Lab Members
Principal Investigator
George
Adrian Calin, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal
Investigator
gcalin@mdanderson.org
George Adrian Calin received both his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at Carol Davila University of Medicine in Bucharest, Romania. After working in cytogenetics as an undergraduate student with Dragos Stefanescu in Bucharest, Calin completed cancer genomics training in Massimo Negrini’s laboratory at the University of Ferrara, Italy, and in 2000, he became a postdoctoral fellow in Carlo Croce’s laboratory at Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In June 2007, Calin joined MD Anderson as an associate professor in the Experimental Therapeutics department and was promoted to Professor with tenure in 2013. He explores new RNA therapeutic options for cancer patients and studies the roles of microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs in cancer initiation and progression, as well as the mechanisms of cancer predisposition.
Research Staff
Masayoshi Shimitzu
Research Investigator, Ph.D.
Originally from: Japan
mshimizu@mdanderson.org
Masayoshi Shimizu is a research investigator with 15 years of experience in molecular biology. He has worked with Calin for the last eight years – initially in genomics and then, beginning in 2002, in the field of microRNAs and cancer. He was involved in major non-coding RNA projects, including the genome-wide profiling of microRNAs, the discovery of miRNA germline mutations and the involvement of ultraconserved genes in cancer. Masa followed Calin to MD Anderson Cancer Center in June 2007 and he performs the high throughput, non-coding RNA profiling by microarray and several genomics techniques related to non-coding RNAs.
Liat Shoham, M.D.
Visiting Scientist
Originally from: Israel
lshoham@mdanderson.org
Liat Shoham graduated from Carol Davila School of medicine and joined the Calin Laboratory as a visiting scientist. Liat is interested in cancer research and Neurology and Psychiatry. Outside of the lab, Liat enjoys jogging and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Lan Pang
Research Investigator
Originally from: Sichuan, China
lpang@mdanderson.org
Lan Pang is a skilled and detailed-oriented researcher with more than 16 years of experience within the U.S. academic research environment, substantial background in molecular biology and cancer research. Lan's current research focus is screening and using small molecule compounds to target oncogenic miRNAs in several tumor types. Outside of the lab, Lan enjoys photography, gardening and cooking.
Recep Bayraktar, M.S.
Research Assistant II
Originally from: Turkey
rbayraktar@mdanderson.org
Recep Bayraktar earned his master’s degree in Medical Biology and Genetics Department from Turkey. He moved to the United States and joined MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2014 as a visiting graduate Student. After having extensively worked on breast and ovarian cancer at the Experimental Therapeutics Department, he joined the Calin Laboratory as a Research Assistant II in 2016. His research focuses on understanding the role of non-coding RNAs including miRNAs and lncRNAs in B cell malignancies. In particular, he is investigating the non-coding RNAs that are involved in Richter transformation as well as novel microRNA-based therapeutic approaches. His research also focuses on better understanding the role of non-coding RNAs in the progression and metastasis of neuroendocrine tumors using transgenic mouse models. Outside of the lab, Recep loves spending time with his family, traveling and reading.
M. Diana Qian
Research Laboratory Manager
Originally from: Shanghai, China
mdqian@mdanderson.org
M. Diana Qian obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from East China University of Technology, Shanghai, China. She joined MD Anderson Cancer Center as a visiting scientist from 1991 to 1992. From 1993-2006, she worked in various academic and industrial institutions, including Harvard Medical School and Pfizer Pharmaceutical Inc. She came back to MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2006, working at GU Medical Oncology and subsequently joining the Calin Laboratory. Her research interests include research data management and analyses of lymphoma and leukemia projects. Outside of the lab, she enjoys tennis, oil painting and travel.
Instructors
Linda Fabris, Ph.D.
