Ashleigh Theberge

Professor

Ashleigh Theberge is an Professor of Chemistry at the University of Washington and Adjunct Professor of Urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She received a BA in Chemistry from Williams College and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge, UK with Wilhelm Huck in droplet-based microfluidics. During her graduate work, she was a Visiting Scientist with Andrew Griffiths at the Université de Strasbourg, France. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Biomedical Engineering, Toxicology, and Urology with David Beebe, William Ricke, and Wade Bushman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined the faculty at the University of Washington in 2016. She was elected co-Vice Chair (2019) and co-Chair (2023) for the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on the Physics and Chemistry of Microfluidics. Selected awards include an NIH K Career Development Award (2014), a Kavli Microbiome Ideas Challenge Award grant (2017), an NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators (2018, renewed 2023), a Beckman Young Investigator Award (2018), a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering (2019), a Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry (2021), a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2022), and a Schmidt Science Polymath Award (2024). She has also been recognized for her efforts in inclusive mentoring with a University of Washington Undergraduate Research Mentor Award (2021), and she was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Gilliam Mentor (2021).

Erwin Berthier

Affiliate Professor

Erwin Berthier is an Affiliate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Washington and co-Founder of Tasso, Inc., a medical startup focused on facilitating access to blood-based diagnostics. He holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from ENSTA in Paris, France, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the laboratories of Professor David Beebe (microfluidics) and Professor Anna Huttenlocher (immunology and neutrophil biology). He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UW-Madison in the Department of Medical Microbiology under the supervision of Professor Nancy Keller. He has been a lead PI on multi-institute grants to develop patient-centric diagnostic technologies from NIAID, NIMHHD, DARPA, and DTRA. He is an author on over 70 publications in journals such as PNAS, Nature Communications, Blood, PLoS Pathogens, and Lab on a Chip, with an h-index of 28. He is an inventor on over 20 US patents (7 issued and licensed by 3 commercially active companies).

Current Members

Members are listed alphabetically by last name

Jean Berthier

Affiliate Professor

Jean Berthier is a scientist at the CEA-LETI-Minatec. He received a MS in mathematics from the University of Grenoble, an engineering diploma from the Institut National Polytechnique in Grenoble and a PhD from the University Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris. After spending four years at Sandia and Los Alamos National laboratories focused on the interaction between liquid and gases, he joined the CEA-Leti in Grenoble, France. He is presently involved in the development of microfluidic solutions for liquid–liquid extraction, bio-encapsulation of living cells, capillary solutions for portable point-of-care devices and theoretical developments of “open microfluidics” theory. He is the first author of the book “Microfluidics for Biotechnology” published by Artech House (second edition 2010), he is the author of the book “Microdrops and Digital Microfluidics” published by Elsevier (second edition 2012), and the first author of the books “The physics of micro-droplets” and “Open Microfluidics” published by Scrivener-Wiley Publishing in 2012 and 2016. He is the author of many publications in scientific journals, conferences articles and patents.

Ella Bouker

Undergraduate

Ella grew up in Maple Valley, WA and is an undergraduate studying biochemistry and molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. She enjoys working on interdisciplinary science with applications to disease modeling. In her free time she enjoys biking, pottery, and walking her dogs.

Lauren Brown

PhD student

Lauren grew up in the small town of Rutherfordton, North Carolina and received a BS in chemistry and a minor in German from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2021. While at UNC Chapel Hill, she worked with both Dr. Nancy Allbritton to develop an in vitro organ-on-a-chip model of colonic crypts using primary human colonic epithelial stem cells and Dr. Matthew Lockett to develop a physiologically relevant liver stiffness model that could be used for drug screening and discovery. She is currently working on a developing a platform for modeling cell contractility with hydrogel patterning techniques and also is a part of the at-home blood sampling project. In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, drinking wine, petting cats, photography, Carolina basketball, and hanging out with friends.

Sophie Cook

Postdoctoral Scholar

Sophie is originally from Portland, OR and joined the Theberge lab as a Postdoctoral Scholar in 2024. She received her BA in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from Bethany College (Lindsborg, KS) in 2018 and a PhD in Bioanalytical Chemistry from the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) in 2023. During her PhD and first postdoc, she worked in the lab of Dr. Rebecca Pompano developing novel 3D-printed multi-organs-on-chip technology and a tubing-free impeller pump. Sophie used her chips and pump to study communication with the lymph node in the context of vaccination and neurodegenerative disease. Sophie’s current research focuses on developing homeProtein, a method to measure stabilized proteins using an at-home blood collection device. With this technology, she plans to study the changes in inflammatory cytokine levels in Rheumatoid Arthritis when starting a new medication. In her free time, Sophie enjoys reading, going on adventures in nature, eating bagels, and sipping a good cup of tea.

