Pleiner lab
Meet the Researchers
Meet our Research Team! Our group is passionate about protein homeostasis, especially membrane proteins! We combine molecular, cellular, and structural biology and hold a soft spot for alpacas.
Tino Pleiner
Principal Investigator.
Tino was born in the small town Zeitz near Leipzig in East Germany. Tino is a First Generation college graduate. He studied biochemistry and molecular biology in Leipzig and Göttingen, Germany. Tino holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Göttingen, Germany, where he did his lab work at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences with Dirk Görlich. He then escaped the rainy weather in Göttingen for a postdoc with Rebecca Voorhees at Caltech in Pasadena, California.
Outside of the lab Tino enjoys the natural beauty of California. He likes the outdoors and is a proud houseplant dad and photographer. Check the "Community/Living in California" tab for some of his images.
Research Assistant (LSRP1)
Marinda is from Southern Oregon and received her bachelor’s from Willamette University and her master’s from the University of Idaho. She just started in the Pleiner lab in the summer of 2023. In her free time, Marinda enjoys crocheting, playing board games with friends, and walks with her dog!
Marinda Stanton
Maya Biswal
Postdoctoral Scholar
Maya was raised in Mumbai, India. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UC Riverside, where she conducted her research in Dr. Jikui Song’s lab. Maya joined the Pleiner lab in July 2024 to investigate the mechanism of membrane protein biogenesis. During her free time, Maya enjoys hiking and traveling. She loves exploring new places with her husband.
Graduate Student
Caroline is from southeast Michigan and received her bachelor's from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she studied cellular and molecular biology, as well as pediatric epilepsies. She has lived in various places in Michigan, Germany, and now sunny California! She is a second-year grad student in MCP. In her free time you can find her in nature, thrifting, trying new restaurants, volunteering, or playing with her two cats!
Caroline Scheuing
Summer Chen
Rotating Biochemistry Graduate Student
Summer calls southern California home, but has deep roots in Shanghai, China where she grew up. She got her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Philosophy from Wellesley College, where she worked with Dr. Louise Darling to study parasympathetic regulation of voltage-gated potassium ion channel proteins. Outside of work, Summer enjoys music, cooking, and arts and crafts. Now that she is back on the sunny west coast, she is excited to explore all the cool nature spots the Bay has to offer!
Yingjie Hu
Postdoc
(Incoming - 2025)
Gerardo Vargas
Rotating Biosciences Graduate Student
Gerardo was born in El Paso, TX, and raised across the border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso, where he conducted research in Dr. Chu-Young Kim’s lab, focusing on polyketide synthase crystallography and aptamer development. Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling, attending concerts, and casual photography. Now based in the Bay Area, he’s always on the lookout for new adventures!
Lab alumni:
2024 Mansi Vasishtha (Lab manager)
The Pleiner Lab is always looking for motivated scientist to join our growing team. Reach out to inquire about positions.
Stanford graduate students please reach out to Tino to discuss rotation projects! Prospective graduate students: Please apply to the Stanford Bioscience program.
