Great science requires a great team.
Blair W. Benham-Pyle, PhD
Principal Investigator
Blair completed her PhD at Stanford University with W. James Nelson and Beth Pruitt, studying how cell-cell adhesions translate mechanical force into cell behavior. She then moved to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, where she completed her postdoctoral work with Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado studying the mechanisms by which post-mitotic cells regulate regeneration, scaling, and behavior. She joined Baylor College of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in 2022.
Science Joys: Beautiful data communication, fluorescent cells through microscopes, story-telling
Non-Science Joys: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Volleyball, Meditation, Dinner Parties with Friends
Amit Dubey, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Amit is passionate and curious about stem cell research and is always ready to accept new challenges. As a master's student, he worked on Embryonic and Mesenchymal Stem Cells. After his master’s he developed skills in Human placenta-derived stem cells, their development in a hypoxic environment, and the function of Rab11, an Intracellular protein in drosophila intestinal stem cell differentiation. For his Ph.D. at the University of Sherbrooke, he worked with mouse Intestinal stem cells and used intestinal organoid models to decipher early aging and stem cell differentiation upon deletion of p53.
During his Postdoc Amit will explore the molecular mechanisms of aging and regenerative capacity in Planarian stem cells.
In his spare time, Amit enjoys writing poetry, reading, and cooking. He also loves to travel, get close to nature, and go on adventures when he gets a chance.
Jake Chamblee
Graduate Student, Genetics & Genomics
NSF Graduate Research Fellow 2024 - 2027
Jake completed his B.S. in Genetics at Texas A&M University while studying bacteriophage and their lysis systems in the Ry Young lab. After graduation, he helped develop phage-based antimicrobials at a biotech company in Baltimore, Maryland. He eventually returned to Ry Young’s lab and the Center for Phage Technology, where he identified and characterized the proteins used by transposable bacteriophage Mu to explosively lyse its host cells. He then enrolled in BCM’s Genetics & Genomics graduate program and joined the Benham-Pyle lab in Spring 2023. He loves learning fundamental biology from unusual and bizarre organisms, which made planarian flatworms and the Benham-Pyle lab a natural fit. His non-scientific interests include indoor and outdoor rock climbing, programming, heavy metal, and trying new foods.
Andrea Rauschmayer
Graduate Student, Genetics & Genomics
Andrea completed her B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Washington. During this time she studied the role of the polarity protein Crumbs in tube formation and elongation using Drosophila melanogaster dorsal appendage formation as a model. Following graduation, Andrea enrolled in the Genetics & Genomics program at BCM and joined the Benham-Pyle Lab in 2024. Her project explores the neural circuits underlying planarians' ability to detect and process internal and external cues and couple them to fissioning behavior. Outside of the lab, Andrea enjoys reading and writing (especially sci-fi and fantasy), cooking, and exploring Houston.
Osvaldo Kevin Moreno
Graduate Student, Genetics & Genomics
Hello! My name is Osvaldo Kevin Moreno, but I like to go by Kevin. I am originally from Santa Maria, CA. I went to the University of California, Santa Barbara, for my undergraduate degree and San Francisco State University for my master’s degree. My master’s thesis involved elucidating the molecular mechanism by which Kaposi’s associated herpesvirus regulates metabolic and apoptotic pathways. Specifically, I focused on the role of a viral GPCR (vGPCR) in modulating cell survival. My main interests revolve around aging and stem cell biology. In the Benham-Pyle lab, my project involves determining if and how Transient Regeneration Activated Cell States (TRACS) reprogram planarian stem cells to promote potency and anti-aging. Outside the lab, I enjoy pickleball, video games, anime, and the gun range.
Britya Ghosh
Graduate Student, Neuroscience
Britya is fascinated by the sensory nervous system. She hopes to understand the mechanisms of pressure sensing in mammals and in regenerative organisms (planarians!). She discovered her passion for Neuroscience quite unexpectedly during her undergrad summer internship, which eventually led her to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience. She moved to Houston to work as a research assistant at BCM, where she became interested in understanding the role of pressure sensing mediated by Piezo ion channels in the peripheral organs. Currently, Britya is a PhD student in the lab of Dr. Kara Marshall and is working in close collaboration with Dr. Blair Benham-Pyle to discover the role of mechanosensory ion channels in planaria.
Before this, Britya received her bachelor’s degree in engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, in India. She also pursued her MSc thesis in the lab of Dr. Mike Gordon at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. There, she helped discover the taste receptors that mediate attraction toward lactic acid in Drosophila melanogaster and worked with Dr. Ben Matthews to study homologous receptors in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Science joys: appreciating and analyzing spreadsheets of data and making color-coordinated graphs.
Non-science joys: painting; cooking and ingesting good food: and occasionally running outdoors when the Houston weather permits.
Asia Drenon
Research Technician
Asia completed her B.S in Biology at Grambling State University and is currently in the process of pursuing an MSc. in Medical Laboratory Science. Asia enjoys exploring and learning complex laboratory techniques and contributing to the advancement of stem cell research. She is excited to work with planarian flatworms, with a special interest in how they can produce regenerative effects in the human body. During her leisure time, Asia enjoys hand lettering and calligraphy, swimming, and playing beach volleyball with family and friends.
Haleigh Madison Brownlee
BCM PREP Scholar
Haleigh is a post-baccalaureate student in the BCM PREP Program, preparing to enter a Ph.D. program. She earned her B.S. in Aerospace Physiology with a minor in Chemistry at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. There she conducted research on the phenotypic effects of microgravity on the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. In the Benham-Pyle lab, she will continue to explore the effects of extreme environments on biological systems by studying the effects of different doses of ionizing radiation on regeneration and stem cell function in planarians.
Haleigh’s interests outside of science include scuba diving, fitness, house music/music festivals, and trying new foods!
Hannah Ashraf
Undergraduate Researcher
Hannah is a sophomore at Rice University majoring in Integrative Biology with a minor in Spanish. She first started research by working under Dr. Kayla Goliwas at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on the effect of checkpoint inhibition on modulating the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. She is excited to explore planarian flatworms and learn about their stem cells. Some of her non-scientific interests include reading, cooking with friends, walking, and watching movies.
Maybe You?!
We have open positions for graduate students and postdocs to explore a wide range of projects. Projects will use methods from genomics, fluorescence microscopy, and molecular biology to explore mechanisms that regulate stem cell biology, regeneration, and cancer prevention in planaria.
If you are interested, check out the ‘Joining the Lab’ page or reach out to Blair via e-mail/Twitter.
Benham-Pyle Lab Alumni
Jasmine Xiong, Undergraduate Researcher, Next Step: PhD Student, MIT Physics Graduate Program
Valentina Morakis, Research Technician, Next Step: Year 1 MD Student, UT Southwestern
Patricia Ngantcha, Research Technician, Next Step: Year 1 DDS Student, Dalhousie University
Juan Davila, Research Technician, Next Step: More clinical and/or patient-facing technical role
Jayden Robinson, HGSC/GREAT Summer Scholar, B.S. Sam Houston State