Madeleine Eakman

PhD Student

Maddie grew up in Covington, Washington, and received a BS in Biochemistry and a BA in German Studies from the University of Washington in Spring 2020. As an undergraduate she worked with Dr. Jesse Zalatan optimizing a CRISPR Co-LOCKR allosteric sensor for use in engineering loops in genomic DNA. In her free time she enjoys baking, collecting video games and vinyl records, and learning how to play guitar.

Sarah Feng

Undergraduate

Sarah grew up in Shoreline, WA and plans on majoring in something under UW's School of Public Health. Feel free to ask Sarah about how she got into doing archery for fun and join Sarah in her adventures to discover cheap eats in the Seattle area.

Alex Georgiou

Undergraduate

Alex is majoring in mechanical engineering and has an interest in medical devices and manufacturing. He is a member of Husky Robotics and loves to design drivetrain systems. He trains in Jiu Jitsu, boxing, and wrestling in his free time, and loves camping and backpacking.

Amanda Haack

Visiting scientist

DB Hatchett

Postbaccalaureate Researcher

DB Hatchett is a senior in the Chemistry program. He came to UW to study chemistry on an impulse and has since decided it was a good decision. He is driven by nothing but curiosity and a love of learning, and the occasional hunger pang, which is why he will probably have to get a job eventually.

Sara Ho

Undergraduate

Sara grew up in San Jose, California and intends on majoring in biology with a concentration in physiology here at the University of Washington. In her free time Sara enjoys reading, exploring the city, hanging out with family and friends, spending time with her dogs, and playing basketball.

Liam Knudsen

Undergraduate

Liam grew up in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He is an undergraduate student studying Bioengineering, and is interested in developing novel microfluidic systems for disease modeling and diagnostics. Outside of the lab he enjoys cooking, hiking, exploring new restaurants and going to the gym.

Winston Liang

Undergraduate

Winston is an undergraduate student studying Biochemistry. Originally from Beaverton, Oregon, he chose UW because of its incredible research opportunities and fantastic biology/biochemistry programs; his primary area of interest is anything related to health or medicine. In his free time Winston enjoys baking, exercising, watching movies/TV series, and doing integrals or MCAT practice problems.

Fang Yun Lim

Postdoctoral Researcher; VIDD Associate, Fred Hutch & Visiting Scientist, UW

Yun is from a small coastal town called Chukai in Malaysia. She received her Genetics & Microbiology B.Sc. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she went on to pursue a Ph.D in Microbiology with a focus on fungal secondary metabolism. Her Ph.D work focused on delineating biosynthetic pathways of fungal spore natural products from the opportunistic fungal pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus. Her work also led to the understanding of temporal and spatial regulation of their biosynthetic machineries that allow for the timely deposition of specific natural products to the fungal spore. As A. fumigatus is notorious for causing a spectrum of disease pathology including the highly morbid invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, she had also dedicated parts of her graduate work towards understanding how natural products found in these infectious particles (spores) influence the innate immune response. Her work on regulation of spore natural products led to the discovery of the first-described biosynthetic pathway dedicated to production of isocyanides in fungi. Outside of work, Yun enjoys traveling, hiking, music and art, good beer, and competitive sailing.

Ariel Lin

PhD Student

Ariel is from Corona, California, and received her B.S. in Biochemistry from California State University, San Bernardino. As an undergraduate at CSUSB and as a staff research scientist at UW, Ariel has studied S. cerevisiae membrane trafficking proteins by utilizing biochemical techniques. In the BCME lab, she is currently aiding in the development of various 3D tissue patterning platforms and applying these platforms to relevant tissue models. During her leisure time, Ariel enjoys lifting, trying new restaurants and cafes, and going to concerts.

Laura Milton

Fulbright Visiting Scholar

Laura is a Fulbright Scholar visiting from Brisbane, Australia. She graduated as Valedictorian from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours I) and is now completing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology. Her work is focussed on generating predictive, accessible pre-clinical in vitro models, and she is motivated to speed up the drug testing pipeline. Laura enjoys good coffee, walking her dog, travelling, and gaining new experiences.

Tristan Nicholson

Assistant Professor of Urology

Dr. Nicholson is a fellowship-trained urologist and researcher specializing in Men’s Health. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology at the University of Washington and received MD and PhD in Pathology from the University of Rochester. She then completed Urology residency and Andrology fellowship at the University of Washington. Dr. Nicholson’s research interests include laboratory optimization of sperm and the influence of environmental toxicants on testicular function.

Sharon Oh

Undergraduate

Sharon grew up in Redmond, WA and is an undergraduate studying biology and public health at UW. Outside of the lab, she loves trying new cafes, baking, and watching movies!

