Lab Members
Humam Kadara, Ph.D.
Professor, Translational Molecular Pathology
HKadara@MDAnderson.org
Dr. Humam Kadara is a professor in Translational Molecular Pathology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His lab made fundamental discoveries in the cellular genesis of early lung cancer. With his group, he is keen to discover mechanisms underlying the earliest stages in cancer development and to leverage this information to identify ideal targets for cancer prevention, interception and early treatment. Outside the lab, and when he is not busy with grant/paper writing and administrative work, Dr. Kadara loves cooking with his family, reading history books, watching soccer and playing with his young kids.
Minyue Chen
Graduate Research Assistant
MChen19@MDAnderson.org
I am a Ph.D. student at MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and I joined the Kadara Lab in 2023. My current research focuses on the interplay between lung epithelial progenitors and tumor-initiating inflammation in the pathogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma.
Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, watching movies and photography.
Chidera Chukwuocha
Research Assistant II
COChukwuocha@MDAnderson.org
I am a research assistant who mainly works in overseeing our laboratory’s animal colony.
Outside of the lab, I spend time with my family and friends. I also like to watch anime, play instruments, learn languages, listen to music and dance.
Jiping Feng
Senior Research Assistant
JFeng@MDAnderson.org
I am a senior research assistant in the Kadara Lab, and I assist with various molecular biology related tasks and experiments including generation of single-cell suspensions from human surgically resected lung specimens, single-cell and spatial gene expression, mouse genotyping and some in vivo work in mice.
Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, spending time with family and traveling.
Lorena Isabel Gómez Bolaños, M.D.
Research Scientist, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
I collaborate with digital pathology analysis and histopathologic assessment of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues (FFPE) from human surgical specimens and mouse models, including lung and head and neck tumors. I also perform pathology quality control in FFPE tissues for spatial transcriptomics and pathology annotations in lung tumor tissues for the Lung Pre-Cancer Consortium and SPORE ST Project.
My personal interests/hobbies include practicing Pilates, gardening and reading Latin American literature, as well as visiting museums, road trips and spending time with my family, friends and pets.
Yuejiang (Cindy) Liu
Graduate Research Assistant
YLiu37@MDAnderson.org
I graduated from University of California, Berkley, and I joined the MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as a Ph.D. student in 2021. I joined the Kadara Lab in 2022. My research interests are gut microbiome, tumor immune microenvironment and lung cancer development.
Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with my cats, video games and anime.
Tala Noun
Rotating Ph.D. Student
TNoun@MDAnderson.org
I graduated from the American University of Beirut and joined MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2023. I’m interested in studying early cancer development which is why I chose to rotate in the Kadara Lab.
Other than science, I enjoy cooking, baking, hiking and reading.
Zahraa Rahal, M.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
ZRahal@MDAnderson.org
I aspire to become a physician-scientist. After obtaining my medical degree, I joined the Kadara Lab for my research training as a postdoctoral fellow. I am involved in projects related to interrogating the role of the host microbiome in the pathogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma, characterizing the resectable non-small cell lung cancer ecosystem following neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy through multimodal spatial transcriptomics and proteomics, and exploring the role of a novel innate immune checkpoint in the pathogenesis and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.
Outside the lab, I enjoy discovering new music and artists, reading, watching movies and documentaries, spending quality time with family and friends, finding the best restaurants in town and geeking out about space!
Manvi Sharma
Postdoctoral Fellow
MSharma4@MDAnderson.org
My research focuses on understanding the impact of dietary fiber intervention on host-microbiota interactions, specifically on the regulation of the gut microbiome and immune-related events in the therapeutic prevention of lung adenocarcinoma.
In my spare time, I enjoy listening to music, cooking and exploring new places.
Ansam Sinjab, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
ASinjab@MDAnderson.org
I completed my T32 postdoctoral fellowship in the Kadara Lab and am currently a research scientist involved in a number of projects centered on early lung cancer development, including (1) charting the evolution of lung precancer development and progression by constructing high-resolution single-cell and spatial atlases of lung premalignancy; (2) interrogating the role inflammation and alveolar tumor-initiating subsets in lung cancer by generating novel lineage tracing mouse models; (3) characterizing a geospatial atlas that maps the ecologic evolution of lung adenocarcinoma at its earliest stages of development; (4) spearheading the growth of an expanding and comprehensive cohort of multiregion frozen single cells and tissues from smokers and non-smokers with lung cancer; and (5) identifying evolutionary-conserved gene expression changes (e.g., immune-related) in smokers’ normal-appearing airway, enabling future studies predicting ensuing lung oncogenesis.
Outside the lab, I dedicate time to running, nature and local sightseeing, as well as cooking.
Inti C. Tarifa Reischle
Research Assistant II
ICTarifa@MDAnderson.org
I am a research assistant who is assisting the lab in developing in vivo models and in learning the role of immune evasion pathways in KRAS-mutant lung cancer.
Outside the lab, I enjoy traveling, spending time with my family, cooking, BBQing and, if there’s any spare time, playing some chess online.
Norma Vasquez
Executive Assistant, Translational Molecular Pathology
Norma.Vasquez@MDAnderson.org
I have a Human Resources Management Certificate through the Houston Community College (HCC) certificate program.
Outside of work, I enjoy investing in cryptocurrencies. Also, I like playing tennis, golf, cooking, reading, trying new restaurants and traveling.
Sujuan Yang, M.S.
Research Scientist
SYang3@MDAnderson.org
I am a research scientist in the Kadara Lab, and my research interests include cancer biology and bioinformatics.
Outside of the lab, I enjoy handcrafts.
Tieling Zhou, B.S.
Research Investigator
TZhou2@MDAnderson.org
I am a research investigator in the Kadara Lab, primarily focused on generating comprehensive libraries for spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing. In addition to my research role, I serve as the lab coordinator, overseeing lab operations, managing resources and facilitating collaboration among team members.
Outside the lab, I enjoy cooking, reading and walking.