Kate is an Assistant Professor of Urology and practicing urologic oncologist. She received her AB from Dartmouth College and MD and PhD degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her dissertation research was performed in the laboratory of W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD and focused on the genetics and epigenetic of kidney cancer. She completed urology residency and a Society of Urologic Oncology fellowship at the University of North Carolina. She performed her fellowship research in the laboratory of William Kim, MD in Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at UNC.  Outside of work, Kate enjoys walking in the woods with her husband and two young daughters, gardening, and running.

Jochen is originally from Germany where he obtained a Ph.D. in Biochemistry with a focus on Biophysical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. He came to the United States as a post-doc and has worked at Duke University in the Department of Biochemistry with Dr. Paul Modrich and later in the private sector at Precision BioSciences. He is an expert in DNA Repair, Protein Enzymology, and Molecular Biology. Contrary to rumors, Jochen does not own a pair of lederhosen. He likes old-style Blue Grass music and is working on New York Times crosswords or jigsaw puzzles when he is not in the lab.

Ryan Gomes joined the Gessner lab in fall 2024 as a research technician. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biology and minored in Neuroscience and Spanish at UNC Chapel Hill. During his undergraduate years, Ryan worked in the Kim lab at UNC to understand the enzymatic functions of APOBEC3B and how it relates to mutations observed in bladder cancer. After graduating in spring 2023, Ryan started working in the Morris lab at UNC as a research technician, where he still currently works alongside the Gessner lab. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys spending time with friends and family, photography, and trying new coffee shops.

Caroline Dickey joined the Gessner lab in July 2024. Currently an undergraduate student at UNC, Caroline is studying Neuroscience with plans to pursue a career in medicine and research. While not in the lab, Caroline enjoys working at UNC Hematology Oncology as Chief Medical Scribe, cooking, and playing piano.

Emma joined the Gessner Lab in the fall of 2024. She is currently a senior at UNC-CH, working on gaining her BS in Biology and BA in Exercise and Sports Science with a minor in Health and Society. She is very interested in how intratumoral heterogeneity impacts cancer development, and she brings this passion to her work in the Gessner Lab. Outside of her work in the lab, Emma enjoys spending time with her miniature dachshund, Rosie, reading, HIIT classes, watching football and baseball, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Ava joined the Gessner lab in the fall of 2024 as an undergraduate researcher. She is a junior at UNC in the Biology BS program on the pre-med track. Ava is currently working on a project involving the gene CDH-1 and a rare bladder cancer variant, plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma. In her free time, Ava enjoys crosswords, gardening, and playing soccer.