RESEARCH GROUP


GROUP MEMBERS

Iulia M. Lazar, Professor

Iuliana’s research is focused on advancing the technologies of mass spectrometry, proteomics and microfluidics for enabling a detailed exploration of the biological mechanisms that control cancer cell cycle progression and biological signaling. Beyond research, she likes music, sunsets, tall mountains, SciFi movies and discovering new places.

Yunqian Zhang, Ph.D. candidate

Yunqian earned her B.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences from Central South University in Hunan, China. At Virginia Tech, her Ph.D. research is aimed at exploring the interactions between cell-membrane and secretome proteins to advance the understanding of the cross-talk between cancer cells and cells of the tumor microenvironment that support cancer cell dormancy and revival at the brain metastatic site.

Pratistha Sarkar, Ph.D. candidate

Pratistha earned a M.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences from the Indian Institute of Technology, in India. She joined Virginia Tech in Fall 2023 to study the mechanisms through which the tumor microenvironment mediates the interaction between cancer and immune cells. Through her research, she would like to support the development of novel cancer immunotherapies.

Joshua Haueis, M.S. candidate

Joshua graduated with a B.Sc. degree from the Systems Biology program in the College of Science at Virginia Tech. His research was focused on the development of a Boolean model for the ERBB2/EGFR signaling pathway. For his M.Sc. degree, he will develop a database of mutated peptides that can be utilized by mass spectrometry search engines to identify mutated proteins in cancerous cell states. Outside of the lab, he likes to hike, ski, and cook.

Alexis Richardson, B.Sc. candidate

Alexis is a student in Biological Sciences who aims to characterize membrane-bound cell surface receptors in breast cancer cells.  Her hobbies include working out, taking pictures, cooking and spending time with family.


ALUMNI

Postdoctoral Research Fellows

  • Maryam Moarefian
  • Diego F. Cortes Bermudez
  • Jarod L. Kabulski
  • Xiuli Mao
  • Jenny M. Armenta
  • Abdulilah Dawoud Yaseen
  • Jung Hae Yoon


Graduate Students

  • Arba Karcini
  • Shreya Ahuja
  • Jingren Deng
  • Nicole Smith
  • Call Scott
  • Wooram Lee
  • Milagros J. Tenga
  • Debby Reed
  • Yang Xue
  • Nileshwari Vaghela
  • Hetal A. Sarvaiya
  • Pichet Trisiripisal


Graduate and Undergraduate Student Trainees (Short-term, interdisciplinary projects)

  • Avery Hansbrough, B.S., Systems Biology
  • Julia Saldana Dominguez, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Lisa Jacobs, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Joshua Haueis, B.S., Systems Biology
  • Sarah Bogart, B.S., Systems Biology
  • Alexis Richardson, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Sophia Francisco, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Nick Gulakowski, B.S., Systems Biology
  • Michael Haverty, B.S., Systems Biology
  • Lavanya Venkatesan, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Morgan Johnson, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Wayne Glore, B.S., Nanoscience
  • Carly Estrada-Palma, B.S., Biochemistry
  • Joshua Feazell, B.S. Biological Sciences
  • Morgan Julian, B.S., HNFE/Psychology
  • Nicole Smith, M.S., Biological Sciences
  • Faranak Zamani, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Khaled Adjerid, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
  • John Brabender, B.S., Engineering
  • Carrie Hansen, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Xin He, Ph.D., Biological Sciences
  • Emily Siegel, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Aschvin Chawan, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
  • Lisa Anders, M.S., Biomedical Engineering
  • Yoonji Ha, B.S., Biochemistry
  • Melinda House, B.S., Biological Sciences
  • Elizabeth Savage, M.S., Biomedical Engineering
  • Ravi Kappiyoor, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
  • Josh Nicholson, Ph.D., Biological Sciences
  • Reza Sohrabi, Ph.D., Biological Sciences
  • Kavita Poddar, Ph.D., Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise
  • Lin Liu, M.S., Biological Sciences
  • Phichet Trisiripisal, Ph.D., Electrical Engineering
  • Danielle Shapiro, B.S., University of Maryland
  • Amanda Kim, B.S., Mechanical Engineering


High School Students

  • Saumia Sharman, Southwest Virginia Governor’s School, Radford, VA
  • Anissa Erkert, Sewickley High School, Sewickley, PA
  • Max Tomlin, Auburn High School, Auburn, VA