Gardel Lab Team
Principal Investigator
![Margaret Gardel](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2022/05/Gardel2022.jpg)
Margaret Gardel
Horace B. Horton Professor, Physics and Molecular Engineering
Director, James Franck Institute
Institute for Biophysical Dynamics
Email: gardel@uchicago.edu
Bio | CV | PubMed | Google Scholar | Twitter
Research Scientist
![Yvonne Beckham](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2021/09/YBeckham.jpg)
Yvonne Beckham
Ph.D. Developmental Biology,
University of Toronto, 2003
Molecular Biology Godsend, Actin Cross-linking Proteins, Gene Expression
email: ybeckham@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Fellows
![Shailaja Seetharaman](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2021/09/SSeetharaman.jpg)
Shailaja Seetharaman
Ph.D., Cell and Developmental Biology, Institut Pasteur and Université de Paris, 2020
Cell and tissue mechanics
email: shailaja@uchicago.edu
![Debasmita Mondal](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2024/02/Debasmita_pic4-25cd968d7f7efe29.jpg)
Debasmita Mondal
Ph.D., Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 2022
Mechanobiology of actin cytoskeleton
email: debasmita@uchicago.edu
![Katie Landy](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2024/02/KatieLandyHeadshot-1-0121af2329b62a28.jpeg)
Katie Landy
Ph.D., Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2023
Protein condensation, adaptive actin materials
email: klandy@uchicago.edu
Graduate Students
![Kash Baboolall](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2022/05/Kash.jpg)
Kash Baboolall
Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences
B.A. Mathematics and Chemistry Amherst, College, 2021
LIM mechanotransduction
email: kdbaboolall@uchicago.edu
![Amanda Johnson](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2022/05/Amanda-1.jpg)
Amanda Johnson
Graduate Program in Development, Regeneration & Stem Cell Biology
B.S., M.S. Cell & Molecular Biology, San Francisco State University, 2019
Mechanical regulation of stem cell fates
email: amandabrooke@uchicago.edu
![Margo MacDonald](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2021/09/MMacDonaldjpg.jpg)
Margo MacDonald
Graduate Program in Biophysics
B.A., Physics &
Biophysics; M.S., Physics
University of Pennsylvania, 2018
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Metastasis
email: margomac@uchicago.edu
![Ayanna Matthews](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2021/09/AMatthews.jpg)
Ayanna Matthews
Graduate Program in Physics Department
A.B., Physics, Princeton University, 2020
Cell Mechanics in Epithelial Tissue
email: matthewsa@uchicago.edu
![Heather Rizzo](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2022/08/HeatherRizzo.jpg)
Heather Rizzo
Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology
B.S., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Trinity University, San Antonio, 2019
Mechanotransduction, Junctional Remodeling, and Cell Signaling
email: hrizzo@uchicago.edu
![Sarah Root](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2024/02/Sarah_Root-fa399682d8b01e2b.png)
Sarah Root
Graduate Program in Biophysics (ISTP)
B.S. , Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Physics, University of Pennsylvania, 2021
LIM protein, Machine Learning
email: sroot@uchicago.edu
![Andy Zhang](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2023/03/AndyZhang_ID_Photo.jpg)
Andy Zhang
Graduate Program in Physics Department
B.A., Physics and Music, Swarthmore College, 2022
Mechanical Regulation of Epithelial Tissue Homeostasis
email: andyletzhang@uchicago.edu
Undergraduate Students
![Catalina Castaneda Fernandez](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2024/02/Catalina_CastanedaFernandez-6be8eacb736b4e88.png)
Catalina Castaneda Fernandez
Undergraduate Program in Physics and Economics
University of Chicago
Formation of Myosin Stacks
email: catalinac@uchicago.edu
Staff
![Zena Anderson](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2022/05/ZenaAnderson.jpg)
Zena Anderson
Project Assistant III
Administrative Support
email: zenaa@uchicago.edu
![Rachel Strom](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2024/02/Rachel-Strom-5e5d52fe856f7bfa.png)
Rachel Strom
Operations Coordinator
email: rstrom@uchicago.edu
![Brandi Hudson](https://squishycell.uchicago.edu/files/2023/03/The-University-of-Chicago-LOGO.jpg)
Brandi Hudson
Financial Administrator
Physical Sciences Division, Local Business Center
email: hudson@uchicago.edu