People

Matthew L Hemming, MD PhD

Matt is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, practicing sarcoma oncologist, and leader of the SarcomaLab. He received his BS from UC San Diego, PhD from Harvard University, and MD from Harvard Medical School.  He completed internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Outside of lab and clinic, Matt enjoys spending time with family and the great outdoors. 

Wesley B Marshall

Vijay Kola, PhD

Vijay is a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Sarcoma Lab at UMass Chan Medical School. He received his master’s and Ph.D. from the Andhra and Osmania Universities in India. He did his post-doctoral fellowship at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati. His Ph.D. and post-doctoral work focused on using gene editing technologies such as CRISPR and generating mutants in plants to produce high-yield and pest-resistant crops. He has many years of academic and biotech experience as a molecular biologist. He is very passionate about bringing his past expertise in gene editing technologies to cancer research. Recently he had experience working in mouse models for diabetes and liver disease. In his free time, Vijay enjoys gardening in the summer and spending time with family and friends.

Favour Akabogu

Favour is a Ph.D. candidate in the SarcomaLab through the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School. She got her B.A in Biology at Berea College in Kentucky and worked as a Research Associate at Vanderbilt University studying the role of Discodain Domain Receptors (DDRs) in the progression of acute kidney injury to kidney fibrosis. She is passionate about healthcare and drug discovery through scientific innovation. She loves traveling, dancing, and spending time with family and friends in her free time.