The Forsburg Lab: Our history

The Forsburg Lab was established at the Salk Institute in September of 1993 in the (then) Molecular Biology and Virology Laboratory (MBVL). Our department was renamed the Molecular & Cell Biology Laboratory in 2001. From 1993 until 2004, there were 8 UCSD PhD students, 4 techs, and 6 and a smidgeon postdocs in the lab at one time or another, as well as numerous UCSD undergraduates, summer visitors, and rotons.

In 2004, Susan accepted an exciting new position at the University of Southern California as part of their expanding program in Molecular & Computational Biology. Will was the only one brave enough to move up to Los Angeles during the summer of 2004 to help nucleate the new lab. One final move into the brand new Molecular Biology Building happened in summer 2005. Susan's formal affiliation with UCSD as an adjunct professor ended when Will finished.

The first lab picture from spring 1994: Randy (tech), Sam (high school student), Patrick (undergrad), Susan, Dan (PhD student) and Sabine (postdoc). My, weren't we young! Dan was sporting the beard because he stopped shaving till his first year comp exam was finished.	1994-1995: Dan and Randy in the back, Susan, Sabine, and Robert in the front. Robert was a postdoc in the lab for about 6 weeks, before he got scooped up in an industry position. Debbie joined the lab later this year.
1995-1996: with Debbie (PhD student), Anton (rotation student), Randy, Dan, Susan and Sally (postdoc).	1996-1997: Dan, Sally, Debbie, Jeff (new tech), Marc (roton), and George (undergrad). Susan and ducky are reclining in front. Here's a hint: watch the changes in Jeff's appearance through the years to come!
1998: The first of the (soon to be traditional) summer beach photos! In the back: Hilary (postdoc), Dan, Mike (PhD student) and Jeff. In the front: Debbie, Sally, Susan and Danielle (MS student).	1999: Almost unchanged, the group here is (back row) Debbie, Sally, Dan, Jeff, and Drew (undergrad); in the front, Hilary, Susan, Mike and Danielle.
2000: Debbie, Jeff, Susan, Darth, Will (PhD student), Irma (undergrad), John (tech), in the front Vanessa (undergrad), Julie (postdoc), Sally, Mike and Eliana (postdoc).	summer 2001: In the back, Roddy (visiting undergrad), Vanessa (now a tech), Ciani (undergrad), Irma, Allison (new PhD student). In the front: Will, Nancy (roton), Mike, Diana (undergrad), Julie, Susan, Eliana, Rania (postdoc), Jeff, Nick (new PhD student) and John.
2002: back row: Nick, Mike, Jeff, John, Will, and Sebastian (visiting grad student from Argentina) Middle row: Allison, Jen (visiting undergrad), Susan, Eliana, Julie, Joel (SIO grad student collaborator); front row: Annette (undergrad), Vanessa, Diana, Rania and baby Salma, and Beth (new PhD student). Dan P. transfered in at the end of the year to finish his PhD .	2003. Back row:Dan P. (PhD student transfer ), Nick, John, Jeff, Will. Front row:Beth, Susan, Eliana, Julie, Aysegul (visiting undergrad from Turkey). Lots of people left his year: Rania went to industry after just over a year in the lab; Vanessa and Diana went off to grad school; Mike finished his degree and went to a postdoc, and Allison left with a master's to pursue teaching opportunities.
No picture in 2004. Will was the only one to move to USC with Susan in summer 2004. Jeff moved over to biotech. Dan P. finished and moved on to a postdoc. Nick and Beth chose to stay at UCSD. Eliana moved to Boulder and Julie and John stayed at the Salk.	2005. Mike G (undergrad), Ji-Ping (Tech) , Anthony (PhD student), Angel (postdoc), Rebecca (PhD student), Doug (postdoc), Roy (undergrad), Kyung(undergrad) Although things started small, new staff and students rapidly found us, and the lab started humming again. This picture was taken after our pre-move tour of the new building. Can YOU tell what's wrong with the DNA molecule?
2006. The gang at dim sum day.	2008. Silliness at the pombewood meeting. Lots of undergrads with us for the summer; Ruben arrived, Doug and Angel finished up.

© S. L. Forsburg .
Made on a Macintosh!