Fellows
Robert J. Matusik, Ph.D. 1976-79 (Recipient of Canadian Career Development Award; PhD, U. Rochester, laboratory of Dr. Russell Hilf) Emeritus Professor and Director of Vanderbilt Prostate Cancer Center, Department of Urologic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. Retired.
William Guyette, M.D./Ph.D. 1977-79 (MD, U. Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; PhD, U. Rochester, laboratory of Dr. Donald Young) Clinical Associate, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Private practice.
Li-Yuan Yu-Lee, Ph.D. 1979-83 (PhD, Columbia U., Laboratory of Dr. Carter Bancroft) Professor, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Mark L. Johnson, Ph.D. 1980-83 (PhD, U. Minnesota, laboratory of Dr. Carlo Veneziale) Professor and Department Chair, Department of Oral Biology, University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry, Kansas City, MO
Andrew A. Hobbs, Ph.D. 1980-83 (PhD, U. Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand) Senior Lecturer, Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry, U. Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia.
Yvonne David-Inouye, Ph.D. 1983-86. (Recipient, American Cancer Society Fellowship; PhD, Department of Physiology, U. California, San Francisco, laboratory of Dr. John Baxter). Housewife, Sacramento.
Chester A. Bisbee, Ph.D. 10/83-03/87 (PhD, Department of Zoology, U. California, Berkeley, laboratory of Dr. Howard Bern). Attorney at Law.
Terry L. Brown, Ph.D. 1984-85 (PhD, U. Minnesota, laboratory of Dr. Finn Wold) Instructor, Chemistry, Biology and Physics, North Hennepin and Minneapolis Community Colleges, Minneapolis, MN.
Richard Eisenstein, Ph.D. 06/85-03/87 (Recipient, American Cancer Society Fellowship; PhD, Department of Biochemistry, U. Wisconsin, laboratory of Dr. Alfred Harper) Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, U. Wisconsin, 1415 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706.
Patrick Poyet, Ph.D. 01/86-09/89 (Recipient, Quebec Provincial Fellowship; PhD, Molecular Endocrinology, Laval U., Quebec, Canada, laboratory of Dr. Fernand Labrie) Vice-President, Abrafab, Quebec, CANADA .
Evelyn Bayna, Ph.D. 02/87-09/89 (PhD, Department of Anatomy, U. Connecticut Health Center, laboratory of Dr. Barry D. Shur) Research Biologist, Department of Research, VA Medical Center, San Diego, San Diego, CA.
David Emery, Ph.D. 11/88-09/89 (PhD, Department of Biochemistry, Bristol U., Bristol, U.K., laboratory of Dr. Len Hall) Research Fellow in Research Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Jacques Wolff, Ph.D. 01/89-11/90 (PhD in Biochemistry, 1978, Paris VI University) Assistant Professor, Universite de Bretagne Sud, Vannes, France.
Trevor Dale, Ph.D. 04/89-03/91 (PhD in Biochemistry, 1989, University of London, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, laboratory of Dr. George Stark) Professor, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff, UK
Christian Provot, Ph.D. 02/90-07/91 (PhD in Molecular Biology, 1989, Université Blaise Pascal(Clermont-Il).Department of Genetic Biochemistry, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), laboratory of Jean-Claude Mercier) Project coordinator, Canceropole Lyon Auvergne Rhone-Alpes, Clemont-Ferrand Area, France.
Norman M. Greenberg, Ph.D. 01/88-06/9l (PhD in Microbiology, 1988, U. British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, laboratory of Dr. R.C. Miller, Jr.) Member, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA. Chief Scientific Officer, Atreca, Inc. Redwood City, CA. Executive VP at Prellis Biologics, Haywood, CA.
Sean Gavigan, Ph.D. 09/88-09/91 (PhD in Biochemistry, 1986, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London, London, England, laboratory of Dr. N.B. Myant). Technical writer, Extron Electronics, Orange County, CA.
Thomas Bühler, Ph.D. 09/89-12/91 (PhD in Natural Sciences, 1989, Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland, laboratories of Dr. G. Stranzinger and K. Bürki) Head, US Information Governance & Management at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Susanne Coleman-Krnacik, Ph.D. 02/90-10/93 (PhD in Developmental Biology, 1989, Department of Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, laboratory of Dr. C.W. Daniel) Research Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Office manager and full time mother, Roseburg, Oregon.
