Zichong was born in China. After an M.S. research on shrimp White Spot Syndrome Virus, Zichong did his PhD in UC Berkeley exploring the functions of the human transcription elongation machinery in HIV infection. With prior experience on genome wide genetic screens, in the Ott lab, his focus is to derive unbiased comprehensive networks of validated gene pairs supporting critical biological and pathological processes, including chronic HIV infection. Outside of the lab, he enjoys binge-reading research papers, thought experimenting, and eating cheese salad.
Archives: People
Person
Langdon
Quinn grew up in Alaska, but has been moving around the United States since undergrad. She did her PhD at University of Wisconsin – Madison researching natural diversity of wild yeast and the evolution of hybrid brewing yeasts. For her postdoc she switched from fungi to animals, using natural hybrids of freshwater tropical fish to study the repeatability of hybrid genome evolution. She’s excited to be stepping into the realm of viral evolution in the Ott lab, where she will be developing computational and machine learning approaches for viral genomes. In her free time she enjoys exploring the microclimates of the bay via hiking and biking and is always on the lookout for a new brewery to try.
Sreekumar
Hello my name is Bharath and I am a post doc in Dr. Ott’s lab. I am currently working on HIV and T-cell biology.
Zapatero Belinchon
Francisco (Fran) comes originally from Spain and obtained his PhD in Virology at Hannover Medical School in Germany. His main interests are the dissection of viral entry and host‑pathogen interactions of emerging and re-emerging pathogens using novel proteomics approaches. Outside the lab, he enjoys hiking, camping, playing video games, and tasting a good ol’ brew.
Prigann
Julia obtained her PhD in Germany at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin where she studied the interplay of innate immunity and viral pathogens like HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. In the Ott Lab, she investigates molecular mechanisms driving HIV persistence and develops new models to study HIV latency. Outside of work, Julia enjoys spending time with her family and friends, discovering the beautiful nature of the Bay area and trying to find the best place for coffee in town.
Sun
Hello everyone! I’m Limeng Sun, a new postdoc in the Ott lab. I am from China. I got my PhD from Huazhong Agricultural University.I focused on exploring the interaction mechanism between coronavirus and host factors, I’m also keen to explore unknown functional receptors for pandemic and emerging viruses performed by Crispr/Cas9 library and multi-omics. In the Ott lab, I will focus on research interesting and important phenotypes induced by virus protein depending on the virus protein library. Outside of the lab, I enjoy sports ( kinds of ball games and hiking) with friends , go to concerts and cook for new cuisines.
Rosecrans
My name is Julia and I recently graduated from Mills College with a BA in biology and a concentration in evolution ecology and behavior. I love being in the outdoors with my dog Buddy and I’m excited to be joining the Ott lab as an RA!
Fonseca
Veronica has over 15 years of experience working in Research and Biotech and is passionate about contributing to purpose-oriented organizations. Veronica oversees the administrative and operational affairs in the office of the director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology. In her free time, Veronica enjoys beach/river activities, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with her family.
Aguilar
Alia has her BA in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley, where she graduated in 2021. At Cal, she was involved in various animal behavior labs, as she is interested in veterinary medicine and hopes to go to vet school in a few years. In her lab experience, she has always enjoyed the administrative side of running a lab. In her free time, Alia enjoys volunteering at the Marine Mammal Center, reading, and hiking.