Meet the Genes in Space Team

Jana Hersch, Ph.D. is the Educational Outreach Coordinator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Jana holds a Ph.D. in Biology from MIT and was previously a postdoctoral fellow in genetics at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research/MIT. Jana translates her deep expertise in molecular biology into creating excitement about science education working with students and teachers.

Fun Factoid: If I was to become one organelle in a cell, I would choose to be a mitochondrion. It is the powerhouse of the cell and has its own independent genome. So very cool!

Alia Qatarneh is the Program Coordinator for the Life Sciences Outreach Program at Harvard University. Alia graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Biology and is currently working on her Masters in Biotechnology. Alia serves hundreds of high school science teachers and students by introducing molecular biology concepts through hands-on experiential learning.

Fun Factoid: I recently received the Passion in Science Award for art and creativity from New England Biolabs for my science songs. At the ceremony, I rapped about PCR in front of Nobel Laureate Sir Richard Roberts. 

Sebastian Kraves, Ph.D. obtained his Doctorate in Neurobiology from Harvard Medical School and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard University. Prior to co-founding Amplyus, Sebastian was a Principal at The Boston Consulting Group where he provided consulting to leaders in healthcare, medical technology, and global health on high-impact R&D strategy and operational issues.

Fun Factoid: For my PhD on circadian clocks I built a facility to study locomotor activity in rodents, where some mice ran up to a marathon each night on a running wheel.

Ezequiel (Zeke) Alvarez Saavedra, Ph.D. holds a Doctorate in Biology from MIT and a B.Sc. from Stanford. Zeke is a genetics technology expert and widely cited and patented inventor. His work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, and the BBC.

Fun Factoid: I discovered a new worm species digging in my parents’ backyard in Argentina. It’s a close relative of Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny roundworm used in research labs around the world.