People

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.

• Mail

Kaoling Guan, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral 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.

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 playing video/board games, horror movies, and reading.

Nathan Appleby

Graduate Student

Nathan joined the Taylor Lab as a graduate student in January 2025. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Austin in 2024, where he studied the kinetics of Cas12a with novel guide constructs. His research interests include characterizing CRISPR-Cas systems using structural biology and kinetics. Outside the lab, Nathan enjoys playing chess and watching UT football games.

Madeline West

Research Associate

Madeline joined the lab as a Research Associate in February 2025. She completed her B.S. in Biochemistry with a certificate in Pre-Health Professions at The University of Texas at Austin in 2024. Currently she is working on the design and kinetic characterization of novel gene editing tools. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going to the gym, watching anime, and cooking exotic dishes.

Griffin Shelley

Undergraduate Researcher (Beckman Scholar)

Griffin joined the Taylor Lab as a Beckman Scholar in May 2026. He is pursuing a BSA in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a certificate in Spanish for Medical Professions. Previously, he studied the pressure and thermal properties of surgical bras in the BMIL lab under Dr. Mia K. Markey. His current research focuses on the biochemical and structural characterization of naturally occurring RNA-guided, DNA targeting enzymes. Outside the lab, Griffin enjoys playing soccer, beach volleyball, tennis and attending UT sporting events.

Susannah Lynn-Macrae

Beckman Scholar / Undergraduate Researcher

Susannah joined the Taylor Lab as a Beckman Scholar in May 2025. She is pursuing a BSA in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and a minor in French at The University of Texas at Austin. Previously, she studied the genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders in the Golzio Lab at the Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC) in Strasbourg, France. Her current research focuses on the biochemical and structural characterization of CRISPR enzymes and other bacterial immunity effectors. Outside the lab, Susannah works as an EMT at music festivals, concerts, and sporting events around Austin and enjoys bouldering and running in her spare time.

Alexandra Rollins

Undergraduate Researcher

Alex joined the Taylor Lab in February 2026. She is pursuing a B.S. in Biochemistry with a certificate in Applied Statistical Methods at The University of Texas at Austin. In the lab, she assists with cloning and characterization of naturally occurring and previously uncharacterized Cas proteins. Outside the lab, Alex competes on the UT Women’s Rowing Team.