Bushra Khursheed, Ph.D. 03/9l-12/93 (PhD in Molecular Biology, 1988, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, laboratory of Dr. J.C. Rogers). High school science teacher.
Baolin Li, MD/Ph.D. 06/91-12/94 (MD/PhD 1991, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, Shaanxi, China). Senior Director, Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN
Darryl Hadsell, Ph.D. 09/91 09/95 (PhD 1991, Department of Dairy and Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, laboratory of Dr. Craig Baumracker) Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Sinai Yarus, Ph.D. 10/93-12/98 (PhD 1993, Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, laboratory of Dr. A. Fainsod). Owner, IPAttitude, Israel. Licensed Patent Consultant USA and Patent Attorney, Luzatto & Luzatto, Israel .
Cynthia Zahnow, Ph.D. 07/95-12/99 (PhD 1995, Department of Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, laboratory of Dr. D. Millhorn). Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Alexander Kazansky, Ph.D. 03/92-06/01 (PhD 1990, Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Acad. of Sci., Moscow, Russia, laboratory of Dr. S. Gorodetsky). Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas at Brownsville.
Sudit Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D. 12/97-01/02 (PhD, thesis submitted November 1997, University of Jadavpur, Calcutta India. Laboratory; Dept. of Biochemistry, Bose Institute, Calcutta, under the supervision of Prof. R.K. Mandal. Professor, Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur-713209, West Bengal, INDIA.
Kristen Senechal 07/01-06/02 (Ph.D., 1998, UCLA School of Medicine in laboratory of Dr. Charles L. Sawyers. Instructor, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. MBA University of Houston, Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Lower Colorado River Authority Utilities, Non-profit.
Michelle Kallesen 9/00-06/02 (Ph.D. 1999, University of Nebraska, Cancer Research Training Program in laboratory of Dr. Angie Rizzino). Project: The role of chromatin remodeling in mammary gland development. Full time mother, Houston, TX.
Geetika Chakravarty, Ph.D. 06/97-6/03 (PhD 1995, Division of Laboratory Medicine and Surgery, University of Bombay, Bombay, India, laboratory of Dr. I. Mittra). Instructor, Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA. Jonakee Cancer Research, USA.
Monique Rijnkels, Ph.D. 04/95-10/03 (PhD 1997, Medical Biotechnology Group, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, laboratory of Dr. H.A. deBoer). Research Associate Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Dept of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX.
Wendy Woodward 10/03-10/04 (M.D., Ph.D. 2000 Thomas Jefferson University, in laboratory of Dr. RS Tuan. Internal Medicine, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 2001-2001; Professor and Chief of the Clinical Breast Radiotherapy Service, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX.
Melanie Ginger, Ph.D. 7/98-5/2005 (Ph.D. 1998, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, New Zealand, laboratory of Dr. M. Grigor. Bordeaux, France, ITA at INSERM.
Sandra Grimm, Ph.D. 12/98-2/2006 (PhD 1998, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Molecular Biology Program, laboratory of Dr. Steven K. Nordeen). Assistant Professor, Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, TX.
Kaylee Schwertfeger 1/02-11/2006 (Ph.D., 2001, University of Colorado Health Science Center in laboratory of Dr. Steven Anderson. Professor, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN.
Wa Xian 10/15/02-1/2007 (Ph.D., 2002, University of Texas-Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center in laboratory of Dr. Larry Etkin. Senior Research Associate, laboratory of Dr. Joan Brugge, Harvard University, Boston, MA. Research Associate Professor of Biology and Biochemistry,University of Houston Stem Cell Center. CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research
Melissa Landis 09/19/05-9/30/07 (Ph.D., 2005, Case Western University in the laboratory of Dr. Ruth A. Keri. Senior Field Medical Director, BeiGene.
Tracy Vargo-Gogola 9/11/02-12/15/07 (Ph.D., 2002, Vanderbilt University College of Medicine in laboratory of Dr. Lynn Matrisian. DOD fellowship recipient. K99/R00 Temin Pathway to Independence Award. Associate Professor of Clinical Anatomy & Cell Biology, Director of Curriculum Development, Indiana University School of Medicine at South Bend in association with Notre Dame.
Fariba Behbod 4/15/02-7/30/2008 (Ph.D., 2001, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in laboratory of Dr. Robert Kirken. Project: Functional characterization of stem cells in normal mammary gland development and breast cancer. NRSA fellowship recipient. K99/R00 Temin Pathway to Independence Award. Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Cancer and Developmental Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center.
