Omar S. Akbari received his B.S./M.S. in Biotechnology from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2005, and his Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the same institution in 2008, where he studied transcriptional regulation during development under the mentorship of Professors Robert Drewell and Chi-Yun Pai. Following his doctoral work, Dr. Akbari joined the laboratory of Professor Bruce A. Hay at the California Institute of Technology as a Senior Postdoctoral Scholar, where he applied principles of synthetic biology to engineer population-control technologies for insects and other animal systems. In 2015, he began his independent career as an Assistant Professor of Entomology in the Center for Infectious Disease Vector Research (CIDVR) at the University of California, Riverside. In 2017, he joined the University of California, San Diego as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology within the School of Biological Sciences. Dr. Akbari is also an entrepreneur and innovator. He co-founded Agragene, Inc. in 2018, a biotechnology startup developing sustainable pest-control technologies, and Synvect, Inc. in 2022, which focuses on novel genetic tools for insect vector control. He was promoted to Associate Professor (with tenure) in 2019, Professor in 2021, and in 2025 was named the Tata Chancellor’s Endowed Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at UC San Diego.
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Principal Investigator
Omar S. Akbari, Ph.D. Tata Chancellor’s Endowed Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology School of Biological Sciences Department of Cell and Developmental Biology University of California, San Diego Link to Linkedin Profile Link to X Profile Link to ORCID Link to Google Scholar Link to PubMed Mailing Address: University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0335 La Jolla, CA 92093 Office Phone: +1 (858) 246-0640 Email Address: [email protected] Office Location: 5101 Tata Hall Lab Location: 5th floor Tata Hall Click here for current CV |
Robyn Raban, Ph.D.
Research Data Analyst
Robyn Raban received her B.S. in Environmental Science/Ecology from UC Berkeley. She also received an M.S. in Entomology from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology from Colorado State University. Before joining the Akbari lab in 2017, she worked in industry and academia as a project manager, scientist and grant writer.
Contact: [email protected] Phone: (858) 246-2066 Google Scholar Click here for current CV
Robyn Raban received her B.S. in Environmental Science/Ecology from UC Berkeley. She also received an M.S. in Entomology from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology from Colorado State University. Before joining the Akbari lab in 2017, she worked in industry and academia as a project manager, scientist and grant writer.
Contact: [email protected] Phone: (858) 246-2066 Google Scholar Click here for current CV
Judy Della Rocca
Staff Research Associate II (SRA)
Judy Della Rocca joined the Akbari Lab in 2016 and is currently the head Lab Technician of the Akbari mosquito insectary space. Her work is the maintenance and rearing of wildtype and transgenic Aedes and Anopheles mosquitos.
Contact: [email protected]
Judy Della Rocca joined the Akbari Lab in 2016 and is currently the head Lab Technician of the Akbari mosquito insectary space. Her work is the maintenance and rearing of wildtype and transgenic Aedes and Anopheles mosquitos.
Contact: [email protected]
Iliano Coutinho-Abreu, Ph.D.
Staff Research Associate III (SRA)
Iliano Coutinho-Abreu received his B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Genetics from the Federal University of Pernambuco (Brazil). In 2011, Iliano Coutinho-Abreu finished his PhD in Entomology at Kansas State University, with the dissertation entitled “Molecular aspects of sand fly-based vaccine development”. In the same year, Dr. Coutinho-Abreu joined the Ray Lab at UC Riverside as a postdoc to investigate the olfactory systems of the Asian citrus psyllid and mosquitoes for the development of odor-based control methods. In 2014, Dr. Coutinho-Abreu moved to the Valenzuela Lab at NIH and as a postdoc studied Leishmania-sand fly molecular interaction, the evolution of salivary proteins, and the development of saliva-based vaccines. As a SRA in the Akbari Lab at UCSD since September 2020, Dr. Coutinho-Abreu has been working on the development of novel genetic strategies for the control of insect disease vectors.
