Utz Lab Emeritus Members
Golnaz Alemi
Golnaz Alemi was born in Spain and grew up in Orange County, California. She has an older brother who is a fourth year medical student at Stanford and a twin sister who is a 2nd year law student at Northwestern University. Golnaz received her bachelors in 2003 and masters in 2004.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steven Chan
Steve grew up in Toronto, Canada, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto. After many years of bitter cold, he finally decided to head to sunny California to enroll in Stanford's MD/PhD program. He has worked in the Utz lab from 2001 to 2007. His primary research interest revolves around the use of protein microarray technology for the analysis of signal transduction in T lymphocytes. He is now finishing his M.D. degree at Stanford.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Faraaz Chekeni
is a Bioengineering student in the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley. He worked in the Utz lab during the summers in 2001-2003 as well as during winter break. He first started to work in Dr. Utz's lab as an intern in the CCIS summer program, which gives high school students the opportunity to work at the Center for Clinical Immunology at Stanford. Faraaz worked on the mitochondrial localization signal of SRP68. Faraaz entered the M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2005. He hopes work on such things as the development of surgical tools and prosthetics/implants. When not studying or working in the lab, Faraaz likes to hike, ski, drive and watch movies. Among his favorite foods are Persian, Mexican, and Chinese food. He also enjoys all types of music, including country.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Andrzej Chruscinski
completed his medical studies and residency at the Stanford University School of Medicine and is a cardiologist at the Stanford University Medical Center. He joined the Utz lab in July of 2005 as a Postdoctoral Fellow. His research interests involve the application of proteomics technology to cardiovascular disease. Andrzej's interests encompass sailing, going fishing, running and skiing.
Carla DiGennaro
worked in the lab as a Research Assistant from June 2000 until she entered UC Berkeley grad school in the fall of 2001. She disappointed all of us by turning down Stanford.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Katerina Drouvalakis, Ph.D.
Katerina was a Postdoctoral Fellow from Australia. Katerina's studies, funded by Bio-X, employed methods developed by collaborators in the School of Engineering to study proteomics and immunology. Katerina served admirably as a dedicated and highly-effective Assistant Utz Lab Social Coordinator (ULSC). Currently, she is on sabbatical, caring for her new daughter.
Derek Fong
Derek fong graduated from Los Altos High School and graduated from Yale University in 2005. Derek was one of PJ’s first CCIS High School Summer Students.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kareem Graham
As a child growing up in Oklahoma, dreamed of being a professional basketball star. However, his dream was dealt a tremendous blow when he discovered that nary a college program had any need for a short, slow guy with absolutely no talent. After recovering from the shock of being passed over in the NBA draft as a high school entrant, Kareem decided it was time to turn his energies elsewhere. Upon graduating from Rice University with a Bachelor's in Biochemistry in 1999, he took his act to the West Coast. His research interests include murine models of autoimmune disease and autoantigen arrays. When, not in lab, Reem enjoys skiing, reading, and honing his table tennis skills (with considerable aid from Mike Kattah and Steve Chan). Reem is now a postdoc working in Eugene Butcher's lab at Stanford.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Ritu Gupta
was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She migrated to India, completed premedical studies there and earned degree of Bachelor in Medicine, Bachelor in Surgery (MB.BS.) at M.R. Medical College of Karnataka (India) and completed internship at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi (India). She then Joined Utz lab in November of 2005 as lab manager. While while managing lab, she is also preparing for the USMLE exams to pursue residency in internal medicine. She enjoys trekking, alternative rock, and spending time with her German Shepherd, Shoolu.
Wolfgang Hueber, M.D.
Wolfgang attended University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria before serving as an Intern and Resident at Tygerberg Hospital, University of Stellenbosch Medical School, South Africa. Wolfie also performed residencies in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Vienna, Austria. He worked in the Utz Lab from June 2000 until August 2003 where he mastered using antigen microarray technology to perform large-scale antibody profiling in autoimmune diseases. He continues his work with Bill Robinson at Stanford, where he has been since 2004.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Makoto Kamachi, M.D, Ph.D.
Makoto was PJ's first Postdoctoral Fellow. After spending 3 years educating PJ about molecular biology, he has returned to the University of Nagasaki where he has accepted a faculty position.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Michael Kattah
Mike grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. He attended Walt Whitman High School and received his black belt in Tang Soo Do under Dale Tompkins. After graduating from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science (2001), he participated in the NIH IRTA program for one year. He did not always plan for a future in science, but alas, dreams of becoming a back-up dancer for Britney Spears were shattered when he discovered he was tragically born without rhythm. He is currently a third-year MSTP student at Stanford University. Mike hopes to pursue a career in academic medicine as a clinician scientist. His research interests include the application of novel technologies to address elusive questions relating to basic immunology and immune-mediated diseases.
