School of Medicine
Showing 1-46 of 46 Results
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Aya Awad
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
BioI am a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford Cancer Institute in the laboratory of Steven Artandi, where my research focuses on telomere biology and telomerase regulation in cancer. My work integrates molecular genetics, biochemistry, and cell-based approaches to understand how dysregulation of telomere maintenance promotes genome instability and tumorigenesis.
I received my PhD in Genetics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where my doctoral research examined the molecular mechanisms by which telomerase activity and telomere structure are regulated at chromosome ends. Through mechanistic studies combining patient-derived cells and molecular analyses, I contributed to defining how telomere elongation and overhang dynamics are controlled.
At Stanford, my research centers on identifying regulatory pathways that control telomerase RNA maturation and activity, with a particular interest in discovering and characterizing small-molecule inhibitors targeting the telomerase pathway as potential cancer therapeutics. More broadly, I aim to translate fundamental insights in telomere biology into strategies for selectively targeting telomere maintenance mechanisms in cancer. -
Yiyun Chen
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
BioYiyun Chen is a computational cancer immunologist whose interdisciplinary training spans structural biology, computational genomics, and cancer immunotherapy. During her doctoral training at HKUST, she developed multi-omic frameworks to decode the molecular landscape of brain tumors, gastric cancer, and B cell lymphoma — including the discovery of a tumor-associated monocyte population in the glioma microenvironment that drives mesenchymal transformation through the FOSL2-EREG/AREG-EGFR signaling axis.
As a postdoctoral fellow in the Crystal Mackall Laboratory at Stanford Cancer Institute, she extended this focus to the co-evolution of glioma and the immune system during CAR T cell therapy, uncovering multiple mechanisms of acquired resistance: anti-CAR humoral and cellular immunity, proinflammatory-to-immunosuppressive phenotypic shifts in macrophages, and tumor antigen escape. Her future research program will build an AI-powered platform that integrates longitudinal single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to model tumor-immune co-evolution in silico — constructing patient-level digital twins that simulate treatment trajectories, predict resistance, and identify real-time monitoring biomarkers. -
Jordan C. Cheng, DMD, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research direction involves the evalutation of single-stranded library prepartion methods versus conventional double-stranded methods of cell-free DNA for non-invasive cancer profiling applications. The exploration of these technologies allow for the inference of the genomic and epigenetic features of both local and distant cell types associated with a biofluid.
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Ines Forrest
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
BioI completed a dual Master's Degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry (University of Oklahoma) and Organic Chemistry/Chemical Engineering (Sigma-Clermont), as well as a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Sciences (The Scripps Research Institute). As a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford in Prof. Nathanael Gray's lab, I look forward to applying my skills in chemical proteomics, chemistry, and molecular biology to drive impactful research at the interface of chemistry and medicine and develop pioneering solutions to improve human health.
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Cathy Garcia
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsIslet biology, diabetes, obesity, pancreatic cancer
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Maximilian Koch
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy current research focuses on developing novel cellular immunotherapies for pediatric cancers. This includes identifying suitable MHC-restricted and native antigens that are expressed by malignant cells but ideally absent from healthy tissues. On the receptor side, both CARs and TCRs are being characterized for their specificity, affinity, and functionality. Ultimately, non-viral gene delivery methods will be explored and optimized to enable affordable, precise, and consistent cell products.
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Lise Mangiante
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focused on understanding the evolution and ecology of cancer, and determinants of disease progression through analysis and modeling of high-dimensional, clinically annotated datasets.
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Natalia Plewa Juraszek
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
BioDr. rer. nat. Natalia Plewa-Juraszek is a postdoc in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine in Prof. Sabine Heitzeneder and Prof. Crystal Mackall Labs. She is leading a collaborative project focused on designing cancer-specific T cell-based immunotherapies for pediatric solid tumors. Her 9 years hands-on experience, supported by 8 scholarships, including Fulbright, is dedicated to translating innovative technologies from the lab to patient care. Ownership mindset with strong communication and management skills. Critical thinker living the idea “Follow your heart but take your brain with you”. Outside of science, Natalia is a professional Bachata Sensual Instructor and International Dance Judge who transformed a dance business into a global brand, earning over 70 teaching invitations in 15+ countries worldwide.
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An Ni Zhang
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford Cancer Institute
BioAnni obtained her Ph.D. in Dr. James Johnson and Dr. Janel Kopp's labs at the University of British Columbia. Her Ph.D. work showed that hyperinsulinemia contributes to pancreatic cancer development. Her work also showed that insulin directly acted via the insulin receptors in pancreatic acinar cells to increase digestive enzyme production, thereby generating an inflammatory condition that accelerates neoplastic transformation. She is now working at Diehn lab to investigate the mechanisms of KEAP1 mutation-induced immunotherapy resistance in lung cancer.
