Lab Members

Andrew J. Shepherd, B.Sc., Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor
Email: AJShepherd@mdanderson.org

Dr. Andrew Shepherd conducts preclinical research investigating the mechanisms that link inflammation to the pain induced by various forms of injury, including joint damage and chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, with a particular emphasis on signaling related to the renin-angiotensin system. The ultimate goal of the Shepherd Lab in the Department of Symptom Research is to identify interventions that can mitigate or prevent the development of pain associated with these chronic disease states.

Dr. Shepherd earned his bachelor's degree in molecular cell biology in 2003 and a doctoral degree in neuroimmunomodulation in 2006, both from the University of Manchester in Great Britain. His training and expertise focus on rodent models of pain, behavioral readouts of pain sensitivity, and assays of primary rodent and human sensory-neuron function.

Dr. Shepherd co-chairs MD Anderson's Pain Research Consortium, a unique platform that brings together clinical and basic science pain experts for interdisciplinary discussion, innovative problem-solving, and shaping the future of pain management.

Angela M. Casaril, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist

Dr. Casaril joined the Department of Symptom Research in July 2021, bringing more than 12 years of experience with preclinical drug testing and regulatory compliance. During her postdoctoral fellowship at Heidelberg University, Dr. Casaril received independent funding from the German Research Foundation to investigate the role of neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction in inflammation-induced depression. Her current research in the Shepherd Lab focuses on understanding tumor-immune interactions in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, with a primary focus on planning, execution, and data analysis for the lab's projects on tumor-induced neuropathic pain and the role of immunometabolism in inflammation-induced depression.

Additionally, Dr. Casaril holds an M.B.A. in project management and oversees laboratory operations for the four neuroimmunology laboratories within the Department of Symptom Research. 

Md Areeful Haque, Ph.D.
Research Scientist

Dr. Haque has been a member of the Shepherd Lab since June 2022. He received his Ph.D. in pharmacy from the National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 2018. His Ph.D. research focused primarily on inflammation and associated cell signaling pathways. Before joining the Shepherd Lab as a research scientist, Dr. Haque served as an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy at the International Islamic University Chittagong, Bangladesh. He has more than 10 years of experience in molecular biology and natural products research, resulting in a good number of peer-reviewed publications. In his current position in the Shepherd Lab, he is primarily focused on investigating how the fibroblast-derived protein PI16 influences inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

Outside of the lab, Dr. Haque enjoys playing soccer, traveling and spending time with his family and friends.

James M. Nichols, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Nichols joined the lab in August 2019. He works primarily on the NiMA (diabetic neuropathy therapeutics) and RESTORE (neuromuscular polytrauma) projects.

Caitlyn M. Gaffney, M.S.
Research Investigator

Caitlyn joined the Shepherd Lab in April 2021. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in 2018 and a master's degree in biology from SHSU in 2020, focusing on antimicrobial discovery. In the Shepherd Lab, she is involved in several projects, including the RESTORE (neuromuscular polytrauma), TTI-101 (STAT3 inhibitor), and MC38 (tumor-induced neuropathy) projects. Caitlyn received the 2024 Division of Internal Medicine Excellence Award for Basic Science Research.

Away from the lab, Caitlyn spends time with her dog, Sammie, who is named after the SHSU college mascot and who enjoys car rides and lots of cuddles.

Karen M. Valadez, B.S.
Research Assistant I

Karen has been a member of the Shepherd Lab since November 2022. She completed her B.S. in biomedical science at Texas A&M University in 2022 and is currently a graduate student at University of St. Thomas, where she is studying healthcare administration. In the Shepherd Lab, primarily works on the TTI-101 (STAT3 inhibitor) and MC38 (tumor-induced neuropathy) projects.

In her free time, Karen enjoys working out, baking cakes, and spending time with her family and friends.

David Leal
Undergraduate Research Volunteer

David joined the Shepherd Lab in March 2024. He is working on the PI16 project investigating fibroblasts in chronic pain.

Eric F. Lee
Undergraduate Research Volunteer

Eric joined the Shepherd Lab in March 2022. He is a biology major at the University of Houston, with minors in medicine and society and business administration as part of an eight-year B.S./M.D. program with Baylor College of Medicine. He plans to become a physician while continuing to grow as a researcher. 

In the Shepherd Lab, Eric works primarily on the RESTORE (neuromuscular polytrauma) project and assists with other projects as needed.

Outside of research, Eric enjoys spending time with friends and exploring the Houston food scene.

Clarissa Aguilar
Clarissa was a Research Assistant II in the Shepherd Lab. She is now in graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Mihály Balogh, Ph.D.
Dr. Balogh was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Shepherd Lab from 2020–2022. He is now an assistant professor at the University of Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Analysis Group, The Netherlands.

Ibdanelo Cortez, Ph.D.
Dr. Cortez was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Shepherd Lab. He is now an adjunct professor at St. Thomas University in Houston, Texas.

Rachelle Garrity, B.S.
Rachelle joined the Department of Symptom Research in August 2021 and was  a Senior Research Assistant in the Shepherd Lab until July 2024, when she left to pursue her Ph.D. studies at Texas A&M University. Her work in the Shepherd Lab allowed her to explore her interest in neuroimmune interactions while contributing to the discovery of mechanisms underlying these interactions.

Mariam Haj-Ismail
Mariam was a member of the Shepherd Lab from March 2023 to March 2024. She worked primarily on the PI16 (fibroblasts in chronic pain) project. 

Neha Kalakuntla
Neha was an Undergraduate Research Volunteer in the Shepherd Lab while earning a degree in biochemistry and cell biology at Rice University. She is now pursuing her M.D. degree at UT Southwestern Medical School.

Elizabeth A. Kolb, B.S.
Elizabeth joined the Shepherd Lab as a Research Assistant I in July 2023. She worked on the MC38 (tumor-induced neuropathy) and TTI-101 (STAT3 inhibitor) projects.

Syed Mehdi, B.S.
Syed was a Research Assistant I in the Shepherd Lab. He is now in graduate school at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

Nicholas Nguyen, B.S.
Nicholas was a Research Assistant I in the Shepherd Lab. He is now in graduate school at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

Hoang Vu T. Pham, M.S.
Hoang was a Research Assistant II in the Grace Lab from August 2019 to August 2024. He worked primarily on the NiMA (diabetic neuropathy therapeutics) and RESTORE (neuromuscular polytrauma) projects. He left the lab to continue pursuing his graduate studies in biochemistry and molecular biology at UTMB.

Breanna Shen
Breanna is an M.D./Ph.D. student at UTHealth/MD Anderson. She studied neuroscience while earning her undergraduate degree at UT Dallas, where she first became interested in chronic-pain research. She spent the summer of 2024 as a student intern in the Shepherd lab.

The Phong (Ronnie) Trinh, B.S.
Ronnie was a Research Assistant II in the Shepherd Lab. He remained at MD Anderson after leaving the lab and is now an Institute Associate Scientist III in the Neurodegeneration Consortium.