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.
Ray Pillai, M.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award
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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.
Stefan Kotschi, M.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
DFG Walter Benjamin Fellow
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> MD at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany 2022
Stefan joined the team in 2024 and is working on the intersection of cancer, neuroscience and systemic metabolism. Outside the lab, Stefan draws inspiration from New York’s vibrant cultural scene and applies his scientific skills on creating craft cocktails.
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.
Fedra Luciano, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
CANCAN 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.
Alec Vaughan
GRADUATE STUDENT
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Alec is a Vilcek graduate student. He joined our lab in the summer of 2024. He is focusing on the role of ferroptosis and metabolism in lung cancer .
