People
Associate Professor
Department of Integrated Translational Sciences
 Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
Prior: Associate Professor of Translational Genomics, USC
Prior: 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
Tawfeeq Al-Mansur, BS
(he / him / his)
Masters Program; Translational Biotechnology, USC
B.S. Loyola Marymount University
A.S. Los Angeles Southwest College
Lab Alumni
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 cellsÂ
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 originÂ
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
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
Aakriti Singh, MS (Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine MS program,2021-2022)
Project: Effect of epigenomic alterations on basal cell differentiation
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: 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