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Eszter Posfai, Ph.D.
Assistant professor [email protected] Eszter received her M.S. degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Szeged in Hungary and her Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Basel in Switzerland. Intrigued by the earliest events of mammalian development, during her Ph.D. she studied the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the germ line and how they impact the development of the next generation. For her postdoctoral work she joined the lab of Dr. Janet Rossant at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada and explored how the earliest cell fate decision is made in the mouse embryo. She also co-developed a new CRISPR/Cas9-based editing method to generate genetic tools to query these processes at a single cell resolution. Her current research at Princeton University focuses on understanding the dynamics of molecular and cellular events underlying early embryonic development. |
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Bradley Joyce, Ph.D. Research Specialist [email protected] Bradley received a Ph.D. in Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics from Oxford at the Laboratory of Prof. Shankar Srinivas studying the molecular mechanisms of AVE cell migration. Brad then moved to the US to undertake a postdoctoral research position with Dr Danelle Devenport to study planar cell polarity in the skin and the control of hair follicle morphogenesis. Bradley has a broad interest in genetic technologies and is currently working to adapt type-I CRISPR systems for use in genome editing in mammalian systems. Bradley also manages the production of new mouse models for the Posfai lab and other labs at the university and is able to consult on project design as well as undertake mouse model creation. New collaborations are always welcome, so be sure to reach out to him for some expert guidance. In his spare time Brad enjoys spending time outdoors, DIY around the home and coaching judo at the Princeton YMCA. |
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Rebecca Kim-Yip, Ph.D. Postdoctoral fellow [email protected] Rebecca received her PhD from the University of California, San Francisco. She is broadly interested in how isogenic populations of cells acquire heterogeneous patterns of fate during development and the signaling pathways that control this process. Rebecca is using optogenetics to probe the signaling dynamics during cell fate acquisition in the early mouse embryo. Outside of the lab she enjoys discussions about model organisms, knitting and playing her violin. |
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Tiffany Roach, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral fellow [email protected] Tiffany received her PhD in Biology at Drexel University. Working in Dr. Kari Lenhart’s lab, studying gametogenesis in fruit flies, solidified her interest in pursuing a career in reproductive science. She is now exploring new insights to somatic and germ cell interactions within mammalian gonads. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with her family, pets, friends, and plants. |
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Debojit (Debs) Saha, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral fellow [email protected] Debojit received his PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, where he worked in the lab of Dr. Melina Schuh. During his doctoral studies, he identified a therapeutic strategy to rescue sister chromatid cohesion in aged mammalian oocytes. He is now interested in studying the cellular signaling and environmental cues that govern germ cell development and maturation in the mammalian ovary and in vitro reconstituted ovary systems. In his spare time, he enjoys beach volleyball, table tennis, and soccer, loves baking and traveling, and is always up for a conversation about new discoveries in reproductive biology. |
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Alana Bernys
Graduate student, Molecular Biology [email protected] Alana received her undergraduate degree in molecular biology at Dartmouth College, where she researched sister chromatid cohesion in Drosophila oocytes. In the Posfai Lab, she is interested in studying embryonic growth and the zygotic aspects of the MZT. When not in lab, she can be found doing lots of yoga, trying to keep plants alive, and catching up with her bookclub. |
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Isabella Leite
Graduate student, Quantitative & Computational Biology (joint with the Shvartsman Lab) [email protected] Isabella received her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University. In the Posfai Lab, she is interested in studying the dynamics of germline cyst formation and breakdown, as well as developing computational tools for the quantification of live imaging datasets. Outside of the lab, she enjoys listening to music, sewing, and learning to play piano. |
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Samantha Ye
Graduate student, Molecular Biology [email protected] Samantha received her undergraduate degree in Wuhan University, China, where her research interest was long non-coding RNA in human stem cells. In the Posfai Lab, she is interested in the role of germline cysts in mammalian oogenesis and its applications. Outside of the lab, you can find her experimenting in her kitchen or at the Princeton Garden Theatre on random weekday evenings. |
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Denis Faerberg Graduate student, Quantitative & Computational Biology (joint with the Shvartsman Lab) [email protected] I’m a QCB graduate student joint between the Posfai and Shvartsman labs working on understanding the mechanisms by which an early embryo makes different cell types in reproducible ratios. My favorite thing to do in the lab is genotype mice. In my free time I enjoy yodeling, artistic swimming and competitive dog grooming. I am also currently working on improving my response time when asked (repeatedly) for my picture and short bio. |
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Nivedita (Niv) Kanrar
Graduate student, Quantitative & Computational Biology (joint with the Shvartsman Lab) [email protected] Niv received her undergraduate degree in Bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology. As a joint student between the Posfai and Shvartsman labs, she is interested in studying the biochemical and physical factors that drive the earliest fate decisions in mammalian embryogenesis. When she’s not in lab, you can find Niv playing sports, exploring local farmer's markets, or catching up on her favorite Britbox shows. |
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Sapna Krishnakumar
Graduate student, Molecular Biology (joint with the Shvartsman Lab) [email protected] Sapna grew up in Chennai, India and received her BS and MS degrees with a major in Biological Science and minor in Data Science from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali. As a joint student in the Posfai and Shvartsman labs, she is interested in understanding the dynamics of somatic cells during mammalian oogenesis. Outside of the lab, she is a professionally trained Bharathanatyam dancer and Carnatic vocalist. In her free time, she loves to travel, listen to music, craft and cook. |
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Haley Hoffman
Undergraduate, Molecular Biology [email protected] Haley is a molecular biology major, minoring in art history in the class of 2027 from Seattle, Washington. In the Posfai Lab, she’s interested in characterizing the behavior of somatic cells during germline cyst breakdown in mammalian oogenesis. Outside of lab, Haley leads a hospice volunteering group, enjoys running, and is a fan of all things true-crime or reality-tv. |
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Katie Seymour
Undergraduate Student, Molecular Biology [email protected] Katie is a molecular biology major and a Chinese language minor in the class of 2027 from Summit, New Jersey. In the Posfai Lab, she’s interested in understanding how differences in the temporal expression of different transcription factors in the preimplantation embryo can be predictive of a cell’s fate. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading new books, and spending time with friends. |
Faculty Assistant
Alumni
Francesca deFaria Undergraduate, MOL 2025-2026 Bioethics Research Fellow, NIH
Georgia Post. Undergraduate, MOL 2025-2026
Kate Boer Undergraduate, MOL 2025-2026
Madeleine Chalifoux Graduate student, CBE 2020-2025 Research Centre at the Uni of Montreal, FitzHarris lab, Postdoc (starting 2026)
Ezra Levy Graduate student, MOL 2020-2025 IMP Vienna, Pauli lab, Postdoc
Oyshee Lahiry Undergraduate, MOL 2024-2025
Senna Aldoubosh Undergraduate, MOL 2024-2025 Rutgers Medical School
Yonit Krebs Undergraduate, MOL 2022-2024 Harvard, Molecules, Cells and Organisms Graduate Program
Aaron Cohen Undergraduate, MOL 2022-2023 Bar-Ilan University, McS Student
Charles Tseng Postdoctoral Fellow 2020-2023 St Jude Research Hospital, Senior Scientist
Zsombor Gal Undergraduate, MOL 2020-2022 Harvard, Medical School
Abraham Kohrman Postdoctoral Fellow 2020-2022 Bruker, Microscopy Specialist
Rohan Gupta Undergraduate, MOL 2020-2021
Alison Kickuth Visiting Master's student 2019 Max Planck Institute - CBG, PhD student