We are a collaborative and creative group of scientists with diverse backgrounds and interests, united by our drive to reconstruct animal origins and mechanisms underlying host-microbe interactions. Our expertise spans from evolution, ecology, and comparative genomics to microbiology, cell biology, and biochemistry.

Principal Investigator

Nicole King

Nicole King received her B.S. in Biology from Indiana University and her Ph.D. from Harvard University under the mentorship of Prof. Rich Losick.  In 2000, she began studying choanoflagellates as a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Sean Carroll at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  She started her lab at the University of California, Berkeley in 2003, where she is a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  She is interested in gaining mechanistic insights into the origin of animals.

Email: nking at berkeley dot edu

Lab Manager

Becca Arruda

Postdoctoral Scholars

Alain Garcia De Las Bayonas

Choanoflagellate morphogenesis, microbiome, and GPCR evolution.

Jacob L. Steenwyk

The evolution and function of genes and genomes.

Josean Reyes-Rivera

NO-signaling in choanoflagellates.

Graduate Students

Michael Carver

Origin of Hedgehog signaling.

Research Technician

Stefany Gonzalez

Evaluating bacterial growth in choanoflagellate media.

Administrative Coordinator

Chrisa Staikou

Alumni

NameCurrent positionOriginal position in lab
Pawel BurkhardtGroup leader: Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Bergen, NorwayPost-doc
Rosie AlegadoAssociate Professor, University of HawaiiPost-doc
Danny WellsSr. Data Scientist, Parker Institute for Cancer ImmunotherapyPost-doc
Alison SweeneyAssistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Physics and AstronomyPost-doc
Allie Greaney MD/PhD program, University of WashingtonUndergraduate researcher
Andrea (Morris) SpencerResearch Fellow, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard MedLab manager
Arielle WoznicaPost-doc with Prof. Julie Pfeiffer, UT Southwestern Medical Center Doctoral student
Ben LarsonPostdoctoral Scholar, UCSFDoctoral Student
Blake GeppertResearch technologist, Washington State UniversityResearch associate
Brock RobertsScientist, Allen Institute for Brain ScienceDoctoral student
Candace Britton Doctoral student, UCSFUndergraduate researcher
Conor McCluneDoctoral student, MITUndergraduate researcher
Daniel ChanEmergency Medicine Resident PhysicianResearch technician
Daniel RichterPost-doc, Ruiz-Trillo lab, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, BarcelonaDoctoral student
David BoothAssistant Professor, UCSFPost-doc
Ella IrelandResearch Scientist, Calibr at Scripps Research
Emina BegovicFinance, Accounting and Operations Director, University of Colorado-Boulder Sustainability, Energy and Environment CommunityPost-doc
Flora RutaganiraAssistant Professor, StanfordPost Doc
Hannah ElzingaEnvironment Research Intern, Work With Nature FoundationResearch assistant
Heather MiddletonLaboratory Operations Manager at SutroVax Inc.Lab manager
Jacquie KudoloQC Inspector, HenkelLab manager
Jasmine MahDoctoral Student, Yale University (Dunn lab)Research Technician
Jen HalbleibIntellectual Property AttorneyPost-doc
Jenice AreveloMasters student in Genetic Counseling, UC IrvineUndergraduate researcher
Jeremy MosherFamily Medicine Resident Physician, University of Illinois at Chicago Medical CenterUndergraduate Researcher
Jerry ScheidtRetiredLab manager
Jess LyonsAssistant Project Scientist, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC BerkeleyStaff Research Associate
Jody WestbrookScientist, InvitaeDoctoral student
Kai ZhangUndergraduate researcher
Kayley HakeScientist, Calico Life SciencesDoctoral Student
KC PayneUndergraduate Researcher
Kord KoberAssistant Professor, UCSFResearch assistant
Laura WetzelScientist I, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.Doctoral Student
Lily HelfrichMarketing Associate at BenchlingResearch Technician
Mark DayelPrinicipal Engineer at NeoPhotonicsMiller Institute Post-doc
Monika SiggSenior Scientist, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.Doctoral Student
Nicolas DerrResident Physician; UCSFUndergraduate; Research assistant
Parinaz FozouniMD/PhD program at UCSFUndergraduate researcher
Rachel RossUndergraduate researcher
Reef Aldayafleh
Rick ZuzowChief Chemist, EarthEnable; CSO, Green LogicUndergraduate researcher
Ryan HulettDoctoral student, Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityResearch assistant
Scott NicholsAssociate Professor, University of DenverPost-doc
Sherri HuangMD/PhD student, Indiana UniversityUndergraduate researcher
Sruthi MantriMedical Student, Stanford University Medical SchoolUndergraduate Researcher
Stephen FaircloughData Scientist, Guardant HealthDoctoral student
Sumaiya MubarackClinical Research Coordinator, UCSF Medical CenterUndergraduate Researcher
Susan YoungResearch Communications Manager, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, UTMBDoctoral student
Tara SulurMedical Student, University of MichiganUndergraduate researcher
Tarja HoffmeyerDoctoral student, Sars/University of ExeterUndergraduate researcher
Tera Levin Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh (starting 2020)Doctoral student
Tess LindenComputational biologist, Climax FoodsDoctoral Student
Thibaut BrunetHead of Structure, Institut PasteurPost Doc
Tracy LaGrassaBiology Teacher, Bronx High SchoolPost-doc
Vika BetinDoctoral student, Hung Lab, Harvard/MGHUndergraduate researcher
Max CoylePostdoctoral Fellow, HarvardDoctoral Student