, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Researcher
Kaoling joined the Taylor Lab as a postdoctoral researcher in April of 2023. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Giessen, Germany at the end of 2022. During his Ph.D., he studied plant phytochrome structure and function by using X-ray crystallography and other biochemical approaches. In Taylor lab, Kaoling is interested in learning Cryo-EM and applying it to understand working mechanisms of novel biomacromolecular machines. Kaoling likes playing basketball in his free time.
Kaitlyn Kiernan, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral researcher
Kaitlyn joined the Taylor lab as a postdoc in November 2023. She completed her B.S. in Molecular Biology M.S. in Biology at Loyola University, Chicago, before completing her Ph.D. at the University of Illinios Chicago in 2023. During her Ph.D. she studied the effects of truncated guides on Cas9 activity using a combination of molecular genetics, biochemistry and cryo-EM. In the Taylor lab, Kaitlyn is researching all things CRISPR and beyond! Outside of the lab, she enjoys tennis, seeing live music and crafting the perfect Chicago-style deep dish pizza pie.
Grace Hibshman
Graduate Student
Grace joined the Taylor lab as a graduate student in June 2021. She completed her B.A. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology with a certificate in Neuroscience at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2020. There she studied the higher order structures of telomeres using atomic force microscopy, as well as TERT activation in metastatic cancers in the laboratory of Thomas R. Cech. Now, her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of novel CRISPR-Cas complexes through structural and biophysical methods. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the green spaces and live music Austin has to offer.
Jacquelyn Wright
Graduate Student (Joint with Professor Daniel Dickinson)
Jacquelyn is a Biochemistry graduate student who joined the Taylor and Dickinson labs in the summer of 2021. Before UT, she earned a B.S. in Chemistry on the Biochemistry track with a second major in Spanish and Hispanic Studies at Creighton University in 2020. While working there in Dr. Lynne Dieckman’s lab, Jacquelyn developed a TIRF microscopy system to investigate an interaction of two proteins that functions in gene silencing. Her work at UT focuses on using fluorescent microscopy methods to better understand the biophysics and mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas systems. Outside of the lab, Jacquelyn loves exploring food around Austin and spending time outdoors with friends and her dog.
Matt Hooper
Graduate Student
Matt joined the Taylor Lab as a graduate student in January 2022. He earned a B.S. in Neuroscience with a certificate in Business from The University of Texas at Austin in 2019. After graduating, Matt spent 2 years working as a Research & Development scientist at the biotechnology company, PerkinElmer, before returning to UT. Currently, he is interested in understanding the structural and functional mechanisms of naturally occurring and engineered CRISPR-Cas systems. Outside of lab, Matt enjoys writing music, playing video games, and all forms of true crime media.
Zeyi (Joey) Yu
Graduate Student
Joey joined the Taylor Lab as a graduate student in January 2023. He earned a M.S. in Medicinal Chemistry from Sun Yat-sen University in 2022. There he studied specific secondary structures of nucleic acids G-quadruplexes by using fluorescent microscopy methods. Currently, he is interested in understanding the structural and functional mechanisms of novel CRISPR-Cas systems through cryo-EM. In his spare time, he loves playing ultimate frisbee, bouldering, and watching live music shows.
Rodrigo Fregoso Ocampo
Graduate Student
Rodrigo joined the Taylor Lab as a graduate student in January 2023. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley in 2020. After graduating, Rodrigo spent two years working on the characterization of novel CRISPR systems at Metagenomi Inc before moving to Austin to pursue a PhD. He is interested in obtaining structural and kinetic insights into the mechanisms of novel cas9 and cas12 systems. Outside of lab, Rodrigo enjoys watching a good football game, hiking, playing badminton, and going to a heavy metal concert every once in a while.
Catherine Moy
Research Technician
Catherine joined the Taylor Lab in April 2022 right before graduating from UT with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Spanish. Currently, she is studying mutations in Cas12a to improve its fidelity and efficiency. When she’s not in the lab, she enjoys running around the Hike and Bike trail, sampling new Austin eats, and trying to convince her dogs to fetch frisbees. She unfortunately had David for BCH370, but she decided to join anyway (added by DT).
Jax
Vice-President for Emotional Support
Jackson is best described as a ‘sack of potatoes.’ He provides additional crisis intervention skills for the lab. In his own words – “woof”.
Adam Franco
Undergraduate research assistant
Adam joined the Taylor Lab in Spring 2023. He has a BSA in Biology with a minor in Healthcare Reform and Innovation. His focus is centered on the characterization of a DNA-binding protein. Outside the lab, he enjoys running, traveling, and watching sports. Adam has aspirations to attend medical school after graduation.
Lab Alumni
Graduate Students
Matthew Schepers (2018-2020; M.S.): Currently Marketing Communications Manager at Danaher
Eric Verbeke (2017-2021; Ph. D.): Currently Postdoc at Princeton University
Evan Schwartz (2017-2022; Ph. D.): Currently support scientist at Sauer Structural Biology Laborotory
Catie McCafferty (2018-2022; Ph.D): Currently Postdoc at Biozentrum University of Basel, Switzerland
Roisin O’Brien (2018-2023; Ph.D.): Currently Analysist at Outcome Capital
Jamie Yelland (2018-2023; Ph.D.): Currently Postdoc at Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Postdoctoral Fellows
Shanzhong Gong (2016-2019)
Yi Zhou (2017-2018)
Mu-Sen Liu (2017-2021)
Zhongwu Zhou (2019-2021)
Senior Scientist at Tango Therapeutics
Cryo-EM Lead, Regeneron
Senior Scientist at Tango Therapeutics
CryoEM Facility at UMass Medical School
Undergraduate Students
Anna Cruz (2017-2019; B.S.)
Kyungseok Jung (2017-2021; B.S.)
Delisa Ramos (2019 – 2023; B.S.)
Shashwat Limbasia (2022-2023)
Currently Technician at Microconsult, Inc.
Currently at Yale School of Medicine
Currently grad student at UCSD
Currently at UT Austin
Taylor Lab 