Our team is focused on bringing thoughtful research to the forefront. We achieve this by creating a collaborative environment and dedicating ourselves to the successful operations of the Center’s state-of-the-art lab.

MATT THOMSON

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, SPEC
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, BIOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

Matt’s research is focused on quantitative experimental and modeling approaches to gain programmatic control over cell differentiation and function. He applies mathematical modeling, machine learning, and statistical analysis to engineer and rewire cellular physiology and to synthesize new types of cells that don’t exist in nature. He also develops simplified cellular systems in which physical models can be applied to control geometry and morphology.

Faculty page

mthomson@caltech.edu

SISI CHEN

DIRECTOR, SPEC

Sisi consults with community members on experimental and project design, fosters collaborations with industry and academic partners, and drives the development of new single-cell technologies for understanding and treating the human immune system.

sisichen@caltech.edu

JEFF PARK

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

Jeff is active in consulting and training new users in generating single-cell data from sample collection to sequencing. He is also involved in the development and implementation of new technologies for expanding the utility of single-cell sequencing, focusing on high-throughput perturbations and sample multiplexing.

TIFFANY TSOU

RESEARCH TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT

Tiffany received her B.S. in Cell and Developmental Biology at UCSB, and is interested in using single-cell technologies in the drug discovery process. She works on setting up drug screens and interpreting the results at SPEC.

REBECCA SMITH

SPEC AND THOMSON LAB ADMINISTRATOR

A long-time Caltech employee, Rebecca recently developed a keen interest in biology and feels so fortunate to be part of the lab’s cutting-edge work.

Spec Associates

DAVID BROWN

GRADUATE STUDENT

After receiving his B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, David first focused on software engineering and AI. He has since transitioned to biology, applying and developing scalable, automated methods and software for biological data analysis.

SANTIAGO LOMBEYDA

CENTER FOR DATA DRIVEN DISCOVERY

Santiago is focused on creating visually-striking media and novel tools that allow users to explore scientific data. He has collaborated with a variety of research groups at Caltech, and has recently worked to create virtual reality workspaces designed to enable scientific discovery.