Lab Members

Principal Investigator

 

 

 

Arun Wiita M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor in Residence
Dept. of Laboratory Medicine

Dept. of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences

Member, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub

Assistant Director, UCSF Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory

Director, UCSF Stephen and Nancy Grand Multiple Myeloma Translational Initiative Laboratory

Director, Physician-Scientist Pathway Program, Depts. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Phone: +1-415-514-6238

Email: [email protected]u

Post-Doctoral Scholars

 

 

 

 

Bonell Patiño Escobar, M.D.

M.D. Fundación Universitaria Juan N. Corpas (Bogota, Colombia)

Residency: Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Juan N. Corpas

Fellowship: Hematology/Oncology, Fundación Universitaria Cienca de la Salud (Bogota, Colombia)

Email: [email protected]

 

 

Abhilash Barpanda, Ph.D, MSc

Bachelors in Zoology- Sambalpur University

Masters in Life Sciences: Central University of Gujarat

PhD, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Project: Identification of Novel Cell Surface Target for Cancer Immunotherapy

Email: [email protected]

Corynn Kasap, M.D., Ph.D.

B.S., University of Michigan

M.D., Ph.D. Cornell Tri-Institutional MSTP

Residency: UCSF Internal Medicine

Fellowship: UCSF Hematology/Oncology

Email: [email protected]

 

Sujata Walunj, Ph.D

Bachelors in biotech: Pune University, India
Masters in biotech: Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
PhD: Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and Monash University, Melbourne

Project: Determine biophysical and biochemical properties of anti-CD72 nanobodies that impact CAR-T efficasy

Email: [email protected]

Hector Huang Ph.D.

Post-doc, 2014-2019

B.A. Columbia University

Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley

Current position: Senior Scientist, InterVenn

 

Adila Izgutdina, M.D.

B.S., Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

M.D., Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

Email: [email protected]

 

 

 

Ruyan Rahnama, M.D.

B.A,, University of California, Berkeley

M.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Project: Optimizing CAR-NK Cells for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

Email: [email protected]

Dan Waller, Ph.D.

B.S.,

Ph.D., 

Email: [email protected]

Rucha Deo, MS

M.S. Bioinformatics, San Jose State University

Project: Denovo Design of Protein Binders Targeting Cancer-Associated Proteins and Post-Translational Modifications

Email: [email protected]

Graduate Students

 

 

 

 

Audrey Kishishita, M.S.

B.S., M.S. California State University, Los Angeles

Graduate Program: Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Email: [email protected]

Amrik Kang, B.S. (MSTP Program)

Graduate Program: Medical Scientist Training Program, Biomedical Sciences

Co-Mentor: Dr. Justin Eyquem, Ph.D.

M.S., University of California, San Francisco

B.S., University of California, Riverside

Projects: 1) Structure-guided protein evolution of natural ligand CAR T-cells using deep learning algorithms for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) 2) Development of dual-targeting CAR T-cells to overcome antigen heterogeneity in AML

Email: [email protected]

Sham Rampersaud

City University of New York, Hunter College - Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry
Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics PhD Program

Projects: Engineering best in class CAR-T Cell therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Engineering T-Cells to target intracellular oncoproteins

Email: [email protected]

 

 

 

Chloe Kong

B.S., Rice University

Graduate Program: Bioengineering (joint with UC Berkeley)

Establishing predictive design principles for antibody internalization kinetics

Email: [email protected]

McKenna Crawford

B.S., Duke University

Graduate Program: Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Project: Engineering adipocytes to secrete bispecific T cell engagers for the treatment of multiple myeloma

Email: [email protected]

Mingcheng (Tom) Li, B.S. 

B.S., 

Graduate Program: Biomedical Sciencies

Co-mentor: Dr. Justin Eyquem

Email: [email protected]

Junior Specialists/Research Associates

 

 

 

 

 

Haley Johnson

B.S., University of California, Los Angeles 

Projects: Engineering and validating bicistronic CAR T therapies for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Generating an immunocompetent murine model for High Risk Multiple Myeloma (HR MM) to study CAR T treatments and the tumor microenviornment (TME).

Email: [email protected]

Nikhil Chilakapati

B.S., University of California, San Diego

Project: Structure-guided design of natural ligand CAR T-cells for multiple myeloma

Email: [email protected]

Sanjana Prudhvi

B.A., Boston University

Projects: Developing and optimizing cell surface proteomics using proximity labeling and mass spectrometry in cancer. Investigating therapeutic targets in tumor-derived organoids through surface proteomics.

Email: [email protected]