Iris Research
Our Team and Advisors
Meet the people behind the organization and the project!
Our Advisors
Professor David Schaffer, PhD
University of California, Berkeley
David Schaffer is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Bioengineering, and Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, where he also serves as the Director of the Berkeley Stem Cell Center and the Director of QB3-Berkeley.
He graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1993. Afterward, he attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned his Ph.D. also in Chemical Engineering in 1998 with Professor Doug Lauffenburger, while minoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. Finally, he conducted a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Fred Gage at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, CA, before moving to UC Berkeley in 1999.
[Source: https://schafferlab.berkeley.edu/]
Professor Su Guo, PhD
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Dr. Guo has a broad background in molecular biology, genetics, developmental biology, neurobiology, and is interested in the molecular genetic mechanisms that regulate brain development and function.
As a graduate student at Cornell University, she employed the invertebrate model organism C. elegans, and made significant contributions to the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) as well as understanding of asymmetric cell divisions. After graduation, she became fascinated with how the brain works. As a research and postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and Genentech Inc., respectively, she carried out neurobiological studies of the development of brain neurotransmitter systems, using the vertebrate genetic model organism zebrafish. After establishing her independent research lab at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Guo has continued to study the molecular genetics of neural development and has expanded her research into the understanding of behavior.
With her research, Dr. Guo strives to make significant contributions to our basic understanding of the brain and the mind, as well as to help treat neuropsychiatric disorders.
[Source: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/su-guo]
Alfred Bowie, PhD
Chief Financial Officer, Eikon Therapeutics
Dr. Alfred “Freddie” Bowie is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Eikon Therapeutics, where he leads the finance, corporate strategy, investor relations, corporate communications, procurement, clinical supply, and real estate functions.
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Prior to joining Eikon, Dr. Bowie oversaw strategic and operational functions at the genomic diagnostics company Veracyte, including corporate and business development, strategic planning and sales operations. At Veracyte, he led collaborations with companies such as Bayer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, and orchestrated multiple acquisitions. Before joining Veracyte, Dr. Bowie was Senior Director of Corporate Development and Strategy at Foundation Medicine, a wholly owned subsidiary of Roche, where he led strategic planning, corporate development, and competitive intelligence. He also served in corporate and business development positions at Tecan Group and Danaher Corporation.
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Dr. Bowie holds a doctorate in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Davidson College in North Carolina.
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As an esteemed community leader, Dr. Bowie is committed to working with student leaders to uplift those with limited resources to achieve their STEM goals.
[Source: https://www.eikontx.com/team/alfred-bowie/]
Jenn Bonilla, PhD
VP, Portfolio Strategy, Moffitt Cancer Center
President, Positive Polar
Former SVP, Gilead Sciences
Dr. Jennifer (Jenn) Bonilla is a biotech executive and entrepreneur with experience in R&D, corporate development, business development, portfolio strategy, project leadership, operations, and commercialization.
Dr. Bonilla is VP of Portfolio Strategy at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Inc., a role to which she was named in March 2024. Most recently, she served as SVP of Portfolio Strategy, Management and Operations at Gilead Sciences. She joined Gilead in May 2020 from F. Hoffman-La Roche AG, where she previously served as VP of Late Stage Business Development. During her time with F.Hoffman-La Roche, Bonilla also served as the Global Head of Global Product Strategy Business Insights Operations and Established Products. With over three decades in the health industry, she has worked for Genomic Health, Genentech, Merck & Co., and Cozint.
Bonilla holds a BA in Psychology from California State University, Fresno and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton University.
Dr. Bonilla is passionate about helping rural and farming community students to gain access to STEM opportunities, as she was born and raised in Fresno, CA, and has first-hand experience with the access difference between major cities and rural areas.
[Source: https://www.centralvalleyscholars.org/jenn-bonilla]
Professor Bingwei Lu, PhD
Stanford University
Dr. Lu’s research focuses on uncovering fundamental mechanisms underlying the development, function, and maintenance of the nervous system. His project aims to provide insight into the mechanism of how the evolutionarily conserved Notch signaling pathway acts in a non-canonical manner to regulate neural stem cell homeostasis.
This work will enable a deeper understanding of the development and maintenance of the nervous system and inform the development of novel therapy for brain tumors and a range of neurological conditions where altered Notch signaling has been implicated.
[Source: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/about-funding/javits-award/javits-award-winners/bingwei-lu]
Noem Noiwangklang, MS
Co-Lead, Innovation Discovery & Director of Workforce Development, QB3
Noem has been working in biology and biotechnology at Berkeley for 18 years and overall at UC for 24 years, including biological research, lab operations, and company startup.
Through Noem's work at QB3, she runs several programs to help the 35 startup biotechnology companies at Bakar Labs, the largest university-owned and operated biotech incubator in the country. In addition, she has co-founded two companies that are advancing gene and cell therapies to the clinic. She has since provided the companies with extensive operational support, including professional development, HR, finance, and lab operations.
As the director of workforce development, Noem has created several innovative programs to help students, including those with limited resources, find opportunities for work through QB3 internship programs, which place students with startup companies.
