Hernan G. Garcia

Hernan G. Garcia is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, affiliated with both the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (Genetics, Genomics, and Development) and the Department of Physics. His lab, Garcia Lab, focuses on uncovering the quantitative rules governing developmental programs, combining approaches from physics, synthetic biology, and advanced technologies to study gene regulation in fruit fly embryos.

• Education:
  • PhD in Physics, California Institute of Technology
  • BS in Physics, University of Buenos Aires

Dr. Garcia's research explores how gene regulatory networks encode developmental decisions, using synthetic biology and single-cell measurements to predict and manipulate these processes. His work emphasizes quantitative modeling of transcription factor dynamics, DNA architecture, and information flow in the central dogma.

His lab has hosted numerous PhD students, postdoctoral scholars, and rotation students, including graduates like Elizabeth Eck, Yang Joon Kim, Nicholas Lammers, and Dennis Sun. Current lab members include graduate students in Biophysics, Physics, and Molecular & Cell Biology.

Scientific Awards:

• 2021 Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator
• 2022 Elizabeth D. Hay New Investigator Award from the Society for Developmental Biology

Dr. Garcia co-authored the textbook Physical Biology of the Cell (2nd ed., 2013) and teaches courses such as MCB137/237 and Physical Biology Bootcamp. His lab develops computational tools and experimental frameworks to bridge theoretical models with empirical data in developmental biology.