Lab Members

John I Murray

John Murray enjoys working with an amazing team of young scientists and mentoring them in C. elegans development, genomics and bioinformatics. He continues to strive for a unifying “genetic code of gene regulation,” and thinks about ways to adopt the latest technical advances to study this problem.  He bikes to work and loves cooking, swimming and his family.

Eli Preston

Eli has run the lab with John since its inception in 2010. Eli is the multi-tool of the lab - manages the lab, solves problems, finishes research, trains everyone and leads Green Labs for the university.  They are developing a rainbow worm to be used as a tool in identifying cell-fate changes in mutant worm embryos.  Eli has two biology degrees from University of Washington. Outside of lab, they are a multi-genre artist/ musician/ dancer, including being Artistic Director for the local eco-feminist original musical "Curious." Their only car is a bicycle.  They love reading with their elderly cats Emily & Sofi.

Priya Sivaramakrishnan

Priya intensely studies transcriptional rates in embryonic development using RNA-Seq and FISH.

When not being hardcore in the lab, Priya likes to be hardcore outdoors: she loves running & going on backpacking trips in the wilderness and hopes to visit all the national parks.

Felicia Peng

Felicia is investigating the contribution of mRNA degradation to developmental gene expression during C. elegans embryogenesis. For fun she likes to read, bake, and DIY. She is currently trying to read all of Jane Austen’s novels.

Chris Large

Chris is primarily interested in exploring the evolution of the transcriptional networks responsible for the development of a worm. When not in the lab, Chris enjoys spending time brewing beverages with his former favorite model system, yeast.

Rupa Khanal

Rupa is performing single-cell analysis of transcriptomic regulation in C.elegans.  What she loves to do besides science is kayaking, hiking, watching sunsets and sunrises from mountains and beaches, exploring new cities, going to second-hand bookstores,  and reading Russian literature. Rupa's dream is to go on a library/ bookstore tour across the world. 

Ella Eseigbe

Ella performs scientific research as well as all the basic lab maintenance in the Murray lab. Ella processes the glass petris and is proficient in worm genetics and lineage editing.

At Penn, Ella studies neuroscience and outside of the lab she enjoys cooking with friends, listening to music, and going to the beach back home in California.

Alexis Garcia

Alexis performs scientific research as well as all the basic lab maintenance in the Murray lab. Alexis makes the petris and media and is proficient in worm genetics and lineage editing.

At Penn, Alexis studies biochemistry and anthropology. In her free time she volunteers at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, enjoys going on long walks or hikes, listening to music, and hopes to visit all MLB stadiums.

William Jack Marchese

Jack performs scientific research as well as all the basic lab maintenance in the Murray lab.  Jack pours the lab petris and is proficient in worm genetics, lineage editing and PCR.

At Penn, Jack studies biology and chemistry. When not in the lab, Jack enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants in the city, and going to Phillies games.

Erin Marble

Nakial Cross

Nakial does programming research for the lab using single cell RNA-sequencing data.

Lab Hike 2018