Current grads, postdocs, and staff

Di Wu
Postdoctoral Researcher
woody63 /at/ uw.edu
Di joined the lab in November 2023 as a postdoctoral researcher, bringing a diverse background in plant immune signaling and plant-herbivore interactions. Currently, he is investigating the spatial aspects of INR-mediated defense, along with screening for additional components in the INR-mediated pathways.

Brian Behnken
Research Technician
bbehnken /at/ uw.edu
Brian is a microbiology major with the intention of pursuing a PhD in immunology. He joined the lab in winter of 2022 and is looking forward to learning about plant immune systems. His interests include research and reading anything from physics to biology, and outside of the academy he enjoys backpacking, finding any excuse to make curry, and create art.

Ben Sheppard
Graduate Student
bdshep /at/ uw.edu
Ben joined the UW Department of Biology in September 2021.

Natalia Guayazan-Palacios
Graduate Student
nguaya /at/ uw.edu
My MS research was focused on cell and transcriptional changes that plant pathogens undergo during host colonization, and population genetics and phenotype-genotype associations in plant pathogens. My model organisms were Phytophthora infestans (Irish famine pathogen) and Phytophthora betacei causing late blight on potato and tree tomato crops in South America, respectively. In the Steinbrenner Lab, I have expanded my interests to plant immune responses to biotic stressors. Using cowpea as a model, I aim to understand herbivore specific-immune responses and the role of the circadian clock in their strength and timing. Outside of the lab I enjoy baking, running, and learning other languages. Twitter: @nataliagupa.


Adam Steinbrenner
Principal Investigator
astein10 /at/ uw.edu


Former full-time lab members

Antionio Chaparro (2019-2022), currently in UC Berkeley PhD program for Plant & Microbial Biology
Anthony Garcia (2019-2023), currently in UW Biology PhD program
Wesley George (2022-2023), currently in UC Riverside program for Plant Biology


Undergraduate lab members

Morgan Alonso. I’m a junior majoring in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and minoring in bioethics. Outside of the lab, I enjoy teaching science lessons to elementary schoolers through Science Explorers and playing on the UW lacrosse team.

Nick Petersen

Ty Bryant

Aster Earls

Euan McCubbin

Justin Kwok

Former undergraduates

Hannah Luskin
Erika Khosrovian
Ava Kloss-Schmidt (2019-2022), currently technician at Rhee Lab, Carnegie Institute, Palo Alto CA
Karyn Tindbaek (2021-2022), currently technician at Metzger Lab, Pacific NW Research Institute, Seattle WA
Nathan Greenwood (2021-2022), currently undergraduate at UW Institute for Protein Design
Sandy Tran (2021-2022)
Sanjana Jadhav (2021)
Anthony Garcia (2019-2020), currently in UW Biology PhD program
August Liu (2021), currently Research Associate, AAV Gene Therapy at Allen Institute for Brain Science