My Team

Dr. Song Lou, Assistant Project Scientist

I got my Ph.D. degree from the Chinese Academic of Science with training in Analytical Chemistry, and Chemical interaction mechanisms. Till now, I have gained valuable experience and strong expertise in the field of epigenetic regulation of transcription, cancer biology, neuroscience, and drug delivery system during all my scientific life. Currently, my research program is driven to understand the mechanism of epigenetic silencing and its implications for human diseases like breast cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. The long-term goal of my research program is to gain valuable insights in the aberrant epigenetic modifications in disease conditions and use this information to develop novel therapeutics for triple negative breast cancer and X-linked neurological disease.

Rachisan Djiske, Graduate Student

I Joined the Bhatnagar lab in 2019. I am investigating TRIM37 function as a driver of TNBC metastasis. Additionally, I am investigating genetic drivers of racial disparity in triple negative breast cancer. Besides science, I enjoy hiking, working out, and listening to good music.

Dr. Saurabh Attarde, Postdoctoral Researcher

I obtained my doctoral degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India (2014-2018) and have worked on evaluating the anticancer potential of toxins from Indian spectacled cobra venom. Following my passion for venomics, I joined the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India as a Postdoctoral fellow (2019-2022), where I worked towards reducing snakebite morbidity and mortality in India and Sub-Saharan Africa by developing effective, safe, affordable, and accessible next-generation snakebite therapies. Since my interest in cancer research, I joined Bhatnagar lab in February 2023, where I am working on a genome-wide CRISPR screening for the identification of genes involved in metastasis. In my free time, I enjoy playing cricket, trekking, listening to classical music and calligraphy artwork.

Yuanji Zhao , Research Associate

I received my Bachelor degree in cell biology from the University of California Davis. I joined the Bhatnagar lab in 2022. I am working on X-linked neurological disease and the mechanism of inflammation. Besides my passion for science, I like fishing, boxing, and exploring the wild.

Bon II Koo, Undergraduate Researcher

My name is Bon Il Koo, and I am from Seoul, South Korea, currently pursuing a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. I am interested in learning about the neurodevelopmental disorders of the brain through the mechanisms of gene regulation as well as their possible treatments. Currently, I have experience with statistical analysis of neuronal connections as well as basic lab skills. After my undergraduate degree, I hope to either pursue a Ph.D. degree to further my research experience and studies or apply to medical school to become a neurosurgeon. Outside the lab, I enjoy basketball and taekwondo, photography, and talking to family and friends

Kammi Liu , Undergraduate Researcher

My name is Kammi Liu, and I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis. I am interested in studying cancer therapeutics and gene expression/regulation. As a member of the Bhatnagar lab, I am assisting in researching the TRIM37 oncogene and X-linked neurological diseases. My career goals are to become a physician and practice medicine in underserved communities. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, running, and expressing myself artistically.

Alumni

Urszula Wasko
Graduate student, Columbia University Irvine Medical Center

Piotr Przanowski
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Virginia School of Medicine

Agnieszka Kokot

Robyn Sherman
Specialist, Clinical Information at Edwards Lifesciences

Elizabeth Ghias
Research Associate 2 at The OSU Wexner Medical Center

Zeming Zhang
Columbia Dental School, New York.

Christian Blue
Virginia Commonwealth Medical School, VA.

Saloni Singh

Caroline Conlan

Tony Asfour

Christine Siu

Chandrajeet Singh

Rhianna Bhatia

Ilyas Santani

Zaffar Equbal