Team
Justin Blau (PI)
Justin grew up in London and was an undergraduate at Cambridge University, where his time in Mike Bate’s lab sparked his appreciation for Drosophila. Justin worked with David Bentley at ICRF in London for his PhD, studying how transcription factors stimulate RNA polymerase II to activate gene expression. He then joined Mike Young’s laboratory in 1996 at The Rockefeller University in New York to study circadian rhythms in Drosophila, where his research contributed to Mike Young winning the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine. Justin joined NYU in 2000, where he has run a research lab ever since. He organizes M(N)SG – the NYU Molecular Neurobiology SuperGroup – and the NY Area Clock Club. Outside of work, Justin meditates and spends too much time watching his beloved Arsenal.
Current Members
Carly Siegel (PhD student)
Carly grew up in Philadelphia and completed a B.S. in Biology at Tufts University. She studied DNA repair in Drosophila focusing on how ribonucleotides are removed from DNA during replication. Her senior thesis received Highest Honors and she is a Barry Goldwater Scholar. Her love of Drosophila and neuroscience lead her to the Blau Lab where she will research inactivity-regulated gene expression in clock neurons. Outside of the lab, Carly likes to bake, discover new music, and explore the city.
Tristan Yuan (PhD student)
Tristan is a second-year PhD student. He grew up by the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou, and moved to the US in 2021. He was a Master’s student at NYU and studied bacterial cell wall homeostasis. His strong interest in the mechanisms of the Drosophila molecular clock eventually brought him to the Blau lab, making a shift from growing bacterial cultures to dissecting flies. Outside the lab, Tristan loves techno music and is learning to DJ. He calls it Night Science.
Esha Gulzar (Research Associate)
Esha is a recent graduate of NYU with a B.A. in Biology, earning high honors in Biology. She was a Presidential Honors Scholar, and completed her thesis focused on isolating the presynaptic transcriptome of Drosophila larval LNvs. In the future, she plans to attend medical school. Outside the lab, Esha enjoys going on long walks and is making a return to her love for reading.
Priyam Narain (Postdoctoral researcher)
Priyam earned her PhD from the IIT Delhi, where she studied the genetic basis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. She then joined NYU Abu Dhabi’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology as a postdoc, where she is co-mentored by Justin and Dipesh Chaudhury. Priyam is investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying rhythmic excitability in the mouse Suprachiasmatic Nucleus.
Undergraduate researchers:
Matthias Leitner
Cici Niu
Rafay Niazi
Matthias is originally from New Jersey and is currently pursuing a B.A. in Biology at NYU, while minoring in Physics and Studio Art. He joined the Blau research lab in December of 2024 out of an interest in molecular biology and complex neural systems. Alongside his studies at NYU, Matthias is a College Leader for the CAS Cohort Program and a Learning Assistant at the University Learning Center. He plans to attend medical school in the near future to further develop his interest in neurology. Outside of school, Matthias enjoys yoga and playing tennis.
Cici is originally from Shanghai and later lived in Toronto before coming to NYU, where she is pursuing a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Psychology. She developed an interest in molecular biology through MCB1, which led her to join the Blau research lab in February 2025. Her interests in both biology and psychology have fostered a curiosity about the molecular mechanisms underlying brain function and behavior, and she hopes to continue developing her research skills in the lab. Outside of academics, Cici enjoys spending time with her dog, Ginger, as well as baking and photography.
Rafay was born and raised in New Jersey, and is currently pursuing a B.A. in Biology and a minor in English and American Literature at NYU. Rafay is investigating the differences between toy and eyeless in their effects on s-LNV retraction, as well as the effect of HIPK on toy transcription. Outside of the Blau Lab, Rafay is a Resident Assistant and CAS Presidential Honors Scholar, and is also preparing to apply to dental school in the future. In his free time, Rafay enjoys reading and trying new restaurants around the city.
Sia Singh
Sia is originally from Key West, Florida and is majoring in Biology, with minors in Chemistry, Dance, and South Asian Studies. She became interested in molecular biology during discussions of Drosophila circadian rhythms in Molecular and Cellular Biology I, which led her to join the Blau lab in January 2026. Outside of the lab, Sia is a College Leader for the CAS Cohort Program, the Vice President of NYU’s ReCover Club, and a member of the Ballet Collaborative. She plans to attend medical school in the future, with interests in women’s health. In her free time, she teaches dance to students in the Lower East Side and enjoys cooking, running, and yoga.
John Ligresti
John is originally from New York and is currently studying Biology at NYU, with a minor in Chinese. He joined the Blau lab in January of 2026 after taking Molecular and Cellular Biology I, which peaked his interests in Drosophila circadian rhythms. Aside from his studies at NYU, John volunteers at animal shelters in the Lower East Side and shadows under a local veterinarian. He plans to attend veterinary school in the future. Outside of academics, he loves to work on his small nail business and play video games.
Anna Ding
Anna is a Data Science undergraduate minoring in Chemistry and Molecular & Cell Biology. In the lab, Anna is studying the postsynaptic targets of s-LNvs, using transcriptomics and imaging. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, playing the piano, and thinking about getting a cat.
Nadeem Chaudhry
Nadeem is a Biology major originally from Cranston, Rhode Island. He developed an interest for molecular biology research while taking MCBI and Genetics. In the lab, Nadeem is working on signaling between different clock neurons. He plans to go to medical school and become a psychiatrist. Outside of academics, he enjoys football (soccer), reading, and spending time with the people he loves.