Shu Ichimiya
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, MD PhD
Kyushu University, Japan
Shu is a Board Certified Surgeon of The Japan Surgical Society and The Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery Worked at Kyushu University Department of Surgery and Oncology. He entered the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University in 2018. He studied the involvement of the Hedgehog signal and its transcription factors in the induction of malignant phenotype of gallbladder cancer under the supervision of Prof. Nakamura and Dr. Onishi and received his PhD in 2021. In addition, he engaged in the analysis of the contribution of neoantigen-specific T cells to the response to cancer immunotherapy using the clinical samples.
Fun fact: In his teens, he was obsessed with skateboarding, fashion, and music. In his twenties, he spent a lot of time reading novels and watching movies. Currently, he is into cooking. “The process of cooking and surgery is similar, but with cooking, you can make mistakes.”
Email: si2411@cumc.columbia.edu
Claire Sung Shin Ahn
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, PhD
Konkuk University, South Korea
Sung Shin received her Ph.D. in biological sciences under the supervision of Dr. Soon Young Shin from Konkuk University. During her doctoral research, Sung Shin focused on studying the transcriptional regulation of genes associated with the development of cancer and skin diseases, conducting experiments involving mice. Sung Shin developed techniques to effectively confirm the recruitment of protein complexes to the promoters of target genes under inflammatory conditions. She is passionate about unraveling the mechanisms that govern genetic factors in pancreatic tumorigenesis and metastasis.
Fun fact: I enjoy relieving stress through exercise. I have been practicing yoga for over four years and have been going to the gym for the past few months. I like cute things, and nowadays, I’m a big fan of FuBao, a baby panda born in South Korea.
Email: sa4395@cumc.columbia.edu
Maya Dixon
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN, HBSc
Queen’s University, Canada
During her undergrad, Maya focused on identifying genes associated with floral phenology in the invasive species Purple loosestrife under the supervision of Dr. Robert Colautti. After completing her undergrad she worked for Performance Plants Inc. as a research assistant to help create drought and heat tolerant crops.
Fun fact: She grew up doing ballet as well as many other styles of dance including tap, jazz and acrobatics whilst also being an avid ice hockey player.
Email: msd2216@cumc.columbia.edu
Samantha (Yuxin) Zhang
MSc CANDIDATE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
BSc, Rutgers University
Samantha worked as a research assistant at the National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control in China, where she focused on cohort studies involving immune damage due to PAHs and metals, and on the mechanisms of particulate immunotoxicity, with additional animal research. She has also worked in Dr. Huang Qingrong’s food science lab at Rutger’s university to study macromolecular particle whole food Pickering emulsion and its digestion and absorption.
Fun facts about me: I am a dedicated soccer and Formula 1 fan and enjoy contributing to my club by organizing events as supporters club and even hosted the trophy tour twice. I also love spending time analyzing players' (or drivers) performance through data or simulation with friends.
Email: yz4719@cumc.columbia.edu
Lela DeVine
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Lela is an undergraduate researcher with a background in marine pharmacology and microbiology. In Hilo, Hawai’i (her hometown) she previously worked with a team of researchers as a scuba diver to isolate and characterize novel compounds from marine sources with pharmaceutical implications for cancer. In New York, she studied antibiotic resistance and horizontal gene transfer under the direction of Dr. Allison Lopatkin at Barnard College of Columbia University. At Barnard, Lela is majoring in molecular biology and minoring in both anthropology and public policy. In addition to her research, she is passionate about environmental and ocean protection, and is involved in the advocacy field!
Email: lcd2162@barnard.edu
Liam Nguyen Stiles
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Liam is a prospective biochemistry student at Columbia University and is a native New Yorker. During high school, he interned with Vitara Biomedical, a company that is developing an artificial womb biosystem in order to reduce comorbidities associated with preterm birth, specifically looking at the serum concentration of key electrolytes and their relationship to poor or favorable outcomes.
Fun fact: Prior to college, I trained in jiu jitsu and also wrestled competitively. Aside from those, I also love photography and am currently a part of the Columbia multimedia team.
Email: lns2147@columbia.edu
Leo the lab pet
James Jungseung Nam
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, PhD
Ilsan National University of Science and Technology, South Korea
JungSeung received his Ph.D in chemistry under the supervision of Prof.Tae-Hyuk Kwon from UNIST. During his thesis studies, JungSeung developed photoactivatable chemical tools to enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS). Using these tools James explored the mechanisms of aggregation prone peptide modulation, and developed a chemoproteomic method to characterize oxidative post-translational modifications (oxPTM) in proteins. JungSeung is approaching biomedical research in the context of chemistry.
