Senior Technician - Data Manager & Bioinformatics Lead
BS in Marine Sciences, University of Alicante (2017)
MS in Aquaculture & Biology, Nord University (2018)
PhD in Genetics, Nord University (2026)
Alex obtained his PhD in Genetics by studying the epigenetic landscape of early embryonic development. After working two years at the OIST Core Facilities - Sequencing Section, Alex is now the Data Manager and Bioinformatics Lead for the Biodesign Unit, where he supports other members in their research, while also attempting to keep up with AI advancements.
In his spare time, Alex can be found freediving at the depths of the ocean trying to escape the overstimulating outside world, or attempting to cook some delicious meals (and failing).
Contact: alex.wardale [at] oist.jp
Andrew Liu
Lab Manager - Fieldwork Coordinator
BA Biology UC Santa Cruz (1988)
MS Biology Stanford University (1992)
Andy is a lifelong technical specialist who began studying algal biology at UC Santa Cruz. His career started at Sandoz Crop Protection in 1988, working with Bacillus thuringiensis gene expression in Brassica oleracea. He earned his MSc from Stanford University in 1992, studying rice adh1 promoters under Virginia Walbot.
His diverse career spanned multiple continents and disciplines: developing transformation protocols for Calgene Pacific's Blue Rose Project in Australia (1993), creating soluble Human B-cell receptors for T-cell tracking at University of Washington (1996), live imaging Drosophila neurodevelopment at RIKEN Japan (2004), studying striatal cholinergic systems with Jeff Wickens at OIST (2010), characterizing tunicate genomes with Nicholas Luscombe (2017), and currently supporting Naomi's multidisciplinary Biodesign lab while coordinating public fieldwork studies (2025).
Andy enjoys surfing longboards and music.
Contact:andrew.liu [at] oist.jp
Anissa Kennedy
Postdoctoral Scholar
BS in Biology, Winston-Salem State University (2016)
MS in Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro (2018)
PhD in Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University, (2022)
Anissa has travelled the world following bee research. She ultimately aims to understand laboratory data and how that translates to field-relevant solutions. Her research has primarily focused on molecular, chemical, and bioinformatic approaches to understand underlying mechanisms driving chemical communication and behavior in bees. She now plans to explore a variety of social insects and integrate new approaches from the fields of evolutionary and developmental biology to gain a more holistic understanding of eusociality and the evolution of social behaviors. Her interests aside from research are varied. Her favorite pass time is baking sourdough creations. Her favorite part of everyday is coffee time!
Contact: anissa.kennedy [at] oist.jp
Antonio Casablanca
Research Intern - PhD Student
MEng Molecular Bioengineering, Imperial College London (2024)
Antonio graduated from Imperial College London (UK) in 2024 with an MEng in Molecular Bioengineering.
For his thesis, he developed synthetic gene circuits for a larger project to use auxin as a morphogen in yeast.
Currently, Antonio is a PhD Student & Research Intern (it's complicated), continuing from the lab's time in the UK. In his research, he is working on alternative methods to agriculture for obtaining plant-derived biomaterials.
Outside the lab, Antonio is typically lounging at the beach, or trying out a new creative outlet, ranging from sewing to electronics to woodworking.
Contact: antonio.casablanca [at] oist.jp
Ayuto Yashiro
Rotation Student
BS in Biological Sciences, Hokkaido University (2026)
Ayuto obtained his bachelor’s degree from Hokkaido University, where he studied how the polar transport of plant hormones is established and maintained to regulate plant morphogenesis. His research interests lie in the design principles of biological structures, particularly the developmental processes and regulatory factors underlying the pappus of dandelions, as well as the evolutionary relationships among plants that independently evolved similar flight-aiding structures.
Away from the lab, Ayuto enjoys walking and driving with his wife.
PhD in Evolutionary Developmental Biology, ENS Lyon (2008)
Cédric completed his PhD in plant evo-devo at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. He then worked on various aspects of insect evo-devo as a postdoctoral fellow: the emergence of novel traits in flies (Sean Carroll's lab) and water striders (Abderrahman Khila’s lab), the orientation of cell division in Drosophila (Bénédicte Sanson’s lab), and the production of structural colours in butterflies (Antónia Monteiro's lab). Now, he is supervising projects on insect cuticle at the interface between biology, photonics, and engineering.
Away from the bench, Cédric enjoys sipping a cup of green tea in tête-à-tête with Virginia Woolf (and many others).
