Kardon Lab — People

Who We Are

Gabrielle Kardon

HA and Edna Benning Professor in Human Genetics

Gabrielle had a circuitous path to her current position. As a Yale undergrad, she majored in geology. She pursued graduate school in paleobiology at the University of Michigan and completed a MS thesis on coevolution. However, she became convinced developmental biology was her scientific path. After forays into science policy, high school teaching and world travel, she returned to academic science. She began research on the musculoskeletal system, obtained her PhD with Dave McClay and Stephen Wainwright at Duke, and postdoc'd with Cliff Tabin at Harvard. She started the lab in Utah in 2004. Outside lab, she tries to keep up with her family of boys, reads all sorts of books, watches many movies, and loves to wander in the glorious Utah mountains and desert.

Gabrielle's email

Twitter @GabKardon

Nathan Burns

Graduate Student

Nathan is interested in the role retinoic acid signaling has in diaphragm development and how disruptions in retinoic acid signaling may lead to congenital diaphragmatic hernias. Nathan graduated from Miami University (in Ohio, not Florida!) with a degree in biochemistry where he studied mechanisms of retina development and regeneration in the Del Rio-Tsonis lab. Prior to moving to Utah, he was a postbac fellow in the Mukouyama lab at the NIH where he studied neuro-vascular development. Nathan is currently a pre-doctoral trainee on the NIH T32 Developmental Biology training grant. When not in lab, Nathan can be found enjoying Utah's many outdoor activities, playing board games, or enjoying a nice glass of wine.

Nathan’s email

Twitter @nathangburns

Camila Goclowski

Lab Technician

Camila is studying the early populations that give rise to the diaphragm. She graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2022 with a major in biology. Outside of lab, Camila is an avid skier and coaches ski racing.

Camila’s email

Mya Scheib

Graduate Student

Mya is interested in the mechanisms of chronic muscle weakness resulting from acute Chikungunya viral infection and how muscle regeneration may be different in a pathogenic verses a sterile environment. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with degrees in biology and French horn performance. While participating in multiple ensembles on campus and abroad, she also was a member of the Harrison lab studying the JAK signaling pathway in development. Mya has always envisioned herself out West, so after undergrad she accepted a lab technician position at the Huntsman Cancer Institute here in SLC. She investigated genes involved in neural crest development and EMT in zebrafish in the Stewart lab and then began the Bioscience PhD program in 2020. Outside of lab, Mya enjoys honing her skills as a musician and triathlete. She also likes to take advantage of Utah’s many outdoor activities, including skiing, rock climbing, and backpacking.

Mya’s email

Twitter @MyaScheib

Veena Subramianian

Research Scientist

Veena is studying the effects of Ross river virus infection on muscle. She completed ger PhD from the University of South Florida in 2022 where she studied the novel cellular functions of Bloom syndrome DNA helicase. Outside of lab, she loves to hike, cook, read books and paint.

Veena’s email

ALUMNI

Liz Sefton

Postdoctoral Fellow (2016-2023)

Liz is currently a manager at Velsera.

Liz’s email

Jake Shapiro

Lab Specialist (2019-2023)

Jake is in the PhD program at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, studying in the lab of Zac Campbell.

Jake’s email

Sydney Yoder

Lab Technician (2022)

Claire Tobin

Lab Technician (2020-2022)

Claire is in the PhD program at University of Utah, learning all about zebrafish with Jamie Gagnon!

Claire’s email

Brittany Collins

Postdoctoral Fellow (2017-2022)

Brittany is currently a Clinical Scientist at BioFire Defense, Salt Lake City, UT

Brittany’s email

Twitter @bc_collins3

Rob Musci

Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-2021)

Rob is currently an Assistant Professor at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA

Rob’s email

Twitter @robvmusci

Eric Bogenschutz

Graduate Student (2015-2020)

Currently a postdoctoral fellow in Steve Murray’s lab at the Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME.

Eric's email

Twitter:@BogeyEL

GitHub: ebogey

Mirialys Gallardo

Lab Technician (2016-2020)

Currently a medical student at Ross University School of Medicine.

Caitlin Shaw

Lab Technician (2015-2018)

Currently a quality release specialist at Ultradent Products, Salt Lake City, UT

Sam Mathew

Postdoctoral Fellow (2008-2012)

Wellcome Trust Fellow (2013-2017)

Currently Associate Professor at Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Delhi, India

Sam's email

Alex Keefe

MD-PhD Student (2011-2016)

Completed MD at University of Utah 2018. Currently a Resident in pediatrics at Seattle Childrens at the University of Washington.

Email Alex

Mary Colasanto

PhD Student (2011- 2016)

Currently a Genomic Testing Consultant at Perkin Elmer Genomics

Jennifer Lawson

Lab Technician (2009-2016)

Graduated with a BS at University of Utah!

Zac Fox

Lab Technician (2013-2016)

Medical student at University of Michigan 2016-2020. Currently a Resident in pediatrics at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Email Zac

Allyson Merrell

Graduate Student (2008- 2014)

Postdoctoral fellow in Ben Stanger's lab at University of Pennsylvania 2014-2020. Currently a senior scientist at Arsenal Alba in San Francisco, CA.

Email Allyson

Kelsey Lewis

Lab Technician (2010-2013)

PhD with Marty Cohn lab at University of Florida 2014-2020. Wittig Postdoctoral Fellow in Feminist Biology at the Center for Research on Gender and Women at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 2020-2022. Currently, an Assistant Professor Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Buffalo.

Email Kelsey

Malea Murphy

Graduate Student (2006-2012)

Postdoctoral fellow in Sean Morrison's lab at UT Southwestern 2012-2019. Currently manager of the Integrated Microscopy and Imaging Laboratory at Texas A&M Health Science Center in Bryan, TX.

Email Malea