Instructor
Originally from: Italy
lfabris@mdanderson.org
Linda Fabris obtained her master's degree in Medical Biotechnology from University of Trieste, Italy, in 2007. She began in a Ph.D. program in Medical and Biotechnological Sciences at the University of Udine in 2008 and defended her thesis in 2011. During her Ph.D. program, she worked at CRO National Cancer Institute in Aviano, Italy, where she was a postdoctoral fellow until 2014. Linda joined the Calin Laboratory in April 2014 as a postdoctoral fellow and was promoted to instructor in 2018. Linda's main research interests are transcribed ultraconserved regions, lncRNAs and cancer aggressiveness. She is involved in multiple projects aimed at understanding the clinical relevance of lncRNAs in cancer pathogenesis. Her main project focuses on dissecting the mechanism by which T-UCRs are involved in CLL initiation, progression and resistance to therapy. Outside of the lab, Linda enjoys indoor cycling and yoga.
Simone Anfossi, Ph.D.
Instructor
Originally from: Italy
sanfossi@mdanderson.org
Simone Anfossi earned his Bachelor and Master degree in Molecular Biology from University of Genoa, Italy, in 1998. He obtained his Italian Biologist Board certification in Molecular Biology from the University of Genoa, Italy, in 2001. Then, he moved to Houston where he enrolled in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in August 2008, graduating in May 2013 (Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences). He spent two and a half years as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory where he graduated (Dr. James Reuben, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center). Then, in 2016, he joined the laboratory of Dr. George Calin (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center), where he spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow before becoming an instructor in September 2019. Simone's main research interest is in Molecular and Cell Immunology and Non-Coding RNA. Simone's particular focus is on the development of novel Non-Coding RNA-based therapy for the treatment of breast cancer using engineered extracellular vesicles as delivery vehicle and the study of tumor-infiltrating neurons in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment. Outside of the lab, Simone enjoys travel, sports, art, creative drawing, good music, and eating chocolate.
Chunlai Li, Ph.D.
Instructor
Originally from: China
cli10@mdanderson.org
Chunlai Li obtained his doctor degree in Genetics from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and joined Dr. Calin's lab in November 2017. Chunlai's main research interests are in studying long noncoding RNAs ( lncRNAs) in gastrointestinal cancer. Outside of the lab, Chunlai enjoys reading and hiking.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Melanie Winkle, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral fellow
Originally from: Germany
mwinkle@mdanderson.org
Melanie Winkle absolved her studies in Groningen, the Netherlands. She attained her master's degree in 2013 after participating in a select and research focused 'top master' program on Medical and Pharmaceutical Drug Exploration. Subsequently, she started her Ph.D. program in the Department of Pathology at the University Medical Center Groningen and defended her thesis on the role of long noncoding RNA in B cell lymphoma in April 2018. After this, she worked on a post-doc project which was a collaboration between the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, and the BC Cancer Center Vancouver, Canada. Melanie Winkle joined the lab of Dr. Calin in January 2020 as a postdoctoral fellow. Melanie's main research interest is to understand the functional involvement of noncoding RNA (i.e. micro RNA and long noncoding RNA) in blood diseases and to work on the development of RNA-targeting therapeutics. Her main project focuses on the role of noncoding RNA in sepsis and the identification of novel therapeutic targets to improve treatment options for septic patients. Outside of the lab, Melanie enjoys dance, guitar and travel.
Graduate Students
Swati Mohapatra, B.S., M.S.
Ph.D. Student/Graduate Research Assistant-GSBS
Originally from: Odisha, India
SMohapatra@mdanderson.org
Swati Mohapatra obtained her Integrated Master's (BS-MS) in Life Science from National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NITR), India in May 2019. She was awarded gold medal for Best Project in her Master's program and also received the branch topper award at NITR.She was awarded the 2016 Indian Academy of Sciences SRF and 2017 AcSIR- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam SRF. In the year 2018, she was competitively selected by the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology, the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, and WINStep Forward to the Khorana Scholar Exchange Program to undertake short term research at Baylor College of Medicine. Her master's thesis project was focused on studying the role of PIWI-interacting RNAs in fibrosarcoma. She joined the Ph.D. program of University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Fall 2019. She is affiliated to the Cancer Biology Program. She joined the Calin lab in January 2020 for her second rotation and continued for her Ph.D. thesis project. Her current research interests are in studying the role of long noncoding RNAs mapped from the ultraconserved regions that are involved in the progression of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. In her spare time, Swati loves traveling and cooking.
Iman Sahnoune, B.S., M.A.
