Lab Members
Current Lab Members and Research Interests
Principal Investigator
Michelle C. Barton, Ph.D.
Professor
Co-Director of the Center for Stem Cell and
Developmental Biology
mbarton@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Franklin, IL
B.S. Biochemistry, University of Illinois (Urbana, IL)
Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Illinois (Urbana, IL)
Post-Doc Gene Regulation, Salk Institute (La Jolla, CA)
Research interests: p53, transcription, and chromatin
regulation
Kadir Caner Akdemir, B.S.
Graduate Student
Kadir.C.Akdemir@uth.tmc.edu
Hometown: Siirt, Turkey
B.S. Computer Science, Yeditepe University
(Turkey)
B.S. Genetics, Yeditepe University (Turkey)
Research interests: Computational epigenetics
Kendra Allton, M.S.
Senior Research Assistant
kallton@mdanderson.org
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
B.S. Biology, Truman State University
(Kirksville, MO)
M.S. Biomedical Sciences, UT GSBS/MD Anderson
(Houston, TX)
Research interests: p53 interacting proteins
Srikanth Appikonda, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
SAppikonda@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Hyderabad, India
B.S. Microbiology, Osmania University (India)
M.S. Microbiology, Osmania University (India)
Ph.D. Molecular Biology, UTHSC
(San Antonio, TX)
Research interests: Basic biology of stem cells,
regeneration and TRIM24-mediated ubiquitination
Lindsey Cauthen, B.S., B.A.
Graduate Student
lnunnally@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Beaumont, TX
B.S. Biology, Lamar University (Beaumont, TX)
B.A. Music, Lamar University (Beaumont, TX)
Research interests: p53, liver regeneration,
stem cell biology
Zhihong Chen, B.S.
Senior Research Assistant
zhchen@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Shanghai, China
B.S. Fudan University (Shanghai, China)
Research interests: p53 and TRIM24-mediated
ubiquitination
Zeynep H. Coban, B.S., A.M.
Graduate Student
zhcoban@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Izmir, Turkey
A.M. Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public
Health (Boston, MA)
B.S. Biological Sciences and Bioengineering,
Sabanci University (Istanbul, Turkey)
Research interests: Bioinformatics and p53 transcriptional
regulation in mouse liver regeneration
Aundrietta DeVan Duncan, M.S.
Graduate Student
ADDuncan@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Lafayette, LA
B.S. Biology, Howard University (Washington, DC)
M.S. Biomedical Sciences, GSBS UT-MD Anderson
Research interests: p53, stem cell biology
Marcos Estécio, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
mestecio@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Brazil
B.S. Biology, São Paulo State University (Brazil)
M.S. Biology, São Paulo State University (Brazil)
Ph.D. Genetics, São Paulo State University (Brazil)
Research interests: Cancer, chromatin organization,
gene regulation
Rong He, M.S.
Research Assistant II
rhe@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Shichuan, China
B.S. Mathematics Wuhan University (China)
M.S. Mechanics Chongqing University (China)
Research interests: DNA methylation and cancer
epigenetics
Abhinav K. Jain, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
ajain@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Sikandrabad, UP, India
B.Pharm, Nagpur University (India)
M.E. Biotechnology, BITS-Pilani (India)
Ph.D. Pharmacology, Baylor College of
Medicine (Houston, TX)
Research interests: Role of p53 in human embryonic
stem cells and TRIM24-p53 regulatory networks
Chunlei Jin, M.S.
Graduate Student
cjin@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Zhejiang, China
M.B.B.S. Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University (China)
M.S. Pharmacology, Zhejiang University (China)
Research interests: DNA methylation and
cancer epigenetics
Shiming Jiang, Ph.D.
Instructor
sjiang2@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Shandong, China
B.S. Biology, Shandong Normal University (China)
M.S. Cell Biology, Shandong Normal University (China)
Ph.D. Biomedical Science, Heidelberg University
(Germany)
Research interests: Nuclear receptor co-regulators,
breast cancer carcinogenesis and metastasis
Jing Li, M.S.
jli13@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Anhui, China
B.Med. Bengbu Medical College (Anhui, China)
M.S. Biological Science, Marshall University
(Huntington, WV)
Research interests: Epigenetics, nuclear receptors,
carcinogenesis, cancer metastasis
Zhaoliang Liu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
zliu3@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Harbin, China
B.S. Biotechnology, China Agriculture Univ. (Beijing, China)
M.S. Molecular Biology and Biochemistry,
China Agriculture Univ. (Beijing, China)
Ph.D. Biomedical Science, Texas A&M
Health Science Center (Houston, TX)
Research interests: TRIM24, p53, breast cancer
and stem cell biology
Meghan E. Minard, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
mmcclugg@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Houston, TX
B.S. Biology Trinity University (San Antonio, TX)
M.S. Biomedical Sciences, UT GSBS/ MD Anderson
(Houston, TX)
Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences, UT GSBS/ MD Anderson
(Houston, TX)
Research interests: Gene expression, chromatin, and
protein-protein interactions
Thushangi Nadeera Pathiraja, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
tnpathiraja@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Colombo, Sri Lanka
B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
University of Colombo (Sri Lanka)
Ph.D. Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine,
Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX)
Research interests: TRIM24 and p53 regulation in
breast cancer
Sabrina Stratton, B.S.
Research Lab Manager
sastratt@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Conway, AR
B.S. Marine Biology, Texas A&M University
(Galveston, TX)
Research interests: Chromatin regulation and
protein function
Kaushik Thakkar, M.S.
Graduate Student
knthakkar@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Pune, Maharashtra, India
B.S. Microbiology, University of Pune (India)
M.S. Microbiology, University of Pune (India)
Research interests: TRIM24 post-translational
modifications and protein partners interacting
with TRIM24
Hui Wei
Research Assistant II
hwei1@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Shanghai, China
B.S. Biology, Shanghai University (China)
Research interests: Nuclear receptor co-regulators,
breast cancer carcinogenesis and metastasis
Teresa Yiu, B.S.
Graduate Student
TYiu@mdanderson.org
Hometown: Hong Kong
B.S. Biology, University of Houston (Houston, TX)
Research interests: Chromatin remodeling and
gene expression