PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Brandon L. Greene
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Email: greene @ chem.ucsb.edu
Phone: (805) 893-2229
Office: Chemistry 1142C
About: Brandon received his B.S. (’09) in Chemistry from Washington State University and his Ph.D. (’15) in Chemistry at Emory University under the supervision of Prof. R. Brian Dyer. Prior to joining the faculty at UCSB in 2019 he was a postdoctoral researcher in the labs of Prof. Daniel G. Nocera (Harvard) and Prof. JoAnne Stubbe (MIT).
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Juan Carlos Caceres Vergara (G3 BMSE)
B.S. Bioengineering (’16)
M.S. Biological Science (’18)
Universidad de Chile
Research Interest: Thiyl radical enzymes
Favorite Enzyme: Laccase
Unpopular Opinion: I love pizza with pineapples, especially for breakfast.
jcaceresvergara @ ucsb.ed
Larry Palato (G1, CHEM)
B.S. Biochemistry (’18)
Loyola Marymount University
Research Interest: Phosphorus redox cycling
Favorite Enzyme: Taq Polymerase
Unpopular Opinion: Kiwi skins are edible and tasty.
larrypalato @ ucsb.edu
Alison Marsh (G2, CHEM)
B.S. Pharmaceutical Chemistry (’19)
University of California, Davis
Research Interest: Phosphorus redox cycling
Favorite Enzyme: Pyruvate dehydrogenase
Unpopular Opinion: California is worth the price.
akmarsh @ ucsb.edu
Nathan Michellys (G1, CHEM)
B.S. Biochemistry (’21)
Washington State University
Research Interests: UCP1
Favorite Enzyme: Creatine Kinase
Unpopular Opinion: It’s not coffee if it has sugar or milk in it.
nathanmichellys @ ucsb.edu
Clara Bailey (G3, CHEM)
B.S. Chemistry
B.A. Environmental Science
University of Virginia (’19)
Research Interest: Phosphorus redox cycling
Favorite Enzyme: Cas9
Unpopular Opinion: In-N-Out Burger is overrated.
clarabailey @ ucsb.edu
Benjamin Jones (G2, CHEM)
B.S. Biochemistry
UC Riverside
Research Interest: Electron bifurcation
Favorite Enzyme: Fub 7
Unpopular Opinion: Canned chicken isn’t that bad.
bjj118 @ ucsb.edu
UNDERGRADUATES
Solenn Matsuka (U4, BCHEM)
Research Interest: Electron bifurcation
Favorite Enzyme: Luciferase
Unpopular Opinion: Raw salmon tastes better than cooked salmon.
solenn @ ucsb.edu
Collin Origer (U2, BCHEM)
Research Interest: Electron bifurcation
Favorite Enzyme: DNA Polymerase III
Unpopular Opinion: Cereal is best without milk.
collinoriger @ ucsb.edu
Liad Habot (U2, BCHEM)
Research Interest: Phosphorus
Favorite Enzyme: ATP Synthase
Unpopular Opinion: Oreos go great with hummus
liadhabot @ ucsb.edu
August Dolmatch (U2, CHEM)
Research Interests: Thiyl radicals
Favorite Enzyme: Carbonic anhydrase
Unpopular Opinion: Running with music sucks.
augustdolmatch @ ucsb.edu
Karry Shi (U2, CHEM)
Research Interest: Thiyl radicals
Favorite Enzyme: Alcohol dehydrogenase
Unpopular Opinion: Everything tastes good with ketchup.
hangshi @ ucsb.edu
Brett Haynes (U2, BCHEM)
Research Interest: Electron bifurcation
Favorite Enzyme: Lysozyme
Unpopular Opinion: Watching movies at home is better than at the theaters
bretthaynes @ ucsb.edu
Whitney Swafford (U4, BCHEM)
Research Interest: UCP1
Favorite Enzyme: Telomerase
Unpopular Opinion: Raising Cane’s Chicken is overrated.
whitneyswafford @ ucsb.edu
ALUMNI
Postdocs: Coming soon…
Graduate Students
Mary Lerner M.S. ’22
Undergraduate Students
Destiny Rivera ’23 – M.S. Program, Forensic Science, UC Davis
Jolie Kan ’23 – PhD Program, Chemistry, University of Michigan
Victor Alcala-Kellogg ’22 – PhD Program, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenetics, UCSF
Eric Walton ’22 – Vividian Therapeutics
Iman Adibi ’22 – Seer Bio
Chloe Reavill ’22 – Sorrento Therapeutics
Sanchit Saiganesh ’22 – PhD Program, Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Camryn Marquez ’21 – PhD Program, Cancer Biology, Washington University St. Louis
Zhizhong Chen ’21 – PhD Program, Chemistry, Princeton University
JOIN US!
The Greene Lab is always looking for enthusiastic and curious aspiring or tenured scientists to help pursue their mission of making the world a better place, one enzyme at a time. We particularly encourage diverse applicants to apply, whether that be diverse in prior scientific experience or lived experience.
If you are interested in applying for a postdoctoral position, please email Brandon directly with your up-to-date CV, two representative publications, and at least one reference.
For graduates students, applications to the UCSB Chemistry program are systematized through the Department. Once accepted for study, or before, reach out to Brandon to discuss possible rotations.
For undergraduates, please email Brandon directly with your resume/CV, unofficial transcript(s), and times you are available for meeting. Preference is generally given to those who have not yet begun their 3rd year, but all applicants will be considered.
The Greene Lab 