Celina Montemayor Garcia 7/1/2010-5/20/2011 (Ph.D. 2009, Baylor College of Medicine in the laboratory of Dr. Fred Pereira, MD. Monterrey Tec Medical School, 2000. Role of Plk2 in breast cancer. Pathology Residency, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Assistant Clinical Investigator, Department of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD. Medical Officer, Canadian Blood Services, Toronto, CA
Nino Rainusso 07/01/07-05/31/11(M.D., 2000, Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia, Pediatric Residency, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2003-2006. TCH Oncology Fellowship, 2006-present, St. Baldrick’s Foundation fellowship, ASCO Young Investigator Award. Associate Professor, Pediatrics-Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children’s Hospital.
Mei Zhang 11/01/04-8/17/2012 (Ph.D., 2004, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center in laboratory of Dr. William Dowhan. Project: Identification and characterization of breast cancer stem cells. Komen fellowship recipient. K99/R00 Temin Pathway to Independence Award, 10/1/10. Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburg School of Medicine, Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute.
Heather LaMarca Machado 06/01/05-3/31/13 (Ph.D., 2005, Tulane University in the laboratory of Dr. Cindy A. Morris. Project: C/EBPß regulates mammary epithelial cell fate. American Cancer Society fellowship recipient. K99/R00 Temin Pathway to Independence Award, 9/16/2011. Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine.
Edmund Chang 05/21/07-12/31/12 (Ph.D., 2007, University of Illinois, Champagne Urbana in the laboratory of Dr. Benita Katzenellenbogen. Project: Therapeutic resistance of breast cancer stem cells. DOD postdoctoral fellowship. Director of Translational Medicine, Hummingbird Bioscience, Houston, Tx.
Jason Herschkowitz 9/24/07-11/01/13 (Ph.D., 2007, University of North Carolina in the laboratory of Dr. Charles Perou. Project: Bmi-1 and Epigenetic Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Stem Cells. Komen Postdoctoral fellowship. K99/R00 Temin Pathway to Independence Award, 9/05/2012. Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, Cancer Research Center, RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY.
Michael Toneff 9/1/2011-8/11/17 (Ph.D. 2011, Baylor College of Medicine in the laboratory of Dr. Yi Li) REACH IRADCA postdoctoral fellowship. Project: To target claudin-low tumors with FDA approved small molecules. Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Widener University.
Kevin Roarty 11/01/2008-6/1/2017 (Ph.D. 2008, University of Alabama, Birmingham in the laboratory of Dr. Rosa Sera. Project: Role of noncanonical Wnt signaling in mammary stem cells and breast cancer. DOD postdoctoral fellowship 1 W81XWH-10-1-0356, 6/ 15/ 2010-6/14/2013. Project: Elucidating the role of noncanonical Wnt signaling in the mammary gland and in radiation-resistant tumor-initiating cell populations.. . Recipient K22 Transition Career Award, “Wnt pathway dynamics in breast cancer metastasis”. Assistant Professor, tenure track, Baylor College of Medicine.
Deanna Acosta 9/8/2014-7/31/2017 (Ph.D. 2013, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in laboratory of Dr. Cristina Montagna). REACH-IRADCA postdoctoral fellow. 5 K12 GM084897-08 Project: Role of Plk2 in triple negative breast cancer. Adjunct Professor of Natural Sciences, Northeast Lakeview College, Jersey City, NJ and Director of Integrated Academic Support Programs, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
Sarah Kurley 8/4/2012-10/27/17 (Ph.D. 2012, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in laboratory of Dr. Al Reynolds). Joint postdoc with Dr. Trey Westbrook. Project: Preclinical modeling of metastasis and therapy response of TNBC. DOD Postdoctoral Fellowship Award BUD31 and Lipid Metabolism: A New Potential Therapeutic Entry Point for Myc-Driven Breast Cancer. Oncology T32 training grant. Associate Director of Molecular Diagnostics Evidence Review, Optum Genomics.
Se Jin Kim 9/4/2012-9/30/2019 (Ph.D. 2011, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in laboratory of Dr. Thomas Boyer). Project: Role of Stat3 and Wnt signaling in tumor initiating cells. Senior Scientist, Pfizer, St. Louis.