[Source: https://bakarlabs.berkeley.edu/about/]
Heather Beem, PhD
CEO & Founder, Practical Education Network
Dr. Beem holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). During her time in graduate school and at D-Lab, she developed a passion for STEM education and indigenous innovation. At D-Lab, she co-founded and co-instructed D-Lab: Education in addition to mentoring students from other D-Lab classes.
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While at MIT, she began developing the Practical Education Network (PEN) with a team of fellow students and others. They won numerous competitions including the MIT Sloan Africa Innovate Business Plan Competition (2015), IEEE/IBM SmarterPlanet Challenge, 1st Place Curriculum (2012), and the MIT Global Challenge/IDEAS Competition (2011).
Since graduating in 2015, Heather has been leading PEN in their pursuit of scaling experiential learning in resource-limited settings. She has worked with hundreds of students and teachers from Boston to Ghana to Peru.
Our Team
Lucas Yeung
Co-founder, President
Lucas Yeung is a high school researcher who has conducted research with two Nobel Prize winners: Michael Levitt (Stanford) and Eric Betzig (UC Berkeley), as well as Dr. Bingwei Lu at Stanford University and Dr. Xiling Shen at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation.
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He conducts research directly with Laureate Michael Levitt on AI/ML-related and computational biology topics. In Laureate Betzig’s lab, Lucas uses super-high-resolution microscopy to reveal and decipher the structure and dynamics of living cells and tissues in unprecedented detail. In Dr. Lu’s lab, his research focuses on uncovering fundamental mechanisms underlying the development, function, and maintenance of the nervous system. At the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Lucas conducts research that bridges genomic breakthroughs and clinical practice to advance treatments for human diseases.
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Lucas is a co-author on multiple published research articles and manuscripts submitted to Nature and Cell, which recognize his contributions to breakthrough research. He has also been invited to speak at several neuroscience conferences.
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Lucas feels fortunate to have had these opportunities. He’s looking to tap into the connections he made at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and UCSF to team up with student leaders and help more students—especially those with limited access—gain exposure and research opportunities in STEM. Through IRIS, he hopes to build a welcoming, supportive community of future scientists.
For his leadership, service, and community impact, Lucas was selected as a Coca-Cola Scholars Program Semifinalist and has advanced to the final rounds.
[Source: https://profiles.stanford.edu/lucas-yeung]
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Benjamin Lu
Co-Founder, VP of Outreach - South Bay
Benjamin Lu is a 10th grader at Henry M. Gunn High School with extensive research experience through internships at institutions such as Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco. His work has spanned disciplines like molecular biology, genetics, and neuroscience.
Benjamin is passionate about expanding opportunities in science for underprivileged students, and believes that no student should be held back by a lack of exposure or resources. Through his work with this nonprofit, he hopes to inspire others and foster a more inclusive scientific community.
Zoe Ahn
VP of Biotech Industry and Academic Engagement
Zoe Ahn is a freshman at Woodside Priory with a deep interest in the life sciences, especially cellular biology. Grounded in the school’s Benedictine values, she believes in kinship, service, and building community. She has completed two summers in a biotechnology lab program, gaining hands-on experience in cellular biology and genetic engineering, and is exploring a future in cellular and neurobiology.
As Vice President of Biotech Industry and Academic Engagement at IRIS, Zoe helps connect students with universities, labs, and biotechnology partners. She supports partnership outreach, coordinates guest speakers and lab visits, and contributes to internship pipelines that link curious students with real research environments.
Drawing on her design skills, she develops clear, engaging communications that translate complex science for broader audiences and promote IRIS opportunities to schools and community organizations. Zoe is excited to strengthen IRIS relationships across biotech and academia and to help fellow students discover meaningful paths into science.
Beyond the lab and leadership work, Zoe is an avid painter and ceramicist, and she enjoys applying design thinking to science communication. She also plays soccer and tennis, bringing teamwork, discipline, and persistence to everything she does.
Jayden White
Vice President of Outreach - East Bay
Jayden White is a rising 12th grader at Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond, California) with a strong passion for STEM and a deep commitment to making it more accessible for all students. Through his work with the IRIS STEM program, he strives to create opportunities for youth to engage with science in meaningful, hands-on ways.
He believes that empowering the next generation of scientists begins with outreach, mentorship, and building inclusive spaces where curiosity and innovation can thrive.
Jocelyn
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
A student at Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Jocelyn attended Diocesan Girls' School and Hong Kong International School. She has been passionate about talking too much since a very young age, first using her skills in drama and acting, then singing and public speaking, and eventually MUN and Mock Trial. Apart from talking a lot, she spends time dabbling in a little bit of everything- from dance to video production, journalism, art, and movie screenings!
Lucas Kim
Vice President, Strategy & Operations
Lucas is a rising senior at Burlingame High School with a strong passion for business and law. At school, he is actively involved in DECA as secretary, and outside of class, plays lacrosse for both the school and competitive club team. He has hands on legal experience, having interned with a law firm’s patent litigation team in hopes to further explore the legal field.
He strongly believes in equality, especially in access to education, and career resources, Through IRIS, he is dedicated to creating equal opportunities for students by connecting them with mentorship, guidance, and first-hand experience.
