Current PhD Students

CJ Pickett

C.J. Pickett received his B.S. in Biology from Rhode Island College in Spring 2013. There, he worked in the developmental laboratory of Dr. Thomas H. Meedel, studying the functional evolution of the myogenic regulatory factor family using Ciona intestinalis as their model organism. C.J. is conducing his master’s thesis in the lab of Dr. Robert Zeller through the Cell and Molecular Biology program at San Diego State University. In the Zeller Lab, C.J. will be working on elucidating the gene regulatory network of Ciona's developing peripheral nervous system cells. He aims to establish an efficient method of knocking down and knocking out genes in Ciona. C.J. enjoys teaching anatomy and surfing.