Andrew is a Postdoc in the Mellis Lab, having joined the group in September of 2026.

Andrew studied Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA, where he served as a Teaching Assistant after completing his undergraduate degree. While at UCLA, he studied the genetic diversity of environmentally isolated actinobacteriophages and their respective host ranges. In 2021, Andrew began his Ph.D. training at UC San Diego, where he joined the laboratory of Dr. Fabian Rivera-Chávez. During his doctoral training, Andrew studied coordinated transcriptional and metabolic perturbations that promote colonization by V. cholerae, the etiological agent of the severe diarrheal disease known as “cholera,” and how its primary virulence factor, cholera toxin, contributes to the remodeling of the pathogen’s replicative niche. As a member of the Mellis Lab, Andrew is interested in understanding the molecular and immunological principles underlying virus-neutralizing antibody design, viral evolution and immune evasion, and novel approaches to targeted gene therapy.

When he’s not in the laboratory, Andrew enjoys spending time with his growing collection of pets, exploring the city, and trying delicious foods—which, luckily, Ian likes to make.