Annie Kuo
Annie was a Research Assistant in the Utz Lab. She graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in Molecular & Cell Biology and Music in May 2001. She entered medical school in August 2002, at Pritzker College of Medicine in Chicago.
Truc Le, M.D.
is the first emeritus member of the lab. Truc won numerous fellowships, including an HHMI award. Truc forgot more medicine than PJ had ever learned, but had difficulty reading topographical maps and identifying indigenous California plants. Truc returned to Vanderbilt in the fall of 2001 to finish medical school; he completed his pediatrics residency at Vanderbilt in 2005 and is now an ICU Fellow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BJ Lee
BJ joined the lab in the summer of 2002 and stayed until he started medical school at Stanford in the fall of 2003.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lowen Lee
is a UC Santa Cruz Biology grad by way of UC Davis ("Slaggie"). After working at Becton-Dickinson for a few years, she decided that she had enough of flow cytometers and headed over to academia. While in the Utzlab, Lowen was a research assistant who worked most closely with Peggy and Reem on models of autoimmune diseases. During her free time she enjoys iyengar yoga, hiking, opera, scuba diving, chillin' with friends, and finding cool new restaurants to dine at. She is now pursuing training and a career in physical therapy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sophia Liu
Sophia graduated from Stanford in June 2002, completing a stellar Senior Thesis. She won several prestigious awards, including a Stanford Undergraduate Research Award and a coveted Fullbright Scholarship funded her work in China.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mónica spent 2 years in the Utz lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow, and is still working closely with the Utz lab as a "Frequently Visiting Scientist." She is now an Assistant Professor in the land of tequila and mariachis, at the University of Guadalahara.
Robert Moder
Robert Moder was a student at PJ's alma mater, King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA and spent two summers learning about basic research and enjoying the California sunshine before he returned to the cold, Pennsylvania climate. He started graduate school in 2004.
Marie-Josee Mont-Reynau
Marie-Josee was a CCIS Summer student in 2000 and is entering her senior year at Menlo School in Atherton. Marie-Josee learned the definition of the word "nonpotable" during the summer of 2000, and she currently is continuing her studies in the Negrin Lab.
Lance Okeke
Lance Okeke worked in the laboratory as part of Stanford's Undergraduate Research Program during the summer of 2001, before beginning his senior year at Xavier University of Louisiana. He entered Stanford Medical School in the Fall of 2002.
Paul O'Leary
Paul worked in the Utz lab as an undergraduate. He went on to complete his studies at Stanford while also competing on Stanford's highly-ranked Men's Gymnastics Team.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bill completed his Rheumatology training at Stanford in June 2002 and was a Research Associate until the fall of 2003, when he joined the Stanford University faculty to continue to develop "Reverse Genetics" technology to diagnose and treat autoimmune diseases. Bill does more exciting things with his free time in a weekend than do the rest of the collective lab in a year. Bill is the principle inventor of our autoantigen microarray technology.
Lindsay Rosenthal
Lindsay spent the summer of 2002 in the CCIS program before returning to Tufts University in Boston to complete her college studies. Go Red Sox!
Veronika Sharp
|
|
|
 |
|
|
joined the Utz Lab in July 2005 as a Rheumatology fellow. She was born Veszprem, Hungary. She received her MD from the University Medical School of Pecs, Hungary. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Fathman Lab at Stanford and completed an internal medicine residency at Stanford University. She is interested in techniques for discovery of new disease markers for human autoimmune diseases, primarily systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Her hobbies include hiking, camping, sea kayaking, skiing, swimming and playing with her newborn daughter.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Harvir Singh
is currently completing his Masters in Biology at Stanford University. He joined the Utz Lab in September of 2005, where his focus is the use of new technology to understand the signalling pathways in human diseases. He enjoys traditional Indian dance called Bhangra and is a member of the Stanford Bhangra team, 'Chardi Jawani.'