Ph.D. Candidate/Graduate Research Assistant-GSBS
Originally from: Houston, Texas
isahnoune@mdanderson.org
Iman earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Master’s degree in Neuroscience from the University of Houston. Her Master’s thesis was completed in collaboration with the Baylor College of Medicine, where she researched the impacts of radiation therapy on the developing brain. Her research experience has also incorporated the use of imaging techniques in the characterization of therapeutic response in several tumor types. Her current research focuses on characterizing the expression and molecular mechanisms of oncogenic miRNAs in brain tumors using imaging and targeted therapeutic approaches.
Leonie Ott, M.S.
Graduate Student
Originally from: Germany
LFOtt@mdanderson.org
Leonie Ott earned her Bachelo's and Master's degrees in Molecular Life Sciences at the University of Hamburg, Germany. Currently, she is enrolled as a Ph.D. student at the institute of Tumor Biology at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. She is visiting the Calin Laboratory for eight months as part of the RNADIGAON project. Leonie is mainly interested in miRNAs and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in metastatic breast cancer and how they contribute to therapy response. Outside of the lab, Leonie enjoys travel, stand up paddling and coffee.
Rares-Constantin Drula, M.Sc.
Graduate Student
Originally from: Romania
RCDrula@mdanderson.org
Rares earned his bachelor and masters degrees in Biology and Molecular Biotechnology respectively from the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Medicine at the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Cluj-Napoca in the university's Research Center of Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine where he first came in contact with the area of non-coding RNAs in cancer. Under Prof. Calin, Rares is investigating the possible interactions between the long-noncoding RNA CCAT2 and mitochondria and its effect on metabolism in the context of colorectal carcinoma. Additionally, Rares has taken an interest in exosomes, specifically tumor-derived exosomes and the composition and roles of their nucleic acid based cargo components. Rares always enjoys a good laugh with his colleagues and in his free time he usually explores the city looking for landmarks and nice cafes.
Dominik A. Barth, M.D.
Graduate Student
Originally from: Austria
DABarth@mdanderson.org
Dominik Barth studied medicine at the Medical University of Graz, Austria and obtained his M.D. degree in 2019. After his studies, he took up a residency in medical oncology and enrolled in a doctoral program for medical sciences at the Medical University of Graz. In 2020, he paused his medical training to focus on his Ph.D. program and joined Dr. Calin's lab as a graduate student via the RNADIAGON Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Comission. Dominik's main focus in research is on cancers of the geniourinary system in both clinical and translational research projects. Outside of the lab, Dominik enjoys piano, tennis and reading.
Xu Liu, M.D.
Graduate Student
Originally from: China
XLiu24@mdanderson.org
Xu Liu received his medical degree from XI'an Jiaotong University, China in 2015, and started his graduate study in Oncology in XI'an Jiaotong University the same year. He has been a Ph.D. candidate since 2017. He joined Dr. Calin's lab in December 2018 as a visiting student. Xu's research is maily focused on r-loop in cancer.
Mingyi Zhou, M.D.
Graduate Student
Originally from: China
mzhou3@mdanderson.org
Mingyi Zhou received her M.D. degree from China Medical University, China in 2015. She trained as a surgeon from 2015 to 2017, and was board-certified surgeon in gynecological cancer. In 2017, she began her Ph.D. program in Gynecological Cancer at China Medical University, China. During the course of her graduate studies and clinical experience, she found more interest in the molecular mechanism of HPV-related cancer. In January 2020, she joined the Calin’s Laboratory at MD Anderson Cancer Center to continue her Ph.D. program. Mingyi is currently working on the mechanism of lncRNA in HPV-related cancer. Outside of the lab, Mingyi enjoys playing piano, travelling and watching movies.
