Elizabeth Sattely is an Associate Professor and HHMI Investigator in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford and a Stanford ChEM-H Faculty Fellow. Dr. Sattely completed her graduate training at Boston College in organic chemistry and her postdoctoral studies in biochemistry at Harvard Medical School where she worked on natural product biosynthesis in bacteria. Inspired by human reliance on plants and plant-derived molecules for food and medicine, the Sattely laboratory is focused on the discovery and engineering of plant metabolic pathways to make molecules that can enhance human and plant health. Work in the Sattely lab has been recognized by an NIH New Innovator Award, a DOE Early Career Award, an HHMI-Simons Faculty Scholar Award, a DARPA Young Investigator Award, and a AAAS Mason Award for Women in the Chemical Sciences.

Joined 2020

I received my B.S. in Chemistry (specialization in biochemistry) from New York University Abu Dhabi, where I worked in Prof. Ali Trabolsi's lab--developing triphenylphosphine-modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for photothermal chemotherapy and covalent organic frameworks loaded with AuNPs for catalysts. My current research in the Sattely lab focuses on the discovery of new enzymes and intermediates involved in the biosynthesis of medicinal plant molecules and the mechanisms of action of these natural products in the human body. Outside the lab, I enjoy running, singing, and playing the piano.

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Joined 2023

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

I have a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I engineered enzymes involved in oleochemical synthesis as part of Prof. Brian Pfleger's research group. My current research interests are in characterizing immune responses to dietary proteins and harnessing oral tolerance mechanisms to engineer therapies for autoimmunity and allergy. My work is supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. I'm an avid Kpop fan and occasional gym-goer 🙃

Joined 2023

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Stanford BioX Bowes Fellow

I received my B.S. in Biochemistry from Tufts University in 2022. Previously, I trained in Dr. Krishna Kumar's lab, where I pursued intein inhibition as an anti-tuberculosis therapeutic strategy. In the Sattely Lab, I am interested in (A) developing tools to enable high-throughput plant genetic screening and (B) studying molecular recognition between plants and microbes. My work is supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Stanford Bio-X Fellowship. Outside of lab, I enjoy training for triathlons and hiking California's diverse trails.

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Joined 2024

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

I received my B.A. in Biochemistry and Mathematics from Middlebury College where I studied microbial secondary metabolism and enzymology in the labs of Profs. Lesley-Ann Giddings and Bob Cluss. I also received training in structural biology and the molecular genetics of quorum sensing in the lab of Dr. Jon Paczkowski at the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health. In the Sattely Lab, I study the biosynthesis and function of multifunctional plant metabolites in addition to investigating how plants use chemistry to manipulate biogeochemical processes in soil. My work is supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Outside of lab, I am a cellist in the Stanford Philharmonia and the School of Medicine Orchestra, and I enjoy hiking and playing tennis.

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@mwbrockley.bsky.social

Joined 2024

Stanford Graduate Fellow

ChEM-H Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Program

I received my B.S. in Chemistry (Chemical Biology) from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. As an undergrad, I received training in Dr. Jerome Robinson’s lab, where I studied the synthesis of metal chelators for use in bioimaging applications. As a graduate student in the Sattely lab, my research interests are the relationships between structure and activity in dietary plant secondary metabolites as well as classes of compounds that interact with ubiquitous enzymes. I am supported by the Stanford Graduate Fellowship and the CHEM-H CBI Program. Outside of lab, I enjoy singing, fencing, and skateboarding.

@caseyvchan

Joined 2024

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

I received my B.S. in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development and my B.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota where I researched how mutagenic APOBEC enzymes are upregulated in Prof. Reuben Harris's lab. In the Sattely Lab I study non-enzymatic companion proteins in complex biosynthetic pathways. My work is supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Outside of lab, I love hiking, camping, and watercolor

Join 2025

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

I received a B.S. in chemistry and a B.A. in marine biology from the University of Hawaiʻi in 2023. I worked with Professors Margaret McFall-Ngai and Matthew Medeiros to describe symbiont recruitment in the Hawaiian bobtail squid and the Asian tiger mosquito. Afterwards, I moved to Nepal for a year to work with social initiatives to improve the country's access to quality education. My project in the Sattely lab aims to discover new instances of gene transfer in host-pathogen relationships. I am supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. In my free time, I enjoy fishing.

