People

Simonson Lab Members


Tatum Simonson, PhD 
Principal Investigator
UCSD Profile




Lu Wu, BS 
Medical Student
Lu is interested in the role of epigenetic regulation in high-altitude adaptation and hypoxia responses.



Elijah Lawrence
Undergraduate Student
Eli is a biochemistry major interested in how different hypoxic environmental conditions affect physical abilities with respect to genetic background and functional gene regualtion. ​



​Undergraduate Student
Wanjun is a UC San Diego third-year undergraduate student majoring in Chemical Engineering and Economics. He is interested in hypoxia physiology and is currently doing research on blood-oxygen binding affinity and blood gas analysis in Tibetans and Andeans and RNAseq analysis.



Christina Blaul
​Undergraduate Student
Christina is an undergraduate senior conducting research in marine mammal comparative physiology.  She is interested in ways to bridge the gap between scientists and the communities that have an impact on research.  She also enjoys to surf, swim, and snorkel when not reading journal articles.



Ian Xu
Highschool Student
Ian is assisting with data analysis regarding oxygen transport in high-altitude populations.

Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral Fellows
Erica Heinrich, PhD   
Michael Tift, PhD
Postgraduate Students
Robby Boparai, BS    
Medical Students
Lu Wu, BS 
Jeremy Sieker, BS  
Undergraduate Students
Matea Djokic
Gigi Yip
Sama Alpatty 
Dean Tan
Kevin Lin  
Chetan Potu         
Madison Calder                                            
Anh Bui  
High School Students
Catie Boehmer 
Sarah Espinoza 

Congratulations and farewell to previous postdoctoral fellow Mike Tift, who has accepted an Assistant Professor position at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington!

Congratulations and farewell to previous postdoctoral fellow Erica Heinrich, who has accepted an Assistant Professor position at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine!

Congratulations to Christina Blaul, recipient of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science Travel Award!

​Congratulations to Wanjun Gu, University of Tokyo Research Internship Program 2018 Recipient!

Congratulations to Christina Blaul, Ledell Family Undergraduate Research Scholarship Recipient 2018! 

Congratulations to Eli Lawrence, Ledell Family Undergraduate Research Scholarship AND Chancellor's Research Excellence Scholarships (CRES) 2017 Recipient!                              

Congratulations to Eli Lawrence on his Palomar Pathmaker Internship!