TEAM

PhD Candidate

Chris is from Cleveland, Ohio. His research involves developing and characterizing intestinal enteroids for use in drug absorption modeling. He likes to make Italian pasta sauce, bouldering, and his cat Chives. 

PhD Candidate

Anish earned his B.S. in biochemistry from USC in 2020. He uses kidney microphysiological systems to assess risk factors for chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu). He loves spicy food, skiing and gaming.

PhD Candidate

Brad is a Toxicology PhD Student in the UW School of Public Health. He is co-advised with Dr. Elaine Faustman. He is interested in in-vitro models to study reproductive and developmental toxicity. 

PhD Student

Eimear received her B.S. in genetics, cell biology, and development from the University of Minnesota in 2020. She spent two years as a clinical development scientist for a private pharmacogenomics company. Eimear is currently a pharmaceutics PhD student researching natural drug product interactions in the gut. 

PhD Candidate

Tim graduated from University of California Los Angeles in 2019 with B.S. in chemistry. He is currently working on a PhD in Pharmaceutics The title of Tim's project is “The Regulation of Renal Transporters by Pregnancy Hormones and Pro-inflammatory Cytokine in Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells”.

Masters Student

Yousif received his B.S. in environmental and occupational health sciences and is working on his Masters in the same program with an emphasis on environmental toxicology at the University of Washington. The title of his thesis is: "Characterization of the Long-Term Toxic Response of Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells in a Microphysiological System".

Masters Student

Kai received his B.S. in biochemistry from Virginia Tech. He currently working at UW to achieve a Masters degree in pharmaceutics. His research project  focuses on investigating the effect of cytokines on drug transporter regulation in human enterocytes.

Research Scientist

Brooke has her B.S. in cellular molecular biology from Cal Poly Humboldt. She also completed a year long internship as a stem cell researcher at the University of California Davis. Brooke now works on the kidney chip project and the intestinal organoid team.

Undergraduate Researcher

Mei is working hard to obtain a B.S. in chemical engineering, expected June 2025. Her goal in lab is to craft a collagen matrix aimed at enhancing the functionality of the kidney chips to emulate the characteristics of human kidneys.

Undergraduate Researcher

Keemia is diligently working to receive a B.S. in chemical engineering. Her research project is to integrate kidney matrices into the kidney-on-a-chip to create a more biologically accurate model, while also maintaining its functional capabilities.

Undergraduate Researcher

Ethan is tenaciously working on his B.S. in biochemistry. He work on the CNI project, which evaluates he toxicity of different calcineurin inhibitors on the human kidney using microphysiological systems (organ-on-a-chip).

Undergraduate Researcher

Mahi received her I.B. Diploma in 2022. She is now working towards her BS in Biology with an emphasis in Physiology, she is also minoring in Business Entrepreneurship here at UW. She is working on her research project which investigates avenues to derive M2 testicular resident macrophages in vitro.

Undergraduate Researcher

Angela is working towards her B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. She is currently working on investigating the impact of ochratoxin-A on chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology. She is a coffee aficionado frequently spotted at local cafes. 

Undergraduate Researcher

Ying was a part of the Kelly Lab 2011-2012. After graduating from the University of Washington with her Bachelor's degree, Ying went on to earn her Pharm.D at the University of Southern California.

Graduate Researcher

Brian earned his Ph.D in 2017. He did a pediatric clinical pharmacology fellowship at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Undergraduate Researcher

Bio needed.

Graduate Researcher

Maria earned her Master's degree in 2013. Her thesis title was "Isolation, Propagation, and Characterization of Primary Human Renal Epithelial Cells.".

High School Volunteer

Kiera joined our lab in winter of 2015 as a junior in high school. In the fall of 2017, Kiera enrolled at UC Santa Barbara to pursue a major in Chemistry and Biochemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. She then went to work in Dr. Thomas Weimbs lab.

Undergraduate Volunteer

Megan graduated from Cal-Poly State University in San Luis Obispo where she majored in biology and minored in Spanish and biotechnology.  She now attends medical school, serving as the president of the class of 2024 at University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. 

Collaborator

Mariko began collaborating with Dr. Kelly while working on her dissertation, titled “Biochemical Characterization of CYP4V2 and Its Role in the Retinal Disease Bietti’s Crystalline Dystrophy.”.

Graduate Researcher

Oliver Parkinson worked in collaboration with the Kelly Lab between 2007 and 2012 on the effects and metabolism of toxic furans in CYP4B1 null mice, demonstrating that CYP4B1 bioactivates ipomeanol and perilla ketone in vivo. After graduating from UW Oliver went on to become an internationally acclaimed circus performer.

Graduate Researcher

Krystle graduated with her Master's degree in 2012. Her thesis was titled "Screening for MicroRNA Regulators of an Orphan Cytochrome P450 4V2 (CYP4V2)." After graduating, she has worked in the biotech industry as a Manager of Talent Acquisition at AbbVie, overseeing recruitment for oncology R&D in the West Coast.

GenOM-ALVA Undergraduate Researcher

Wade plans to major in physiology and minor in music as a pre-med undergraduate. Driven by his own experience in receiving a kidney transplant, he aspires to one day be a kidney transplant surgeon. Wade has also been playing the cello for 16 years.

Graduate Researcher

Cate earned her Ph.D in 2016. Her thesis title was "Function and Regulation of Cytochrome P450 4V2 and the Implications in Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy." Following graduation, she became the Health Economics and Outcome Specialist at Omeros Corporation. 

Graduate Researcher

Jenna joined the Kelly lab in 2009 as a PhD student and graduated in 2015. Her thesis is titled "Molecular and Cellular Characterization of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Hepatocytes." Following graduation she took a position at Seattle Genetics as a Clinical Pharmacologist.

