Marwa Aljardali, M.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
I joined the Kraus Lab in January 2023. I completed my M.D. training in Lebanon in June 2022. As an aspiring obstetrician and gynecologist, I will focus my research on exploring different ways to enhance patient care. My main interests would be investigating novel therapies that could treat gynecologic cancers and finding biomarkers that could be used in clinics to direct the optimal treatment.
Selected Publications
- Farah S., Albaini O., Jardali M.A., Daccahe A., Jallad K. (2023) The Feasibility And Safety Of VNOTES Hysterectomy And Uterosacral Ligament Suspension: A Case Series. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology S1553-4650(23)00005-5.
- Almekkawi A.K., AlJardali M.W., Daadaa H.M., Lane A.L., Worner A.R., Karim M.A., Scheck A.C., Frye R.E. (2022) Folate Pathway Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Neural Tube Defects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Personalized Medicine 12(10):1609.
Morgan Dasovich, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
I am interested in using biochemistry and omics to understand the molecular basis of PARP signaling pathways in physiologically relevant model systems. I am also interested in developing new research tools for detecting ADP-ribosylation and inhibiting enzymes that regulate its synthesis and degradation.
Selected Publications
- Dasovich M, Zhuo J, Goodman JA, Thomas A, McPherson RL, Jayabalan AK, Busa VF, Cheng SJ, Murphy BA, Redinger KR, Alhammad YMO, Fehr AR, Tsukamoto T, Slusher BS, Bosch J, Wei H, Leung AKL. High-Throughput Activity Assay for Screening Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Mac1 Macrodomain. ACS Chem Biol. 2022 Jan 21;17(1):17-23. PubMed PMID: 34904435.
- Dasovich M, Beckett MQ, Bailey S, Ong SE, Greenberg MM, Leung AKL. Identifying Poly(ADP-ribose)-Binding Proteins with Photoaffinity-Based Proteomics. J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Mar 3;143(8):3037-3042. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8109396.
Komal Pekhale, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
I joined Kraus Lab in September 2022. I am broadly interested in gene regulation, ADP-ribosylation and NAD metabolism. In Kraus lab I am interested in role of PARPs in neurodegeneration. I would like to use a wide range of techniques including various genomic, proteomic, CRISPR-Cas9, cell-based assays and other approaches to understand the mechanisms.
Selected Publications
- Kadam D.A., Kalamkar S.D., Saraf A., Pathan I., Acharya J., Pekhale K., Shouche Y., Lole K., Ghaskadbi S., Ashma R. (2022) SNPs in the catalase promoter: a study based on Indian diabetic individuals. International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries.
- Perween N., Pekhale K., Haval G., Mittal S., Ghaskadbi S., Ghaskadbi S.S. (2022) Cloning and characterization of Thioredoxin 1 from the Cnidarian Hydra. The Journal of Biochemistry. 171(1):41-51.
Xinrui Tan, M.D., Ph.D.
Visiting Instructor
I joined the Kraus lab in Feb 2022. I am interested in the function of mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation on ribosome protein during adipogenesis. I obtained my doctorate from Xi’an Jiaotong Univeristy, and then worked as pediatrician for 6 years in China. It is a precious experience for me to work at the bench with multiple advanced omics and biochemical tools, and to understand the mechanisms behind novel therapeutics.
Selected Publications
- Tan X., Cao Z., Li M., Xu E., Wang J., Xiao Y. (2016) TNF-α downregulates CIDEC via MEK/ERK-pathway in human adipocytes. Obesity 24(5):1070-1080.
- Tan X., Wang X., Chu H., Liu H., Yi X., Xiao Y. (2014) SFRP5 correlates with obesity and metabolic syndrome and increases after weight loss in children. Clinical Endocrinology 81(3):363–369.
Poulami Tapadar, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
I joined the Kraus Lab in February 2024. In order to create more effective treatment strategies, my primary focus has always been investigating the various immunological pathways that impact the development of cancer and the advancement of tumors. In the Kraus lab, I will be focusing on how in different cancer-type gene transcription levels are altered by PARPs.
Selected Publications
- Tapadar P., Pal A., Ghosal N., Kumar B., Paul T., Biswas N., Pal R. (2023) CDH1 overexpression sensitizes TRAIL resistant breast cancer cells towards rhTRAIL induced apoptosis. Molecular Biology Reports 50(9):7283-7294.
