Personnel

E. Jane Albert Hubbard

Professor, Department of Cell Biology; Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Developmental Genetics.

Jane’s first job after graduating from Cornell was studying coral reef ecology with her undergraduate research advisor Dr. Bill McFarland as a research diver in the West Indies. From there, she joined the US Peace Corps, spending nearly 4 years in fisheries (primarily shrimp and mussel culture) in Western Samoa and in Fiji. Grappling with equally enticing career opportunities in applied science in the context of international development and developmental biology in the context of academic science, she pursued a MS degree in zoology at the University of Hawaii, working with Dr. Michael Hadfield and studying metamorphosis in a marine nudibranch. During her MS studies, summer courses in marine invertebrate zoology and embryology at the Friday Harbor Laboratories and an increasing interest in molecular mechanisms of development turned the tide. After working as a technician in two Drosophila labs (Dr. Corey Goodman and Dr. Gary Struhl), she entered the PhD program in Genetics and Development at Columbia University. Working on glucose repression in yeast with Dr. Marian Carlson, she discovered components of a kinase complex now known as AMPK, and other proteins with which it functionally interacts. As a postdoc with Dr. Iva Greenwald, she returned to animal development, this time in C. elegans, and worked on several aspects of Notch receptor signaling. In her own lab, she started by identifying genes that, when mutant, cause germline tumors. For the last ~10 years, her lab has focused on how animal physiology interfaces with signal transduction mechanisms to regulate germline stem cells in C. elegans.

Outside the lab, Jane enjoys singing, cycling, swimming, boating, and making and eating ice cream (not necessarily in that order!).

Theodora Tolkin

Theadora Tolkin

Postdoctoral Fellow

Email: Theadora.Tolkin@nyulangone.org

Theadora’s PhD work in the lab of Lionel Christiaen in the NYU Department of Biology defined gene expression programs and cellular events leading to the specification of pharyngeal muscle in Ciona. Her work also expanded the Ciona lineage analysis toolkit. Theadora joined the Hubbard lab in February, 2017 where she is building tools understand various aspects of germ cell behavior and physiological control.

Outside the lab, Theadora enjoys running, yoga, playing music, and writing.

Anke Kloock.

Anke Kloock

Postdoctoral Fellow

Email: Anke.Kloock@nyulangone.org

Anke joined the lab in April 2021. She earned her PhD at Oxford, where she worked on the interaction between C. elegans and protective microbes. Her research studies the effects of diet on the germline system, as well as the underlying mechanisms.

When not in the lab, Anke enjoys rowing, biking, swimming, and outdoor photography.

Nilay Gupta

Graduate Student

Email: Nilay.Gupta@nyulangone.org

Nilay obtained his undergraduate degree in Biotechnology in Pune India where he worked on the dengue virus in the lab of Dr. Cecilia Dayaraj. He earned an MS degree at Case Western Reserve University where he worked in the lab of Dr. Brian McDermott performing a chemical screen in zebrafish to identify small molecules that affect lateral line innervation. Nilay joined the Hubbard lab in 2019.

Nilay enjoys photography, both inside and outside the lab.

Julia Burnett

Technician

Email: Julia.Burnett@nyulangone.org

After graduating from Amherst College where she worked in the lab of Caroline Goutte, Julia joined the lab in August of 2020. Yes, she moved to New York city in the middle of a pandemic! Julia is working on various projects in the lab associated with germline stem cells. When she is not in the lab, Julia enjoys ultimate frisbee, running, knitting, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.