People

Meet the Principal Investigator

Vivian S Lee, Ph.D.

Vivian S Lee, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Molecular Biology and membership in the Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

She completed her B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Washington, followed by her Ph.D. in Developmental, Regenerative, and Stem Cell Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. She then completed her postdoctoral training at the Brigham and Women's Hospital/ Harvard Medical School before joining UT Southwestern in 2024.

Fun Fact: With the right playlist, I believe pipetting is a form of meditation!

Faculty Profile

Lab Members

Placeholder image

Tamalika Chowdhury, M.S.

Master's Student Intern

Tamalika is from India and holds a Master’s Degree in Microbiology with 2 years of work experience in molecular diagnostic lab and teaching. Currently, she is advancing her career by pursuing a Professional Science Master’s in Biotechnology at Texas Woman’s University. Her previous lab work focused on the study of antibiotic resistant enteric bacteria in raw vegetables. In the future, she wishes to find a cure for PCOS and improve women’s health by using phytoestrogen. At UTSW, she will explore how a gene’s overexpression triggers different downstream signaling. In her free time, she loves patio-gardening and believes in the “patio-to-plate” approach. 

Fun Fact: Her hobby list is too long to be mentioned here as it changes with the seasons and Texas weather.

Placeholder image

Eva Anderson

Undergraduate Research Intern

Eva is pursuing a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas at Austin.Previously, Eva interned in the Department of Molecular Genetics at UTSW while in the STARS Summer Research Program during the Summer of 2023. As a student in the Freshman Research Initiative, Eva is researching in the Biomanufacturing lab. After graduating, she wants to pursue a Masters degree and work at Children’s Health, MD Anderson, or UTSW as a Research Assistant or Medical Lab Technician. 

Fun Fact: Eva enjoys supporting the Longhorns across many sports, especially the women’s basketball team, and attended her first March Madness game this year. 


 

Placeholder image

Mya Moore, B.S.

PhD Rotation Student

Mya completed her Bacehlor's at Angelo State University where she received a degree in biology and minor in chemistry. She began her research journey as a postbacc student in the PB2PHD program at UTSW working on designing CRISPR KO screens in Dr. Ralph DeBerardinis' lab. 

Fun Fact: I love watching rodeos, and if I didn't pursue science, I'd want to do professional rodeo! 

Placeholder image

Jasmine Wynn, B.S.

Administrative Assistant II

Jasmine holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and is currently advancing her career as an MBA candidate at Louisiana State University. She has been with UT Southwestern for seven years, bringing valuable experience and dedication to healthcare administration. Jasmine is passionate about addressing health disparities, improving health equity, and advocating for preventive health initiatives. Her future goals include driving community-focused health programs and influencing policy to close gaps in healthcare access.

Fun Fact: Jasmine enjoys baking and loves putting healthy spins on traditional dessert recipes.

Placeholder image

Adhwaitha Nambiar, B.S.

Research Technician II

Adhwaitha is originally from Saginaw, Michigan, and recently earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from Baylor University. During her time as an undergraduate student, she conducted metastatic breast cancer cell plasticity research focusing on epigenetic regulators and their role in EMT/MET. 

Adhwaitha hopes to bridge scientific discovery and medical interventions and aims to pursue an MD/PhD in the future. 

Fun Fact: I love watching Formula 1 in my free time! I also love to take pictures and try new foods, I’m a big foodie!

Alumni

  • Samantha Zamora | Research Technician

Join Our Lab

We are actively recruiting dedicated scientists at all levels.