Fun fact: I had the experience of finishing a full marathon and now I’m running to be a foodie. Also, I enjoy playing the piano, particularly the works of Frederic Chopin although I have been told I do not look like a musician. Good food and good music are two things that keep me grounded!
Email: jn2837@cumc.columbia.edu
Huijin Feng
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN, MSc
Nanjing University, China
Huijin received her master’s degree at Nanjing University, China. During her Masters, she studied the roles of microRNAs in tumorigenesis and trans-generational phenotype inheritance. She then worked at Department of Dermatology, CUMC, Dr. Arianna Kim’s lab as a technician investigating basal cell carcinoma.
Fun fact: Huijin loves spicy food and makes great cheese cake
Email: hf2408@cumc.columbia.edu
Justin Powers
PhD CANDIDATE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
HBSc, Eastern Michigan University
As an undergraduate, Justin worked in Dr. Cory Emal’s lab to develop small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of thrombosis. Under the mentorship of Dr. James Hoeschele, Justin also led efforts to synthesize platinum complexes for the treatment of cancer. After his undergraduate studies, Justin went on to work in the lab of Dr. Nouri Neamati synthesizing small-molecule drugs for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Fun facts about Justin: “I have wrestled since I was 8 years old and have practiced judo, Brazilian jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts. Also, I was initially a graphics design major during my Freshman year. Instead of taking the bio for nonscience majors course, I took the intro to biology for STEM majors on a dare with the intent of dropping it after I failed the first exam. I did well, didn’t drop the course, and that is where I had my initial spark of interest in science which led me here.”
Email: jap2301@columbia.edu
Geena Kim
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Geena is a prospective biology major at Columbia University. She is originally from Seoul, Korea, and graduated high school in the US. She previously worked in Dr. Ho Yun Lee’s lab at Samsung Medical Center investigating lung adenocarcinoma.
Email: gk2584@columbia.edu
Can Selahattin Ozcan
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, PhD
Uludag University, Turkey
Can received his Ph.D. in biochemistry under the supervision of Prof. Abdullah Yalcin at Uludag University in Turkey. His research focused on the role of PFKFB enzymes in PDAC tumorigenesis and metastasis. Following this, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Ceyda Acilan at Koc University, where he investigated centrosome amplification and aneuploidy in cancer. During this time, he gained experience in proximity labeling proteomics and CRISPR screens. Currently, his main research focus is PDAC metabolism and metastasis, and other than cancer, he has a keen interest in the regulation of hematopoiesis.
Fun fact: I have a big family that includes 5 furry members, and I love spending time with them. Cooking and baking are among my hobbies, and I also dedicate time to improve my piano skills. I cannot imagine a life without the joy of classical music. Additionally, I am a big snooker fan!
so2716@cumc.columbia.edu
Christine Chio
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, PhD
University of Toronto, Canada
Dr. Christine Chio is an Assistant Professor of Genetics in the Institute for Cancer Genetics at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Chio earned her PhD at the University of Toronto studying the interplay between innate immunity and cancer development under the mentorship of Dr. Tak Wah Mak. Subsequently, she joined the lab of Dr. David Tuveson at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to pursue her postdoctoral training. Since then, her research has focused on understanding the role of cellular redox regulation, particularly in the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). For her work, Dr. Chio has received the Human Frontiers Fellowship Award, the Damon Runyon Fellowship Award, the DoD Career Development Award, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Award, the V-Foundation Scholar Award, the Paul Marks Scholar Award, the Ruth Leff Siegel Award for Excellence in Pancreatic Cancer Research, and most recently, the Pershing Square Sohn Award for Young Investigators.
Email: ic2445@cumc.columbia.edu
Daniel the lab tree
WHERE DO WE COME FROM?
ALUMNI
Dana Kapellar-Liberman: Former technician (2018-2019). Current Position: Medical Student at the University of Buffalo
Karina Chan: Former technician (2018-2020). Current Position: Medical Student at Sacramento
Michael Mendelsohn: Former master’s student (2019-2020). Current Position: Field Scientist at Molecular Devices
Belen Sundberg: Former technician (2019-2021). Current Position: Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University
Charles Laurore: Former technician (2021-2022). Current Position: Medical Student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai
Aster Yang: Former technician (2021-2023). Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate at Rutgers University
Marina Perera: Former Postdoctoral fellow (2018-2023). Current Position: Research Scientist, U.K.
Jordan Jacquelin Lu: Former Undergraduate student (2019-2023). Current Position: Clinical Research Scientist at Icahn School of Medicine, Mt Sinai
Sean Bae: Former technician (2023-2024). Current Position: Medical Student at Georgetown University Medical School