Rae Robertson-Anderson

Rae M Robertson-Anderson received her BS in Physics from Georgetown University in 2003, where she was awarded a Luce Foundation Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship and elected into Phi Beta Kappa. She received her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, San Diego in 2007, funded by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Anderson was then awarded an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein postdoctoral fellowship for her molecular biology postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute before joining the faculty at USD in 2009.

Robertson-Anderson has received over $4M in grants since 2010 to support her research, including prestigious awards such as a W.M. Keck Foundation Research Grant (2018), an NSF CAREER Award (2013), an Air Force Young Investigator Program Award (2012), and Research Corporation Cottrell Scholars Award (2010). She has published 53 peer-reviewed papers in top-ranking journals including PRL, Science Advances, Nature Communications, and PNAS. Robertson-Anderson has given 34 invited talks at institutions and conferences around the world, has organized and hosted 4 soft matter research symposiums, and currently serves on advisory boards for Research Corporation, the Beckman Foundation, and the Murdock Charitable Trust.

Robertson-Anderson is equally passionate about promoting and advancing undergraduate research and education. Serving as Councilor for the National Council on Undergraduate Research since 2015, Robertson-Anderson joined USD with the express intention of engaging undergraduates in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and shaping the undergraduate physics curriculum at a national level. 31 of Robertson-Anderson’s 53 publications include undergraduate co-authors, and the 62 research students (44 undergraduates, 4 community college students, 15 high school students, 3 MS, 1 Ph.D.) and 7 postdocs she has mentored since 2010 have given 52 presentations at national conferences. Her research students have also received prestigious awards including Goldwater Scholarships, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, and an APS LeRoy Apker Award. To further train the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists, Robertson-Anderson has established a research-intensive undergraduate Biophysics Major program at USD that has served as a model for liberal arts institutions across the country.

Dr. Anderson's CV may be accessed here.

Ashlee McGovern (She/Her)

Ashlee received her BS in Chemistry and Math from Pacific Lutheran University in 2017. Then she obtained her PhD in Chemistry from Pennsylvania State University in 2024 while working on controlling the microscopic motion of active matter. She will be joining the Anderson lab in August 2024!

Anindya Chowdhury

Anindya obtained his PhD from Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, India. His primary research was on studying the effect of salt and polyelectrolytes on the self-assembled structures of ionic amphiphiles, mostly using the small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique. He is currently studying spatiotemporal force generation in active actin-microtubule networks using optical tweezers, confocal microscopy, and differential dynamic microscopy. He loves listening music and playing cricket and football.

Karthik Reddy Peddireddy

Karthik obtained his Ph.D. from Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany. He investigated interfacial instabilities in liquid crystal-water systems during his Ph.D. As a postdoctoral researcher in our group, his work focuses on mapping molecular-level dynamics to mesoscale mechanics in composite DNA-based biomaterials. His favorite person on the planet is his niece. He loves volleyball, cycling, experiencing new cultures and traditions. More details about his research background are available here or LinkedIn Profile

Pawan Khanal

Hi, I am from Kathmandu, Nepal. I completed my undergraduate studies at Troy University, Troy, Alabama, with a major in Physics and Mathematics. I have been working in the Robertson-Anderson Lab since summer 2019. Currently, I am a post-baccalaureate researcher in the lab. My research interests in biomaterials stem from my work in the lab in summer 2019. I have worked on multiple projects such as microfluidics to study Cytoskeleton networks and macrorheology and microrheology of complex biomaterials like DNA. To study the microscale characteristics of such complex biomaterials, I track the Brownian motion of fluorescent microspheres, also called Particle Tracking, in the complex solutions using Python’s trackpy feature. Along with that, I also use the Differential Dynamic Microscopy (DDM) tool to do microrheology. And, I use a Rheometer to study the macroscale properties.
LinkedIn Profile

Tia Peterson

Tia Peterson is a summer research student from St. John's College in Annapolis. We use a very basic circadian rhythm that functions through the binding and unbinding of kaiABC proteins and we try to bind polystyrene beads to these proteins to create "living materials," non-living substances that would bind and unbind on there own, well, at least with the help of the kais! We are now trying to link DNA onto the kai proteins as well, since that will make the living materials even more alive. Tia is interested in medicine and hopes that time in the lab will help in the medical field in the future.

Sean O'Keefe

Sean is a rising junior double majoring in Integrated Engineering and Biophysics with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in mathematics. Sean's research is currently focused on analyzing the properties of shake gels by using optical tweezers to observe the behavior of fluorescent microbeads submerged in shake gel solutions. Sean is also on the cross-country and track teams here at USD and enjoys going to concerts, the beach, and hanging out with my friends.

Michael Arellano

Michael is a second-year biophysics major with a minor in music. His past work revolved around the dynamics and conformation of topologically active DNA but has since expanded to understanding the topological response of Olympic Ring DNA to enzymes such as Topoisomerase. He spends his free time playing the clarinet and sailing with friends.

Katarina Matic

Katarina Matic is a third-year Physics major with a minor in mathematics and has been part of the lab since June 2023. She was awarded the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Scholarship for researching bacterial cells in cytoskeleton composites. Her work examines how cells embedded in fibrous scaffolds are spatially distributed and how they modify the scaffold structure and mechanics, which is critical to engineering tissue and living materials. In her free time, Katarina enjoys reading and working out.

Danna Aguilar

Danna is a second-year Pre-Engineering major at San Diego Miramar College and plans to transfer to a 4-year university to complete her B.S. in Environmental Engineering. This year, she will work in the Robertson-Anderson Lab researching the topological change of Olympic Ring DNA over time in response to enzymes such as Topoisomerase and viscoelastic fluids. Outside of academics, she enjoys painting, hiking, and exercising.

Maya Hendija

Maya Hendija graduated from the University of San Diego in 2023 with a degree in Physics and induction into the Sigma Pi Sigma honor society. Maya is a recent recipient of both national and local awards including the SPS 2023 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award recognizing her outstanding student research and USD’s Kathryn Regan Service Award for her service to the physics department and University. Post-graduation, Maya was awarded the Cottrell Postbac Award and began a post-baccalaureate research year in the lab where she conducts research in autonomous material development with a focus on cytoskeletal restructuring and hydrogels.

Juexin Marfai

Juexin is a third-year biophysics major and mathematics minor and she is also a veteran with 7 years of military experience in the U.S. Navy. This summer she will be working on encapsulations by creating cell-like vesicles that encapsulate DNA and crowding proteins to mimic cells and to understand how molecules to transport and organize under cell confinement and crowding. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, working out, and spending time with her dogs.

Alyxandra Vyn

Alyxandra is a Physics major with a minor in Mathematics. She will complete her B.S at the University of San Diego. This year she will be working in the Robertson-Anderson lab focusing on the circadian clock of active cytoskeleton networks. In her free time, Alyxandra loves to read and watch documentaries but can also be frequently found at the beach.