Team:Stanford/Team
About Us
The 2019 Team.
Team Gallery
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Haley Hauser
Bioengineering '21
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Alec Lourenco
Engineering Physics '20
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Zixian Ma
Computer Science '22
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Ayush Pandit
Bioengineering '22
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Draven Rane
Bioengineering '22
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Conrad Safranek
Biology '21
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Hormazd Godrej
Biology '19
Hormazd Godrej
Hormazd Godrej is a coterminal Master's student in the Statistics department at Stanford. He is interested in applying statistics, computer science and software engineering to problems in synthetic biology and population genetics. He worked on the mathematical modeling of the Qbeta replicase system.
I'm Hormazd. I'm from Mumbai, India. I did my undergraduate at Stanford in Biology (in the Computational Biology track), and am now in the second year of my coterminal Master's degree at Stanford in Statistics. I enjoy coding and am interested in the applications of computer science, statistics and mathematics to topics in biology and bioengineering. I previously did research in the Rosenberg Lab at Stanford in population genetics, on which I wrote my undergraduate thesis. Other experiences at Stanford that I've enjoyed include being an RA in my favorite dorm FroSoCo, studying abroad in Italy, and doing the Stanford in Washington program, during which I researched on the topic of biosecurity at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. I am very interested in American politics and love having discussions about the US presidential election. In my free time, I like going to the gym and reading novels (my favorite author is Dan Brown).
Haley Hauser.
She is interested in the intersection between electrical engineering and biology. She worked most closely with the ACRIIA4 testing and the T7->T3 polymerase directed evolution projects.
"My name is Haley and I'm pursuing a major in Bioengineering with a specific interest in how electrical engineering can elevate medical treatments. Outside of the lab I love to be active; I'm member of the Stanford Women's Lightweight Rowing team and enjoy all the beautiful hikes and running paths around the Bay Area. I write for Probe magazine, Stanford's only biotechnology newsletter, and enjoy writing my own poems and short stories in my free time. I love making playlists for every occasion and mood, and I'm currently working on one to get us ready for our presentation in Boston in November. I love being apart of the iGEM team, and can't wait to see what we can do!"
Alec Lourenco
He is interested in using directed evolution as a tool-building platform for and with synthetic biology. He's working on developing novel selection schema to be implemented with PADE (phage-assisted discontinuous evolution) on a liquid-handling robot and a self-replicating RNA for directed evolution.
Alec is an Engineering Physics major with a focus on biophysics. You can find him in his natural habitat of the Shriram Center running experiments or sipping tea while working out at the AOERC. You can also find him watching all sorts of art house movies, his favorite of which is Persona.
Zixian Ma
Zixian Ma is a sophomore and a computer science major, and she is also going to minor in biology. She worked on designing the AcrIIA4 directed evolution project, including the rational protein design component, and the computational parts of the other projects as well.
I’m Zixian Ma, or Sunnie, if it’s easier to pronounce. I’m currently a computer science major, although, after hearing a friend’s reason for quitting computer science, I’m not sure yet whether I’m gonna change my mind. My friends all said that it’d be a loss if I didn’t do research in academia, but I also wanna try pursuing different career paths at different points of my life. Enough of academics, though, let’s talk about something fun. At my spare time, I like dancing, was in XTRM for two quarters and shifted to CO in the last quarter of my freshman year. I was also in She++, a non-profit organization aiming to empower underrepresented groups in technology. I also just joined the Stanford Daily’s tech team, helping with front- and back-end web development. Yes, I’m a pretty techy person, or I try to be one. But don’t misread me as a boring person. I like doing fun things too – I’ve watched a meteor shower with friends on the top of Palo Alto hills, been to halfmoon bay at late night to shoot fireworks, climbed up to the top of memorial auditorium to appreciate the quietly lighted night sky.
Ayush Pandit
Ayush Pandit is a Sophomore and a Bioengineering Major interested in directed evolution and its potential clinical applications. He worked on the AcrIIA4 testing and Qbeta In Vitro component of the project.
I'm Ayush, and I'm interested in majoring in Bioengineering with a minor in Computer Science. On top of bioengineering and doing undergraduate research on campus, I love poetry and am a member of the Stanford Spoken Word Collective, I dance as part of Stanford Ritmo, a latin dance group, and I'm part of FLIP, the first generation low income partnership on campus. I also occasionally write for the Stanford Daily, and love trying out new hobbies, interests, and activities. My favorite books are The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Catch-22, and I have a soft spot for Bollywood rom-coms. I'm always looking for new books to read, shows to watch, and more. I'm super excited to be a part of this team and can't wait for the competition!
Draven Rane
Draven Rane is a sophomore pursuing a BS in Biophysics and a BA Anthropology. He is currently working on developing an organism-agnostic in vivo method of directed evolution using a translation-coupled RNA system with Qß replicase.
I am Draven Rane, a sophomore interested in Biophysics and Anthropology. I spend most my time at work and at my favorite study spots such as atop McMurtry. When I'm not working or studying, I volunteer with Cardinal Free Clinics, watch cardiothoracic surgery videos on YouTube, or am busy at Shriram with BIOME as the lab manager for the student organization that sponsors student bioengineering research. Fun facts about me include my love of cooking vegan cuisine, I play the violin, my favorite movie is The Blind Side, I hate cilantro, and I am FLI.
Conrad Safranek
He is minoring in Management Science and Engineering. He took point on overall project and team coordination and also worked on testing and evolving novel anti-CRISPR proteins with QBeta-based directed evolution.
I'm Conrad and am a junior majoring in Biology while also studying Management Science and Engineering in hopes of adding a minor. Outside of research as part of the iGEM genetic engineering team, I'm involved with fundraising for Dance Marathon, volunteering at Cardinal Free Clinics, and playing waterpolo for Stanford's club team. Having grown up in the Bay Area, I'm big on the outdoors and love hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains and spending my off days on the beach in Half Moon Bay. I hope that the different technical and leadership skills that I learn while full-heartedly engaging with undergrad research and different communities on campus will someday be applied to a career as a doctor. I'm incredibly excited for our research project this summer and cannot wait to see what we have discovered by October for the iGEM Jamboree.