People

David Chen, MD, PhD

(he/him)

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Dave is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Dermatology and specializes in the care of patients with cutaneous malignancies. He has a long-standing interest in cancer biology, so dermatology was a bit of a detour for him. As with many physician-scientists, it was a single patient experience that brought clarity to the particular challenges that affect the care of patients with cutaneous malignancies, as well as the unique opportunities to hopefully make a difference.

Danielle Gibbs

(she/her)

Research Technician

Danielle earned a BS in Physics with an emphasis in Astronomy and a minor in mathematics from the University of Missouri St. Louis where she researched the chemical composition of comets. Her research background is in computational imaging and spectroscopy. She is from a small town a little north of St. Louis and is delighted to have finally made it into the city. She is elated to be joining the world of biology and to be back in a research environment working in the Chen lab. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with her partner and her family, playing guitar, and reading with a cat on her lap.

Minjun Park

(he/him)

medical Student

Minjun earned his BA in Computer Science and a minor in Chemistry from New York University. During his undergraduate career, he focused on research pertaining to bioinformatics and implementing machine learning and neural networks in biological contexts. He is now pursuing a degree in Doctor of Medicine at Saint Louis University. During his free time, Minjun likes to explore cafes, eat sushi, and play with his cat Haru.

Grace Knadler

(she/her)

REsearch technician

Grace earned a BS in biology with minors in chemistry and psychology from Maryville University of St Louis. Born and raised in Phoenix, Grace was recruited to play volleyball at Maryville University and competed on the successful women’s volleyball team all four years. During her senior year, she conducted an independent research study analyzing the psychological aspects of adolescent acne and is thrilled about continuing to be in the research field of dermatology post baccalaureate. She aspires to attend graduate school and obtain a PhD to further study dermatology. In Grace’s free time she enjoys working out, trying new recipes, playing/attending sports, and spending time with friends and family.

Rita Chen, MD, PhD

(she/her)

Postdoctoral fellow (pstp)

Rita is a Dermatology PSTP trainee who joined the Chen lab to work on intralesional therapies against skin cancers. She earned her BA and MD/PhD at WashU, where her prior research was in viral immunology: influenza pathogenesis (Boon lab) and dengue/COVID-19 immunity and therapeutics (PhD mentor: Mike Diamond). She is excited to learn about cutaneous diseases and how to navigate being a physician scientist from Dr. Chen. When not in the lab or hospital, Rita enjoys spending time with her dog and husband, going on walks/hikes, rock climbing, and eating delicious food.

Tucker Hansen

(he/him)

Medical student

Tucker earned his BS in Chemistry from Yale University, where he conducted HIV research. He is originally from the suburbs of Las Vegas, but he quickly grew fond of St. Louis after exploring its vibrant neighborhoods and Forest Park. He is particularly interested in learning more about skin cancers and hopes to contribute to the advancement of treatments. Outside of classes, Tucker enjoys running, playing piano, and raising awareness about sun protection.

Thai LaGraff

(he/him)

PhD candidate

Currently a PhD candidate in Molecular Genetics and Genomics at WashU, Thai obtained his Bachelor’s in Biology from Union College in Schenectady, NY, where he focused his undergraduate thesis on the behavioral evolution of Drosophila athabasca. Beyond his work in evolutionary biology, Thai has developed skills in gene editing technologies, AAV gene therapy, and cellular disease analysis, with a keen interest in advancing his knowledge in cancer biology. Outside his scientific endeavors, Thai indulges in the perusal of literature, keyboard artistry, meandering across the globe, wandering the wild, conquering craggy cliffs, culinary experiments, savoring delicious comestibles, and spending quality time with his cats.

Becca Brown

(she/her)

Clinical Research Coordinator

Becca earned her BS in Forensic Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her background includes multiplex spatial phenotyping, collaboration development, assay research & development and clinical specimen procurement. Becca is from a small town in Illinois, just east of St. Louis and absolutely loves working in the city. She is excited to learn from Dr. Chen and is always happy to be in the clinic with patients. Becca’s research interests include assisting the evolution of cancer treatment and monitoring through clinical trials and developing an early stage diagnostic platform. Outside of the lab, Becca enjoys gardening, reading, spending time with her son and spoiling her cats.

Alumni

Marissa Jimenez (Clinical Research Coordinator)
Amandi Wilson, MHS (SRP fellow)
Elizabeth Sulvarán-Guel (HSG rotation student)
Grace Ugwueke (SRP fellow)
Leslie Sutton (Research technician)
Truc Pham (MSTP rotation student)
Nana Akwaboa (SRP fellow)
Elijah Darden (WU undergraduate)
Gulinu Maimaituxun, MD, PhD (Postdoctoral fellow)