- Tapadar P., Pal A., Ghosal N., Pal R. (2022) ROS dependent upregulation of death receptor, TNFR1, is responsible for theophylline mediated cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Anti-Cancer Drugs 33(8):731-740.
Hyung Bum Kim
Graduate Student
I am interested in studying estrogen signaling in the context of breast cancer. I am using next generation sequencing techniques to understand how estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer cells respond to fluctuating concentrations of estrogen.
Weidan Song
Graduate Student
I am interested in understanding the effect of different activators, such as snoRNAs, on the poly(ADP-ribosyl)lation activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases-1 (PARP1).
MiKayla Stokes
Graduate Student
Driven by my empathy towards those whose lives have been afflicted by disease, I found that biomedical research aligned this driving force with my curious and determined nature. Ultimately leading me to pursue research training at UT Southwestern under the guidance of Dr. W. Lee Kraus. As a graduate trainee, I am aiming to increase my ability to answer and explore basic science questions I believe are vital to the understanding and treatment of human disease. Currently I am interested in exploring transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that control adipogenesis and adipose tissue maintenance.
Selected Publications
- Parsons L.H.P., Challa S., Gibson B.A., Nandu T., Stokes M.S., Huang D., Lea J.S., Kraus W.L. (2021) Identification of PARP-7 substrates reveals a role for MARylation in microtubule control in ovarian cancer cells. eLife 10:e60481.
- Challa. S, Stokes M.S., Kraus W.L. (2021) MARTs and MARylation in the Cytosol: Biological Functions, Mechanisms of Action, and Therapeutic Potential. Cells 10(2): 313.
Steven Blaine Holloway, M.D.
Gyn/Onc Clinical Fellow
I am excited to take the charge of advancing clinical care and the cutting edge as a growing physician scientist. My role in the Kraus lab is to investigate novel therapies and their mechanisms of action and resistance in gynecologic cancers, in order to better understand the underlying biology and explore new avenues of therapeutic strategy. The plethora of advanced basic science tools available in this lab and in collaboration with the Green Center and UTSW will allow for complex analysis and power to answer difficult questions.
I am a Gynecologic Oncology fellow, who completed my M.D. training at UT Southwestern in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
William Vintzileos, M.D.
Gyn/Onc Clinical Fellow
Selected Publications
- Vintzileos W.S., Muscat J., Hoffmann E., John N.S., Vertichio R., Vintzileos A.M., Vo D. (2020) Screening all pregnant women admitted to labor and delivery for the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019. Am J Obstet Gynecol 223(2):284-286.
- Hoffmann E., Vintzileos W.S., Akerman M., Vertichio R., Sicuranza G.B., Vintzileos A.M. (2022) Impact of cesarean delivery due to maternal choice on perinatal outcome in term nulliparous patients with a singleton fetus in a vertex presentation. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 35(21):4156-4161.
Christopher Walker, M.D.
Gyn/Onc Clinical Fellow
Selected Publications
- Walker C., Nguyen T.M., Jessel S., Alvero A.B., Silasi D.A., Rutherford T., Draghici S., Mor G. (2021) Automated Assay of a Four-Protein Biomarker Panel for Improved Detection of Ovarian Cancer. Cancers 13(2):325.
- Purandare N., Kramer K.J., Minchella P., Ottum S., Walker C., Rausch J., Chao C.R., Grossman L.I., Aras S., Recanati M.A. (2022) Intraperitoneal Triamcinolone Reduces Postoperative Adhesions, Possibly through Alteration of Mitochondrial Function. J Clin Med. 11(2):301.
Tulip Nandu, M.S.
Computational Biologist III
My expertise is in designing the data analysis pipelines, writing algorithms for sophisticated data analysis, and integration of various genomics assays to understand the complex regulation mechanisms of cancer, reproductive biology, endocrinology, and inflammation. As a computational biologist at UT Southwestern (2013-present), I have been working on various data-driven projects, which need efficient analysis and interpretation to have a better understanding of signal-regulated transcription using genomics. I am an expert in complex data analysis of Global Run-On Sequencing (GRO-seq), ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, MeDIP-seq, RNA-seq, PRO-seq, ChIA-PET and various other next generation sequencing techniques and have automated the pipelines for some of them.