Joined 2025

Stanford Graduate Fellow

ChEM-H Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Program

I received my B.S. in Chemistry (Biochemistry) from the University of West Florida, where I worked with Dr. Tim Royappa in inorganic synthesis and with Dr. Karen Barnes in analytical chemistry. I also received training in parasitic diseases and immunology with Dr. Edda Sciutto at UNAM, in Mexico City, and studied natural product biosynthesis with Dr. Alessandra Eustaquio at the University of Illinois - Chicago. In the Sattely lab, my project focuses on understanding the mechanism of antibody-mediated immune recognition in oral tolerance. My work is supported by the ChEM-H Chemistry Biology Interface Training Grant and the Stanford Graduate Fellowship. Outside of lab, I enjoy playing soccer, swimming, and sailing.

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Joined 2025

I recieved my B.S. in chemical biology from the University of California, Berkeley, where I worked with Prof. Judith Klinman to better characterize thermal conduits in enzyme active sites. I also recieved training from Prof. Shasha Chong where I probed protein disordered regions through biochemical techniques. In the Sattely Lab, I work on understanding the mechanisms through how plant natural products can deter the growth of other plant species. Outside of the lab, I like to play chess and solve crosswords.

Joined 2016

I completed my PhD at Stanford University with Prof. Sattely in Chemical Engineering, investigating how specialized small molecules from dietary plants are transformed by the human gut microbiome. My current research focus is on uncovering the interactions between dietary small molecules and human physiology, including how these compounds are sensed by gut epithelial cells and their resulting effects. Outside of lab, I enjoy baking, crocheting, and running.

Joined 2020

I received my B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from MIT, where I worked on the biosynthesis of psilocybin from magic mushroom in Prof. Jing-Ke Weng's lab. I also worked in the lab of Prof. Yi Tang and Jon Clardy on the biosynthesis of fungal and bacterial natural products. I earned my PhD in the Sattely Lab where I continue working towards elucidating the biosynthetic pathway of complex plant terpenoids like Taxol and limonoids. Outside of lab, I enjoy cycling and hiking.

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@ctliu629

Joined 2019

Damon Runyon Fellow

NIH K99 Fellow

I completed a PhD with Michael Laub and Chris Voigt at MIT, where I engineered signaling pathways and studied how protein interactions maintain specificity in crowded environments. My current research develops improved strategies to identify functional gene sets in large, chaotic plant genomes by combining multiplexed perturbations and single-cell transcriptomics. By activating and identifying gene sets at scale, I study how plants biosynthesize complex compounds of therapeutic value. My work is supported by the Damon Runyon Fellowship and an NIH K99 fellowship. Outside of lab, I enjoy hobbies.

@cmcclune.bsky.social

Joined 2021

DGF Walter Benjamin Programme Fellow

I received my B.S. and M.S. in biochemistry at the University of Greifswald, Germany, working on metabolomics of mammalian cell lines exposed to toxins. I completed my Ph.D. in Natural Product Chemistry (2020) at the Hans-Knoll Institute for Natural Product Chemistry and Infection Biology in the laboratory of Christian Hertweck, Germany. My thesis focused on bacterial natural products isolated from endosymbionts of fungi and insects. Following my PhD, I stayed as a postdoc at the same institute before moving to Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow in Elizabeth Sattely group. Here, I am working on antifungal compounds elicited under pathogen stress in tomato and related species. I am also interested in the metabolic responses of plants under abiotic stress. Since 2023, I am supported by the German Research Foundation (Walter-Benjamin Fellowship). Outside the lab I enjoy hiking, painting, and cooking a good meal.

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Joined 2019

I received my Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Gilbert Chu at Stanford University. I joined the Sattely lab in 2019. In addition to managing lab operations, I collaborate with Will Cody to develop a cell-based screening method for studying gene functions in leaves, seeking an alternative to traditional large plant population screens. Outside the lab, I enjoy making bread and gardening.

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Joined 2020

I received my PhD from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina where I studied Pollen-Pistil interactions in tomato. After that, I did a postdoc in Dominique Bergmann's lab researching the role of MAPK in stomata development. Currently, I am developing tools and protocols to reconstitute biosynthetic pathways in plant crops and model systems.

Joined 2022

I received my B.S. in Biology from George Mason University where I volunteered in the Peat & Sediment Paleoclimeatology subgroup at the USGS. I am now supporting research on the interactions between plant metabolites and the mammalian immune system. Outside of the lab I enjoy knitting, playing tabletop roleplaying games, and spending time outside.