Lab Members
Current Laboratory Members
Richard D. Wood, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Adele Guerin
Senior Research Assistant
Yuzhen Li, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dorcas Oladapo
Research Assistant II
Mélanie Prodhomme, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Mark Returan
Research Assistant II
Zeba Siddiqui, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Former Trainees and Laboratory Members
The predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees listed below were supported by competitive grants to come to my laboratory. These grants include: the Human Frontiers Science Program, EMBO, Japan Society for Promotion of Science, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, the University of Pittsburgh Competitive Medical Research Fund, and NRSA Ruth Kirschstein funding from the NIH.
Predoctoral Trainees
Name, Prior Degree, Years in Lab |
Institution | Research Project | Current Position |
---|---|---|---|
Sofia Araújo, B.S. 1995–1999 |
ICRF | Interactions and function of nucleotide excision repair complexes | Associate Professor, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain |
Dawn Batty, B.S. 1995–1999 |
ICRF | The XPC-RAD23B complex and nucleotide excision repair of DNA | Principal Medical Writer, Aspire Scientific, Buxton, UK |
Maureen Biggerstaff-Bowles, B.S., M.S. 1995–2002 |
ICRF | DNA repair defects in ERCC1, ERCC4 and XPF mutants | Senior Research Officer (ret), Francis Crick Institute, UK |
Dawn Coverley, B.S. 1987 -1991 |
ICRF | Proteins involved in human DNA excision repair | Professor, University of York, UK; Chief Scientific Officer, Cizzle Biotech |
Gregory Gan, B.S. 2003–2007 |
University of Pittsburgh | Function of Rev3L | Assistant Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center |
Mandira Manandhar, B.S., M.S. 2010–2016 | MD Anderson | XPA and DNA crosslink repair | Research Scientist, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Jonathan Moggs, B.S. 1993–1997 |
ICRF | Incision mechanism during human nucleotide excision repair | Head, Mechanistic and Predictive Safety, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland |
Anne (O'Donovan) Jones, B.S. 1991–1994 |
ICRF | The xeroderma pigmentosum group G DNA repair protein | President and CEO, G-CON Manufacturing, Inc., College Station, Texas |
Mahmud Shivji, B.S 1991–1996 |
ICRF | Nucleotide excision repair of DNA: Dissection and reconstitution in vitro | Group Research Manager (ret), Hutchinson/MRC Research Center, Cambridge, UK |
Matt Yousefzadeh, B.S. 2009–2015 |
MD Anderson | DNA polymerase POLQ and cellular defense against DNA damage | Assistant Professor, Columbia University Irving Medical Center |
Sara Martin, B.S. 2015–2020 |
MD Anderson | DNA polymerase zeta and innate immune responses | Postdoctoral Fellow, Tufts University, Medford MA |
Postdoctoral Trainees
Name, Prior Degree, Years in Lab |
Institution | Project | Current Position |
---|---|---|---|
Abdelilah Aboussekhra, Ph.D. |
ICRF | Reconstitution of human NER with purified proteins | Principal Scientist and Chair, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Saudi Arabia |
Rafael Ariza, Ph.D. 1993–1996 |
ICRF | Cloning of the human XPF gene | Professor, University of Córdoba, Spain |
Hiroshi Asahina, Ph.D. 1997–1999 |
ICRF | The swi10-rad16 nuclease | Technical Staff, Sales, Cellular Dynamics International, Tokyo, Japan |
Denisse Carvajal Maldonado, Ph.D. 2019–2023 |
MD Anderson | DNA polymerase theta mediated repair | Scientist I, ORIC Pharmaceuticals, South San Francisco |
Elizabeth Evans, Ph.D. 1995–1997 |
ICRF | The pre-incision opening reaction during human NER | Director, Liberal Arts Consortium for Online Learning, Drexel University, Philadelphia |
Guido Frosina, Ph.D. 1988–1989 |
ICRF | Transcription-coupled repair | Mutagenesis & Cancer Prevention Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy |
Pierre-Henri Gaillard, Ph.D. 1997–2000 |
ICRF | The ERCC1-XPF nuclease | Group Leader, CNRS, Cancer Research Center of Marseille, France |