Selected Publications
- Kim D.S., Camacho C.V., Setlem R., Kim K., Malladi S., Hou T.Y., Nandu T., Gadad S.S., Kraus W.L. (2022) Functional Characterization of lncRNA152 as an Angiogenesis-Inhibiting Tumor Suppressor in Triple-Negative Breast Cancers. Mol Cancer Res. 20(11):1623-1635.
- Challa S., Khulpateea B.R., Nandu T., Camacho C.V., Ryu K.W., Chen H., Peng Y., Lea J.S., Kraus W.L. (2021) Ribosome ADP-ribosylation inhibits translation and maintains proteostasis in cancers. Cell 184(17):4531-4546.
Sneh Koul, M.S.
Computational Biologist I
I joined the Kraus lab in June 2023 after graduating from Johns Hopkins University with an MS in Bioinformatics. My research interests lie at the connection of personalized medicine and bioinformatics. The development of computational methods using multi-omics data to help potentially tailor treatment approaches or improve patient outcomes is quite fascinating to me. Additionally, I have recently gained an interest in the role of machine learning in the field of medicine. Through utilizing various machine learning approaches, we can help with many outcomes such as patient monitoring and early disease detection.
Selected Publications
- Koul S., Schaal V.L., Chand S., Pittenger S.T., Nanoth Vellichirammal N., Kumar V., Guda C., Bevins R.A., Yelamanchili S.V., Pendyala G. (2020) Role of brain derived extracellular vesicles in decoding sex differences associated with nicotine self-administration. Cells 9(8):1883.
- Odegaard K.E., Gallegos G., Koul S., Schaal V.L., Vellichirammal N.N., Guda C., Dutoit A.P., Lisco S.J., Yelamanchili S.V., Pendyala G. (2022) Distinct Synaptic Vesicle Proteomic Signatures Associated with Pre-and Post-Natal Oxycodone-Exposure. Cells 11(11):1740.
Shu-Ping Chiu, M.S.
Research Associate
My work contributes to the successful flow of experimentation and research executed by postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research staff. I am interested in using my expertise in molecular biology for biochemical assays.
I am an AALAS-certified technician, RALAT, and participate in various studies involving animal models.
I obtained my Master of Science degree from Fu-Jen Catholic University in Taiwan.
Selected Publications
- Huang D., Camacho C.V., Martire S., Nagari A., Setlem R., Gong X., Edwards A.D., Chiu S.P., Banaszynski L.A., Kraus W.L. (2022) Oncohistone Mutations Occur at Functional Sites of Regulatory ADP-Ribosylation. Cancer Res. 82(13):2361-2377.
Elizabeth Li-Fiedler
Research Associate
I joined Kraus lab in August 2023. As a growing geneticist, I am interested in discovering and developing targeted therapy for diseases, specifically gene therapies. I am also interested in psychogenetics and the interplay of how genes affect our psychology. My specialties are mouse models, surgery, & bioengineered viruses.
I obtained my bachelors double majoring in Biochemistry & Genetics from Texas A&M. I have 4 years of experience working in neuroscience developing targeted viral therapies and 2 years of clinical research. I am currently working on my master’s in Human Genetics & Genomics from Southern California University of Health Sciences (expected Dec. 2024).
Selected Publications
- *Li E., *Guo J., *Oh S.J., Luo Y., Cantu Oliveros H., Du W., Arano R., Kim Y., Chen Y.T., Eitson J., Lin D.T., Li Y., Roberts T., Schoggins J.W., Xu W. (2021) Anterograde transneuronal tracing and genetic control with engineered yellow fever vaccine YFV-17D. Nature Methods 18(12):1542-1551. *equal contribution
- *Du W., *Li E., *Guo J., Arano R., Kim Y., Chen Y.T., Thompson A., Oh S.J., Samuel A., Li Y., Oyibo H.K., Xu W. (2023) Directed stepwise tracing of polysynaptic neuronal circuits with replication-deficient pseudorabies virus. Cell Reports Methods 3(6):100506. *equal contribution
Neeka Mardani-Kamali
Research Technician II
I am largely interested in factors affecting and regulating gene expression. More broadly, I am interested in how cancers can be detected and treated more efficiently and accurately.
Syeda Dua Taqi
Research Technician II
I'm passionately exploring the intersections of nuclear signaling and gene regulation by small molecules. My goal is to leverage this understanding to develop targeted therapies for various diseases, ultimately transforming healthcare.