Johnathan Patterson is research technician in the Howe Laboratory in the pharmacology department at the University of Vermont Learner College of Medicine. He received his undergraduate degree in plant molecular biology at the University of Vermont. He went on to study algal biofuels in Rose Ann Cattolico’s lab at the University of Washington. After returning to Vermont he continued to develop his skills in microscopy and cellular biology. In the Howe Laboratory his work focuses on developing new techniques to assess cellular responses to mechanical stimulus.