Mahnaz Janghorban 9/5/2016-3/6/2020(Ph.D. 2014, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OH). Project: The role of MDSCs in breast cancer dormancy and recurrence. Director-in-training @ Kashi Clinical Laboratories, Inc., Portland, OR.
Students
Scott C. Supowit, Ph.D. (1975-81) Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Columbia, SC
Donald Richards, M.D./Ph.D. (1976-83) (M.D./Ph.D. degree, 1983) Medical Oncology, Tyler Cancer Center, Tyler, TX 75702
John Rodgers, Ph.D. (1977-84) Associate Professor, Department of Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Retired.
Prabhaker Gupta, Ph.D. (1978-81) (Fullbright Fellow; Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry, 1984, U. Calcutta) Senior Lecturer, Department Biochemistry, Bose Institute, U. Calcutta, India. Deceased.
William K. Jones, Ph.D. (1979-85) Associate Professor of Biology, UIU, Fayette, Iowa.
Sheldon M. Campbell, M.D./Ph.D. (1981-86; former M.D./Ph.D. Student, Medical Scientist Training Program predoctoral fellow; PhD 09/86) Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, V.A. Hospital, New Haven, CT.
Kuo-Fen Lee, Ph.D. (1983-88; Ph.D. 02/88) Professor, Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA.
Heather Goodman, Ph.D. (1985-90; Ph.D. 06/90; BA 1985 in Biology, Smith College, Northampton, MA) Associate Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Mike Krnacik, Ph.D. (1988-93; Ph.D. 06/93; BA 1988, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI; MS, 1991, MD, 1997, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX) Resident, Orthopedics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI., Umpqua Orthopedics, Roseburg Clinic, Roseburg, Oregon.
Shi Li, M.D./Ph.D. (1991-95; Ph.D. 10/94; BS 1990, University of Science and Technology, Hefei, China; MD 1998, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.). Resident, Dermatology, Stanford University and UCLA, Private Practice, Long Island, NY, adjunct appointment NYU.
Brian Raught (1991-96; Ph.D. 02/96; BS 1987, Washington State University, Pullman, WA; MS 1990, Washington State University, Pullman, WA) Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. N. Sonenberg, Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Canada Research Chair in Proteomics and Molecular Medicine Ontario Cancer Institute and Professor Department of Medical Biophysics University of Toronto.
Robin Humphreys (1991-96; Ph.D. 11/96; BS 1983, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ) Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. L. Hennighausen, laboratory of Biochemistry and Metabolism, NIDDK-NIH, Bethesda, MD. 11/2000, Executive Director, Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
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Deana Roy, Ph.D. (1994-99; M.S. 01/99, BS 1991, Bates College). Research Associate, University of Colorado Health Science Center, Denver, CO. Full time mother, Charlottesville, VA.
Tiffany Seagroves (1995-99; Ph.D. 08/99, BS 1994, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC). Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Executive Director, Molecular Resource Center, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research-Core Laboratories, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN.
Kristen Murphy Devlin (1996-2000; Ph.D. 06/00, BS 1995, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN). Manager, Technology Transfer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY. Independent Biotechnology Professional.
Shannon Lindsey-Wyszomierski 1994-2000 (BS 1993, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA). Project: Glucocorticoid receptor/Stat 5 interactions at the ß-casein promoter. Odyssey postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Sharon Roth, currently postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Dihua Yu, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Scientific Editorial Services, University of Pittsburg, Self-employed.
Bryan Welm 06/95-09/01 (BS 1994, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA). Postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Zena Werb, University of California, San Francisco. Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Stacey Tepera 06/97-10/02 (BS 1995, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX). Chief Analyst, Population and Survey Analysts, 303 Anderson College Station, TX 77840.
Renee O’Lear 06/00-9/02 (BS, MS 1998, University of Houston-Clear Lake). Science teacher, Bellaire High School.
Michael Lam 06/00-05/04 (B.S. 1999, Brandeis University, Watham, MA). Postdoctoral fellow, David Bartel, MIT, Boston, MA. Senior Research Biologist, Merck Research Labs, Boston, MA. Senior Director Ex Vivo Cell Therapy at Intellia Therapeutic, Inc., Boston, MA.
