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Meet the Postdocs

Working on an individual personalized project under the guidance of a qualified faculty mentor, VARI’s exceptional postdoctoral fellows make great contributions to the science conducted in the Institute’s laboratories. They play a crucial role in the intellectual development and management of research projects and contribute to a considerable share of the hands-on research activities in the laboratory.

VARI Fellows

Xiaotian Zhang, Ph.D.
Pfeifer Laboratory

DNA methylation modulation and epigenetic alterations in leukemogenesis

Center for Epigenetics

Walid Abi Habib, Ph.D.
Laird Laboratory

Single-cell and cell-free DNA methylation analysis in cancer

Brittany L. Carpenter, Ph.D.
Jones Laboratory

Single-cell epigenetic analysis

Evan Cornett, Ph.D.
Rothbart Laboratory

How chemical modifications on DNA and histone proteins influence the role of epigenetic regulatory proteins in development and cancer

Huihui Fan, Ph.D.
Shen Laboratory

Pan-cancer analysis based on dynamic epigenetic modifications

Zhi-jun Huang, Ph.D.
Pfeifer Laboratory

DNA methylation and the role of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in cancer

Manpreet Kalkat, Ph.D.
Laird Laboratory

Epigenetics of colorectal cancer.

Alison Lanctot, Ph.D.
Rothbart Laboratory

The role of UHRF1 in both normal and diseased states using mouse and colorectal cancer models

Hongbo Liu, Ph.D.
Shen Laboratory

Computational analysis of cancer epigenome and transcriptome

Hitoshi Otani, Ph.D.
Jones Laboratory

The potential role of endogenous retrovirus for the activation of the immune system

Rochelle Tiedemann, Ph.D.
Jones Laboratory & Rothbart Laboratory

Genome-wide localization of multivalent chromatin modifiers

Zhi-Qiang (Ken) Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Pfeifer Laboratory

Role of KDM2B in CpG island methylation in melanoma

Tie-Bo Zeng, Ph.D.
Szabó Laboratory

The mechanisms of resetting genomic imprints in the male germline

Wanding Zhou, Ph.D.
Shen Laboratory, Jones Laboratory & Laird Laboratory

Computational analysis of cancer genomics

Center for Neurodegenerative Science

Romany Abskharon, Ph.D.
Ma Laboratory

Generating nanobodies as therapeutic approaches for prion disease

Xi Chen, Ph.D.
Moore Laboratory

The role of VPS35 in Parkinson’s disease

Shariful Islam, Ph.D.
Moore Laboratory

Defining LRRK2 substrates/interactors and pathways of neurotoxicity

Bryan Killinger, Ph.D.
Labrie Laboratory

Investigating DNA methylation patterns that drive neuropathology in Parkinson’s disease patients

Peipei Li, Ph.D.
Labrie Laboratory

Computational analysis of epigenomics in neurodegenerative diseases

Lee Marshall, Ph.D.
Labrie Laboratory
John Murdoch, Ph.D.
Labrie Laboratory

Differentially methylated regions in schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s

An Phu Tran Nguyen, Ph.D.
Moore Laboratory

Generating in vivo models in Parkinson’s disease

Steve Pierce, Ph.D
Coetzee Laboratory

Computational methods to identify genetic predispositions to breast cancer or Parkinson’s

Keerthi Thirtamara Rajamani, Ph.D.
Lena Brundin Laboratory

The role of inflammation and tryptophan metabolism in the etiology of depressive disorders

Nolwen Rey, Ph.D.
Patrik Brundin Laboratory

The spread of alpha-synuclein pathology in the brain in Parkinson’s disease

Amandine Roux, Ph.D.
Ma Laboratory

The “prion-like” spread of toxicity in Parkinson’s disease

Juxin Ruan, Ph.D.
Ma Laboratory

The influence of PLA2G6 on alpha-synuclein aggregation

CENTER FOR CANCER AND CELL BIOLOGY

Sourik Ganguly, Ph.D.
Li Laboratory

The role of the tumor microenvironment in prostate cancer metastasis

Yihe Huang, Ph.D.
Lü Laboratory

Structural and functional studies of membrane proteins using single particle electron cyro-microscopy.

Kuntal Pal, Ph.D.
Xu Laboratory

Purification and crystallization aspects of class B GPCRs

Elizabeth Tovar, Ph.D.
Graveel (Steensma Laboratory)

Targeting receptor tyrosine kinases in breast cancer patient-derived xenografts to improve therapeutic strategies

Paige Winkler, Ph.D.
Lü Laboratory