People

Chrystal Starbird | Falcon

Chrystal Starbird completed her undergraduate work at UNC Chapel Hill and spent a few years afterwards working in academic and industry labs before returning to UNC to complete a year-long PREP program. Following this, Dr. Starbird completed her graduate work in chemical and physical biology at Vanderbilt University. She completed her postdoctoral work as a MOSAIC K99/R00 postdoctoral fellow in the Cancer Biology Center at Yale before moving into her current position as faculty in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UNC Chapel Hill. As a non-traditional student in many ways, Dr. Starbird is a strong advocate for mentoring and publishes regularly on strategies to maximize the impact of mentoring and building a safe, welcoming lab. When not in the lab, Chrystal can usually be found searching for the next waterfall to visit with her family (partner and three children).
 
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Steven J. Moran | Peacock

Steven completed his undergraduate work at Methodist University, during which he conducted microbial ecology research at UNC Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, NC. He then went on to receive his M.S. in Biology at UNC Greensboro and Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where he fulfilled his training as a molecular virologist. Shortly after finishing graduate school, he completed postdoctoral training and a visiting postdoctoral scholarship at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and Duke University School of Medicine in molecular virology and immunology. Steven joined the Starbird lab in June 2025 as a postdoctoral research associate investigating RNA virus spread through TAM receptor tyrosine kinases using biochemical and biophysical approaches. In his spare time, he is an avid music listener and vinyl collector, appreciator of flowers, and an iced chai latte enthusiast.
 
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Maria Camila Arango | Snowy Owl

Camila received her B.S. in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2020. There she enrolled in the early entry master’s program in Applied Physics, working on characterizing protein-DNA interactions of the sleeping beauty transposase, one of the leading non-viral vectors for gene therapy, and graduated in December of 2022. Subsequently, Camila joined the Starbird lab in February of 2023 as one of the first research technicians, where she helped establish the lab. Camila returns to the Starbird lab as a graduate student, where she will investigate the lipid:receptor:ligand complex of TAM receptors using biophysical approaches such as single-molecule tracking and structural approaches like cryoEM. Camila enjoys hiking, exploring new coffee/boba places, and crafting her own jewelry.
 

Johnna Bingham | Kingfisher

Johnna received her B.A in Biology from Mary Baldwin College (now University).  There she studied avian malarial parasite burden on nest defensive behaviors in Red-eyed Vireos. She then enrolled into the Interdisciplinary Master’s Program at NC State a program funded by NSF.  There she studied acetylene hydratase, a tungsten containing metalloenzyme important for environmental degradation of chlorinated solvents.  Johnna joined the Starbird lab in August as a rotation student studying TAM receptor ligand binding complexes with human gas6 a ligand for AXL.  Johnna enjoys playing soccer (played in college for Mary Baldwin College), bike riding and karaoke. We are excited to now welcome Johanna to the Starbird lab as a new graduate student!
 

Skylar Grimsley | Northern Cardinal

Skylar received her B.S. in Biology from Norfolk State University (BEHOLD) through the Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences Program. Before beginning graduate school, she was a participant in the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the University of Illinois Chicago. Here, Skylar joined the Minshall lab in studying how elevated concentrations of glycosphingolipids in breast cancer patients, when incorporated onto the surface of endothelial cells, affect junctional stability and thus, the metastasis of breast cancer cells. Skylar excitedly joined the Starbird lab in September of 2023. She is currently working on a precision medicine research project to evaluate the function of the ABCA7 gene in lipid regulation and trafficking in the context of Alzheimer’s disease. Skylar is an avid traveler, having lived in Ohio, Virginia, Illinois, and now North Carolina in just 3 years. Skylar is also a passionate movie watcher and Atlantic Ocean enthusiast.
 

Maria Celeste Lopez Vasquez | Keel Billed Toucan

Maria Celeste received her B.S in Biochemistry from Rowan University. There, she was a URISE fellow partaking in research, working at elucidating the RAF kinase mechanisms of activation and autoinhibition through RAS under the Wang lab. Maria Celeste rotated in the Starbird lab and independently worked on a collaboration project with Shelton Earp's lab to express and isolate mFeimin, an intrinsically disordered ligand with a role in glucose metabolism that's said to bind to TAM receptors. She exuberantly joined the Starbird lab April 2026 and is currently working on determining the structure of the Axl:Gas6 complex alongside Nicole. Outside of academics, Maria Celeste enjoys crocheting, karaoke, thrifting, movies, going to concerts (if she has the funds...), and spending time with her friends! Her favorite music ranges across various genres like soft punk rock, indie, folk lore, hip-pop, and pop.
 

Katie Burke | Carolina Chickadee

Katie received her B.S. in Biochemistry from UNC Chapel Hill in 2026. During her undergraduate research in the Redinbo Lab, she explored the structure and function of gut microbial enzymes. Specifically, she worked on exploring β-glucuronidases and their role in androgen and estrogen reactivation, while her thesis was on characterizing β-galactosidase activity and inhibition. Katie joined both the Starbird Lab and the Tamir Lab in July 2026 as a Lab Assistant! In her free time, she enjoys teaching color guard at Chapel Hill High School and baking cookies!
 
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Amere Tucker | Mystery Egg

Amere is a Biology major at UNC Chapel Hill and an undergraduate lab assistant in the Starbird Lab, which she joined in Fall 2025. Originally from Charlotte, NC, she also works as a retail associate and enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends. Outside of academics, she loves thrifting, working out, exploring new restaurants, and watching her favorite film “The Princess and the Frog” and show “Hunter x Hunter”. She’s a huge fan of R&B/Soul music, with Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild as her current favorite artists. Amere is excited to expand her scientific knowledge, build meaningful connections, and contribute to the lab’s research community