Carlos Sanchez

PhD Student

Carlos grew up in Seattle, Washington, but was born in Los Angeles, California. He is a senior majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Chemistry. Some hobbies he has are boxing, working on his car, reading, gaming, and sleeping. He can speak English and Spanish. Right now, he’s learning Japanese and wants to travel to Japan one day.

Zak Sheirwani

Undergraduate

Zak is majoring in Biochemistry, he is a first year undergraduate student. Zak previously worked in a biochemistry at Georgetown University. He looking to go to med school, his area of interest is orthopedics. Zak has played soccer since he was 4 years old, and currently plays semi-pro soccer with Port Orchard FC and Bellevue Athletic FC.

Albert Shin

Undergraduate

Albert is from Tacoma, WA and grew up mostly in South Korea. He is majoring in biochemistry with minor in chemistry. During his free time, he enjoys playing soccer with friends, going to gym, and ski for winter season.

Filip Stefanovic

PhD Student

Filip has always been fascinated by how different organisms communicate. They are excited to explore how chemical signals reveal signs of disease, distress, and—most importantly—how they contribute to invisible forms of interaction within and between different species. Filip is most interested to learn more about the chemistry of plants, fungi, and human skin. Now a second year, they are still excited by research and teaching. Outside of their academic interests, Filip loves spending time in nature, reading, baking, and climbing.

Xiaojing Su

Research Scientist

Sanitta Thongpang

Senior Research Scientist

Sanitta Thongpang is a faculty member at Mahidol University in Thailand. She received BE and ME in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined the department of Biomedical Engineering at Mahidol University in 2012 specialized in neuroengineering and microfluidic areas. In 2017, she joined Moritz LAB, Rehabilitation Medicine and Electrical and Computer Engineering, UW as a visiting scientist and then joined Theberge group as an acting instructor in 2020 to work on open microfluidics for novel at-home diagnostics.

Jodie Tokihiro

PhD Student

Jodie grew up in Hilo, Hawaii and received a BS in chemistry: biosciences from the University of Hawaii-Hilo in 2020. At UHH, her undergraduate research focused on the organic synthesis and photochemistry of carbenes in the lab of Dr. Matthew Platz. There, Jodie learned how to synthesize new compounds and use analytical instrumentation to reveal distinct chemical mechanisms of carbenes. In the Theberge Lab, Jodie is developing microfluidic devices for bioanalytical applications such as infertility studies and to capture intra- and inter-kingdom volatile communication signaling in microbes for chemical analysis. In her free time, Jodie likes to crochet, read, and tour the Seattle food scene.

Wan-chen Tu

PhD Student

Wan-chen grew up in Taiwan. She received BS and MS in Marine Biotechnology and Resources from National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan. While at NSYSU, she learned analytical skills for fish samples. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant at Academia Sinica. While working there, she received comprehensive training in the field and laboratories. She learned how to analyze major nutrients, pigments, salinity, and hydrogen peroxide in seawater; as well as working in clean room and operating HR-ICP/MS. In the Theberge Lab, she focused on developing a lollipop-shaped sampling device that enables the capture of pathogens and proteins from human saliva. She also worked on designing a novel open-microfluidic device for droplet generation and a project on further characterizing an at-home air sampler for bioaerosol capture previously developed in Dr. Theberge’s lab. Outside of lab, Wan-chen enjoys baking, cooking, hiking, and biking.

Keila Uchimura

Undergraduate

Keila grew up in Issaquah, Washington, and is a second-year intending to study biochemistry or MCD biology at UW. Outside of school and lab, she loves sewing, playing flute, bullet journaling, and taking care of her plant collection.

Asha Viswanathan

Undergraduate

Asha grew up in Seattle and is an undergraduate pursuing bioengineering. They are interested in studying cellular communication and disease modeling. In their free time, they enjoy running, collecting CDs, and making art.

Jamison Whitten

PhD Student

Jamison is from Farmington, Utah and received a B.S. in Forensic Science and a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Arizona State University as well as a M.S. in Biomedical Forensic Science with an emphasis in Forensic Chemistry from Boston University. Some of her previous research focuses were on source attribution of trace additives in gasoline samples by direct analysis real time mass spectrometry, method development for benzodiazepines in complex matrices by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and the removal of fatty acid methyl esters from bone samples aided by analysis in gas chromatography mass spectrometry. In the BCME lab, she is currently working on the team for developing and applying various 3D tissue patterning platforms to relevant tissue models as well as analyzing microbial cell signaling by two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Outside of the lab, Jamison enjoys being outdoors, training in aerial acrobatics, and going to concerts.