Lab Members
Mo Siddiq
Assistant Professor
Mo grew up in the Midwest and only recently moved to Utah with his wife and two ferocious calico cats. His fascination with genetics and evolution began with crossing fruit flies in his undergraduate laboratory at Indiana University, and has only grown during his stints resurrecting ancient proteins in Chicago (PhD) and studying the regulatory sequences that control protein expression in Ann Arbor (Postdoc). Mo loves wondering about the outstanding mysteries of evolutionary genetics and the potential of discoveries in this field made with fundamental, common molecules to change our understanding–of the world and of ourselves. When not with pipettes or in front of a screen, Mo loves exploring new places, running, and making memories with loved ones over delectable dinners and drinks.
Niraja Bhachech
Senior Research Specialist
Niraja has been a Salt Lake native for 25+ years now. She and her husband Sudhir are happy parents of two wonderful adult children: Neil, a Critical Care/Pulmonology fellow in Oakland CA, and Riya,
a Stage Manager at the Hale Theater and a theater teacher. Niraja loves learning about the mysteries of life, be it chromatin remodeling or the ancient Indian philosophies. She also loves travelling, cooking, watching sunsets, and spending time with family and friends…and coaxing Celine into making her exquisite coffee.
Celine Mayer
Research Specialist
Celine is a Nordic skier turned scientist who grew up in Isny, Germany and moved to Utah in the fall of 2022 for her undergraduate degree. For the next four years, she led a double life as a Biology major and the captain of Utah’s NCAA championship ski team. She joined the Siddiq Lab after graduating, with the goal of learning a lot and making some interesting discoveries while doing it. When not in the lab, she enjoys baking, gardening, traveling, reading, and roller skiing up hill (..?!?!), as Nordic skiers do.