Alejandro Contreras 06/00-09/04 (BA 1995, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; 1997, MSTP Baylor College of Medicine). NIH Minority Supplement. Postdoctoral fellow, Rosen laboratory, Baylor College of Medicine, 06/04-06/05. University of Chicago, Residency in Pathology. Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Mercy Chen 06/01-06/06 (B.S. 2000, UCLA) Project: Role of ß-catenin in mammary progenitors. Postdoctoral fellow, Rosen laboratory, Baylor College of Medicine, 06/06-09/06. Funding Compliance Manager, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Brandy Heckman-Stoddard 06/04-5/30/08 (B.S. Biological Sciences, 2003, University of Delaware, Newark) Project: Role of p190RhoGAP in mammary gland development and breast cancer. DOD predoctoral fellowship. MPH Johns Hopkins. Chief, Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute.
Stephanie Greene 06/04-12/09 (B.S. SUNY at Albany, 1997) Project: Role of noncoding and microRNAs in mammary gland development and breast cancer. DOD predoctoral fellowship recipient. Postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Jim Martin, Department of Molecular Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine. Staff Scientist at CDx Partnerships at Illumina , San Diego, CA.
Sirisha Peddibhotla 06/03-5/09 (BSc, MSc Genetics Osmania U. Hyderabad, AP India, Ph.D. 2009, Baylor College of Medicine in laboratory of Jeffrey Rosen. Project: Role of Chk1 in mitosis. DOD predoctoral fellowship recipient. ABMG-Clinical Cytogenetics Training Program, BCM. Postdoctoral research associate. Dr. Dario Marchetti, BCM Pathology. Medical leave of absence.
Adam Pond 07/06-present (B.S. Chemistry, Central Connecticut State University, Dec., 2004) Project: Differential effects of FGFR1 and FGFR2 on mammary stem cells and breast cancer. Postdoctoral fellow in laboratory of Jeffrey Rosen, 11/2010 to 4/8/2011. Co-Founder and Director at Model Teaching, Houston, TX.
Rachel Atkinson 07/06-10/10 (B.A. Chemistry, B.S. Biology, Washburn University, May 2003) Project: Targeting chemotherapy resistance of breast cancer stem cells. Cancer Prevention Fellowship, MD Anderson Cancer Center and UT School of Public Health, Sr. Clinical Value and Outcomes Liaison at Seattle Genetics.
Adriana Visbal 07/05-11/10 (B.S., Molecular & Cell Biology, Texas A&M University, May, 2004) Project: Hedgehog signaling and stem cells. DOD predoctoral fellowship recipient. IRADCA fellow, Baylor College of Medicine. Assistant Professor of Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Houston-Downtown.
Amy Shore 07/05-7/12 (B.S., Biology, University of Virginia, May, 1998) Project: PINC noncoding RNA. DOD predoctoral fellowship recipient. Postdoctoral fellow 9/12-8/15. Project: Role of PINC, a novel long non-coding RNA, in mammary gland development and breast cancer. Research Analyst, University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT.
Torey Batts 07/05-4/12 (B.S., Biology Engineering, Rice University, Jan., 2003) Project: The role of Sca1 in mammary development and breast cancer. NIH minority supplement. Director, Field Medical Account Lead at GSK.
Elizabeth Villegas 07/09-02/14 (B.S. Biology, University of Houston, Downtown, May 2005) Project: Role of Plk2 in mammary gland development and breast cancer. DOD predoctoral fellowship recipient. 4/14-9/14 postdoctoral fellow. Lecturer and Assistant Dean of the College of Sciences and Technology, University of Houston- Downtown.
Jana Knezevic 07/10-03/15(B.S. Molecular Biology, University of Belgrade, January 2009) Project: Defining signal transduction pathways in claudin-low breast cancers. CPRIT Training Grant Awardee. Senior Project Manager, Worldwide Clinical Trials, Houston, TX.
Xue(Sherrie) Bin Holdman 05/11-11/15(Master of Natural Science (biochemistry and molecular biology), Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China, July 2010. Project: FGF and Wnt crosstalk in mammary stem cells. Patent agent OSHALIANG.LLP. University of Minnesota School of Law, Life Science Patent Attorney, Chicago, IL.
Chi-Hsuan(Sean) Chang 07/10-6/16(B.S. Life Sciences National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan, July 2006). Project: Elucidating DNA repair mechanisms in cancer stem cells. Senior Manager, Innovation Sensing and Strategy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, San Diego, CA.