Contact: [email protected] Google Scholar
Iliano Coutinho-Abreu received his B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Genetics from the Federal University of Pernambuco (Brazil). In 2011, Iliano Coutinho-Abreu finished his PhD in Entomology at Kansas State University, with the dissertation entitled “Molecular aspects of sand fly-based vaccine development”. In the same year, Dr. Coutinho-Abreu joined the Ray Lab at UC Riverside as a postdoc to investigate the olfactory systems of the Asian citrus psyllid and mosquitoes for the development of odor-based control methods. In 2014, Dr. Coutinho-Abreu moved to the Valenzuela Lab at NIH and as a postdoc studied Leishmania-sand fly molecular interaction, the evolution of salivary proteins, and the development of saliva-based vaccines. As a SRA in the Akbari Lab at UCSD since September 2020, Dr. Coutinho-Abreu has been working on the development of novel genetic strategies for the control of insect disease vectors.
Contact: [email protected] Google Scholar
Andie Smidler, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Andie (Andrea) Smidler received her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 2011, where she completed her honors thesis on the topic of plant cell death. Soon after, she became interested in using GM technologies to control vector-borne disease and began research on the topic at the University of Strasbourg, France. While there she earned her M.Res, and pioneered the use of TAL-endonucleases to create targeted gene knockouts in Anopheles gambiae. After returning to the US, she pursued a Ph.D. at Harvard University jointly between the Flaminia Catteruccia and George Church Labs, and graduated in 2019. Her dissertation research focused on developing transgenic tools for vector control, including CRISPR-based gene drive and genetic sterilization technologies, a line of research she is continuing at UCSD.
Contact: [email protected] Google Scholar
Andie (Andrea) Smidler received her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 2011, where she completed her honors thesis on the topic of plant cell death. Soon after, she became interested in using GM technologies to control vector-borne disease and began research on the topic at the University of Strasbourg, France. While there she earned her M.Res, and pioneered the use of TAL-endonucleases to create targeted gene knockouts in Anopheles gambiae. After returning to the US, she pursued a Ph.D. at Harvard University jointly between the Flaminia Catteruccia and George Church Labs, and graduated in 2019. Her dissertation research focused on developing transgenic tools for vector control, including CRISPR-based gene drive and genetic sterilization technologies, a line of research she is continuing at UCSD.
Contact: [email protected] Google Scholar
Hsing-Han (Jade) Li, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Hsing-Han (Jade) received her B.S in Department of Biotechnology (2010) at Asia University, Taiwan, and M.S. in Institute of Biological Science and Technology (2012) at the China Medical University, Taiwan, Ph.D. in Institution of Biotechnology Science and Technology (2020) at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, while working with Chun-Hong Chen at the National Institute of Infectious Disease and Vaccinology at the National Health Research Institute (NHRI) in Taiwan. During her Ph.D. she worked on using CRISPR in mosquitoes. She joined the Akbari lab in late 2021 and is interested in working on gene-editing transgenic tools for vector-borne disease and pest control, including CRISPR-based gene drive technologies.
Contact: [email protected]
Hsing-Han (Jade) received her B.S in Department of Biotechnology (2010) at Asia University, Taiwan, and M.S. in Institute of Biological Science and Technology (2012) at the China Medical University, Taiwan, Ph.D. in Institution of Biotechnology Science and Technology (2020) at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, while working with Chun-Hong Chen at the National Institute of Infectious Disease and Vaccinology at the National Health Research Institute (NHRI) in Taiwan. During her Ph.D. she worked on using CRISPR in mosquitoes. She joined the Akbari lab in late 2021 and is interested in working on gene-editing transgenic tools for vector-borne disease and pest control, including CRISPR-based gene drive technologies.
Contact: [email protected]
Fangying Chen, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Fangying Chen is from Inner Mongolia, China. She received her B.S. of Plant Protection and M.S of Agricultural Insects and Pest Control in the Northwest A&F University, China. Fangying then went to the Netherlands and obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Groningen. At the end of 2021, she will continue her research as a postdoctoral scholar in the Akbari lab and use gene-editing tools to answer applied biological questions. She will be joining the Akbari Lab - December 2021.
