Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Jason Presnell is a developmental biologist who loves marine invertebrates. He is our resident CRISPR expert and knows all things Ctenophores.
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Hailing from North Carolina, he got his BS/MS from UNC-Greensboro, PhD from University of Miami, and did postdoctoral work at Oregon State University. He recently was a Senior Research Associate in the Human Genetics Department at the University of Utah.

- New Faculty Development Award 2024

Graduate Students

Syeda Begum - PhD student in the Molecular, Cell and Developmental program. Joined Spring 2025. She had a Bachelors and Masters from Chittagong University in Bangeladesh, having worked previously on the role of genotype-phenotype in relation to arsenic exposure + cardiovascular disease in humans. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking and playing games with her friends.
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Project: Elucidating molecular pathways associated with hypoxia acclimatization using Zebrafish
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Zach Opoka - PhD student in the Biophysics & Biochemistry program. Joined Spring 2025. He has a Bachelors from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is interested in the evolution of protein function.
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Project: Evolution of oxygen homeostasis mechanisms in a early animal lineages (ctenophores)

Undergraduate Students
NOTE: Unfortunately, I am not taking any more UG students for Spring 2025 (very, very full!)

Postdoctoral Fellows/Graduate Students/Undergraduate Students

This space is waiting for someone wonderful like you to fill it with information!

What will you work on?
What are your interests?
Where are you from?
Where to you want to "go"?