Contact: cedric.finet [at] oist.jp
Chiyo Jinno
Postdoctoral Scholar
BS in Science, Hokkaido University (2019)
MS in Life Science, Hokkaido University (2021)
PhD in Life Science, Hokkaido University (2024)
Chiyo got her PhD in Life Science from Hokkaido University, where she studied the regulation of cell-to-cell communication in land plants, focusing on plasmodesmata as key structures for plant multicellularity. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the lab, investigating artificial control of multicellularity using synthetic biology approaches in plants.
Outside the lab, she enjoys painting and drawing in Okinawa. During her time in Hokkaido, she also loved hiking in the mountains and relaxing in hot springs.
Contact: chiyo.jinno [at] oist.jp
Devshuvam Banerji
Rotation Student
BS in Biology , Ashoka University
Postgrad in Biology (ASP), Ashoka University
MS in Evolutionary Biology, University of Montpellier and Uppsala University
A Pluviophile and a microbial lover. Love understanding the interactions in the world hidden under blind sight. Passionate about cooking and eating good food. Enjoying my newly found passion for gardening and my old habit of baking!
Eftychis obtained his PhD from the University of Oxford in the UK, where he focused on plant evolutionary development (evo-devo). After completing his PhD, he moved to the University of Tokyo as a JSPS Fellow, where he worked on developing a new experimental model system for hornworts, one of the seven main groups of land plants. Following a year in Hong Kong as a postdoctoral fellow at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Eftychis returned to the UK as a research associate at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences, where his research centered on chloroplast biology. He now oversees projects with a broad focus on plant synthetic biology.
Outside the lab, Eftychis enjoys “experimental travelling” and slow running.
Contact: eftychios.frangedakis [at] oist.jp
Emma Leigh Fellows
Resesarch Intern
BS in Environmental Science, Wheaton College Massachusetts (2026)
Emma graduated from Wheaton College in Massachusetts with a bachelor's in environmental science concentration in biology minoring in women and gender studies, and philosophy. Her research interests lie in botany and plant ecology, in connection with changing environment and human factors. Focusing on evolution of and threats to rare plants, and crop plants, such as Vanilla Orchids.
Outside the lab, Emma enjoys snorkeling and photographing plant and animal species.
Contact: emmaleigh.fellows [at] oist.jp
Kanae Oshiro
Research Unit Administrator
In her role as a research unit administrator, Kanae finds it truly rewarding to be able to support the research activities of the PI and unit members. She is also deeply grateful for the valuable opportunity to engage with distinguished guests from both within Japan and overseas.
Contact: kanae.oshiro [at] oist.jp
Lazzat Aibekova
Postdoctoral Scholar
BS in Biological Sciences, Nazarbayev University (2018)
PhD in Science, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (2025)
Lazzat received her PhD from the Biocomplexity and Biodiversity Unit at OIST, focusing on the factors driving variation in musculature investment in ant workers. Now in the Biological Designs Unit, she is studying the effects of wind on plant morphogenesis. In her free time, she enjoys camping and social dancing.
Contact: lazzat.aibekova [at] oist.jp
Saori Chappell
Research Unit Administrator
Saori is a research administrator supporting the general operations and daily running of the lab. Her role involves handling administrative tasks, ensuring the lab functions smoothly and assisting researchers so that they can focus on their projects. She was born and raised in Okinawa and later moved to the UK to pursue her studies. Although her background is English literature and media post-production, she enjoys applying the skills she gained in an environment where collaboration is essential beyond the fields.
Outside of work, Saori enjoys listening to music, travelling to the mainland for live music, and studying art. Spending time with friends and family is also very important to her, as it helps her stay balanced.
Contact: saori.chappell [at] oist.jp
Tobias Hrovat
Rotation Student
MS Molecular Biology, University of Vienna
Tobi graduated with a MS in Molecular Biology from the University of Vienna. During his thesis, he developed a microfluidic screening approach to study the role of second messengers in cell signalling of plant cells. Currently, Tobi is a PhD student at OIST spending his second rotation in our lab working on the implementation of Marchantia for chloroplast-based bioproduction. Outside the lab, Tobi enjoys to climb, enjoying the Okinawan nature at land and sea and connecting with the local culture.
Contact: tobias.hrovat [@] oist.jp
Yoshiko Harukawa
Lab Manager
Yoshiko, who likes to be called Yoshi, majored in organic synthesis when she was a student. In Tokyo, she spent five years supporting cancer research, mainly carrying out sequencing and cell culture. Yoshi also spent around a year volunteering abroad, mostly in Thailand, India, and Egypt. After returning to Japan, she switched her research focus from animals to plants. Now, she uses her experience to help keep the Biodesign lab running smoothly and efficiently on a daily basis.
Yoshi's favorite hobby is to plan trips abroad, having visited over 30 countries so far, she may have even been to your city!
