McCutcheon Lab
Current lab members
The lab in September 2021. From left to right: Amanda, Jess, Paul, John, Arkadiy, Maria, Zerrin, and Noah.
John McCutcheon
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Associate Director and Professor, Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution and School of Life Sciences at ASU
PhD, Computational Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 2006
PERT Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Arizona, 2006-2010
Google Scholar | CV (Jan 24) | Masto | Bsky
Paul Caccamo
Lab Manager & Research Scientist
PhD, Microbiology, Indiana University, 2020
Jess Warren
PhD, Biological Sciences, Colorado State University, 2021
Interested in all things wonky in molecular evolution. Endosymbiosis, horizontal gene transfer, and origins of life (early decoding/replication) to name just a few. Currently investigating the structure of plastid membranes in multiple angiosperm lineages.
Plants, art, dark skies, meteor showers, and being in water are some of my favorite things.
Post-doc (joint with Norbert Perrimon)
PhD, Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology, Harvard University, 2022
During my PhD I studied signaling gradients in developing Zebrafish embryos. However, I have become increasingly drawn to the molecular/cellular biology that occurs at the interface of organisms and their respective environments. As a member of the McCutcheon and Perrimon Labs, I will use Drosophila genetics to learn more about the genetic and molecular basis of insect-bacteria endosymbiotic partnerships.
Justus Nwachukwu
Post-doc
PhD, Biochemistry, School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, 2023
I’ve always been interested in the structure and function of proteins. I’m now studying protein biochemistry in endosymbionts, adding an evolutionary angle to my work.
Dalton Leprich
Post-doc
PhD, Earth & Environmental Sciences (Geomicrobiology), University of Minnesota, 2023
I studied the large sulfur bacterium Thiomargarita namibiensis during my PhD, but I am generally interested in non-model organisms, (endo)symbiosis, astrobiology, and microscopy. Currently investigating the membrane networks in mealybugs and their endosymbionts using TEM and FIB-SEM.
Arkadiy Garber
PhD student
BS, Neuroscience, University of Southern California
MS, Geology, University of Delaware
I am a microbiologist and bioinformatician interested in using genomics to better understand the weird and the wacky of the microbial world. Currently working to elucidate the genomic adaptations of mealybugs and their endo-endosymbiotic partners.
Noah Spencer
PhD student
BS, Biology, West Virginia University
I originally fell in love with endosymbiosis while studying the tsetse fly system. I am currently interested in understanding cellular evolution through the lens of the idiosyncratic microbial partners of sap-feeding insects. Specifically, I am concerned with how these insects' obligate endosymbionts cope with the evolutionary ramifications of long-term host association.
Utsav Tatu
PhD Student
B.S. Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, UC Davis
I'm interested in understanding the genetics that drive endosymbioses, and the mechanisms behind genetic changes that unfold around endosymbionts. I've also studied equine genetics and antibiotic resistance and worked on new gene therapy strategies previously. In general, I am fascinated by the ways organisms can change and affect each other's genomes and transcriptomes.
Carla Brooks
Research Specialist
BS, Microbiology, Northern Arizona University
Courtney York
Research Technician
BS, University of California, Irvine
Anistynn Mendez
BS student
BS, Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology (anticipated 2025), Arizona State University
My interest in both evolutionary biology and plant biology has drawn me into the world of endosymbiosis, where I'm currently assisting a plant genetics project on angiosperms. I love the capabilities that plants have to offer and look forward to expanding our knowledge about them!
Former lab members
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2011-2013
Current position: Associate Professor at Texas Tech University.
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2012-2017
Current position: Associate Professor at the University of Alberta
Stephanie Ray Weldon
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015-2017
Current position: Program Manager, Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2014-2018
Current position: Assistant Professor at Jagiellonian University
DeAnna Bublitz
Senior Research Scientist, 2016-2020
Current Position: Scientific Review Officer, NIH
Diane Brooks
Senior Scientist, 2017-2020
Current position: Senior Scientist in Pat Secor’s lab at UM.
Maria Kupper
Postdoc, 2017-2022
Current Position: Scientist, Azenta Life Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Zerrin Üzüm
Postdoc, 2021-2022
Current position: Assistant Research Scientist, Biosciences Core Facilities, ASU
PhD in 2015, CMMB PhD Program, Microbial Ecology option at Montana
Current position: Assistant Professor at the University of Idaho.
PhD in 2017 at Montana, joint with the University of South Bohemia
Current position: Assistant Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.
PhD in 2018, CMMB PhD Program, Microbial Ecology option at Montana
Current position: Bioinformatic Scientist, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USFS
Matt Campbell
PhD in 2018, OBEE Program at Montana
Current position: Development Scientist, New England Biolabs
Tim Wheeler
MS in 2017, OBEE program at Montana
Current position: Research technician in Brandon Cooper's lab at UM.
Amanda Abdelsamad
MS in 2023, Biological Sciences at ASU
BS, Biological Sciences (Developmental, Cellular, and Genetics), Arizona State University
BS, Anthropology, Arizona State University
Stephanie Temnyk
MS in 2024, Molecular Biosciences at ASU
BS in Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology, ASU
Current position: Molecular Biologist at Corteva Agriscience
Collaborators
Centennial Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering
California Institute of Technology
Professor of Biological Sciences
University of Utah
James Irvine Professor of Environmental Science and Geobiology
California Institute of Technology
NERC independent research fellow, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh
Research Interests: Understanding why reproduction is so variable across life.
Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, U. Connecticut
Research Interests: Phylogenetics, evolution, biodiversity, biogeography, cicada systematics.
Assistant Professor and Investigator, Heritage Medical Research Institute
California Institute of Technology