Lab Members

Current Lab Members and Research Interests

Principal Investigator

Sharon Y. R. Dent, Ph.D. (formerly Sharon Y. Roth)

Professor
sroth@mdanderson.org
Originally from Garland, Texas
B.Sc. University of North Texas
Ph.D. Rice University
Research Interests: Functions and regulation of histone
modifying enzymes; epigenetics

Boyko Atanassov Boyko S. Atanassov, Ph.D.
Instructor
batanass@mdanderson.org
Originally from Sofia, Bulgaria
M.S. Sofia University Biology School
Ph.D. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences/NIH
Research Interests: Chromosomal instability, chromatin
modifiers, DNA repair

Aimee Farria
Graduate Research Assistant
atfarria@mdanderson.org
Originally from New Orleans, LA
B.S. in Molecular Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley
Research Interests: Epigenetics; the role of histone-modifying enzymes in cancer

Qihuang Jin, Ph.D.
Instructor
qjin1@mdanderson.org
Originally from China
B.S. Wuhan University, Wuhan China
Ph.D. Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
Research Interests: Redundant functions of GCN5 and PCAF

Evangelia Koutelou, Ph.D.
Instructor
ekoutelou@mdanderson.org
Originally from Athens, Greece
B.S. University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
Ph.D. University of Crete, Heraklion – Stowers Institute
for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO
Research Interests: Chromatin remodeling complexes in
mouse development

Xianghong Kuang
Research Investigator
xkuang@mdanderson.org
Originally from China
M.D. West China University of Medical Sciences
M.S. in Pharmacology, West China University of Medical Sciences
Research Interests: The role of histone modifying enzymes in cancer

Xianjiang Lan
Graduate Research Assistant
xlan@mdanderson.org
Originally from China
M.S. in Genetics, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Research Interests: PolyQ expansion disorders, function and regulation of chromatin remodeling complex in mouse

Wenqian (Vera) Li
Graduate Research Assistant
wli3@mdanderson.org
Originally from China
M.D. in Basic Biomedical Sciences, Peking University, China
Research Interests: Epigenetic profiling of breast cancer subtypes

Yanjie Li, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
yi16@mdanderson.org
Originally from China
M.D. Medical College of Henan University, Henan, China
Ph.D. in Oncology, Zhengzhou University, Henan, China
Research Interests: Genomic  instability, triplet repeat expansion disorders, IPS cells, epigenetics

Tim Macatee, B.S.
Research Investigator
tlmacatee@mdanderson.org
Originally from Drexel Hill, PA
B.S. In Marine Biology, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Research Interests: Epigenetic control during development

Amanda Martin
Research Technician III
ammartin@mdanderson.org
Originally from Bastrop, TX
Research Interests: Mouse husbandry, genotyping

Elizabeth McIvor
Research Assistant II
eimcivor@mdanderson.org
Originally from Calgary, Canada
B.S. in Biochemistry and Microbiology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Research Interests: epigenetics, histone modifiers,
nucleic acid structure, non-coding RNA

Marek Napierala, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
mnapiera@mdanderson.org
Originally from Poland
M.S. University of Adam Mickiewicz - Biotechnology,
Poznan, Poland
Ph.D. Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy
of Sciences - Biochemistry, Poznan, Poland
Research Interests: DNA and RNA structure, genomic
instability, triplet repeat expansion disorders, regulation
of gene expression, epigenetics

Urszula (Ula) Polak, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
upolak@mdanderson.org
Originally from Poznan, Poland
Poznan University of Medical Sciences
M.Sc. of Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical
Sciences, Poland
Ph.D. of Medical Sciences, Poznan University of Medical
Sciences, Poland
Research Interests: Cell cycle and cell death, stem cells,
molecular biology, microbiology

Brian A. Rowley, B.A. B.S.
Graduate Research Assistant
BRowley@mdanderson.org
Originally from Eureka Illinois, but grew up in Odessa, TX.
B.A. in Psychology, Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, TX.
B.S. in Biology, University of Houston-Victoria, Victoria, TX.
Research Interests: Role of epigenetic regulators in cell
potency; differentiation. Identifying members of
alternative complexes and interaction partners of
SAGA components GCN5, USP22, and PCAF.

Andrew Salinger
Laboratory Manager
apsalinger@mdanderson.org
Originally from Brownsville, TX
B.S. Texas A&M University, College Station
M.S. Texas A&M University, College Station

Andria Schibler
Graduate Research Assistant
andria.schibler@uth.tmc.edu
Originally from Springfield, OH
B.S. Suffolk University - Biology, Boston, MA
Research Interests: Yeast

Li Wang
Graduate Research Assistant
wli2@mdanaderson.org
Originally from China
B.S. in Pharmacology, Peking University, Beijing, China
Research Interests: Epigenetics, Function and regulation of histone modifying enzymes in embryonic stem cells and development.