Qualifications

Degrees:

• B. S. in Biology, 2014, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico

• Ph.D. in Genome Sciences, 2020, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Advisor: Celeste Berg

• Postdoctoral fellow in Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2021 – 2024, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California. Advisor: Itay Budin

Publications:

1. Claudia Y. Espinoza, Rebecca Martin, Christopher R. L. Large, Joshua Rosswork, ColeVan Bruinisse, Aaron W. Miller, Joseph C. Sanchez, Madison Miller, Samantha Paskvan, Gina M. Alvino, Maitreya J. Dunham, M. K. Raghuraman, Bonita J. Brewer. “Template switching between the leading and lagging strands at replication forks generates inverted copy number variants through hairpin-capped extrachromosomal DNA.” PLOS Genetics 20(1):e1010850. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010850.

2. Espinoza, C. Y. and Berg, C. A. (2020) “Detecting new allies: Modifier screen identifies a genetic interaction between Imaginal disc growth factor 3 and combover, a Rho-kinase substrate during dorsal appendage tube formation in Drosophila.” G3. Oct 10; 3585:3599. doi.org/10.1534/g3.120.401476.

3. Dennis MY, Harshman L, Nelson BJ, Penn O, Cantsilieris S, Huddleston J, Antonacci F, Penewit K, Denman L, Raja A, Baker C, Mark K, Malig M, Janke N, Espinoza C, Stessman HAF, Nuttle X, Hoekzema K, Lindsay-Graves TA, Wilson RK, Eichler EE. (2017). The evolution and population diversity of human-specific segmental duplications. Nat. Ecol. Evol. Feb 17; 1:69. doi.org/10.1038/s41559-016-0069.

Experience in STEM Teaching and Training:

STEM High School Development Aug 2025 – Present (WiseGenes & UCSD Science Project, San Diego, CA)

Science Education Collaborator Aug 2022 – Apr 2023 (UCSD - Castle Rock High School, San Diego, CA)

ENLACE science mentor - Multicultural science project lead Summer 2023 (UCSD, San Diego, CA)

EXPAND - Science and Career Mentor Feb 2022 – Feb 2023 (University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA)

Paws in Science - STEM Outreach Program Collaborator Aug 2018 - Aug 2020 (University of Washington, Seattle, WA)

Genome Science Research Summer Program - Science Mentor Summers of 2017-19 (University of Washington, Seattle, WA)

Initiative to Maximized Student Diversity Academic Mentor May 2011 - Aug 2014 (UNM, Albuquerque, NM)