Sarah Downing
Sarah grew up in San Antonio, TX before moving to Houston to attend Rice University where she earned a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. During her undergrad, Sarah studied early development in zebrafish, completing an honor’s thesis investigating the role of the gut microbiome in enteric nervous system development. After graduating, Sarah worked at Solugen, a green chemical company, specializing in fungal genetic engineering and fermentation. Looking to expand her skillset in molecular biology and pursuing her interest in synthetic biology, Sarah joined the Iyer laboratory in 2025 as a Research Specialist.
In her free time Sarah enjoys playing professional ultimate frisbee, hanging out with her cat, and cooking.
