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

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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!

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Neeka Mardani, B.S.

Research Assistant I

Neeka was born and raised in Arlington, Texas, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Arlington. As an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Alicia Rogers’ lab, she explored regulatory mechanisms promoting genome stability and homeostasis through smallRNA pathways. Following graduation, she joined Dr. Lee Kraus’ lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center as a Research Technician, where her project focused on recreating the ERα antibody supply used in the lab’s research on estrogen signaling and its role in diseases such as breast cancer. Neeka is currently pursuing her Master’s in Bioinformatics at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she is combining her background in biology and computational sciences to further her expertise in data-driven biomedical research.

Fun Fact: I started learning figure skating as an adult. It’s never too late to chase a dream! If I’m not at the rink, then I’m getting lost in a good fantasy novel.

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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! 

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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.

Alumni

  • Tamalika Chowdhury | Master's Intern | Currently a student at Texas Women's University
  • Eva Anderson | Undergraduate Intern | Currently a student at UT Austin
  • Samantha Zamora | Research Technician

Join Our Lab

We are actively recruiting dedicated scientists at all levels.