Dr. Stacey Rentschler, MD, PhD

Dr. Stacey Rentschler, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator

Education

  • B.S. Biochemistry: Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA (1995)
  • PhD Biological Sciences: Mount Sinai, School of Medicine, NY, NY (2002)
  • MD: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY, NY (2004)
  • Residency, Medicine: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (2006)
  • Fellowship, Cardiology: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (2011)

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Sherwin Ng

Sherwin Ng

Medical Scientist Training Program Candidate

Sherwin is a third year graduate student in the Medical Scientist Training Program. He joined the Rentschler lab in May 2021, as a member of the Molecular Cell Biology program. He received his B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University in 2017. He is currently working on a project investigating the therapeutic effects of radiotherapy on cardiac electrical conduction. Outside of lab he likes spending time with friends and family and drinking boba.

Jennifer Esteves

Jennifer Esteves

Biomedical Engineering PhD Candidate

Jennifer is a second-year graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering PhD Program. She joined the lab in June 2023. She received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2022. She is currently working on the Additional Ventures Cures Collaborative, which aims to create a cure for single ventricle disease using micro-heart tissues. In her free time, she spends time exploring St. Louis and volunteering at non-profit organizations.

 

POST-DOCTORAL & RESEARCH FELLOWS

Sam Jordan

Sarnoff Research Fellow

Sam joined the Rentschler Lab in July 2022. Sam is a medical student and a visiting researcher from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is a current of the Sarnoff Fellow.

 

Brian  Zenger, MD PhD

Brian Zenger, MD PhD

Physician Scientist Training Program Candidate

Brian joined the Rentschler Lab in July 2023. Brian is from Salt Lake City, Utah. He completed his BS and MD/PhD at the University of Utah in Biomedical Engineering. His research dissertation research focused on detection of acute myocardial ischemia from the torso surface using electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) confirmed with translational animal models. His current research interests include radiotherapy treatment for ventricular tachycardia combined with ECGI and cardiac computational simulation. His clinical interests are in cardiac electrophysiology. In his free time you will find him outside with his partner and two dogs running, skiing, biking, hiking, or on the water.”

STAFF MEMBERS

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Florence Flick Jaecker, PhD

Staff Scientist

Florence joined the Rentschler lab in August 2022. They earned their PhD in Physics for Life Science from the University of Strasbourg in France. They went on to a post-doctoral position in the Pathak lab at Washington University. Florence is currently working on the Additional Ventures’ Cures Collaborative, a group of people dedicated to finding a cure for Single Ventricle Disease. In their free time they enjoy photography, travelling, dreaming of becoming an astronaut, and spending time with their rescue dog, Fisher.

Stephanie Hicks

Stephanie Hicks

Lab Manager

Stephanie Hicks is the Lab Manager for the Rentschler Lab. She Joined the Rentschler lab in December of 2012. She received her BS in Agriculture with a concentration in Animal Health Technology from Murray State University. She is a former veterinary technician who loves her pack of animals at home.  In her spare time she has a passion for photography, riding motorcycles, hunting, and water skiing.     

 

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James Tabor, MS

Research Technician II

James joined the Rentschler Lab in May 2022 after recently completing his M.S. in Physiology from Tulane University. He previously completed his B.S. in Psychology from Rockhurst University. He is currently assisting with multiple projects in the lab. Outside of the lab, he enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family. He is a lifelong fan of St. Louis sports and some of his favorite activities include alpine skiing, water skiing and working out.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Aryan  Kumar

Aryan Kumar

Undergraduate Student

Aryan joined the Rentschler Lab in November 2022. He is currently pursuing a degree in Biology with a minor in Healthcare Management.

Sneha  Manikandan

Sneha Manikandan

Sneha joined the Rentschler Lab in September 2023. She is pursuing a degree in Chemistry: Biochemistry with a minor in Mathematics and German. She is currently working on a project investigating radiotherapy treatment for ventricular tachycardia. Outside of the lab, she likes to run, spend time with friends, and volunteer!

ALUMNI

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    Pranav Kirti

    Undergraduate Student

    Pranav joined the Rentschler lab in January 2022 and worked on optimizing code used for analyzing the conduction velocity of cardiac tissues.

    Lauren Huebner

    Lauren Huebner

    Research Technician II

    Lauren joined the Rentschler Lab in February 2022 after completing her B.S. in Biology from University of Missouri – St. Louis. Her research background is primarily in molecular biology, although she also has experience working in healthcare. She assisted with multiple projects in the lab including the Additional Ventures Cures Collaborative, which is focused on creating non-invasive cure for single ventricle disease using micro-heart tissues. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking soft pretzels, thrift shopping, and visiting the Missouri Botanical Garden.

    Stephanie Cook

    Stephanie Cook

    Research Technician II

    Stephanie joined the Rentschler lab in June 2021. She started at WashU in 2014, where she worked as a technician in an isotope geochemistry lab on the Danforth Campus. Previously, she earned her B.S. in Forensic Biology from Maryville University. Outside of the lab, Stephanie enjoys spending her free time with her dogs, cooking new recipes, practicing yoga, camping, and skydiving.

    Ashley Robinson, MS

    Ashley Robinson, MS

    Research Technician II

    Ashley joined the Rentschler Lab in September 2020 after completing her M.S. in Chemistry. Previously, she received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Florida State University. She assisted on a project that involved the investigation of COVID-19 infection in the heart. In her spare time, she enjoys reading books, lifting weights, petting kitties, and drinking excessive amounts of coffee.

    Morgan Leff

    Morgan Leff

    Undergraduate Student

    Morgan studied Anthropology and Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. She joined the Rentschler Lab in 2019 and focused on Notch signaling in mouse heart failure models. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she spends her free time playing badminton, cooking, and reading ethnography.

    Lei Huang, PhD

    Lei Huang, PhD

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    Lei joined the Rentschler Lab in March 2020 as a postdoctoral research associate. He received his doctoral degree in 2018 in Forensic Medicine from Zhongshan School of Medicine at Sun Yat-se University. His research focused on the epigenetic regulation of the heart post-irradiation. Outside of lab Lei enjoys watching movies and TV shows, visiting US cities, and hiking.

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    Jessica Weibrecht

    Undergraduate Student

    Jessica was an undergraduate student at Washington University in St. Louis studying Japanese and Biology.

    Somya Bhatnagar

    Somya Bhatnagar

    Undergraduate Student

    Camryn Kenkel

    Camryn Kenkel

    Undergraduate Student

    Camryn graduated with her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and minor in Spanish in May 2021. She joined the Rentschler Lab in September 2018 with research interests involving the molecular mechanisms underlying arrhythmogenesis and the effects of DNA damage and repair on cardiovascular pathways. She is from Boulder, Colorado and spent a semester studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. In her free time, she enjoys testing out new recipes, hiking, and skiing. She is currently a medical student attending NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

    David Zhang, PhD

    David Zhang, PhD

    MSTP Student

    David is a MD/PhD student at Washington University School of Medicine. He joined the Rentschler Lab in June 2018 as part of the Molecular Cell Biology program. He completed his PhD research in May 2022. Previously, David earned his B.S.E in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied mechanisms of von Willebrand factor metabolism and left-ventricular assist device design. His research interests include dysregulated cellular signaling pathways and arrhythmogenesis in cardiovascular disease, and he plans to pursue a career in academic medicine. Beyond his academic interests, David is a proud Boston sports fan who enjoys Alpine skiing and ice fishing.