Hana El-Samad's research group emphasizes the role of control theory and dynamical systems in the study of biological networks. Her group works at the interface of systems and synthetic biology, focusing on the architecture, roles, principles, and evolution of feedback loops in biological circuits. A major current focus is to develop rationally designed, programmable, plug-and-play, cellular recognizance and repair circuits that can be broadly deployed for therapies and biotechnological applications. El-Samad is a 2009 Packard Fellow and recipient of many honors, including the 2011 Donald P. Eckman Award and the 2012 CSB2 prize in systems biology. She was also named a Paul G. Allen Distinguished Investigator in 2013 and senior investigator of the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub in 2017. El-Samad joined UCSF after obtaining a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, preceded by a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Iowa State University.

Twitter: @HanaScientist
Web: http://elsamadlab.ucsf.edu