Lab Members
Charles A. Ishak, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Ph.D., Biochemistry, Western University, London, Canada
B.Sc., Molecular Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
CAIshak@MDAnderson.org
Research Interests: Repetitive DNA elements as cancer initiators and immune response modulators, viral mimicry, ovarian and p53-mutated cancers
Nicholas Biddle
Research Assistant II
B.A., Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Biji Chatterjee, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Central University of Kerala, India
M.S., M.Phil., Central University of Kerala, India
B.S., University of Kerala, India
Research Interests: Trp53 dependency of epigenetic regulation in the initiation of ovarian cancer and its role in the formation of dsRNA and DNA-RNA hybrids
Junwoo Lee, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Integrated M.Sc. and Ph.D., Chromatin Biology, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
B.Sc., Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of chromatin organization change-driven regulation of cancer development
Nakyung Oh, M.D.
Research Assistant II
M.D., Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
Kevin Wanniarachchi, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Molecular Biology, South Dakota State University
M.S., Biological Sciences, South Dakota State University
B.S., Biology, State University of New York at Oswego
Research Interests: CRISPR/Cas9 whole genome screens, immunology, and epigenetics
Nicholas Zehrbach, Ph.D.
Senior Research Assistant
Ph.D., Cell and Developmental Biology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology (double major), University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Research Interests: Identifying protein "sensors" of repetitive elements in the cytosol; Defining agonists of RNA/DNA sensors and their relationship with chronic inflammation