Brandon Gaut – Principal Investigator
Brandon has been a faculty member at UCI since 1998, after being an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University, a postdoc at North Carolina State University and a graduate student at UC Riverside. When not working, he is usually trying to take advantage of the SoCal weather by pursuing some sort of outdoor activity or working toward (but not yet succeeding) at becoming a competent jazz pianist.
Tianpeng Wang – Postdoctoral Scholar
Tianpeng earned his Ph.D. in 2024 from the University of Wageningen after receiving a Masters from the Institute of Botany in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Tianpeng’s primary scientific interests revolved around the evolutionary genetics of plant systems, and he has published especially on the evolution of Brassica. In his spare time, Tianpeng likes to jog, cycle and take photos, all of which are great pursuits in the Orange County area.
Galen Martin – Postdoctoral Scholar/Research Specialist
After graduating from Warren Wilson College with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry, Galen earned his Ph.D. from UC Irvine in 2024. Galen is primarily interested in crop domestication, DNA methylation, and the evolution of transposable elements. Galen has a truly impressive and diverse background; in addition to his academic pursuits, he’s worked as a carpenter and as a professional lobster and salmon fisherman.
Becky Gaut – Lab Manager
Becky has worked in the lab for many years as primary technician and lab manager. She is definitely the better half! She is currently working part-time and spending many of her off hours training with Arlen (the incredibly cute dog) for agility competitions.