Lab Alumni
High School and Undergraduate Students
Evan Noch
High School Student, 2002-2003
Home Country: USA
Currently: Resident in Neuro-Oncology at Weill Cornell Program
Federica Dimitri
College Student, 2008
Home Country: Italy
Currently: PhD Student, Italy
Julia Fogarty
High School Student, 2008
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student
Omar Farooq Merchant
College Student, 2009
Home Country: USA
Currently: Physician, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Aida Tiron
College Student, 2009
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Resident in Family Medicine, New York, NY
Sharmita Bhattacharya
High School Student, 2009
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, University of Texas at Austin
Sean Xiangyu Liang
Research Aide, 2010
Home Country: USA
Currently: NA
Peng Zhou
Research Aide, 2010
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, Vanderbilt University
Annie Hsiao
Research Aide, 2010-2012
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, Rice University, Houston
Zhengji Sheng
College Student, 2011
Home Country: China
Currently: NA
Vijay Asokan Manohar
High School Student, 2011
Home Country: USA
Currently: NA
Vineet Ravoori
High School Student, 2011
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, University of Houston
Abhishek Gangrade
Research Aide, 2011
Home Country:
Currently: College student
Rihab Nasr
Research Aide, 2011
Home Country: USA
Currently: Professor, Beirut University
Amilda Medina
Summer Student, 2011
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, University of Houston
Khanh Pham
Summer Student, 2011
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, University of Houston
Dong-Ho Gwak
College Student, 2011-2012
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Natalie Lazarescou
College Student, 2011-2012
Home Country: USA
Currently: Medical student, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Ryan Loneil Beckner
High School Student, 2012
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Andrea Maren Evans
High School Student, 2012
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Khaja Riswaan Siddiqui
High School Student, 2012
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Anisha Borthakur
College Student, 2013
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, Boston University School of Public Health
Maria Del Mar Monroig-Bosque
College Student, 2013
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: Resident, Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas
Angela Fan
High School Student, 2013
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Gunalan Karun
High School Student, 2013
Home Country:
USA Currently: Incoming Software Engineering Intern at Google, The University of Texas at Austin
Krishna Bojja
High School Student, 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: Honor biomedical sciences, University of Houston, TX
Kevin Liu
High School Student, 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: Student, University of Michigan School of Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI
Ashwin Varma
High School Student, 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student
Rishi Wagle
High School Student, 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: Honor biomedical student, University of Houston
Ryan Feng Yang
High School Student, 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Nadia Khalfe
High School Student, 2015
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, University of Houston
Carlos Rivera
U54 Partnership Summer Research Student, 2015
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: N/A
Ryan Feng Yang
High School Student, 2015
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Joseph Thomas
Medical Student Academic Affairs, 2015
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Osman Aykan Kargin
Research Medical Student, 2015
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: Medical student, Turkey
Alolika Sarkar
College Student, 2015
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, University of Houston
Ashwin Varma
High School Student, 2015
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, Rice University, Houston
Eunyeop Kim
College Student, 2016- Present
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, Rice University, Houston
Laura Herrera
College Student, 2016
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, University of Texas, Dallas
Kalki Kathiravan
College Student, 2016
Home Country: USA
Currently: College Student, University of Houston
Rahul Nagvekar
College Student, 2017
Home Country: USA
Currently: College Student, Yale University
Maya Nair
College Student, 2017-2018
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, University of Texas at Austin
Diadette Ramos-Ramirez
Medical Student, 2016
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: University of Puerto Rico
Pavan Pinnamaneni
College Student, 2016
Home Country: USA
Currently: College student, Rice University, Houston
Jessca Thomas
College Student, 2016-2017
Home Country: USA
Currently: College Student, University of Houston
Aarani Balakumar
High School Student, 2016
Home Country: London
Currently: N/A
Maryam Baldawi
High School Student, 2017
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Darya Corry
High School Student, 2017
Home Country: USA
Currently: Senior High School
Alisha Kashyap
High School Student, 2016
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Mariam Khalfe
High School Student, 2016
Home Country: USA
Currently: Student, University of Houston
Nadia Khalfe
High School Student, 2015-2016
Home Country: USA
Currently: Student, University of Houston
Kevin Liu
High School Student, 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: Graduate Student, Columbia University, New York
Susan Retondo
High School Student, 2016-2017
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Seyhmus Aydemir
Medical Research Student, 2016
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: Student at Hacettepe University, Turkey
