Kirsten Frieda

A.B. 2006 Harvard University
A.M. 2006 Harvard University

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the world around me and intrigued by how things work. To further pursue my curiosity, I entered the Stanford biophysics graduate program in 2006. I am now excited to be tugging on biological motors and polymers with optical traps as a member of the Block lab. My research efforts include probing the dynamics of RNA polymerase transcription and RNA folding.

I received an A.B. in Chemistry and Physics and an A.M. in Chemistry from Harvard. As an undergraduate in Professor Sunney Xie’s lab, I was initiated into the field of biophysics with a healthy dose of molecular biology and in vivo fluorescence experiments. I pursued single molecule studies of the lac operon as well as methods for in vivo mRNA detection and real-time analyses of signal transduction. I also spent a summer across the Atlantic at Cambridge University. There I studied 2D polymers with Professor Wilhelm Huck.

Away from lab, I enjoy the outdoors and have fun running, dancing, and swimming.