Principal Investigator: Kristin Guilliams, MD MSCI
Dr. Kristin Guilliams is a pediatric neurologist and intensivist who specializes in pediatric stroke and brain injury. She started the COMIC team to tackle questions like “why do some kids have strokes and not others?” and “how do we help growing brains get all of the blood and oxygen they need?” When she’s not thinking about the next random ice breaker question for team meetings (feel free to ask team members about the last question they answered), she enjoys exploring art museums, participating in discussion groups, and watching the seasons change in Forest Park. Her favorite part about her job is how the team members and study participants make her laugh and smile. Dr. Guilliams is also a member of the Pediatric Neurocritical Care Research Group and the International Pediatric Stroke Organization. Email: kristinguilliams@wustl.edu
Staff Scientist: Joben Lewis, PhD
Dr. Joben Lewis joined the COMIC lab in 2019 as a staff scientist, where he works on the design and implementation of experiments, along with management, processing, and interpretation of the MRI and RespirAct™ data. Joben’s favorite parts of his job are helping the rest of the COMIC team collect great data during study visits, and collaborating with other coders to improve the data processing pipelines used to analyze MRI results. In prior research in physics he studied the origins of meteoritic nanodiamonds by pulling atoms off microscopic space diamonds with lasers and high voltage. When he’s not working, Joben enjoys spending time with his son, cooking big meals to share, and relaxing in Forest Park. When he finds time and inspiration, he writes children’s fantasy and scifi novels.
Email: jblewis@wustl.edu
Neuroimaging Engineer: Igor Dedkov
Igor holds a Master’s degree in electrical engineering and worked for ten years as an electrical engineer before pivoting to data analysis and software engineering. Igor’s previous experience includes developing HIPAA-compliant services for Veterans, which were successfully integrated into the VA system. Over the last two years, he has pursued his hobby of EEG data processing and analysis and has become an active member of neurotech communities. He worked on researching and developing brain-computer interfaces aiming to restore communication for individuals with ALS in LIS and CLIS states. Igor has recently joined the COMIC lab as a neuroimaging engineer. His aspiration for the new role is to explore the lab’s specific data processing pipelines and help the team in MRI research, processing and engineering of MRI data as well as data analysis and data interpretation using machine learning algorithms. In his free time, Igor enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, swimming, and experimenting with new blends of herbal teas.
Email: digor@wustl.edu
Research Coordinator: Heather Quartuccio, MSW
Heather Quartuccio holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work and worked in child welfare for 12 years before joining the COMIC lab as a research coordinator. She enjoys planning study visits and making those days both enjoyable and meaningful for participants and their families. In her free time, Heather enjoys watching the latest documentaries, spending time with her dogs, exploring the great food in St. Louis, and traveling to see friends and family.
Email: heatherq@wustl.edu
Undergraduate Research Assistant: Nupur Shah
Nupur Shah is a sophomore at WashU on the Pre-Med track, studying Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology with a minor in Children’s Studies. She has spent several years working with children in various settings, and will be joining the COMIC lab as a research assistant, while also working at the St. Michael School of Clayton. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and reading. She loves trying new foods, and is currently exploring St. Louis’ diverse food scene.
Email: nupur@wustl.edu
COMIC Lab Alumni
Staff Scientist: Michael Binkley, MS, PhD
Comic Lab Member: 2019-2021
Dr. Michael Binkley joined the COMIC lab in 2019 as a staff scientist in charge of biostatistics and data management. During his tenure, Michael’s projects ranged from statistical analysis of cohort datasets, voxelwise regressions for MRI, and longitudinal image analysis to better understand physiological differences and impacts of anemia on the brain. Dr. Binkley left the COMIC Lab in 2021 to work at a local St. Louis biotechnology startup as Director of Engineering.
Research Coordinator: Madison Streb, BA
Comic Lab Member: 2019-2020
Madison Streb started in the COMIC Lab in 2019 where she worked in participant recruitment and enrollment, data collection and management, and clinical research regulatory compliance and documentation. Madison left the the COMIC Lab in 2021 to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology at St. Louis University.
Research Coordinator: Luisa Gil Diaz, BS
Comic Lab Member: 2020-2021
Luisa Gil Diaz was a research coordinator for Sickle Cell Imaging research at Washington University. Luisa loved the opportunity to meet families and spend time with them during research visits. Her goal was to make research participation a comfortable and enriching experience for all participants.
Research Coordinator: Jade Beshears, BA
Comic Lab Member: 2021-2022
Jade Beshears was a research coordinator for Sickle Cell Imaging research at Washington University while pursuing her Master of Public Health in Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness at Saint Louis University. Jade enjoyed meeting the families and building a positive research relationship with them to make sure they understood the research and were comfortable throughout the length of their participation.
Undergraduate Research Assistant: Amy Ouyang, BA
Comic Lab Member: 2019-2022
Amy Ouyang worked in the COMIC lab on data collection and management, scan processing, and helping out with study visits while obtaining her undergraduate degree and also while she was in her gap year before applying to medical school. Her favorite part of the job was study visits.
Undergraduate Research Assistant: Anita Zhou, BA
Comic Lab Member: 2020-2021
Anita Zhou worked in the COMIC lab on data collection and scan processing while pursuing her undergraduate degree in biology at Washington University in St. Louis. Anita’s favorite part about working in the lab was learning how to improve visual inspections of MRI scans and their documentation for use in research projects.