Oscar Wu
High School Student, 2016
Home Country: USA
Currently: College Student, Texas Tech
Susan Retondo
High School Student, 2016-2017
Home Country: USA
Currently: Junior at Carnegie Vangard High School
Anil Yalcin
Medical Student, 2017
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: Hacettepe University
Cristina Perez Caro
UPR Student, 2017
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: UPR Partnership for Excellence in Cancer Research
Adriana Badillo
UPR Student, 2018
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: UPR Partnership for Excellence in Cancer Research
Jessica Dae
High School Student, 2018
Home Country: USA
Currently: Sugar Land High School
William He
High School Student, 2018
Home Country: USA
Currently: Bellaire High School
Muhammad Faiz Hussain Jaulim
Medical Student, 2018
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: Hacettepe University
Muhammad Khan
High School Student, 2018
Home Country: USA
Currently: Dulles High School Math & Science Academy
Hasham Dhakwala
College Student, 2018
Home Country: USA
Currently: Rice University
Pranav Narayanan
High School Student, 2019
Home Country: USA
Currently: Obra D. Tompkins High School
Daniel Fan
High School Student, 2019
Home Country: USA
Currently: Klein High School
Lea Berland
Observer – Medical Student, 2019
Home Country: France
Currently: Nice Medical University
Ram Bojja
High School Student, 2019
Home Country: USA
Currently: Michel E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions
Mireia Cruz De Los Santos
College Student, 2019
Home Country: Spain
Currently: University of Barcelona
Maria Antonescu
College Student, 2020
Home Country: USA
Currently: Texas A&M University
Joelle Kim
2020 CPRIT CURE Summer Undergraduate Research Program, 2020
Home Country: USA
Currently: Baylor University
Matthew Anderson
2020 CPRIT CURE Summer Undergraduate Research Program, 2020
Home Country: USA
Currently: Hillsdale College
Spencer Rothfuss
2020 CPRIT CURE Summer Undergraduate Research Program, 2020 Home Country: USA
Currently: Hillsdale College
Romina Abel
2020 CPRIT CURE Summer Undergraduate Research Program, 2020
Home Country: USA
Currently: California State University at Sacramento
Graduate Students
Manrique Alberto Guerrero
Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, 2008
Home Country: USA
Currently: Medical Student, University of Puerto Rico
Sumaiyah Khaleel Rehman
Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, 2008
Home Country: USA
Currently: Scientist, University Health Network, TX
David Rushworth
Graduate Student, 2008
Home Country: USA
Currently: Medical resident, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Maria Angelica Abdalla Cortez
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2008
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Instructor, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Elisa Barbarotto
Research Intern, 2008
Home Country: Italy
Currently: High School teacher, Italy
Simona Rossi
Research Intern, 2008
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Bioinformatics Researcher, lOR Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland
Juliana K Bronk
Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, 2009
Home Country: USA
Currently: Medical Resident, Baylor College of Medicine
Raul Teruel
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2009
Home Country: Spain
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Murcia, Spain
Fabiola Encinas Rosa
Research Intern, 2009
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Group leader, University of Sao Paolo, Brazil
Jana Vilfan Ferdin
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2009 -2010
Home Country: Slovenia
Currently: Biologist, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Maria Ines Cunha Doutel Almeida
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2009 - 2012
Home Country: Portugal
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Porto, Portugal
Lu Chen
Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, 2010
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Franziska Haderk
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2010
Home Country: Germany
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, University of California San Francisco
Julia Neugebauer
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2010
Home Country: Germany
Currently: N/A
Sara D'Andrea
Research Intern, 2010
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Scientist, Aviano Cancer Center, Italy
Rachel Marie Raia
Graduate Research Asst-UTHSCH, 2010 -2011
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Alexander Jethwa
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2011
Home Country: Germany
Currently: Scientist, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg
Jaqueline Carvalho de Oliveira
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2011
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Professor in genetics, Federal University of Parana, Brazil
Vanesa Scholl
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2011
Home Country: Argentina
Currently: N/A
Arif Momin
Research Intern, 2011
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Ivan Vannini
Research Intern, 2011
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Researcher Instituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Meldola, Italy
Jana Vilfan Ferdin
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2011 - 2012
Home Country: Slovenia
Currently: Biologist, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Aline Fernanda Ferreira
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2011 - 2012
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Biologist, University of Sao Paolo, Brazil
Roxana Simona Redis
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2011- 2013
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Scientist, ProQ Therapeutics, Netherlands
Luis D Borrero Garcia
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2012
