Whited Lab

Jessica Whited studies limb regeneration in axolotl salamanders. Her lab develops tools to manipulate gene expression during limb regeneration, and explores signaling events following wound healing that initiate the regenerative process.

Duygu Payzin is a post-doctoral fellow in the Whited Lab at the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. She earned her B.S. degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bilkent University, and holds an M.S. degree in Molecular Biology from Koc University, and received her Ph.D from Harvard University in Biological and Biomedical Sciences.

Noah is a graduate student in the BBS program at Harvard Medical School. He received his B.S degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at UCLA.

Celeste is currently a graduate student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program at Harvard Medical School. She completed her B.S. degrees in Bioengineering and EECS at the University of California, Berkeley. During her undergraduate years, she worked on gene characterization for Xenopus gastrulation in the Harland lab. Celeste is interested in studying key gene regulators of regeneration, performing cross-species comparisons, and optimising the generation of mutant lines. She is passionate about mentoring undergraduates, digital art, theater, and fusion food.

Tim is a German student at Maastricht University, currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences with a focus on Regenerative Medicine. He is set to graduate and leave the lab by July 2025 and plans to pursue a PhD in Europe. In his free time, Tim enjoys exercising and playing chess.

As the lab manager, Hani is responsible for the coordination between the researchers, administration, and lab operations to facilitate the various projects of the Whited Lab. His focus is on increasing the efficiency of the lab and creating an enjoyable work environment. Hani received his Master’s in Biotechnology from Harvard HES, and a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Outside of the lab, Hani’s interests include taking care of his houseplants, skiing, tennis, piano and music production.

Julia is a full time animal technician in the axolotl facility. She has a B.S. in biology from Dickinson College and a M.S. in biology from Tennessee Tech University. During her masters degree she worked on defining the thermal tolerance of streamside salamanders (Ambystoma barbouri) and designed methods to raise the species in captivity. In her free time she enjoys reading, hiking, and crocheting.

Ryan is a class of 2025 undergraduate student at Harvard College, studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology, and Global Health and Health Policy. He is from New York, and he became especially interested in biology while working at the Central Park Zoo. Outside of the lab, Ryan provides legal assistance to individuals who have been denied health coverage by their insurance. In his free time, he enjoys making digital art, playing tennis, and playing piano.

​Hayden is an undergraduate student (’26) at Harvard College studying Biomedical Engineering. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, he currently lives in Leverett House. A longtime aquatic animal enthusiast, he has kept saltwater aquariums for over ten years. At the Whited lab, Hayden develops neuroengineering strategies to study the axolotl brain during limb regeneration. Outside of the lab, he serves as the chair of the House Committees, organizing community events and traditions at the College.

Ashley is a class of 2026 undergraduate at Harvard College, studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology. She is from Clifton, New Jersey, and currently lives in Kirkland House. Outside of lab and academics, Ashley likes to go shopping with her friends, try out new restaurants, and go to the movies.

Erica is an undergraduate student at Harvard College, studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology and Linguistics on the Mind, Brain, Behavior track. She is from New Jersey, and currently lives in Leverett House. Outside of the lab, she works with children on the ASD and Down Syndrome spectrum, tutors, and offers translation services for those in need. In her spare time, she enjoys music, exploring, and spending time with friends.

Noora is an undergraduate at Wellesley College studying Biology and History. She has a background in cancer immunology research at the Koch Institute at MIT, but after developing an interest in regenerative medicine, she has decided to join the Whited Lab. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running, cooking, and cruising on her Vespa along the beach on weekends. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in stem cell or regenerative Biology.

Laurel is an undergraduate at Harvard College studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology and Computer Science with a language citation in Tagalog. Outside of the lab, they enjoy writing for The Harvard Crimson and mentoring high school robotics. In their free time, they enjoy journaling and trying new food around Boston!

Anthony Striker is a first-year Harvard College undergrad from Berlin, Germany, planning to concentrate in molecular and cellular biology. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing soccer, spending time with friends and (when in warmer climates than New England or Berlin) surfing.

​Nick Leigh earned his B.S. in Biology from Lafayette College, and obtained his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Roswell Park Cancer Institute/SUNY Buffalo. His research interest is the impact of the immune system on the initiation and progress of limb regeneration.

Burcu earned her B.S degree in Genetics and Bioengineering from Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey and received her PhD from the lab of Laura Anne Lowery at Boston College and studied how microtubule dynamics are regulated in the neuronal growth cone during axon growth and guidance in developing Xenopus laevis nervous system. Burcu’s research interest is peripheral nerve regeneration in axolotls. 

Ben received his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania studying BMP signaling during dorsal-ventral patterning in the zebrafish embryo.  He joined the Whited lab as a post doc in 2021.  During his postdoc, he aims to identify the key genes required for blastema cell specification during axolotl limb regeneration.  He is currently developing a live blastema cell reporter, which will allow him to isolate and profile blastema cells during the very first stages of blastema specification.  He is also working towards a multiplex CRISPR screen to identify the key genes required for entry into the blastema cell state.

Sarah is a Research Assistant who graduated from Trinity College in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. Her previous research experience has focused primarily on plants. Outside of the lab, Sarah enjoys watching documentaries and Jeopardy, running, reading, and cooking.

Steven came to the Whited lab as a bioinformatics fellow while still a student at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell.  He earned his B.S. in Biological Sciences, with a concentration in Bioinformatics before officially taking the role as the lab’s Bioinformaticist.  Steven is passionate about axolotl transcriptomics and uses his computer science background to solve problems using bioinformatic tools in the challenging axolotl model.  In his spare time he enjoys teaching ABE, mentoring STEM at the boys and girls club, and all kinds of fabrication like additive fabrication, tinkering, carpentry, and diesel engines.

Victor is a French student at the Ecole Normale Supérieure. He was born and raised in Annecy, a small town in the French Alps. He enjoys rock climbing, hitchhiking, volunteering and picking delicious mushrooms in the forests of the Alps. He would like to pursue a career in regenerative and developmental biology research. He plans to use his internships to travel the world.

Madison is a University of Maine graduate with a B.S. in Marine Science. She has a wide range of knowledge about aquatic species. Her primary role in the lab is assisting with axolotl husbandry.

Rachel is an undergraduate at Harvard University in the class of 2019 studying Molecular and Cellular Biology.

​José Martinez Fernandez is an undergraduate at Harvard University studying Human Development and Regenerative Biology.

Jihee Han is an undergraduate student at Harvard College studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology, with a secondary in Germanic and Scandinavian studies.

Emily is a class of 2021 undergraduate at Harvard University, studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology.

Shifa Hossain is a class of 2023 Harvard College undergraduate student. She was born and raised in LA and has had a passion in research since high school.  She enjoys spending time with family and friends and watching informational videos during her spare time, such as Ted-Ed and Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.

Alexandra Wagner is a class of 2024 undergraduate at Harvard College studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. She is from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently lives in Adams House. Outside of research, Alexandra is the Co-Director for Strong Women, Strong Girls, a female mentorship organization, and the Co-Philanthropy Chair for Adams House. She additionally enjoys reading, painting, running, and spending time with friends and family. After graduation, Alexandra plans to attend medical school, where she wants to specialize in surgery.

​Connor is a PhD student at Northeastern University with a bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering. At the Whited Lab, he began working on the optimization of Nanopore sequencing technology and RNA extractions. This work transitioned into an independent project in which Connor began studying pancreatic regeneration in axolotls. This project utilizes several techniques such as Nanopore sequencing, HCR FISH, and immunohistochemistry to analyze the pancreatic response to injury. Outside of the lab, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and playing music.