Amulya Sreekumar 07/01/13-11/03/17(B.S. in Biotechnology, University of Pune, Pune, India. 6/2010. M.S. in Molecular Medicine, Cahrité-Universitätmedizin Berlin, Germany 9/2012. Project: Determining the role of Wnt and p53 in mammary stem cell fate determination. CPRIT Training Grant Awardee. Postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Lewis Chodosh, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Daisy (Yang) Lu 05/12-6/18 (B.S., Biotechnology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P.R.China, July 2011). Project: The role of miR205 in mammary stem cells and breast cancer. Clinical Research Scientist. BioFire Diagnostics, LLC, Salt Lake City, UT, Clinical Scientist, Seagen, Seattle, WA.
Tuan M. Nguyen 07/01/2014-11/01/2018(B.A. Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN, 5/2013). Project: Mechanisms and therapeutic implications of the FGF/Wnt cooperativity in basal-like and endocrine-resistant luminal-B breast cancers. Postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Amit Choudhary, Broad Institute and Harvard Medical School. Cancer Biologist, Nuvalent, Cambridge, MA
Aaron J. Spike 03/11/13-12/1/19(B.A. University of Minnesota, May 2012). Project: The role of C/EBPß isoforms in mammary gland development and breast cancer. Business Development Manager with Strategic Industry Ventures, MDACC, Houston, TX.
Swarnima Singh 07/01/2016-09/30/2021(B.A. Mt. Holyoke College, MA 5/2013). Project: co-mentor with Dr. Xiang Zhang, Role of the immune system in chemotherapy response of primary and metastatic breast cancer. Postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Judith Varner, University of California, San Diego. Consultant, Boston Consulting Group.
Oluwatoyosi Adewunmi 07/01/2018-6/9/2023 (B.S. Biomedical Sciences, McMurry University, 5/2013; MS Biochemistry, Texas State University 5/2017). Discovering the role MALAT1 plays in breast cancer tumorigenesis. Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Kristen Pauken, MD Anderson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Visiting Scientists
Jossi Levy, Ph.D., Director, Endocrinology Laboratory, Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheba, Israel.
Kathryn Horwitz, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Science Center, Denver, Colorado.
Chris Green, Ph.D., MRC Scientist, Department of Biochemistry, U. Liverpool, England.
Susan Henning, Ph.D. 07/87-06/88 (Recipient, NIH Senior Research Fellowship) Professor, Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Alexei Bayev, Ph.D. 07/89-12/89 (Joint U.S. and Soviet National Academy of Sciences Fellow) Assistant Professor, Soviet Academy of Sciences, Institute of General Genetics, Moscow, USSR.
Julia Ljubimova, M.D., Ph.D. 03/90-10/90, Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
Christina Kieback, M.D. 12/89-06/91 (Instructor) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Clinician, Aachen, Germany.
Margaret Neville, Ph.D. 11/90-07/91 (Sabbatical Professor) Department of Physiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO.
Peter Schmidt, Ph.D. 05/92-11/92 (Scientist) Department of Molecular Biology, Research Institute of Biology of Agricultural Animals, Germany.
Birendranath Banerjee 1/13-6/13 Assistant Professor, KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar Orissa, India.
Visiting Students
Theresia Reding 10/87-06/90 (Visiting PhD Student) MS in Zoology, U. Zurich, Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland, laboratory of Prof. G. Stranzinger.
Present Trainees
Fellows
Diego Pedroza 10/18/2020-present (Ph.D. 2020, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TX) Project: Role of the immune system in chemotherapy response of primary and metastatic TNBC.
Yang Gao 11/6/2017-present (Ph.D. 2017, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX) Project: Unraveling the role of Plk2 in TNBC.
Na Zhao 12/20/2017-present (Ph.D. 2015, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China) Project: Inhibiting therapeutic resistance by targeting epithelial to mesenchymal transition pathways in preclinical breast cancer models.
Hongjiang Si 8/12/2019-present (Ph.D. Medical Sciences 2019, Texas A & M University) Project: Canonical and Non-canonical Wnt signaling in mammary gland development and breast cancer
Students
Xueying (Sarah) Yuan 03/01/2020-present(B.S. Biochemistry University of Wisconsin, Madison) Epigenetic reprogramming of TNBC
Alex Smith 03/15/2022-present(M.S. University of North Colorado, 2018). The tumor immune microenvironment in metastatic TNBC.