People

Crystal N. Marconett, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

(she / her / hers)

Associate Professor

Department of Integrated Translational Sciences

Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope

Prior Appointments

Associate Professor of Translational Genomics, USC

Assistant Professor of Surgery, KSOM, USC

Postdoctorate, Dept of BMM, University of Southern California

Ph.D: Molecular and Cell Biology, Emphasis: Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California at Berkeley

B.S: Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Minor: Chemistry, University of California at Santa Cruz

Jonathan Castillo, Ph.D.

(he / him / his)

Postdoctoral Scholar

Ph.D. Cancer Biology and Genomics: University of Southern California

M.S. Chemistry, Option - Biochemistry: California State University, LA

B.S. Biochemistry: UCLA

Michele Ramos Correa, B.S.

(she / her / hers)

Ph.D. Candidate, Cancer Biology and Genomics, USC

B.S. Biochemistry: California State University, Northridge

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Angel Perez Hunt, B.S.

(he / him / his)

Research Associate I

UNC- Chapel Hill School of Medicine, MED Program

B.S. Biochemistry: Western Carolina University

Chance Jones, Ph.D

(he / him / his)

DNADRS T32 Postdoctoral Fellow

PhD: Biological Sciences, USC

Eun Sung, M.S.

(he / him / his)

PhD Student, Biological Sciences, Bionformatics Emphasis, CoH

M.S. Translational Biomedical Informatic Masters Program, USC

Minxiao Yang, M.S.

(he / him / his)

Ph.D. Student, Cancer Biology and Genomics, USC

M.S. Biochemistry: USC

B.S. Biological Sciences: Minzu University, China

Lab Alumni

Marlene Lopez (Researct Assistant @ COH)

Project: Effects of UV exposure on lung cancer cells

Currently: Graduate School, class of '2025

Tawfeeq Al-Mansur, MS (translational biotechnology, USC '2024)

Project: Development of organoid co-culture methods in lung

Nellie Simonian (LA Mission Hills College Summer Science Exchange Program)

Project: Engineering next-generation epigenetic toggle switches for gene editing

Currently: Undergraduate student, CSUN, Class of '2026

Benecia Jackson, BS (U54 PACHE program, CoH)

Project: Spatial transcriptomic analysis of metabolomic disruptions in lung adenocarcinoma

Currently: Research Associate I, Jinna Lab, CoH- PreMed

MauriAnna Richardson (Roberts Summer Academy, Cancer for College)

Project: Correlating histologic and spatial transcriptomic signatures in lung cancer

Currently: undergraduate student, Wofford College, Class of '2025

Noah Shulkin (Research Associate II)

Project: Alveolar Organoid model development & implementation

Currently: MD student, University of Arizona, Class of '2028

Bhavik Bajania (URAP undergraduate Research Fellow, Lab Technician)

Project: LncRNA influence on NER DNA damage repair

Currently: MD student, Burnett School of Medical at TCU, Class of '2028

Ezuka Ogbolu (URAP undergraduate Research Fellow)

Project: KP mouse model activation in AT1 cells

Currently: Undergraduate at University of Southern California, Biochemistry class of '2024

Andrea Lanz (Summer Research Fellow, Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program)

Project: EGFR oncogenic activation in diverse cells of lung origin

Currently: Undergraduate at University of California, Irvine, '2026

Rosario Sarita Ayma Vidal (summer 2023 volunteer)

Project: LINC00261 function in lung adenocarcinoma

Currently: Undergraduate at Cornell University

Christel Pellico (BRAVO HS STAR Program)

Project: CRISPR cloning of epigenetic toggle switch

Currently: Undergraduate at University of Southern California, Neuroscience '2026

Erik Hernandez Catalan (summer research fellow, Bridging the Gaps 2023)

Project: Alveolar Epithelial cell type I-driven LUAD histology

Currently: Undergraduate at Cal State University, Northridge

Mary Illagyueva (BRAVO HS STAR program, 2022-2023)

Project: In vitro effects of LINC00261 on response to DNA damaging agents

Currently: Undergraduate Student at UC Riverside

Sophia James, MS (Communication management, USC)

Project: In vitro effects of LINC00261 on MHC Class II gene expression

Mayela Norwood, BA (summer research fellow, Bridging the Gaps 2022)

Project: Effect of Interferon Gamma on LINC00261 expression

Currently: Teacher, Teach for America

Aakriti Singh, MS (Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine MS program,2021-2022)

Project: Effect of epigenomic alterations on basal cell differentiation

Evan Mihalakakos, MPH (Masters of Public Health)

Project: Determining modulatory effects of lncRNAs on DDR inhibitors

Currently: Medical Student, Washington University in St. Louis.

PostBaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Program at the National Institute of Health, Bethesda MD

Tianchun Xue, M.S. (Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine MS program 2019 - 2021)

Thesis project: Evaluating the impact of long non-coding RNAs on tumor mutational burden

Currently: PhD Student at University of Tennesse, Knoxville

Lin Miao, M.S. (Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine MS program, 2019 - 2021)

Thesis project: Generation of an epigenetic toggle switch to test lncRNA function in lung adenocarcinoma

Currently: PhD Student at Virginia Tech

Samantha Joseph, B.S. (Care2 Post-Bac Program 2019-2020)

Lab project: Defining the influence of lncRNAs on TMB in lung adenocarcinoma

Currently: Pre-med clinical internship

Yinchong Wang, M.S. (Translational Genomics MS program 2018-2020)

Thesis Project: Implementation of CRISPR epigenetic activation technology in lung cancer cells to study lncRNA tumor suppressor function

Currently: PhD Student at Ohio State University

Riya Goel, B.S. (Undergraduate Researcher 2017-2020)

Lab project: Functional characterization and bioinformatic analysis of the lncRNA RMST on lung cancer cell proliferation in vitro

Currently: Medical Student, Emory University

previous: Clinical Research Coordinator in the Dept. of Medicine at Stanford University

Gopika Nandagopal, M.S. (Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine MS program 2017-2019)

Thesis project: Defining functional domains in the LINC00261 tumor suppressor

Currently: PhD Student at University of Vermont

Zhengmin Cong, M.S. (Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine MS program 2017-2019)

Thesis project: In vivo characterization of LINC00261 function as a tumor suppressor

Currently: PhD Student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Stephanie Bellerez, B.S. (Post-Bac Internship CSULA 2018-2019)

Lab project: Effect of lncRNAs on cellular response to chemotherapeutics

Currently: Bachelors of Nursing Student at Mount St. Mary's

Amrita Bhat, B.S. (Undergraduate Researcher 2016-2019)

Currently: Medical Student at WUSTL

Vishaly Kumaran, M.S. (Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine MS program 2015-2017)

Thesis project: Functional characterization and bioinformatic analysis of LINC00261 effects on lung cell proliferation in vitro. - 2017

Currently: Research Scientist at Applied Biologic Materials, INC

Autumn Saizan, M.D. (Summer Research Fellow 2016)

Lab project: Characterizing epigenomic influence on LINC00261 expression

Currently: Johns Hopkins Dermatology Fellowship '23-26

Shandy Shahabi, M.S. (Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine MS program 2014-2016)

Thesis Project: Characterizing the anti-proliferative effects of LINC00261 in lung adenocarcinoma

Currently: Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego

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