People of the Sancak Lab

Assistant Professor

Dept. of Pharmacology

Yasemin received her undergraduate degree from Bogazici University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics in Turkey in 2002 and her Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010. Her thesis work in the Sabatini Lab at the Whitehead Institute focused on understanding how cellular growth is regulated and how mammalian cells sense the availability of amino acids to regulate growth. After completion of her thesis work, she joined Dr. Vamsi Mootha’s laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital where she made important contributions to understanding mitochondrial calcium uptake machinery. She is the recipient of the Abraham J. Siegel Fellowship Award, Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award, Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, NIH Director's New Innovator Award and Pew Biomedical Scholarship. She joined the UW Pharmacology faculty in 2017.

Post-Doctoral Researcher

Dept. of Pharmacology

George grew up in Madison, WI and attended the University of Minnesota, earning a degree in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development. He received his Ph.D in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, where he worked in the lab of Dr. Gloria Brar investigating how cells decide whether to keep or discard different organelle populations during cell differentiation. As a postdoc in the Sancak lab, George is interested in how communication between organelles shapes mitochondrial function. Outside of lab, George can be found hiking, playing soccer, and exploring the Seattle food scene.

Graduate Student

Dept. of Pharmacology

Tim (he/him) graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a B.A. in Chemistry with a Neuroscience focus and a Music minor. He came back to his hometown of Seattle and worked in Dr. Larry Zweifel’s lab under Dr. Erik Carlson as a lab manager and research technician investigating dopamine-mediated cerebellar cognitive behaviors. In 2018 he joined the UW Pharmacology Ph.D. program and is currently focused on understanding calcium-regulation of mitochondrial functions.

Research Assistant

Albert is currently a junior at the University of Washington is working towards his B.S. in microbiology and Japanese fluency (JLPT N1). He is excited to develop his lab and research skills after enduring a year of online, simulated labs. Albert is currently working on mastering western blotting techniques, a key protocol in the Sancak Lab. Outside of lab, Albert enjoys watching anime and reading manga.

Research Assistant, Co-Lab Manager

Francisco (he/him) graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 with a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He hopes to pursue an MD/PhD to probe the network of relationships that lie between autoimmune disease and mast-cell activation, environmental toxins, and the gut microbiome. In the Sancak Lab, he hopes to further this pursuit by focusing in on the intersection within this network that is the mitochondria. Working with George Otto, he studies how mitochondria communicate within the cell by contact with other organelles. Outside of lab, he enjoys and loves meditation, exercise, writing, One Piece, League of Legends, and spending time with his partner and friends.

Research Assistant, Co-Lab Manager

Jane (she/her) graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 with a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. She joined the Sancak Lab to develop a strong skill set in molecular and cellular biology techniques and gain experience with all aspects of the research process to use in graduate school and beyond. In the Sancak Lab, she is working together with Nicole on her projects regarding post-translational modification SUMO and how mitochondria behave when diseased. Outside of the lab, Jane enjoys spending time with her friends, playing games, and trying out and making food.

Research Assistant

Marianna (she/her) is an undergraduate at UW who plans on studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology in addition to Early Childhood Education. For many years, she has had an interest in genetics and the beautiful design of the human body. The Sancak Lab, most prominently Dr. Sancak, is teaching her all the basics of research, and she hopes that one day she can contribute her own findings to the field of genetics. She also enjoys the fact that she can tell family and friends that she knows more about the mitochondria besides its role as the powerhouse of the cell. In her free time, Marianna likes playing Animal Crossing, hunting for clothing at thrift stores, and decorating the pages of her scrapbook with stickers.