Lab Members

Current Members:

Feng Chen,  PhD
Principal Investigator

Preet Lal, PhD
Staff Scientist
I hail from Himachal Pradesh in northern India. I obtained my Ph.D. in Biomolecular Sciences from the University of Trento in the Italian Alps. Now, in collaboration with the Chen Lab, I am involved in the deep discovery and clinical interpretation of germline and somatic cancer drivers using in-vitro and in-vivo cancer models. I am a vegetarian, and I like hiking, cooking my favorite foods, and sometimes singing Bollywood songs.

Atieh Abedin-Do, PhD.
Postdoc
I hold a BSc and MSc in Human Genetics from Iran, and during my PhD student in Canada, I focused on diabetic wound healing and regenerative medicine. Currently, I aim to enhance my wet lab skills while actively engaging in computational biology. During my leisure time, I find pleasure in embarking on road trips, hiking, and biking.

Faria Anjum Simin, MS.
Technician II

Born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I moved to the United States in 2021 to pursue graduate studies. I have a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from North South University, Bangladesh, and a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. I am eager to utilize my knowledge of pharmacology and wet lab expertise to identify potential therapeutic targets for cancer and urogenital diseases. In my spare time, I enjoy watching and learning about space exploration programs.

Shreya Mangalam
Undergraduate Student
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. I’m interested in studying computational biology and genomics. I’m hoping to learn and explore more about disease development and the application of computational and experimental methods to further those findings. Outside of this, I hold a woman candidate master title in chess, play competitive chess, spend time with my friends and dog, and listen to pop music.

Yuting Zhao, MS

Technician II

I grew up in Shenzhen, a southern city in China. I came to the state and obtained my bachelor’s degree at The University of the South, with a biochemistry major and music minor. In addition, I obtained my master’s degree in biomedical science at the University of Pittsburgh. I hope that I can learn more advanced techniques in the wet lab and meet more diverse people here. In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis and the piano.

Kyowon Koo, BS

Graduate Student

While I was mostly born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, I have spent a significant amount of time studying in Singapore and the East Coast of the United States before moving to California to complete my bachelors in Biochemistry at USC. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing video games, sampling local cuisines while traveling abroad with friends & family, and drawing on my iPad

Gaurav Bhatt, PhD

Postdoc

From the picturesque town of Kotdwar in Uttarakhand, India, I bring a deep passion for cancer research and therapeutics. I pursued my Ph.D. at IIT Guwahati under the supervision of Dr. Latha Rangan and Dr. AM Limaye, where I investigated the transcriptomic footprint and mechanistic details of karanjin’s mode of action in breast cancer cells. This research led to the elucidation of the activation and modulation of Estrogen receptor α and Aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Currently, I am dedicated to advancing our understanding of kidney and Prostate cancer progression and resistance by studying both in vitro and in vivo models, as well as clinical settings. I am particularly interested in utilizing single cell technology, spatial transcriptomics, CRISPR and other cutting-edge techniques to uncover mechanistic insights, develop new biomarkers, therapeutic molecules, and ultimately improve treatment outcomes. Outside of my research, I find joy in playing soccer, sport, travelling and making a positive impact through social work in the community.

 

 

Former members:

    • Yanyan Zhao, MS.
    • Andrew Shinkle, BS
    • Xiaolu Yang, PhD
    • Alanna Gould, BS

    • Clara Oh, BS

    • Terrence Tsou

    • Xi Ding, MD

    • Di Liu, MD, MS

    • Rajees Varghese, BS

    • Kalyan Manda, PhD

    • Piyush Tripathi, PhD

    • Qiusha Guo, MD

    • Yinqiu Wang, PhD

    • Adam Casey, BS

    • Edward Poyo, BS

    • Nisha Basappa, BS

    • Zach Ginsberg, BS

    • Mathew Coussens,  PhD

    • Qunshan Jia  PhD

    • Brad McDill  MS

    • Paul Kovach MD

    • Heidi Joist  MD

    • Song-Zhe Li  PhD

    • Jianhui Yang MD

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