Contact: [email protected]
Fangying Chen is from Inner Mongolia, China. She received her B.S. of Plant Protection and M.S of Agricultural Insects and Pest Control in the Northwest A&F University, China. Fangying then went to the Netherlands and obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Groningen. At the end of 2021, she will continue her research as a postdoctoral scholar in the Akbari lab and use gene-editing tools to answer applied biological questions. She will be joining the Akbari Lab - December 2021.
Contact: [email protected]
Eddie Hill, M.D.
Infectious Disease Fellow
Eddie Hill received his B.A. degrees in Biology and Philosophy from Whitman College in 2014, where he completed his thesis on the topic of flying insect dispersion patterns. Eddie obtained his M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 2020 and subsequently started residency at UCSD during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished residency in 2023, and he is currently in a research-focused Infectious Diseases fellowship. Eddie joined the Akbari Lab in July 2024. He is currently working on tick transgenesis in an effort to reduce the burden of tick-borne infections.
Contact: [email protected]
Eddie Hill received his B.A. degrees in Biology and Philosophy from Whitman College in 2014, where he completed his thesis on the topic of flying insect dispersion patterns. Eddie obtained his M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 2020 and subsequently started residency at UCSD during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished residency in 2023, and he is currently in a research-focused Infectious Diseases fellowship. Eddie joined the Akbari Lab in July 2024. He is currently working on tick transgenesis in an effort to reduce the burden of tick-borne infections.
Contact: [email protected]
Grace Dennen, B.S.
Masters Student
Grace Dennen joined the Akbari Lab in 2024 as an undergraduate researcher and received her B.S. in Microbiology from UCSD. Her research focuses on genetic engineering approaches in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes aimed at reducing the transmission of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria.
Contact: [email protected]
Grace Dennen joined the Akbari Lab in 2024 as an undergraduate researcher and received her B.S. in Microbiology from UCSD. Her research focuses on genetic engineering approaches in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes aimed at reducing the transmission of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria.
Contact: [email protected]
Louis Chan, B.S.
Masters Student
Louis graduated with a B.S. in molecular and cell biology from UCSD in 2025, having been an undergraduate researcher in the Akbari Lab. Currently a Master’s student in the biology BS/MS program, he’s interested in gene drives and CRISPR-based suppression of insect populations.
Contact: [email protected]
Louis graduated with a B.S. in molecular and cell biology from UCSD in 2025, having been an undergraduate researcher in the Akbari Lab. Currently a Master’s student in the biology BS/MS program, he’s interested in gene drives and CRISPR-based suppression of insect populations.
Contact: [email protected]
Undergraduate Student Researchers
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Elvin Luu
Elvin Luu is a Human Biology major who plans to graduate in 2026. He joined the Akbari Lab in October 2022 with an interest in novel mosquito control techniques. Elvin looks forward to learning more about the field of gene engineering.
Contact: [email protected] |
Antara Bhatt
Antara Bhatt is 3rd year biochem major studying at UC San Diego currently. Also an aspiring MD, passionate about serving the society and community at large. She joined the akbari lab before summer of 2023. Primarily helps sex sort mosquitos.
Contact: [email protected] |
Rini Khatuya
Rini Khatuya plans to graduate from UC San Diego in 2025 as a Human Biology major with a Global Health minor. She joined the Akbari lab in August 2023 as an undergraduate research volunteer. Rini is interested in varied approaches to preventative health, including responsible gene editing as a tool to reduce vector-borne disease morbidity.
Contact: [email protected] |
Kevin Yang
Kevin Yang is a molecular and cell biology student planning to graduate in 2026. He joined the Akbari Lab in November 2023 as an undergraduate researcher. He is interested in genetic engineering and doing wet labs.
Contact: [email protected] |
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