Lab Members
Michael A. Davies, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Chair, Melanoma Medical Oncology
Dr. Michael Davies is a professor and Chairman of Melanoma Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, with joint appointments in Translational Molecular Pathology and Genomic Medicine. He is the Anne and John Mendelsohn Chair for Cancer Research. Dr. Davies is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), and he is President of the Society for Melanoma Research. Dr. Davies is a physician-scientist whose research utilizes integrated approaches to study the regulation and clinical significance of oncogenic signaling networks in cancer, particularly in therapeutic resistance and metastatic progression. He has been the principal investigator of both individual and team science peer-reviewed grants from multiple organizations, and he has authored or co-authored >250 original research manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.
Vash Yennu-Nanda, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Kaley Baxter, B.S.
Research Assistant II
Kaley Baxter earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry with a minor in biology from Baylor University in May 2022. Soon after graduation, she joined the Davies Lab in July 2022 as a research assistant focusing on preclinical studies that look to understand why melanomas become resistant to targeted therapies and to identify new therapeutics that can prevent resistance in patients. Kaley is currently interested in pursuing research in cancer and aging diseases, and she plans to continue her education by getting a master’s in public health. Outside of the lab, Kaley loves hiking and spending time with family.
Christian Beke Onana, B.S.
Senior Research Assistant
Christian Beke Onana earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Houston-Downtown in Houston, Texas. After getting multiple experiences in research during his undergraduate career and a summer research experience here at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Christian knew he wanted to continue pursuing research. He has been working extensively on both in vivo and in vitro experiments in the Davies Lab, focusing on new approaches to treatment of melanoma particularly melanoma brain metastasis. In the future, Christian hopes to continue his education by pursuing a Ph.D. in cancer biology and continuing to do research in that field. Outside of the lab, Christian loves spending time at the gym, cooking, learning new languages and traveling.
Jimmy Delcid, B.S.
Research Assistant II
Jimmy Delcid graduated from University of Houston in Houston, Texas with a B.S. in biochemistry and a minor in chemistry in May 2022. Soon after, he joined the Davies Lab in July 2022 as a research assistant participating in preclinical studies that search for new therapeutics that can overcome the current challenges associated with metastatic melanoma brain tumors. With the expertise gained here, Jimmy plans to take the next step in his career by working for the government at the CDC or NIH. While not at work, Jimmy enjoys sipping coffee and watching documentaries with his cat, Nova.
Renato Guerrieri
M.D./Ph.D. Candidate
Renato Guerrieri is an M.D./Ph.D. candidate studying the role of tumor oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in melanoma brain metastasis. He is particularly interested in understanding how melanoma OXPHOS impacts the development of melanoma brain metastasis and modulates the tumor-immune microenvironment and checkpoint immunotherapy response. Renato is also working in collaboration with Dr. Sherise Ferguson to develop murine models of melanoma leptomeningeal metastasis and evaluating the efficacy of checkpoint immunotherapy in these models. Renato's long-term career goal is to become a physician-scientist in the field of immuno-oncology treating patients with CNS metastases. Outside of the lab, Renato is an active student leader in the American College of Physicians and American Medical Association, and he enjoys indoor cycling, traveling and playing with his dog companion, Bae.
Qianghua Hu, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Qianghua Hu received his Ph.D. from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 2006 and had his postdoctoral training in cancer genetics at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He joined the Davies Lab in 2019 as an instructor and became a senior research scientist in 2021. His current research focuses on prevention and improved treatment of melanoma brain metastasis through two aspects: (1) identification of novel strategies inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in melanoma as monotherapy or in combination with FDA approved targeted therapy, and (2) identification of BRAF/MEK inhibitors overcoming the blood-brain barrier to achieve improved anti-tumor efficacy of the inhibitors. In his free time, Qianghua loves to learn and practice traditional Chinese meditation and enjoys classical music.
Barbara Knighton, B.S., L.V.T.
Senior Research Assistant
Barbara Knighton graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in biomedical science. She then went into veterinary medicine, becoming one of the first to attain a license as a veterinary technician. Barbara later came to MD Anderson Cancer Center as a research assistant in Dr. Isaiah Fidler’s lab. She is now in the Davies Laboratory where she maintains animal health, performs animal experimental activities and does tissue harvesting. Barbara enjoys teaching employees new techniques. She takes pride in her work and strives to put forth accurate data on a daily basis. She is a valued team member who is very much appreciated.
Swaminathan Kumar
Graduate Research Assistant
Huiling Li, B.S.
Senior Research Assistant
Huiling Li graduated with her bachelor’s in chemistry from the Henan College of Education in Zhengzhou, China. She has previous experience teaching chemistry to college students and worked as staff faculty in the Department of Medical Nutrition, Sun-Yat Sen University of Medical Sciences. Her previous research focused on vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C and amino acids. She currently works as a research assistant in the Davies Lab and has a total of more than 28 years of laboratory research experience. Huiling is interested in the research areas of food nutrition analysis and anti-cancer drug screening. She has experience in biochemical assays using colorimetric, fluorometric and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and she has accumulated experience in the optimization of immunohistochemistry (IHC). Huiling has authored 15 papers published in peer-reviewed journals.