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: Ph.D. Candidate at University of Puerto Rico
Stefan-Robert Tudor
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2012
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Attending Surgeon, Department of General Surgery and Liver Transplantation Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania
Tina Catela Ivkovic
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2012 - 2013
Home Country: Croatia
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Lucilla D’Abundo
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2012 - 2013
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Ferrara, Italy
Naohiro Nishida
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2012 - 2014
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Assistant Professor, Osaka University, Japan
Nazila Nouraee
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2012 - 2013
Home Country: Iran
Currently: Postdoctoral Associate at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Paloma Del C. Monroig-Bosque
Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, 2012 - 2015
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: Resident, Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
Maitri Yogen Shah
Rosalie B. Hite GRA, 2011 - 2015
Home Country: India
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, Calin’s lab
Anna Kristina Casasent
Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, 2013
Home Country: USA
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Michael Lehrer
Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, 2013
Home Country: USA
Currently: PhD student GSBS, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Kemly Mary Philip
Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, 2013
Home Country:
Currently: MD/PhD Candidate at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Beatriz De Melo Maia
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2013
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Fellow, The Human Genome Research Center, University of Sao Paolo, Brazil
Daniela Prudente Teixeira Nunes
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2013
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Fellow, Universidade de São Paulo, Centro Universitário de Votuporanga, Brazil
Nujud Al-Yousef
Research Intern, 2013
Home Country: Italy
Currently: N/A
Linette Castillo-Pichardo
Research Intern, 2013
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: Assistant Professor, Universidad Central del Caribe, University of Puerto Rico
Kimberly Yoonmi Vincent
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2013 - 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Juliana K Bronk
Rosalie B. Hite GRA, 2013 - 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: Resident in Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Masahisa Ohtsuka
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2014
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Surgeon and scientist, Osaka, Japan
Omer Fatih Yavuz
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2014
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: N/A
Roxana Simona Redis
Research Intern, 2011 - 2014
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Scientist, ProQ Therapeutics, Netherlands
Barbara Pasculli
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2014 - 2015
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Oncology, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
Andreia Machado Silva
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2014 - 2015
Home Country: Portugal
Currently: PhD student at i3S/INEB- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal
Valentina Pileczki
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2014 - 2016
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Scientist, UMF Cluj Napoca, Romania
Karthik Jayakumar
Graduate Student-non-UTHSCH, 2015
Home Country: USA
Currently: Medical Resident, University of Texas, Austin
Meng Chen
Research Intern, 2015 - 2016
Home Country: China
Currently: Research Assistant, Calin’s laboratory
Simona Ultimo
Graduate Student, 2016
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy
Recep Bayraktar
Graduate Student, 2016 - 2018
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: Research Assistant, Calin’s lab
BaoQing Chen
Graduate Student, 2016 - 2018
Home Country: China
Currently: Visiting fellow, Calin’s lab
Xiao Fu
Graduate Student, 2016 - 2018
Home Country: China
Currently: Visiting fellow, Calin’s lab
Nayra Soares do Amaral
Graduate Student, 2016 - 2018
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Non-UT graduate student, Calin’s lab
Diana Gulei Graduate Student, 2017 - 2018
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Non-UT graduate student, Calin’s lab
Karthik Jayakumar
Graduate Student, 2015 - 2016
Home Country: USA Currently: Resident
Currently: UMTB – Galveston
Ana Mafra
Graduate Student, 2017 - 2018
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Non-UTHSC Graduate Student, Calin’s lab
Micheal Rivera-Robles
Graduate Student, 2017
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: Non-UTHSC Graduate Student, Calin’s lab
Claudia Vilardo
Graduate Student, 2017 - 2018
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Non-UTHSC Graduate Student Calin’s lab
Mihnea Dragomir
Graduate Student, 2017 - 2019
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Non-UTHSC Graduate Student Calin’s lab
Erika Zambalde
Graduate Student, 2017 - 2018
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Non-UTHSC Graduate Student Calin’s lab
Meng Chen
Research Intern, 2015 - 2016
Home Country: China
Currently: Research Asst I Calin’s Lab
Pilar Mur Molina
Research Intern, 2016 – 2017
Home Country: Spain
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
Kimberly Vincent
Research Intern, 2013 - 2014
Home Country: USA
Currently: N/A
Seyhmus Aydemir
Research Medical Student, 2016
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: N/A
Osman Kargin
