Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Initiates Fellows Program

January 14, 2026

By Mario Aguilera

Current and previous Technology Sandbox fellows.

UC San Diego’s Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox, led by the School of Biological Sciences, is a state-of-the-art collaborative facility that features cutting-edge instruments that allow scientists and students to capture life at its most basic levels. The facility is an academic-industry partnership developed in coordination with partners Thermo Fisher Scientific and Nikon Instruments with advanced instrumentation for cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), mass spectrometry, and light microscopy.

Formally launched in 2024, the Technology Sandbox continues to grow and evolve through education and training programs. One example is the Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Fellows Program, an initiative designed to build a pipeline of future academic and industry facility directors and technical experts.

Technology Sandbox Fellows are highly trained specialists with expertise in instrument operation, data acquisition and data analysis. During their two-year appointments, fellows split their time between technical duties at the Technology Sandbox and scientific research in a UC San Diego laboratory. During their time in the Technology Sandbox, they apply their expertise to projects with UC San Diego researchers and industry partners to develop and expand instrument and software capabilities.

Per the goals of the program: “By the end of their tenure, a Sandbox Fellow will have become an expert in both the optimal use and maintenance of a particular class of high-end instruments, employed this expertise in achieving scientific goals of their research project in their host lab, engaged in training activities involving high-end instruments and contributed to the development and growth of the Technology Sandbox while advancing their own career goals.”

Previous Technology Sandbox Fellows

Mar Matyszewski

Mar Matyszewski

Cryo-EM Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Fellow (2022)

Mar Matyszewski began his postdoctoral career at UC San Diego in the laboratory of Professor Andres Leschziner, investigating the molecular basis of Parkinson’s disease. His research focused on LRRK2, a protein whose mutations are a major contributor to familial forms of the disease. Specifically, Matyszewski sought to solve the 3D structure of LRRK2 in its microtubule-bound state using cryo-EM. By developing custom machine-learning-driven data-acquisition tools and employing sophisticated data processing, he successfully resolved the structure of LRRK2 filaments wrapped around microtubules to a resolution of 4.5 angstroms. As a Technology Sandbox Fellow, Matyszewski further supported the UC San Diego cryo-EM community by implementing improvements in data collection and providing expert guidance in data processing. In 2022, Matyszewski transitioned into the role of Cryo-EM Facility Director at UC San Diego, where he has provided vital leadership during the renovation of the Technology Sandbox space and collaborates closely with industry partners. Matyszewski also actively supports faculty, trainees and students by developing specialized curricula and training materials. His efforts focus on optimizing cryo-EM sample preparation, instrument operations, and data processing, ensuring the facility’s cutting-edge instrumentation effectively meets the research community’s evolving needs.

Richard Sánchez

Richard Sánchez

Advanced Light Microscopy Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Fellow (2023-2025)

Richard Sánchez completed his PhD at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, under the mentorship of Dr. Farah Lubin, and joined UC San Diego in July 2019 for postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Professor Gülçin Pekkurnaz. Sánchez’s research focused on mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum contact sites and dynamics, which required significant understanding and utilization of microscopy. In May of 2023, he received a Technology Sandbox Fellowship and joined the Nikon Imaging Center with the goal of being trained in advanced microscopy approaches to run his own research laboratory and microscopy core. As a Technology Sandbox fellow, Sánchez helped dozens of users with imaging analysis to accelerate their findings and tackle new questions that continue to bring users back to the center as well as inspire confidence in new users. Upon completion of the Technology Sandbox Fellowship, Richard accepted a position at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience’s Imaging Center as the Head of Light Microscopy where he continues his service to the research community, bringing advanced technologies, methods and data analysis to users.

Current Technology Sandbox Fellows

Brian Cook

Brian Cook

Cryo-EM Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Fellow (2022- present)

Brian Cook is a postdoctoral scholar working with Professor Mark Herzik. He is a skilled cryo-EM expert with a strong enthusiasm for research, making him an ideal fellow for the Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox. Cook works closely with the cryo-EM facility team where he is further developing expertise in single-particle cryo-EM data collection, troubleshooting issues, developing methods and establishing best protocols for routine operation of the Titan Krios microscope. Cook is pushing the limits of what is achievable in cryo-EM, and is committed to sharing his knowledge with the greater cryo-EM community. His continued engagement in training and support ensures optimal microscope operation and enables users to access this highly specialized technology.

Fulin Jiang

Fulin Jiang

Mass Spectrometry Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Fellow (2023- present)

Fulin Jiang facilitates high-end quantitative mass spectrometry initiatives within the Technology Sandbox and participates in a variety of research projects with his faculty mentor, Professor Eric Bennett. Jiang’s doctoral degree from Sun Yat-sen University in China focused on mass spectrometry and peptide chromatography methods development and application. He has utilized a diversity of mass spectrometry platforms, including the operation and maintenance of current instrumentation, and is involved in ongoing efforts to apply and develop quantitative mass spectrometry approaches to investigate the mechanisms of ubiquitin ligases. As a Technology Sandbox fellow, Jiang assisted with the onboarding and installation of the Thermo Fisher Orbitrap Eclipse Tribrid mass spectrometer in the Technology Sandbox. He oversees methods development, instrument maintenance and optimization, and contributes to the educational goals within the Technology Sandbox through user training and workshop development.

Howard Wang

Haoming (Howard) Wang

Advanced Light Microscopy Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Fellow (2025- present)

Haoming (Howard) Wang was awarded the Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Fellowship in October 2025, bringing expertise in utilizing advanced light microscopy in genetically encoded metabolite sensor imaging, organelle trafficking analysis and protein localization via total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. In addition, Wang’s expertise and interests expand to live cell imaging, data analysis and cross-functional collaboration. Wang received his Ph.D. from UC San Diego in 2023, and continued on as a postdoctoral scholar in the laboratory of Professor Gülçin Pekkurnaz. He looks forward to advancing the mission of the Nikon Imaging Center and the Technology Sandbox through contributions in technical expertise, mentorship and collaboration, and aspires to develop into a future leader in biological imaging technology.