Daniela Gunz, Ph.D. 1997–1999 |
ICRF | DNA repair functions of XPG protein | Director of Research Partnerships, Healthbank Innovation AG. Founder & Managing Partner, Hermelin GmbH, Zürich, Switzerland |
Johan Hansson, M.D. 1987–1990 |
ICRF | Nucleotide excision repair of cisplatin-DNA adducts | Professor, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden |
Christopher Jones, Ph.D. 1989–1993 |
ICRF & University of Pittsburgh |
Human XPA protein | VP, Scientific at ApotheCom, : A MEDiSTRAVA Company (Medical Division of Huntsworth) |
Stephen Keyse, Ph.D. 1989–1991 | ICRF | Protein kinase phosphatases and nucleotide excision repair | Professor Emeritus, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, UK |
Nayun Kim, Ph.D. 2000–2003 |
ICRF & University of Pittsburgh |
A novel human DNA polymerase | Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston |
Beate Köberle, Ph.D. 1998–2006 |
ICRF & University of Pittsburgh |
Cisplatin sensitivity and nucleotide excision repair | Institute of Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany |
Isao Kuraoka, Ph.D. 1996–2001 |
ICRF | Repair of DNA crosslinks and cyclopurine adducts | Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Fukuoka University, Japan |
Sabine Lange, Ph.D. 2009–2014 |
MD Anderson | The impact of DNA damage responses on energy metabolism and proteostasis | Chief Toxicologist, Toxicology, Risk Assessment, and Research Division, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Austin, TX |
Frederica Marini, Ph.D. 1998–2008 |
ICRF & University of Pittsburgh |
New DNA polymerase and helicases for crosslink repair | Research Group Leader, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Italy |
Mineaki Seki, Ph.D. 2000–2008 |
ICRF & University of Pittsburgh |
Function of DNA polymerase Q | Associate Professor, Niigata University of Pharmacy and Applied Sciences, Japan |
David Szymkowski, Ph.D. 1989–1993 |
ICRF | Repair of single, specific DNA lesions | Vice President, Cell Biology, Xencor, Monrovia, CA |
Kei-ichi Takata, Ph.D. 2004–2009 |
University of Pittsburgh and MD Anderson | Function of DNA polymerase N and DNA helicase Q | Section Head, Institute for Basic Science, Center for Genomic Integrity, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, S. Korea |
Junya Tomida, Ph.D. 2011–2013 | MD Anderson | DNA double-strand break repair | Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences |
Birgitte Wittschieben, Ph.D. 2001–2007 |
University of Pittsburgh |
Recognition and repair of DNA lesions in chromatin | Vice President R&D Global Assay Development, Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark |
John Wittschieben, Ph.D. 1997–2008 |
ICRF & University of Pittsburgh |
Function of the mouse Rev3l gene | Senior Executive Officer, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark |
Sabbatical Visitors
Name and Years in Lab |
Host Institution | Position at Home Institution |
---|---|---|
Lawrence Grossman, Ph.D. 1989 |
ICRF | Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA |
Graciela Spivak, Ph.D. 1994 |
ICRF | Research Associate, Stanford University, USA |
Juhani Vilpo, M.D. 1994–1995 |
ICRF | Professor, Haematology, Tampere University Medical School, Finland |
Chikahide Masutani, Ph.D. 2003 |
University of Pittsburgh | Professor Nagoya University, Japan |
Stuart Clarkson, Ph.D. 2005 |
University of Pittsburgh | Professor, University of Geneva Medical School, Switzerland |
Other Members
Name, Prior Degree, Years in Lab |
Institution | Current Position |
---|---|---|
Karen Boulware, B.S., M.B.A. 2008–2017 |
University of Pittsburgh/MD Anderson | VWR International, Lubbock, Texas |
Vaishali Patil, B.S. 2001–2008 |
University of Pittsburgh | Retired |
K. Leslie Powell, B.S. 2012–2014 |
MD Anderson | Retired |
Shelley Reh, B.S., M.S. 2010–2017 |
MD Anderson | Proofreader/Editor ProofreadingServices.com |
Vera Roginskaya, B.S. 2001–2008 |
University of Pittsburgh | University of Pittsburgh |
David Trono, B.S. 2010–2014 |
MD Anderson | Retired |
Megan Lowery, B.S. 2012–2021 |
MD Anderson | Retired |