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Principle Investigator:
Weihang (Valerie) Chai, PhD
Professor (tenured) and Director
Center for Genetic Diseases, Chicago Medical School

Ph.D.: Cornell University, 1999

Postdoc: UT Southwestern Medical Center, 2005

email: weihang.chai@rosalindfranklin.edu

 

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Vikas Gaur, PhD.
Postdoc Researcher
Vikas joined the lab April 2022 after completing his PhD at Amity University, India.
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Zhenguo Wang, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Zhenguo joined the lab in May 2022. He completed his PhD at Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology in China. 
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Manobendro Ray, PhD
Postdoc Researcher
Ray joined the lab in Aug 2023. He completed his PhD at Tokushima University, Japan.
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Sara Knowles
Lab Manager
Sara joined the lab in March 2020 on the day the campus shut down due to COVID-19. She graduated from Kurt-Blindow Schulen Bückeburg in Germany. 
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Kevin Shane, BS
Graduate student in the ICB program.
Kevin joined the lab in Jan 2023. Kevin completed his BS degree at University of Denver.  
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Zubair Laghari, PhD
Postdoc Researcher
Zubair joined the lab in March 2024. He completed his PhD at Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
A biomedical researcher with phd degree.
Monalisa Parija, PhD
Postdoc Researcher
Mona will join the lab in June 2024 from India. 
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Arpan Roy, PhD
Postdoc Researcher
Arpan will join the lab in July 2024 from Southern Illinois University.
A biomedical researcher with phd degree.
Jenny Hong, MS, BS
Incoming medical student
Jenny will join our lab in Aug 2024 for her MMDR program. She completed her BS degree at UC Berkeley and MS degree at RFUMS. 

Alumni

Postdocs and Senior Scientists:

  1. Dr. Rishi Jaiswal, 2020-2024

  2. Dr. Alishba Maryam, 2021-2024 (Position after leaving: Postdoc, Northwestern University)

  3. Dr. Jaejung Kim, 2021-2023

  4. Dr. Pau Biak Sang, 2020 – 2022 (Position after leaving: Assistant Professor, University of Delhi, India)

  5. Dr. Duc Nguyen, 2019 – 2022 (Position after leaving: Research Scientist, SPARX Therapeutics, Chicago)

  6. Dr. Ravikiran Mahadevappa, 2021 (Position after leaving: Postdoc, University of Michigan)

  7. Dr. Eugene Kim, 2018 – 2021 (Position after leaving: Scientist at Washington State University)

  8. Dr. Xinxing Lyu, 2016 – 2020 (Position after leaving: Associate Professor, Shandong First Medical University, China)

  9. Dr. Yuan Wang, 2016 – 2018 (Position after leaving: Instructor, Rutgers University Cancer Institute)

  10. Dr. Faya Zhang, 2017 (Position after leaving: Postdoc, College of Pharmacy, WSU)

  11. Dr. Pingping Jia, 2012 – 2016 (Position after leaving: Professor, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College)

  12. Dr. Vivian (Qing) Zhou, 2013 – 2015 (Position after leaving: Postdoc, Columbia University)

  13. Dr. Maria Fadri-Moskwik, 2012 – 2014 (Position after leaving: Instructor, Wake Technical Community College, North Carolina)

  14. Dr. Chenhui Huang, 2009 – 2013 (Position after leaving: Associate Professor, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  15. Dr. Xueyu Dai, 2009 – 2012 (Position after leaving: Associate Professor, Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

        

Graduate students:

  1. Shilpa Sampathi, 2006 – 2011, doctoral dissertation major advisor, School of Molecular Biosciences, 7/1/11-6/30/12, passed PhD defense 10/2011. Current position: Instructor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN

  2. Amruta Bhusari, 2006-2008, Master dissertation advisor

  3. Amruta Mahadik, 2007-2008, Master dissertation advisor

  4. Sanjana Sudarshan, 2007-2008, Master dissertation advisor

    

Undergraduate students: 

  1. Christine Kouria, Loyola University Chicago, 2023 summer research intern.

  2. Robin Pelia, Loyola University Chicago, 2022 summer intern

  3. Jacob Mallery, School of Molecular Biosciences STARS program, 2015 summer rotation, 2016 summer rotation

  4. Lily Seyoum, WSU College of Nursing, Jan 2015 – May 2015

  5. James Heusner, from the University of Washington, June 2013 - Aug 2013           

  6. Natalie Schennum, from Gonzaga University, Aug 2011- July 2012

  7. Olga Shiva, from EWU, March 2011- June 2011, admitted to the graduate program at SMB in WSU.

  8. Cora Hartill from EWU, Aug 2010- Feb 2011, admitted to a Medical Technology program.

  9. Annie Morgan from Harvard University, May-Aug 2010 and Jan 2013, graduated from Harvard University in 2013 and then admitted to the MD/PhD program at Stanford University.

  10. Kathryn Schubert from Gonzaga University, May 2009-May 2010, admitted to the PhD program at Oregon Health & Science University.

  11. Alex Diamond from Gonzaga University, Feb-May 2009

  12. Lakita Johnson, 2006-2008, NIH MBRS fellowship

  13. Danyeal Heckard, 2006-2008, NIH MBRS fellowship

  14. Amber Thomas, 2005-2008, NIH MBRS fellowship

  15. Cynthia Vasquez, 2007-2008

    

High school students:

  1. Kelly Wang, from William Fremd High School, Palatine, Illinois, June – July 2021, June – Sept 2022.

  2. David Yuan, from Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, May 2011-Aug 2011, admitted to the University of Washington

  3. Helen Yuan, from Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, May 2009-Aug 2009, admitted to the University of Southern California

 

Research Assistants:

1. Olga Shiva, 2013 - 2019

2. Megan Chastain, 2014 – 2019

3. Bryce Burnett, Jan – May 2016

4. Elizabeth Everson, 2018 – 2019

5. Thanh Nguyen, 2019 – 2020, 2021

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