Gerson Ascencio

Now a Graduate Student at Stanford University
In the Lab: PhD Student

Hi everyone! My name is Gerson, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Ph.D program at Stanford. I am from both El Salvador and San Francisco, CA. I earned my B.S. (’21) and M.S. (’23) in Cell & Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University. During that time, I worked in Dr. Blake Riggs’ lab, where I studied how cell fate determination is acquired in neuronal stem cells of Drosophila embryos and larval brains. I first came to Stanford in the summer of 2023, and I participated in the ADVANCE summer program before starting my first year. I then joined the Goins Lab in the spring of 2024. I currently work on the asymmetric cell division side of the lab, investigating the role of Par-3 in differentiated cells of Drosophila hemocytes. Outside the lab, I enjoy walking and running with friends, catching SF Giants games whenever I can, playing soccer, and riding my bike to work and around campus.

Selected Publications

miR-190 is a Key Regulator in Establishing Cell Polarity and Specification in the Drosophila Nervous System

Ascencio G., Galvan L., Sanchez JM., Nagainis A., Tam C., Goins LM., Riggs B. (2025)

A deficiency screen of the 3rd chromosome for dominant modifiers of the Drosophila ER integral membrane protein, Jagunal

Ascencio G., de Cruz MA., Abuel J., Alvarado S., Arriaga Y., Conrad E., Castro A., Eichelberger K., Galvan L., Gundy G., Garcia JAI., Jimenez A., Lu NT., Lugar C., Marania R., Mendsaikhan T., Ortega J., Nand N., Rodrigues NS., Shabazz K., Tam C., Valenciano E., Hayzelden C., Eritano AS., Riggs B. (2023)