Meet our 2025-2026 BSCRC trainees
Graduate students
Anthony Azzun
Principal investigator: Gay M. Crooks, M.D.
Research focus: I study special immune cells called regulatory T cells (Tregs), which act as peacekeepers in the body that prevent harmful inflammation. My research focuses on FOXP3, an essential gene for Treg development. I’m developing new ways to make Tregs from human stem cells to pave the way for therapies that could help people better control their immune systems.
Fun fact: I'm terrible at remembering lyrics, but somehow I can fully recite "Lip Gloss" by Lil Mama from start to finish.
Natella Baliaouri
Principal investigator: Bennett Novitch, Ph.D.
Research focus: I use 3D stem cell models of the brain, called organoids, to study early human neurodevelopment with a focus on a disorder called Rett Syndrome. These advanced models allow scientists to better understand normal neurodevelopment and how to address issues when the process goes awry.
Fun fact: I’m a bit of a hobby jumper, but my current obsessions are keeping tarantulas, training my pet rats and crocheting.
Rachel Fox
Principal investigator: Michael F. Wells, Ph.D.
Research focus: My longstanding research interests revolve around untangling the relationship between genotype and phenotype to better understand neurodevelopment and neurological disorders. My current research is focused on how genetic variation at chromosome 16p11.2 influences sonic hedgehog signaling in neural progenitor cells.
Fun fact: I can identify most types of flying insects with their Latin names.
Sara Frigui
Principal investigator: Heather Christofk, Ph.D.
Research focus: I work on developing tools to rapidly isolate rare cell populations. I hope to utilize these tools to investigate intestinal and muscle stem cell metabolism, as well as how the intestine changes during pregnancy.
Fun fact: My longest NYT crossword streak is five days. NYT Games is the app I consistently use most according to Screen Time.
Liang-Wei Huang
Principal investigator: Kathrin Plath, Ph.D.
Research focus: I study how Xist expression is regulated and how the chromatin structure is affected by the reduced expression of Xist. My hope is that this work leads to a better understanding of the earliest stages of human development and lays the groundwork for new therapies for female-specific diseases.
Fun fact: I can go to the same place for dinner every day. I’ve eaten In-N-Out and Chipotle for entire weeks straight before.
Niloufar Mansooralavi
Principal investigator: William Lowry, Ph.D.
Research focus: I study how mutations in a gene called MECP2 lead to Rett syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. I use human stem cells and animal models to figure out how these mutations affect brain development and explore potential ways to reverse or treat the symptoms.
Fun fact: I make digital art and run a small online shop on the side.
Christopher Ochoa
Principal investigator: Sanaz Memarzadeh, M.D., Ph.D.
Research focus: I study how cancer cells with stem-like properties in aggressive gynecologic cancers drive resistance and relapse. My research aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind this resistance and test novel immunotherapies to treat these cancers.
Fun fact: I’ve never had chicken pox!
Dylan Smock
Principal investigators: Donald B. Kohn, M.D.; Zulema Romero Garcia, Ph.D.
Research focus: My research focuses on improving current methods of gene editing in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) by exploiting an endogenous protein known as adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR).
Fun fact: My wife and I produce and DJ electronic music in our free time. I also love to rock climb and play guitar.
Miranda Sun
Principal investigator: D'Juan Farmer, Ph.D.
Research focus: : I study how skullcap bones grow during embryonic development, focusing on cranial sutures — the fibrous joints between skull bones that contain stem cells. I investigate the genetic pathways and cellular mechanisms that regulate these stem cells in both normal skull development and congenital craniofacial anomalies.
Fun fact: I was part of a Guinness World Record for the largest scavenger hunt at University of Chicago. We held the record from 2011 to 2014!
Shirley Zhang
Principal investigator: Andrew S. Goldstein, Ph.D.
Research focus: I want to define the genetic mechanism of ancestry-associated disparity in prostate cancer risk and progression. Unique germline variants of a prostate development gene are found to be associated with higher prostate cancer risks in people with different ancestry backgrounds. The mechanism of these germline variants remains unclear. My research aims to decipher the unknown mechanism using 3D prostate tissue models.
Fun fact: I recently started playing table tennis!
Kuangyi Zhou
Principal investigator: Lili Yang, Ph.D.
Research focus: I study how a special population of T cells interact with malignant cells and develop engineering strategies to harness these T cells for more effective and affordable solid tumor cancer immunotherapy.
Fun fact: I studied marine biology during my first two years in college and am a scuba diver.
Postdoctoral scholars
Yanruide (Charlie) Li, Ph.D.
Principal investigator: Lili Yang, Ph.D.
Research focus: I develop stem cell-engineered therapeutic natural killer T cells and determine how to utilize these cells to treat various types of cancers, including blood cancers and solid tumors.
Fun fact: I'm an advanced scuba diver and have explored diverse marine environments around the world.
Antoni Martija, Ph.D.
Principal investigator: Aparna Bhaduri, Ph.D.
Research focus: I study how glioblastoma tumor cells communicate with non-malignant neurons in their microenvironment using primary tumors transplanted into stem cell-derived human cortical organoids. My research focuses on how neuronal activity and disruptions in key synaptic pathways influence tumor cell identity and plasticity.
Fun fact: I’m a proud girl dad!
Vahan Martirosian, Ph.D.
Principal investigator: Michael Teitell, M.D., Ph.D.
Research focus: I study the importance of the subcellular locations of metabolites and proteins in human pluripotent stem cells and how changes in these patterns can affect cell function.
Fun fact: I love gardening. I enjoy growing different varieties of flowers and fruit trees, including roses, hydrangeas, pomegranates, figs and loquats.
Kilian Mazaleyrat, Ph.D.
Principal investigator: April Pyle, Ph.D.
Research focus: I study how to enhance the maturation process of skeletal muscle progenitor cells using the different types of cells present in the neuromuscular tissue.
Fun fact: I grew up in a water mill in the French countryside.
Zeenat Rashida, Ph.D.
Principal investigator: Kathrin Plath, Ph.D.
Research focus: I study how different nutrients rewire cellular metabolism to change the extracellular niche and how that process affects stem cell physiology and cell-fate decisions.
Fun fact: I love reading fantasy books.
Clinical fellows
Jennifer Chia, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal investigator: Alexander Hoffmann, Ph.D.
Research focus: My work examines how chronic inflammation impacts blood stem cell function and contributes to impaired blood cell development in aging.
Fun fact: I’ve knit just about every day for the past 20 years! I mostly knit apparel (sweaters, socks, vests, shawls, etc.) and love combining creative expression with technical mastery, resulting in a tangible, practical object.
Tyler McCaw, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal investigator: Joseph G. Crompton, M.D., Ph.D.
Research focus: I’m focused on using transcription factor reprogramming to recharge the immune system's ability to fight cancer, making stem-like T cells capable of recognizing and killing tumor cells for the lifetime of a patient.
Fun fact: I picked up surfing since moving to California and once surfed during a tsunami advisory by accident.
Christiana Santiago, M.D., M.S.
Principal investigator: Sherin U. Devaskar, MD
Research focus: I’m studying how genetics and the environment affect the development of the fetal brain. My research aims to provide insights into the processes behind neurodevelopmental disorders in children, particularly when associated with a gene mutation along with intrauterine growth restriction, which commonly occurs in genetic disorders.
Fun fact: I studied ballet for more than a decade.