Research Medical Student, 2015
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: N/A
Dana Giza
Rotating Resident Researcher, 2015 - 2016
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Attending physician at The University of Texas Science Center, Houston, TX
Wintana Balema
Rotating GSBS Student, 2018
Home Country: USA
Currently: UT MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health
Priyank Raj
Graduate Research Assistant - GSBS, 2018 - 2019
Home Country: USA
Currently: GSBS Graduate Student Calin’s Lab
Shumaila Zaib
Graduate Student Non-UTHSC, 2019 - 2020
Home Country: Pakistan
Currently: Fatima Jinnah Woment University
Yan Lu
Graduate Student Non-UTHSC, 2019 - Present
Home Country: China
Currently: Non-UTHSC Graduate Student Calin’s lab
Carolina Mathias
Graduate Student Non-UTHSC, 2019 - 2020
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Federal University of Parana, Brazil
Dalia Hassan
Rotating GSBS Student, 2020
Home Country: USA
Currently: Graduate Research Asst-GSBS, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Carlotta Pioppini
Graduate Student Non-UTHSC, 2020
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Sapienza University, Italy
Postdoctoral Fellows
Amelia Cimmino
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2003-2006
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Group leader, University Federico II Naples, Italy
Muller Fabbri
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2003-2006
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Associate Professor, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
Esmerina Tili
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2005-2007
Home Country: US
Currently: Researcher, Ohio State University
Arianna Bottoni
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2006-2007
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Researcher, Ohio State University
Elisa Barbarotto
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2008
Home Country: Italy
Currently: High School teacher, Italy
Maria Angelica Abdalla Cortez
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2010-2011
Home Country: Brazil
Currently: Instructor, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Lorenzo Falchi
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2011-2012
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Hematology/Oncology Fellow at Columbia University Medical Center
Hui Ling
Odyssey Fellow, 2011-2015
Home Country: China
Currently: Research Assistant Professor, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Katrien Van Roosbroeck
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2011-2015
Home Country: Belgium
Currently: Instructor, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Mariko Ikuo
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2012-2013
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Assistant Professor, Tokushima University, Japan
Naohiro Nishida
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2013-2014
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Assistant Professor, Osaka University, Japan
Yukie Sato Kuwabara
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2013-2014
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Company group leader, Brasil
Matin Pichler
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2013-2015
Home Country: Austria
Currently: Associate Professor, Head of Research Unit "Non-coding RNAs and genome editing in cancer" University of Graz, Austria
Roxana Simona Redis
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2014-2015
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Scientist, ProQ Therapeutics, Netherlands
Masahisa Ohtsuka
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2014-2016
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Surgeon and scientist, Japan
Linda Fabris
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2014-2018
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, Calin laboratory
Marc Bullock David
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2014-2015
Home Country: England
Currently: Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Southampton, UK
Maria Ines Cunha Doutel Almeida
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015-2016
Home Country: Portugal
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Porto, Portugal
Simone Anfossi
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015-2020
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Instructor, Calin laboratory
Chunlai Li
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2017- 2019
Home Country: China
Currently: Instructor, Calin’s lab
Yongfeng Li
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2017 – 2018
Home Country: China
Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, Calin’s lab
Shah, Maitri Yogen Shah
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015-2017
Home Country: India
Currently: Associate at McKinsey & Company
Erik Knutsen
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2018-2019
Home Country: Norway
Currently: Postdoctoral Researcher, The Arctic University of Norway
Huanyu Zhang
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2018-2019
Home Country: China
Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, Calin’s lab
Jaroslav Juracek
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2020
Home Country: Czech Republic
Currently: Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Visiting Scientists
Bharti Jasra
Observer, 2007
Home Country: India
Sang Kil Lee, M.D., Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor, 2009-2011
Home Country: South Korea
Currently: Director, Division of External Affairs and Development Division of Media & Public Relations, Professor of Internal Medicine College of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Eun-Jung Jung, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor, 2009-2011
Home Country: South Korea
Currently: Associate Professor, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea
Reinhold Munker, M.D.
