PI
Nathaniel W. Martinez, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Nathaniel W. Martinez is an Associate Professor in the Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly. Dr. Martinez started his scientific career as an anatomy laboratory student technician at Diablo Valley College (DVC is a community college in Pleasant Hill, CA). Under the tutelage of Dr. Martha Dixon, he got bit by the lab-bug and hasn't stopped since! Dr . Martinez transferred to UC Santa Cruz where he graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. During his time at UCSC he performed research on organic synthesis and asymmetric catalysis, under the mentorship of Dr. Bakthan Singaram. Upon graduation with honors, Dr. Martinez participated as a Post baccalaureate intramural research trainee at the NIAID, NIH. Under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Leppla and Dr. Mahtab Moayeri, Dr. Martinez researched the Bacillus Anthracis toxin, lethal factor protein. Dr. Martinez completed his training as an MD/PhD trainee at the Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program in NYC, where he performed his graduate research on the assembly pathways of the HIV-1 virus under the mentorship of Dr. Marilyn Resh.
Dr. Martinez joined the Cal Poly community in 2013 as a lecturer and then as a tenure-track professor in 2014. Dr. Martinez has run his interdisciplinary lab since 2014 and continues to get that same feeling of excitement in the lab as he did over 20 years ago when he first stepped into the DVC anatomy lab.
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Contact: nmarti32@calpoly.edu
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Graduate Students
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students
Aditya Jangid
Aditya Jangid
Adi is am a ​third-year student pursuing his degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology. He joined the Martinez lab during his freshman year and has worked primarily on 3D printing projects and point of care diagnostics. Adi is greatly interested in bridging aspects of engineering and biology to create exciting solutions in medicine and healthcare. Outside of the lab, he is a former Division I swimmer and loves to play guitar, cook, and read in his spare time. Feel free to contact Adi at his email below.
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Contact: ajangid@calpoly.edu
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Jay Wells
My name is JT, and I am a second year graduate student in the Martinez lab. I earned my BS in Biology and Minor in Chemistry at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO., where I also played DII football. I am a local, born and raised in Nipomo. In my free time I like I work at my family’s cabinet shop as a carpenter, go fishing, and coach football at my former high school.
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Contact: jwells03@calpoly.edu
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Neele Thom
Neele is a student in the Biology Maser's program with a concentration in regenerative medicine. She is currently working on the 3D paper cell culture scaffold project in the Martinez lab, but also has research interests in stem cell differentiation biology and cell therapy technologies. Outside of the lab she enjoys painting, rollerblading, and baking bread.
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Ward Kirschbaum
Ward Kirschbaum is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Cal Poly. He is working to complete his degree in biological sciences with a concentration in cellular and molecular biology, and a minor in entrepreneurship. In the Martinez Lab, Ward has worked since his sophomore year to characterize dialdehyde cellulose paper as a new platform to be used for cell culture and tissue engineering applications. With his work, Ward hopes to spark new research and innovation in fields which utilize cell culture and its applications. Ward is a strong supporter of undergraduate research and would be happy to share his experiences with any student seeking to learn more about research at Cal Poly.
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Contact: ckirschb@calpoly.edu
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Brandon Strong
Hi! My name is Brandon and I am a second year graduate student. I am a Cal Poly Alumni completing my Bachelors in Biological Sciences and have been in the Martinez lab for 4 years. I am originally from Sacramento, California and have also conducted research at the UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology. I am currently applying to M.D./Ph.D programs. In my free time I like to read medical journals, travel, and golf.
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Contact: ebstrong@calpoly.edu
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Megan Mitchell
Megan is a fourth year Biological Sciences major with a Spanish minor. She is from San Jose, CA, and has been working in the Martinez Lab for two years. Megan has primarily been working on developing a point-of-care diagnostic assay to diagnose cerebrospinal fluid leaks. She is looking forward to further developing this project in the fall. Megan is also the president of AMSA which coordinates and provides opportunities for students interested in becoming physicians.
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Willem Desmond
Willem is a third-year Biological Sciences major concentrating in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He is a member of the HIV Research Team in the Dr. Martinez Lab. Willem’s strong passion for immunology and virology make the HIV team a perfect fit. He is member of both the Cal Poly Honors College and Dean’s list. In the summer of 2019, Willem interned at Oregon Health and Science University in the DeFilippis Lab studying innate immunity. After graduating, Willem hopes to pursue a PhD in the microbiology field. His hobbies include mountain biking and graphic design.
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Jonah Holbrook
Hi! My name’s Jonah Holbrook and I’m a 4th year Biomedical Engineering major. In lab, I work on developing medical diagnostic tests and devices using 3D printing. My goal is to attend medical school after college to help apply the knowledge I’ve learned directly to those in need. Outside of lab, you can find me at the beach, going for long bike rides, or exploring a new national park! Feel free to reach out to me at my email!
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Contact: jholbroo@calpoly.edu
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Nicole Siguenza
I am a fourth year Biochemistry and Microbiology double-major. I have been working in Dr. Martinez's lab since August 2017 on the HIV-1 Particle Assembly project. In addition to research, I am a College of Science and Mathematics Academic Coach, I coach and participate in recreational gymnastics, and I am the President of the Cal Poly Rotaract Club.
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Jacqueline Chuang
Hi! I'm Jacqueline, a 4th year Biomedical Engineer and I work on a lot of the 3D printing projects in the Martinez lab. I hope to pursue higher education in Regenerative Medicine or Genetics, but am open to other possibilities! Some of my hobbies outside of school are reading, hiking and traveling. I'm an avid traveler and I love the outdoors. If you have any questions about my projects or just wanna chit-chat, feel free to email me!
Contact: jchuan01@calpoly.edu.
George Luebkeman
George is a third year mechanical engineering student who has been working with the Martinez Group to develop a 3D printer platform to help accelerate the lab's prototyping of micro fluidic devices. He has an extensive background in 3D printing, particularity with FDM printers. In his free time he climbs and collaborates with friends on personal projects. If you or someone you know has experience developing and testing 3D printers, or simply want to have a conversation about the possibilities of applying rapid prototyping techniques to fields outside of the norm, he can be reached via email.
Contact: georgefdluebkeman@gmail.com
Agata Rubis
Agata is a fourth-year pre-med student studying biological sciences. In this lab, her research project is focused on stabilizing restriction enzymes. Specifically, she is encapsulating the restriction enzyme in a polymer matrix that will be used to make pellets and reagent pencils. For the pellets, she hopes to encapsulate full assays that can be shelf stable and easily transportable. For making reagent pencils, she is working on using the pellets to deposit the assay reagents onto paper to carry out a variety of tests. Additionally, Agata is the treasurer of Women in Science Society and the Financial Vice President of her sorority. She has been a part of women’s club volleyball at Cal Poly for the past three years.
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Email: agata.rubis.m@gmail.com
Mayumi Rubin-Saika
Mayumi is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Public Health. In the Martinez Lab, Mayumi is working on developing a graphite pencil containing PCR reagents. She aims to create a more stable delivery method for PCR reagents, as current PCR mixes are very sensitive to external changes, such as temperature. Outside of lab, Mayumi can be found hiking, at the beach, and exploring San Luis Obispo. Feel free to reach her at the email below if you have any questions!
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Email: mrubinsa@calpoly.edu
