Principal Investigator: Geoff Abbott, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS
University of California, Irvine
Bioelectricity Laboratory
2015-2021 archives
In the Abbott lab, there is a mix of postdocs, technical staff, graduate students and undergraduate students. Between them, they apply a wide range of techniques, from electrophysiology to mouse genetics, to advance our understanding of molecular mechanisms of ion channel function and the diseases that occur when ion channels malfunction. The lab provides training opportunities at all levels, and we encourage collaboration within the lab and with our colleagues in other labs at UC Irvine and around the world.
Lab Members
Geoff Abbott, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Ryan Manville, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Angele De Silva, B.S.
Laboratory Assistant
Dr. Abbott has been studying ion channels for >20 years. Since 2011 he has been PI of the Bioelectricity Laboratory at UC Irvine School of Medicine.
Dr. Manville studied K2P channels for his graduate studies and now expands his training with studies of ion channel-transporter interactions in the Abbott lab.
Angele joined the Abbott lab in fall 2015 as an undergraduate student and more recently started in summer 2017 as a Laboratory Assistant, working on a number of projects relating to regulation of KCNQ channels.
Adam Buie
Undergraduate Student
Hello fellow Anteaters! My name is Adam Buie and I am currently a third year Pharm-Sci major! My interest in pharmacy sparked as I was a young boy constantly running errands with my mom to pick up medication for my disabled aunt. My journey through UCI thus far has been unforgettable as I gained more experience upon the subject of pharmacy, being an adult, and being a future healthcare provider. Besides academics, my other hobbies include bike rides on the beach, experimenting with new recipes, and traveling to new countries! I would consider myself as a very determined scholar and am very appreciative to be a part of this lab!
Anushka Parihar
Undergraduate Student
Hi, my name is Anushka Parihar and I am currently a third year Biological Sciences major! I joined the Abbott Lab in Winter 2020 and I work on the botanical plant project in which I extract organic plant matter for future testing to gauge their potential therapeutic benefits. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, cooking, and listening to music!
Brianna Lau
Undergraduate Student
Giovanni Morales
Undergraduate Student
Kevin Tran
Undergraduate Student
Kristina Mai
Undergraduate Student
Vivian Wang
Undergraduate Student
My name is Brianna Lau and I’m currently a 3rd year Pharmaceutical Sciences major. I joined Abbott lab winter quarter 2020 under the botanical plant project, where I prepare various plant extracts for future testings with potassium channels.
Hi, my name is Giovanni Morales or “Gio” for short and I am a Bio Sci major with interests in pursuing medical school. On my spare time I enjoy watching anime, tricking, martial arts, and many other extreme sports. Thanks for reading!
Hi I'm Kevin and I joined the lab as a junior Fall 2019 and I'm currently working on the discovery of novel therapeutic potassium channel activators in California native plants project. I was also awarded with a UROP fellowship. I plan on pursuing a PharmD after I graduate from UCI. I enjoy making memes, playing LOL, and hanging out with my friends.
Hi! My name is Kristina Mai, and I am a current third year majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. I joined the lab in Winter 2020 and have been working on the mice project by extracting mice DNA, amplifying it through PCR, and running them in gels. In my free time, I enjoy watching shows, cooking, and spending time with my family and friends.
Hello everyone! My name is Pin Wen Wang but I usually go by Vivian. I'm currently a 3rd year Biological Sciences major and joined the Abbott Lab just around the winter quarter of 2020. I'm involved in genotying, phenotyping, and mouse breeding of the new KCNQ mouse line. On my free time I enjoy sketching, painting, and listening to music.
Recent Alumni
So Hyung Kim
Undergraduate Student
Joshua Wang
Undergraduate Student
Lily Chen, M.S.
Laboratory Assistant
Vanessa Van Lee
Undergraduate Student
Timothy Do
Undergraduate Student
Derek Guterres
Undergraduate Student
Ann Lan
Undergraduate Student
So Hyung started in the Abbott lab in 2018 and is working on a variety of projects investigating potassium channel structure and function.
Joshua started in the Abbott lab in fall 2017 and is working on a variety of projects investigating potassium channel structure and function.
Lily joined the Abbott lab in 2016 and was involved in many different projects in the Abbott lab targeted at a fuller understanding of potassium channel function and pathophysiology.
Vanessa joined the Abbott lab in fall 2014 and is currently utilizing techniques including cell culture and immunofluorescence microscopy to understand interactions between ion channel subunits and transporters.
Tim is a fourth-year undergraduate student who has mastered the art of two-electrode voltage clamp during his time in the Abbott lab. He uses this electrophysiological technique to study the action of novel compounds on Kv channels.
Derek is a fourth-year Biomedical Engineering major utilizing cell culture and electrophysiological techniques to investigate Kv channel function.
Ann is a fourth-year Biological Sciences major and has been part of the Abbott lab since April 2013. She is studying the role of KCNE2 in the pancreas and how Kcne2 deletion causes glucose intolerance in mice.
Brandon Nguyen
Undergraduate Student
Dara Nguyen
Laboratory Assistant
Victoria Nguyen
Undergraduate Student
Francesco Nguyen
Undergraduate Student
Araxi Zakarian
Undergraduate Student
Thien Nguyen
Undergraduate Student
Tony Nguyen
Undergraduate Student
Caroline Cao
Undergraduate Student
Jens-Peter David, Ph.D.
Visiting Graduate Student
(Univ. of Copenhagen)
SooMin Lee, Ph.D.
Former Graduate Student
Daniel Neverisky, Ph.D.
Former Graduate Student
Maria Papanikolaou, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Brandon joined the Abbott lab in 2014 and is currently learning a variety of techniques that he will apply to advance our understanding of ion channels and transporters.
Dara has been a part of the Abbott Lab since January 2014. She is studying how KCNE2 gene deletion accelerates diabetes and heart disease, working closely with other researchers in the lab. Dara recently graduated and is currently working as a Lab Assistant in the Abbott lab.
Victoria joined the Abbott lab in fall 2014 and is currently learning a variety of techniques that she will apply to advance our understanding of ion channels and transporters.
Francesco joined the Abbott lab in fall 2014 and is currently learning a variety of techniques that he will apply to advance our understanding of ion channels and transporters.
Araxi joined the Abbott lab in fall 2015 and is currently working on understanding the role of KCNE2 in aspects of metabolic syndrome.
Thien joined the Abbott lab in 2015 and is currently working on understanding the role of potassium channels in the pancreas.
Tony joined the Abbott lab in fall 2015 and is currently studying novel interactions between KCNE2 and proteins in other classes. Here, he demonstrates proper use of a pipette.
Caroline joined the Abbott lab in 2014 and is currently learning a variety of techniques that she will apply to advance our understanding of ion channels and transporters.
Jens-Peter was a visiting final-year graduate student from the laboratory of Nicole Schmitt at University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied all aspects of KCNE physiology to elucidate novel roles for KCNE subunits, and recently graduated with a PhD from university of Copenhagen.
SooMin studied the roles of KCNE2 in development of heart disease and diabetes mellitus. He joined Dr. Abbott's lab because of an interest in developing new therapies for heart disease.
Dan studied ion channel-transporter interactions for his Ph.D. thesis work in the Abbott lab. He is proficient in methods to study membrane proteins.
Dr. Papanikolaou studied KCNQ activation by small molecules while in the Abbott lab, using electrophysiological techniques.