Meet the Principal Investigator
Jennifer Gill, MD PhD
Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Jennifer grew up in Tennessee and received her BS in Cellular Biology from the University of Georgia, where she was a Foundation Fellow and Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. She then joined the MSTP program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis where she obtained her MD and PhD (Immunology) degrees. Jennifer continued her training at UTSW, completing both a dermatology residency and post-doctoral laboratory training in cancer biology. She currently is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UTSW where she runs a research laboratory and sees patients in her melanoma and advanced cutaneous malignancies subspecialty clinic. As a physician-scientist, she is passionate about using basic science research to understand and better treat patients with melanoma.
When Jennifer is not in the lab or clinic, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.
Current Lab Members
Marelize Snyman, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Marelize is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in Dr. Gill’s lab in the Dermatology Department at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She completed her PhD in Quantitative Biology at the University of Texas at Arlington in 2022 where her dissertation focused on investigating gene expression changes underlying novel phenotypes such as obligate parthenogenesis in the microcrustacean Daphnia. She is interested in studying the metabolic signatures of metastatic melanoma, particularly focusing on the relationship between pigment production and metastasis. Originally from sunny South Africa, Marelize enjoys spending time outdoors, travelling and learning about different cultures.
Sophie Wix, MD
Dermatology Resident at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Sophie earned her MD from the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, and is currently a Dermatology resident at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Sciences. At USC, she studied circulating tumor cells in metastatic breast and prostate cancer patients in the Kuhn-Hicks Lab. She then completed a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) at the University of Cambridge in England through the US Fulbright Program, where she studied treatment-resistant breast cancer in the Caldas Lab. Her clinical and research interests include metastatic melanoma and the cutaneous manifestations of anti-cancer therapies. A native of Arizona, she enjoys hiking and exploring the outdoors, as well as music and singing.
Yiseul Yoon, MS
Research Associate
Yiseul is a Research Associate in Dr. Gill’s lab. She earned her M.S. in Life Sciences from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), where her research focused on the involvement of small GTPases in Vstm5-induced filopodia formation. Prior to joining the lab, Yiseul gained diverse research experience in South Korea. She worked in the field of virology at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) and later served as a Head Researcher at a GLP-compliant institution, the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR). At KTR, she specialized in animal alternative testing, specifically focusing on OECD guideline-based reconstructed human tissue models for skin and eye irritation. Originally from South Korea, Yiseul enjoys cooking Asian cuisine. In her free time, she also loves traveling and exploring new places.
Eunice Lee
Research Associate/Lab Manager
Eunice is a native Texan and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining the Gill Lab, she studied glucose transport/metabolism and how double-stranded DNA tumor viruses drive cancers and infectious diseases. Outside of the lab, she enjoys practicing pilates, trying new cuisines, and improving her home barista skills.
Cecilia Yip
MSTP Student
Cecilia is a graduate student completing her M.D./Ph.D. training at UT Southwestern. Born and raised in the DFW area, she earned her B.A. in Biology from Austin College in 2020. Following graduation, she worked as a research assistant studying the role of the neuronal transcription factor E93 in regulating metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster. As an aspiring physician-scientist, Cecilia is interested in investigating how cancer cells rewire their metabolism and identifying the metabolic vulnerabilities that arise from this reprogramming. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, bird watching, singing with the UTSW Lymph Notes, and floral crafting.
Mikella Nguyen
Research Technician II
Mikella recently graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree major in Biology and minors in Chemistry, Spanish, and Chinese. She is currently a research technician in the Gill Lab. In July 2026, she will begin medical school at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the UNT Health Science Center. During her undergraduate years, she studied the influence of GLP-1 agonists and probiotics in mice exposed to diesel exhaust particulate matter in Dr. Amie Lund’s lab, and she analyzed secondary damage in the thalamus after cortical injury in Dr. Feng Gu’s lab. Mikella enjoys learning languages, traveling, and exploring community events in her free time.
Gabrielle Gard
Medical Student
Gabrielle is a medical student at the University of Texas Southwestern (class of 2026). She graduated in 2022 from Southern Methodist University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and minors in Mathematics and Spanish. Gabrielle started research as a high school student through the UT Southwestern STARS Summer Research Program, in which she researched with Dr. Rashmin Savani to elucidate inflammatory pathways in neonates suffering from bronchopulmonary dysplasia. At SMU, Gabrielle joined the lab of Dr. Pia Vogel and studied new therapeutics to combat multidrug resistant breast cancers through cell line models. Gabrielle has a true passion for research and medicine, and she was selected as a 2021 Goldwater Scholar for her commitment and work in research. In her free time, Gabrielle has been practicing taekwondo since she was 8 years old, and she is now a third-degree black belt.
Joining the Team
Interested in joining the Gill Lab? We are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated physicians and scientists to join our team and support our mission. Email Jennifer Gill (jennifer.gill@utsouthwestern.edu) with a brief statement of interest and copy of your CV.
Lab Alumni
Rachel Walsdorf
Washington University in St. Louis
MSTP Student
Lindsey West, MD
UTSW Dermatology Resident Physician
Juliana Kim, MD
University of Southern California
Radiology Resident
Ariel Brown, MD
Ascension Illinois/Saint Francis
Dermatology Resident