Adjunct Associate Professor, 2010-2011
Home Country: USA
Currently: Associate Professor, Louisiana State University
Cheng-Chan Lu, Ph.D.
Visiting Professor, 2010-2011
Home Country: China
Currently: Professor, Taiwan
Su Youn Nam, M.D., Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist, 2010-2012
Home Country: South Korea
Currently: Associate Professor, Kyunpook National University of Medical School, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea
Tetsuro Setoyama, Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist, 2010-2012
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Surgeon and scientist, Kagoshima University, Japan
Pablo E Vivas-Mejia, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor, 2011
Home Country: Puerto Rico
Currently: Assistant Professor, University of Puerto Rico
Enid Inhye Ahn, M.D.
Rotating Resident Researcher, 2011-2012
Home Country: South Korea
Currently: Clinician, fellow, NCI/NIH, Bethesda, US
Gyeong-Won Lee, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor, 2012-2013
Home Country: South Korea
Currently: Professor, Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, South Korea
Guo Zhiyi, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor, 2012-2013
Home Country: China
Currently: Professor, Hebei United University, China
Yoshiaki Kita, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor, 2012-2014
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Surgeon and scientist, Japan
Cristiana Lo Nigro, Ph.D.
Observer, 2013
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Scientist, Cuneo, Italy
Maria Ines Cunha Doutel Almeida, Ph.D.
Visiting Research Collaborator, 2014
Home Country: Portugal
Currently: Post-Doc at the University of Porto, Portugal
Dana Giza, M.D.
Rotating Resident Research, 2014-2015
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Attending physician at The University of Texas Science Center, Houston, TX
Alexandra Irimie, D.D.S.
Visiting Assistant Professor, 2014-2015
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Assistant Professor, UMF Cluj Napoca, Romania
Jun Qian, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor, 2014-2015
Home Country: China
Currently: Professor, China
Ioana Berindan, Ph.D.
Visiting Professor and Fulbright fellow, 2014-2016
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Professor and Research Director, UMF Cluj Napoca and Oncologic Institute, Romania
Osman AYKAN Kargin
Research Medical Student, 2015
Home Country: Turkey
Currently: Medical Student, Turkey
Daniela D’Angelo
Visiting Research Collaborator, 2015
Home Country: Italy
Daisuke Matsushita, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor, 2015-2016
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Surgeon and Scientist, Osaka, Japan
Keishi Okubo, M.D.
Visiting Scientist, 2016-2018
Home Country: Japan
Currently: Visiting Scientist, Calin’s lab
Peng Shen, M.D.
Visiting Scientist, 2016-2017
Home Country: China
Currently: Visiting Scientist, Calin’s lab
Xiuying Yan, M.D.
Visiting Associate Professor, 2016-2017
Home Country: China
Currently: Visiting Associate Professor, Calin’s lab
Guoliang Huang
Visiting Associate Professor, 2017-2019
Home Country: China
Currently: Visiting Associate Professor, Calin’s lab
Barbara Pardini
Visiting Scientist, 2018-2019
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Fulbright Fellow
Sherien ElDaly
Visiting Scientist, 2019
Home Country: Egypt
Classified Staff and Faculty
Milena Niocoloso, M.D.
Research Investigator, 2009-2010
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Physician Scientist, Molecular Oncology Division, Department of Experimental Therapeutics; CRO Aviano, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
Riccardo Spizzo, M.D.
Research Investigator, 2009-2010
Home Country: Italy
Currently: Junior Investigator, Molecular Oncology Division, Department of Experimental Therapeutics; CRO Aviano, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
Hui Ling, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, 2015-2018
Home Country: China
Currently: Principal Scientist to Bioverativ Inc., in Waltham, MA
Katrien Van Roosbroeck, Ph.D.
Instructor, 2015-2018
Home Country: Belgium
Currently: Senior Coordinator, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Enrique Fuentes Mattei
Instructor, 2015-2019
Home Country: US
Currently: Program Manager, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Cristina Ivan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, 2015-present
Home Country: Romania
Currently: Research Assistant Professor, MD Anderson Cancer Center