Lab Members
Principle Investigator
Julie H. Ostrander, Ph.D.
Email: hans1354@umn.edu
Ph.D., University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), Chapel Hill, NC
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation
Expertise:
Breast cancer cell signaling
Coactviator proteins (PELP1, SRC-3)
Growth factor signaling
Graduate Students
Natasha Roman
Email: roman449@umn.edu
B.S. University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Microbiology
Research Interests: cancer stem cell biology, breast cancer recurrence and metastasis, tumor microenvironment
Chinasa Ufondu
Email:
Bachelor of Pharmacy: University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State
Research Interests: Breast cancer biology, invasive lobular carcinoma, tumor biology, steroid receptor signaling
Research Staff
Iman Dewji
Email: fdewji@umn.edu
Masters of Biomedical Sciences: Rutgers University, New Jersey
Research Interests: Therapy Resistant Breast Cancer
Undergraduate Researchers
Kara Paulsen
Email: paul1204@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
College of Biological Sciences, Neuroscience
Connor Slette
Email: slett214@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
Hassan Mehdi
Email: mehdi019@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
Alumni
Postdoctoral Associates:
Thu Truong, PhD (postdoc extraordinaire)
Current position: Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota
Graduate Students:
Ying Wang, Master in the College of Biological Sciences (2017-2018)
Current position: Ph.D. student at Baylor College of Medicine
Bethany Kuker, Master in College of Biological Sciences (2014-2016)
Current Position: Be The Match, Senior Regulatory Compliance Specialist
Undergraduate Students:
Larkin Clem, LSSURB/CREATE summer student (2022)
Abigail Sproull, UROP, Directed Research, College of Biological Science (2019-2021)
Current Postition: Recombinetics, Research Associate I
Ayeisha Colon Ortiz, LSSURP/CREATE summer student (2021)
Rachel Astashinsky, Directed Research (2017-2019)
Current position: Medtronic
Morgan McCullough, CBS Honors Program and UROP (2017-2019)
Current position: Graduate Student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Amanda Gordon, UROP and Directed Research (2016-2017)
Olivia Wicker, UROP and CBS Honors Program Thesis (2015-2017)
Current position: University of Minnesota Medical Student
Kira Downey, Directed Research and Macalester Honors Thesis (2015-2016)
Current Position: MD/PhD student at UCSF
Lucy Zhou, Undergraduate Volunteer (2014)
Bethany Kuker, Directed Research (2013-2014)
Current Position: Be The Match, Senior Regulatory Compliance Specialist
Laura McDowell, UROP and Directed Research (2012-2013)
Current position: Resident, University of Wisconsin, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Abrham Desta, UROP (2011-2012)
Current Position: General Mills
Julie (Stevenson) Nicely, Directed Research (Duke University) 2008-2010
Current position: Assistant Research Scientist, NASA
Seun Ajiboye, Directed Research (Duke University) 2008-2009
Current Position: Biologist, FDA
Christine McMahon, Directed Research (Duke University) 2006–2008
Current Position: Internist; Hospital Of The University Of Pennsylvania
High School Student:
Harshita Rai, Wayzata HS Honors Mentor connection (2023-2024)
Likita Gangireddy, Wayzata HS Honors Mentor connection (2018-2019)
Sheng Thao, CURE program intern (2017-2018)
Ananya Shah, WPS Honors Program (2017-2018)
Research Technicians:
Brian Girard - 2012-2016
Current Position: Resident in Emergency Medicine; University at Buffalo
Michael Schmitz - 2017-2019
Current Position: Medical Student; University of Minnesota