Current Trainees

People

	Natalie Chen – Predoctoral Trainee Natalie is a 3rd year student in the Molecular, Cellular, Integrative Physiology Graduate Program at UCLA. She graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology with Honors in 2014. Mentor: Dr. Stephen Young Research Project: Nuclear Membrane Ruptures as an Underlying Cause of Arterial and Neuronal Disease
	Andrew Cicchetto – Predoctoral Trainee Andrew is a 3rd year graduate student in the Molecular and Medical Pharmacology program. In 2016, he graduate with a Masters in Biological Sciences from the California State University, Sacramento. Mentor: Dr. Heather Christofk Research Project: A role for the ZFP36 family of RNA-binding proteins in rapid metabolic transitions.
	Chantle Edillor – Predoctoral Trainee Chantle is a 5th year graduate student in the Genetics & Genomics Home Area of the Human Genetics Department. She received her Bachelors of Science in Developmental and Cell Biology with a minor in Medical Anthropology from UC Irvine in 2013. Mentor: Dr. Aldons Jake Lusis Research Project: Characterizing Zhx2-mediated transcriptional regulation in atherosclerosis
	Brie Fuqua, PhD – Postdoctoral Trainee Dr. Fuqua received her Doctorate from UC Berkeley in where she studied the genetics of iron metabolism. She took on a collaborative Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Florida based at UCLA in the Lusis Lab. Mentor: Dr. Aldons Jake Lusis Research Project: A Systems Genetics Approach to Identify Genetic Factors Affecting Cadiovascular Iron Overload and Pathology in Mice
	Kelsey Jarrett – Postdoctoral Trainee Dr. Jarrett received her Doctorate in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences from Baylor College of Medicine in 2018. Post graduation, she continued her research training with the Tarling-Vallim lab at UCLA. Mentor: Dr. Thomas Vallim Research Project: Understanding the physiological role of PSMD9 in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis
	Jessica Nevarez-Mejia – Predoctoral Trainee Jessica is a 2nd year PhD student in the Molecular Cellular & Integrative Physiology Graduate Program. She received her Bachelors in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine in 2017. Mentor: Dr. Elaine Reed Research Project: Macrophage polarization induced by anti-HLA class I antibody activated endothelium in chronic antibody-mediate rejection (cAMR)
	Milagros “Millie” Romay, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Trainee Millie earned her Doctorate from UCLA under the Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics program. She is currently a third year Postdoctoral student in the Arispe Lab. Mentor: Dr. Luisa Iruela-Arispe Research Project: Notch3 Signaling in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
	David Salisbury – Predoctoral Trainee David acquired a Masters in Biology from the California State University, Bakersfield in 2016 and is currently a third year graduate student in the Gene Regulation Home are of the MBIDP. Mentor: Drs. Tamer Sallam, Peter Tontonoz Research Project: Regulation of Macrophage Cholesterol Efflux by the Long Noncoding RNA MeXis
	Hannah Sunshine – Predoctoral Trainee Hannah is a 3rd year graduate student in the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology program at UCLA. She graduated with a Bachelors in Cell & Developmental Biology from the California State University, Fullerton in 2012. Mentor: Dr. Luisa Iruela-Arispe Research Project: Post-transcriptional modulation of VEGF downstream signaling
	Anastasia Vavilina-Halstead – Predoctoral Trainee Anastasia received her Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry/Cell Biology from UC San Diego. She is currently a third year graduate student in the Cell and Developmental Biology Home Are of the MBIDP. Mentor: Dr. Hanna Mikkola Research Project: Investigation of MLLT3 Isoforms as Regulators of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fate Decisions