PEOPLE

Dr. Tiziani received his Laurea in Chemistry at the University of Trieste, Italy. In 2006, he completed his Ph.D. in Food Science and Nutrition at The Ohio State University where he developed a strong interest in phytochemicals and their role in disease prevention. His interest in biomarker identification was subsequently extended during his postgraduate training in the field of translational chemical biology to study cancer metabolism.

In 2006 he joined the School of Cancer Sciences at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, where he investigated the outcome of drug treatment in leukemia cell lines, human biofluids, and tumor biopsies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics. He continued his postdoctoral training in systems biology at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (La Jolla, CA) where he combined metabolomic data with in silico modeling of the human metabolic network to gain a better understanding of the role of the tumor microenvironment in childhood leukemia. He developed a novel NMR-based high throughput screening method suitable to study combinatorial drug treatment and to investigate survival and metabolism in cell lines and primary leukemia cells after drug intervention. 

Bio: Hi, I’m Lavender! My research focuses on natural product synergy and antagonism with chemotherapeutics for prostate cancer treatment.   My work employs high-throughput drug screening, metabolomics, and metabolic flux analysis to investigate the mechanisms of these interactions and uncover biomarkers.

In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis, collecting vinyls, and hanging out with my dog, Elio! 

Research Interests:  drug discovery, cancer metabolism, prostate cancer, natural product synergy and antagonism 

Bio:  Hi guys, my name is Maripat. I finished my undergraduate and master’s degrees both at Peking University. I learned some basic medical experiments in my undergraduate. During my master, I learned to use metabolomics and metagenomics methods to investigate the nutritional substances' preventing and curing roles for metabolic disease. Now I am super excited to start my new journey in Dr.Stefano’s lab and eager to explore more of the effect of the integration of drugs and nutrients on cancer by metabolomics approach. 

In my spare time, I like working out, dancing and would love to try every kind of exercise. I also like music, grabbing coffee, reading, and interest in photography and video editing.

Bio: Vietnamese, Japan-educated and new to Texas! For my undergrad, I spent time learning about metabolic engineering of microbial hosts for plant metabolites production. I enjoy developing analytical methods to verify the quality and quantity of my metabolites, and to mitigate the manual work involved in data analysis.  I'm excited to expand my knowledge on cancer research in the Tiziani lab!

When I'm not in the lab, I'm on a motorcycle exploring places, listening to music and trying out new good food!

Research Interests: cancer metabolism, analytical method development, drug discovery

Bio: Hi, I'm Valeria! I've lived all my life in Italy, and now I'm in Texas for my Ph.D.

As an undergraduate student in Italy my research interests were focused on mitochondrial metabolism, and in particular on the characterization of mitochondrial carrier proteins. Since this organelle plays a key role in rewiring the metabolism of cancer cells, I hope to further investigate its contribution to the highly proliferative metabolism of these cells.

I spend my free time reading and watching TV series, but I'm always up to meet with my friends for a beer or a pizza night. 

Research Interests: mitochondrial carrier proteins, mitochondrial metabolism, cancer metabolism.

Bio: Hi, I’m Yujin Lee. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Science and Chemistry in South Korea and pursued a Master’s degree in Chemistry, where I began my research journey into metabolomics. During my master’s program, I focused on NMR-based metabolomics. After graduation, I conducted research using LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics to discover metabolite biomarkers for specific disease groups.

I am excited to join Dr. Tiziani’s lab and look forward to contributing to the innovative research being conducted there. I’m particularly passionate about discovering how our bodies react to different foods through metabolomics. 

In my spare time, I enjoy spending quality time with friends and family, running, and hiking outdoors.

Research Interests:

Metabolite biomarker discovery, LC-MS/MS based metabolomics, NMR based metabolomics, Chemoproteomics.

Bio: Hello, my name is Tatiana, and I am from Ecuador. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology Engineering at Ikiam, Ecuador. I have always had a great interest in the study of natural products and their potential for the treatment of chronic metabolic diseases such as cancer and diabetes. This motivated me to pursue my Master’s Degree in Food and Health at the University of Padua, Italy, and now my PhD at The University of Texas at Austin. I am excited to begin this new journey and I hope to become a researcher who contributes to and promotes scientific divulgation.

In my free time, I like to read, sing, listen to music, and watch TV series. I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

Research interests: Cancer Metabolism, Foodomics, Drug Discovery.

Hello everyone! My name is Akankshya Satapathy. I have completed my bachelor's (Honors degree) in Biochemistry from Delhi University. Nutritional Biochemistry as one of the subjects in my bachelor's curriculum ignited my passion towards research combining both Nutrition and Genetics. I went on to do my Master's in Applied Nutrition with focus on lncRNAs and their roles in zinc-cofactor requiring gene expression regulation! I have an year of work experience as a Research assistant and Junior research fellow in Government of India. I am so excited and eager to work in the Tiziani lab and explore the world of cancer metabolomics!

I'm a doctorate in Odissi (one of the classical dances of India) and I love to sing, play the ukulele and dance in my free time! Also, I'm a big time foodie and love to explore new places!

Bio:

Bio: Hi! My name is Aarushi and I am currently an undergraduate biochemistry major, perusing the pre-medical track and a certificate in computer science. My ambition is to become a doctor and enjoy the journey of achieving this goal: utilizing my skills to contribute in the improvement of lives, one step at a time. My interests in research lay in the exploration of various sciences, particularly cancer metabolism and drug discovery. In my free time, you can find me improving education and health systems both locally and globally, horse-back riding, or skiing!

Hello! My name is Mikaela and I am from San Antonio, Texas. I am an undergraduate studying biology on the pre-medical track while pursuing a minor in business. During my sophomore year of high school, my interest in cellular and cancer research was sparked by a school biology project on HeLa cells. After an inspiring mentorship under a pediatric stem cell transplant physician, I hope to conduct research for childhood cancers as a pediatric oncologist. My research interests include immunotherapy, STEM cells, cellular diseases, and the connections between lifestyle and cancer.

Outside of the lab, you can find me rowing on Lady Bird Lake with Texas Rowing, running with teammates and friends, volunteering at Dell Children's, or enjoying the outdoors!

Bio: Hi! My name is Stuti, and I'm from Austin, TX. I’m currently an undergraduate in the pre-medical track. I am majoring in Nutrition Honors with a minor in Business Healthcare Reform & Innovation. I have research experience with the Urban Ecosystems FRI stream, where I am part of a chemistry-based project focused on studying Waller Creek using synthetic DNA tracers. I became interested in Dr. Tiziani’s lab while taking his class on Nutrition and Metabolism. I am thrilled to participate in this research and look forward to expanding my knowledge and skills.

In my free time, I enjoy dancing, reading, traveling, hiking, outdoors, and exploring new cafes and restaurants!

Bio: Hello! My name is Claire, and I’m from Plano, Texas. I am an undergraduate student studying Biology and Nutritional Sciences on the pre-medical track. As a double major, I am interested in exploring the intersection between nutrition and the treatment of chronic diseases in pediatric patients. My research interests include cancer metabolism, drug discovery, and immunotherapy.

In my free time, I lead two campus clubs, Texas Paddleboarding and Run for St. Jude. I enjoy spending time outdoors and immersing myself in new opportunities!