Graduate Researcher

Eli earned his Ph.D in 2018. His thesis was titled "Development of a Microphysiological Model of the Kidney Proximal Tubule and Application in Predictive Toxicity Testing of Polymyxin Antibiotics." Shortly after graduating, he started his position as a clinical pharmacologist at Gilead in Forest City, California.

Undergraduate Student

Phoenix Chen graduated from the UW with a degree in Biochemistry. He is a Seattle native and loves going on runs in the summer around Green Lake. He can also solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute.

Undergraduate Researcher

Jacelyn Bain graduated from the University of Washington in 2021 with a degree in Bioengineering. Her favorite hobbies include reading, movie-going, and hiking.

Graduate Researcher

Hadar earned her Master's in Public Health in 2011. Her thesis title was "MicroRNA Regulation of Drug Metabolizing Enzymes, Including Ethical Implications for Pharmaceutical Research in Pregnant Women." She is currently a User Experience Researcher at Google. 

Research Scientist

Shirley is an international student who comes from Taiwan. She got her BS degree from Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan, and her MS degree from National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Her academic background is in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As a student in the Toxicology PhD program, she contributes experiences related to the broad field of environmental health, including finding the etiology of environment-related diseases.

Research Scientist

Tomoki was a visiting scientist from Japan. With an educational background in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic research, he is exploring the applications of a microphysiological model of the human renal proximal tubule to evaluate and predict renal handling of drugs in humans. He also has strong interest in studying chemical toxicity related to environmental diseases.

Pediatric Nephrologist, Research Fellow

Born and raised in Texas, Ranita completed her medical doctorate program at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and residency program at the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Children's Medical Center. Upon finishing her pediatric nephrology fellowship with the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital Division of Nephrology, she is continuing as a research fellow in the Kelly Lab.

Research Scientist

Kirk attended the University of Washington to earn both his MS in fisheries and Ph.D in toxicology. While working in the Kelly Lab, Kirk was engaged in the investigation of the implementation of microfluidic devices (organs-on-a-chip) to evaluate the toxicity and pharmacology of drugs and toxicants exposed to renal and hepatic cells growing in a 3D connective tissue matrix. Outside of lab, he is a Expert Toxicology Witness for the King County Department of Public Defense and Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.

Graduate Researcher

Kevin received his PhD in June of 2021. Kevin's work focused on utilizing a microphysiological model of the human renal proximal tubule to evaluate whether phosphorothioate backbone chemistry is a major determinate of antisense oligonucleotide-induced renal injury. Kevin was also interested in understanding how human serum components affect proximal tubule epithelial cell phenotype. Kevin currently holds a position at RayzeBio. 

Graduate Researcher

Francine earned her MS in 2021. Her Thesis is titled, "Development of a Cystic Fibrosis Microphysiologic Model of Glomerular Filtrate Reabsorption". Following graduation, she has taken a position as a Pharmacokinetic Scientist at Altasciences.

GenOM-ALVA Undergraduate Researcher

Virginia Vaenuku graduated from Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, WA in 2017. As a UW GenOM ALVA summer intern, Virginia tested the nephrotoxicity of an antibiotic, Gentamicin. As a pre-med student with interest in pediatrics, she hopes to also pursue research in drug-related nephrotoxicity in children.

Graduate Researcher

Alenka graduated with her Ph.D in 2018. Her thesis was titled "Development and Characterization of Vascularized Proximal Tubule Microphysiological System as a Novel In Vitro Model for Renal Tubular Drug Secretion." She is currently a post-doctoral fellow at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. 

GenOM-ALVA Undergraduate Researcher

Bio needed.

Undergraduate Volunteer

Bio needed.

Visiting Scientist

Sara spent her post-doctoral fellowship with the Dept. of Pharmaceutics here at the University of Washington before she assumed her position at Hebrew University in Israel. She returned to Seattle in July 2018 to join the Kelly Lab for a "mini-sabbatical". During her stay, she assisted in vitamin-D related experiments with kidney-on-a-chips.

GenOM-ALVA Undergraduate Researcher

Mikias was in the Kelly Lab in 2011 as a GenOM-ALVA student. He is currently a Phlebotomist at Bloodworks Northwest. 

Undergraduate Volunteer

Christina is a lab technician for the Kelly Lab. She majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, graduating from UW in 2018, and will be continuing her studies as a dental student at UW's School of Dentistry. Her work mainly consisted of recombinant protein expression and purification. 

Acting Instructor, Pulmonary Fellow

Pavan is a physician in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at the Department of Medicine; a member of the Kidney Research Institute; and acting instructor at the University of Washington.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Jeremy received his PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology from University of Louisville in 2016, where he studied alcohol-induced gut-liver injury in alcoholic liver disease. He continued training as a postdoc in neuroscience and behavioral research in Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics (CARE) at the University of Illinois at Chicago before he joined Dr. Catherine Yeung’s lab in July 2020. Jeremy is interested in pharmacokinetic modeling and microphysiological system (MPS) in the application of drug metabolism and disposition research. 

Undergraduate Researcher

Mickey intends to major in neurobiology and minor in global health. She hopes to become a neurosurgeon in the future. Her hobbies outside of lab and school include drawing, singing, and playing the ukulele. She is now doing a post-bac in pharmacology at the University of Washington.

Research Scientist

Jade started as an Undergraduate Research Assistant and is now a Research Scientist in the Kelly lab. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2020 with a degree in Biochemistry.

Graduate Researcher

Bio needed. 

Undergraduate Researcher

Mei is working hard to obtain a B.S. in chemical engineering, expected June 2025. Her goal in lab is to craft a collagen matrix aimed at enhancing the functionality of the kidney chips to emulate the characteristics of human kidneys.