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College of Life Sciences Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Tessem Laboratory - Diabetes Research Group

Current Lab Members

Graduate Students

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Nathan Walker

MMBio Ph.D. Student
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Awards/Experience: BS in Biotechnology at Utah Valley University
Current Project: Mechanisms of diabetes therapeutics and probable genetic targets.
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Kate Whalen

MMBio Ph.D. Student
Hometown: West Richland, WA
Awards/Experience: BS in Microbiology (BYU)
Current Project: Effects of Nr4a3 in the beta cell
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Undergraduate Students

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Eden Dunn

Hometown: Erda, UT
Major: Molecular Biology and German Awards/Experience: 2023, 2024 CURA grant recipient, cancer research fellowship at Johns Hopkins University Current Project: GSIS, Gestational diabetes
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Aubree Bench

Hometown: Provo, Utah
Major: Cell Biology and Physiology
Awards/Experience: 2024 CURA grant recipient, 2024 UCUR poster presenter, 2025 CURA grant recipient, 2025 UCUR oral presenter
Current Project: Transcription factor Nr4a1 effects on beta-cell survival under diabetic conditions
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Luke Jackson

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Bokai Zhang

Hometown: Beijing, China
Major: Microbiology
Current Project: Biotin pulldown purification to investigate binding partners of Rel A gene.
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Sara Rapp

Hometown: Houston, Texas
Major: Biology, pre-Optometry
Awards/Experience: 2025 CURA grant recipient, 2025 UCUR presenter
Current Project: Nr4a1 effects on beta cell proliferation and survival
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Brigham Blackwell

Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Major: Biology
Awards/Experience: 2024 CURA grant recipient, 2024 UCUR presenter
Current Project: Nr4a1 agonist Cytosporone-B
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Luki Benavente

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Major: Cell Biology and Physiology
Awards/Experience: 2024 Anderson Diabetes Research Award recipient, 2024 UCUR Presenter, WAESO Scholarship recipient
Current Project: Identifying Nr4a3 binding partners
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Andrew Steadman

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Jonathan Hanson

Hometown: Alpine, Utah
Major: BA Music, cello emphasis; also premed
Awards/Experience: 2024 UCUR presenter, 5th grade 2nd place state science fair
Current Project: Nr4a1 agonist prolactin
Fun Fact: Has never lost in mini golf
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Kyla King

Hometown: Medford, Oregon
Major: Molecular Biology
Awards/Experience: 2024 CURA winner, 2025 UCUR presenter
Current Project: Nr4a1, Prostaglandin E1
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Cooper Ross

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Oliver Nilsson

Hometown: Lancaster, California
Major: Cell Biology and Physiology
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Evelyn Chou

Hometown: Palos Verdes, California Major: Molecular Biology
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Chloe Ganiaris

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Ryan Flynn

Hometown: Beaverton, Oregon
Major: Exercise science
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Scott Hardy

Hometown: Logandale, NV
Major: Cell Biology and Physiology
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