Chen-Tsen Shu
Chen-Tsen graduated from Stanford with a degree in Biology in 2001. She is pursuing a career in medicine and education. She is particularly happy that she no longer must do minipreps to earn a living.Heidi So
Heidi was a stellar high school student from Pleasanton, California, who spent the summer of 2002 in the Utz lab as part of the third annual CCIS Summer Program. She worked directly with Annie Kuo and Kareem Graham on protein microarray development. She hopes to pursue a future in Biology or Medicine. Heidi has been involved in dance, primarily ballet, since a young age. Her other interests include hip hop, swimming and acting. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and spending time with her friends and family. She started her college studies at Cal in 2003.
Jonathan Steinman
Jonathan worked in the Utz Lab in the Summer of 2003, as a prize for winning his 8th grade slam-dunk contest. After honing his skills with Kareem (Abdul Jabar) L. Graham, he left the lab to pursue his prospects in the NBA draft. The youngest student ever in the Utz Lab, he was also one of the most gifted. He knows more about science, religion, sports, history and philosophy than anyone else in the lab. Jonathan rejoined in the summer of 2005.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jessie Tenenbaum
Originally from the suburbs of NYC, Jessie received a Bachelor's degree in biology from Harvard in 1996. After college, she headed west to work as a program manager at a computer software company in Redmond, WA for 6 years, before going back to school in the fall of 2002 to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Informatics. Her research focuses on computational methods applied to functional proteomics, pathway discovery, disease outcome prediction, and treatment efficacy. When not in lab or doing homework, Jessie enjoys biking, all things outdoors, creating stained glass windows, and commuting from and to San Francisco.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pearline Teo
was born in Singapore and went to Johns Hopkins to get a B.A. in Biology. She then came out west and is now doing her thesis work in the Utz lab. Her research right now is a hazy mix between antibody-based cancer therapy and regulatory T cells. When not in lab, she enjoys doing Wushu (Chinese kung fu), biking, hiking, reading, etc.
Jennifer Tom
Jennifer Tom joined the laboratory in August 2001, replacing the ever-popular Carla DiGennaro as a Research Assistant. Ironically, Jennifer recently graduated from the same inferior university that Carla is now attending, U.C. Berkeley. She worked with Bill Robinson on his antigen array studies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Donna Thibault
grew up in Ilion, NY. She attended Rochester Institute of Technology where she ate a lot of garbage plates and earned a B.S. in Biotechnology. After digging herself out of the snow, she headed west to Stanford and joined the Utz lab in the summer of 2002 as a gradute student. Her thesis work included examining the roles of type I interferon and toll like receptor signaling components in lupus. After assuming the very prestigious role of YOURSAC (Your Official Utz Regime Social Activities Coordinator) upon KareemÕs graduation, Donna decided to pursue dual degrees in Immunology and Party Planning. When not bleeding mice or ordering pizzas for lab meetings, she enjoys skiing, kickboxing, pilates, getting injured playing basketball (go team ÒWork in Progress!Ó), hiking, and watching too much reality TV. She is now working at Genetech as a postdoctoral scholar.
Jennifer Tom
Jennifer Tom joined the laboratory in August 2001, replacing the ever-popular Carla DiGennaro as a Research Assistant. Ironically, Jennifer recently graduated from the same inferior university that Carla is now attending, U.C. Berkeley. She worked with Bill Robinson on his antigen array studies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Angela was born in Beijing, China. She came to Los Angeles when she was in high school. After two years of studying at Pasadena City College, she transferred to UC Berkeley as a molecular and cell biology major. During her two summer internships at biotech companies, she developed a strong interest in immunology and decided to go to graduate school for immunology. This interest attracted her to Stanford, particularly, PJ's lab. Angela entered Stanford's Immunology Ph.D. program in 2003.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shenru Zhao, MD, MPhil
received her medical degree from China and her Master of Philosophy degree in molecular biology from the UK. She worked on the Human Genome Project at the Sanger Center and cancer research at the University of Oxford.
Currently, she is performing proteomic analysis of the blood components in autoimmune disease in collaboration with Juan Santiago of Stanford's Microfluidics Laboratory in collaboration with ACLARA Biosciences. She conducts eTag assays for antibody-antigen detection and capillary electrophoresis by operating a MegaBACE System. She also works with engineers to develop high-sensitivity microfabricated bioanalytical systems for multiplex detection of cytokines and autoantibodies from single cells. She utilizes protein microarrays and computer analysis to detect antibody-antigen reactions for autoimmune diseases. In addition, she is studying primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She hopes to get into a residency program to further her clinical training.
Outside the lab, she loves drawing, music, meditation, tennis, aerobics and biking.
