Jason Breck

I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and went to college at the University of Michigan.  I majored in math and philosophy (ethics, philosophy of mind, religion, etc.) and then I joined a molecular/cell biology masters program so that I could do some systems neuroscience research and classes.  I'm really looking forward to exploring the Bay Area and meeting all the people who've chosen the same thing to do with their lives.

Jonathan Charlesworth

Except for my four years at Princeton University, I have lived in Richmond, Virginia for my entire life.  At Princeton, I majored in molecular biology while competing in track and cross country.  I am looking forward to focusing my studies at UCSF.  I am also excited that the bay area is such an excellent locale to pursue my interests in running, hiking, and cycling.

Bradley Colquitt

I moved about the US (Connecticut and California) as a young kid, and in '94 I finally settled in Tennessee. Since then, I've called Maryville, TN, a quaint, little city in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, my home. For college I moved a bit farther south to Houston, TX to attend Rice University, where I studied biochemistry and cell biology. I love music of all shapes and sizes and play piano and a little accordion. See you all in SF this fall!

Sarah Fischbach

I grew up in Sacramento, California and attended college at UC San Diego where I majored in Cognitive Neuroscience.  After graduation I decided that I had had enough sunshine and headed off to San Francisco.  I've spent the last two years here dividing my time between working in a behavioral neuroscience lab at UCSF, camping, traveling and eating.  I'm excited about getting to know more about the UCSF community as a student.

Adam Granger

I’ve lived most of my life in Michigan, attending Kalamazoo College for biology and math. During college, I spent 7 months studying abroad in Western Australia, where I traveled around, worked on the beach, snorkeled, and occasionally went to class. Whenever possible I like to enjoy water or snow sports, relaxing on the lake, barbecuing, and camping out, but I’m very much looking forward to moving to the city and studying at UCSF.

Robyn Javier

I was born and raised in beautiful Long Beach, California.  I spent 5 years at UCLA, where I studied computational & systems biology, biomedical engineering, and a little bit of ethnomusicology.  In my free time I play jazz trombone, and I also love biking and the great outdoors.  I'm eager to escape the L.A. traffic and immerse myself in the scientific and cultural richness of San Francisco. 

Carolyn Johnson

I grew up in Minnesota, "where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average".  Apparently, I couldn't get enough of cold northern climates, so I headed for the snowy pines of  Bowdoin College in Maine.  There, I studied neuroscience and gender studies, and also spent a lot of time organizing and rah-rahing for sundry political causes.  After graduation, I was swallowed by the New York City bubble while I was a research assistant in labs of behavioral neuroscience and stem cell biology at Rockefeller University.  For the past five months, I have been studying neuropharmacology at Göteborg's University in Sweden, trying to tap into the Swedish collective consciousness, and traveling every chance I get.  I am very excited to settle into San Francisco and attempt the balancing act of enjoying nature, doing Serious Science, and getting to know the city. 

Naomi Kort

I grew up in Vernon, CT before moving to Manhattan to study physics at Columbia University.  After graduating in 2006 I have been traveling and living in Whistler, British Columbia teaching adaptive skiing (skiing for people with disabilities) and freeriding.  I'm excited to continue my studies at UCSF, San Francisco, and all the outdoor activities in the area!

Jonathan Levy

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, where I lived
for the first 18 years of my life.  I decided to move to California for
college, attending Stanford University, where I majored in Biology with
a concentration in Neuroscience. I stuck around for a year after I
graduated, working as a tech in my undergraduate lab and getting to know the Bay Area. In my spare time, I enjoy throwing around a frisbee, and am trying to get to know the city.

Alexandra (Frances) Loucks

After spending the majority of my childhood in Denver, Colorado, I moved to New York to attend college at Vassar, where I studied neuroscience and French.  Four years later, I eagerly moved back to Colorado to escape the cold winters!  I've spent the last three years working in a lab at the VA Medical Center studying cell signaling in neurodegeneration and exploiting the beautiful landscape for my favorite hobbies.  I'm excited to experience life on the West Coast and look forward to making San Francisco my new home.

Gabriel McKinsey

I hail from Dearborn Heights, a small suburb outside of Detroit. In high school I was very active in various sports, and I still enjoy running, swimming, and playing soccer. I also enjoy the outdoors, camping and skiing, and reading books of all kind. During my four years at the University of Michigan I have had the opportunity to work in a few different labs, and have mainly studied developmental neuroscience and philosophy.  I look forward to coming to UCSF to meet everyone and to explore the beautiful city of San Francisco. 

Dana Robertson

I grew up in Larchmont, New York.  I went to Georgetown University for 3 semesters and transferred to Brown, where I have been studying calcium channels.  I have the most fun when cooking, biking, or playing games.  This summer I plan to spend a month in China, including two weeks in Chengdu to lead a summer camp, so hopefully I will be able to make delicious Sichuan food by the time I get to San Francisco!  In August two friends and I are driving from New York to California to see more of this country before settling in at UCSF.

Seth Shipman

I've spent the last six years in Connecticut, first as an Undergraduate at Wesleyan University studying neuroscience and then as a research assistant in a learning and memory fMRI lab. I play the piano and have recently begun using a sampler to make beats. I love hip-hop and I'm looking forward to the music scene in San Francisco. This summer I'll be driving across the country, hitting all the classic spots: the grand canyon, Texarkana and Graceland. By the time I get to UCSF I'll have grown my beard out and had my fill of Southern cooking. I can't wait to get to know San Francisco, find an apartment (hopefully), and meet you all. See you in September.

John Silbereis

I grew up in three different states and six different cities.    Eventually, I wound up in West Hartford, Connecticut just in time for high school and then went to George Washington University with the intention of studying international affairs.  But, my nomadic beginnings had made me a bit of a capricious lad, so I would eventually change majors to economics and history, before settling on cell and molecular biology.  After graduating in 2003, I worked briefly in the chemical industry and then took job as technician at Yale doing research in neurodevelopment and neonatal brain injury.  My free time is mostly spent enjoying the outdoors, watching baseball and finding ways to escape New Haven for the weekend.  I look forward to moving out to San Francisco, continuing my studies, and meeting all of you.

Angela Vandenberg

We moved a lot when I was a kid so I’ve lived in places all over the west coast including small-town Wyoming, Long Beach, Anaheim, and Salt Lake City.  I moved to Seattle when I was 20 where I received my Bachelors in Neuroscience and English from the University of Washington.  I love the Northwest and I’m very happy to be able to continue my education in arguably the most beautiful city in the United States.  I spend my free time hiking, running, and climbing (poorly) and I am very excited to see what the bay area has to offer in the way of outdoor activities.  This summer I’ll be going to visit the Galapagos Islands and Amazon Rainforest as a last minute stint before the hard work of graduate school.  I was thrilled to get into UCSF as it was my top-choice for graduate school and I can’t wait to get started.

Meg Younger

I was raised in the suburbs of New York City, and then I attended New York University, where I studied Neuroscience.  During school I worked in a behavioral genetics lab, where I continued to do research for a year after graduation.  I spent the following 18 months traveling in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.  I settled down for some of that time in Germany, where I studied German, and in Israel, where I volunteered on a Kibbutz.  Other than traveling and science, I really like bicycles, books, music, and sitting in the sun.  I'm really excited to explore northern California and to get started on some new research.