TEAM
Thales Papagiannakopoulos, Ph.D.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
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> Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, NYU
> Postdoctoral Fellow with Tyler Jacks Lab, Koch Integrative Insitute for Cancer Research
> Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kenneth Kosik Lab, UC Santa Barbara, 2010
> B.S. Molecular Genetics, University of Sussex, UK, 2004
Thales is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Molecular Oncology and Tumor Immunology Graduate Program.
Sahith Rajalingam
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
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> M.S. In Pharmacology and Toxicology, Long Island University, 2019
> Pharm-D, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, 2015
Sai is a research associate/lab manager, he joined the lab in September 2021. He ensures that the lab operates... Other things apart from his job, he likes to travel and cook.
Jozef Piotr Bossowski, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
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> Ph.D. in Biology at Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France, 2014-2018
Jozef joined the Team in 2019 after completing his PhD in France. His work is focused on Integrated Stress Response in lung cancer and its impact on tumor microenvironment. Working on stress response allowed him to develop his own strategies to deal with stress and successfully apply his findings to his life/work balance. Always cheerful and happy to collaborate and discuss scientific ideas.
Makiko Hayashi, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
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> The Uehara Memorial Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2ys)
> Ph.D. in Medical Science, Masayuki(Masi) Yamamoto Lab, Tohoku University, Japan, 2020
Makiko is a postdoctoral fellow who joined the lab in July 2020. Makiko studies how disruption of circadian-rhythms affects lung cancer progression. Outside of science, Makiko loves art, she loves to draw. Makiko’s dream is to draw the cover illustration of her publication in Nature?
Ray Pillai, M.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
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> BSc in Pharmacology at University of British Columbia, 2008
> MD at University of Cincinnati, 2012
> Internal Medicine Residency at University of Southern California, 2015
Ray is a postdoctoral fellow and also a practicing physician. He joined the lab in 2017. Ray studies how common lung cancer mutations reprogram the immune microenvironment, promote immune evasion and resistance to immunotherapy.
Katherine Wu
MD/PHD - MSTP STUDENT
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> B.S. Biology, Tufts University
Kat is an MD/PhD student who joined the PapaG lab in July 2020. Her research examines the role of ferroptosis, a unique oxidative stress-dependent form of cell death, in lung cancer. Inspired by the tumor cells she studies, Kat reminds herself throughout the PhD journey that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Kat enjoys the collaborative, diverse, and lively environment of the lab, and aspires to be a pediatric oncologist-cancer researcher one (very far off) day.
Michael Cross
MD/PHD - MSTP STUDENT
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> B.S. Biochemistry, University of Rochester
Michael is an MD/PhD student who joined the lab in March 2021. Channeling his inner Gordon Ramsay, Michael studies how diets impact systemic physiology in lung cancer. He hopes his work will someday convince Thales to avoid going keto. Outside of science, Michael devotes the majority of his time to supporting his one true love, Manchester United.
Emilia Vignogna
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
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Emilia is a second year undergraduate student from NYU majoring in Neuroscience. She joined the lab in August 2023 and works with Makiko on drug testing and impact of circadian rhythm on tumor progression. Outside of the lab, Emilia likes to go to dog parks and try the numerous boba shops around the city.
Hao Wang
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
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Hao is a third year undergraduate from NYU Shanghai majoring in Biology. He joined the lab in September 2023. Hao is working closely with Jozef to investigate interaction between tumor growth and immune responses. Outside the lab Hao enjoys badminton and cycling.
Shijia Alexia Chen, M.S.
MASTERS STUDENT
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> B.S. Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> M.S. Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Shijia Alexia Chen is a second year master student in Biology at New York University. She is working with Michael investigating how high fat diet promotes cachexia in LKB1 mutated lung adenocarcinoma. Outside of lab, Shijia loves animals. She has two cats and a dog.
William Chung
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
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William is a third year undergraduate student from NYU majoring BS.c in Chemistry. He joined the lab in Jan 2023. Working with Kat, William researches role of ferroptosis in lung cancer and mechanistic insight into LKB1 gene. William likes the energetic and collaborative atmosphere of the lab and finds the abundant food at the lab to be huge morale boost. Outside of school and lab, William likes to travel with most recent travel being backpack traveling into Korean countryside.
Yuan Hao, Ph.D.
SENIOR BIOINFORMATICS PROGRAMMER
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Ph.D. Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, University College Dublin.
M.Phil. Computational Biology, University of Cambridge.
Senior Bioinformatics Programmer at PCC/ABL, NYU Langone Health since 2020.
Taha Niazi
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
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Taha is a third year undergraduate student at NYU majoring in biology on the premed track. He joined the lab in January 2023 and works alongside Michael to study how diet interacts with tumor intrinsic mutations to promote cachexia. Outside of lab, Taha enjoys watching movies and working out.
Fedra Luciano, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
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Ph.D. in Biomedicine at Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain, 2016-2019.
Fedra joined the team in 2024. She is focused on understanding how tumor development can affect the host's systemic metabolism. In parallel, Fedra is working with Michael to investigate how diet impacts systemic physiology in lung cancer. Outside the lab, Fedra adapts to the ever-changing weather of New York, finding comfort in the museums and bookstores in the city.
Mari Nakamura
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
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> B.A. Biochemistry, Middlebury College
Mari first joined the lab as a SURP student in June 2023 and now works as a lab technician assisting Sai while also working with Kat to investigate the role of ferroptosis in lung cancer tumor metabolism. Her passion for the intersection of scientific inquiry and clinical practice drives her as she pursues medical school. Coming from Vermont, she is excited to embrace city life, though she'll miss the mountains and skiing.
