Our team is comprised of researchers at all levels of training who bring their individual talents and expertise to the scientific mission of our laboratory.

Project Manager

Drusilla Jenkins, BS, MHOE

Education:
BS, Industrial & Organizational Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, 2019

MHCOE, Healthcare Operational Excellence, Washington University, McKelvey School of Engineering, St. Louis, 2022

Faculty

Corina Anastasaki, PhD
Assistant Professor in Neurology

Education:
BSc, Genetics, University of York, 2006
MSc, Human Genetics, University of Edinburgh, 2007
PhD in Human Genetics, University of Edinburgh, 2011
Research Focus:
Discovering new approaches (utilizing iPSCs) to identify targets for managing NF1 neuronal dysfunction

View Dr. Anastasaki’s publications

Staff Scientists

Jit Chatterjee, PhD

Education:
BSc, Fergusson College, Pune, India, 2011
MSc, MS University Baroda, Gujarat, India, 2013
PhD in Neurobiology, Department of Applied Zoology, Mangalore University, Mangalore, India, 2018
Research Focus:
Risk factors for brain tumor formation and progression

Enquan Xu, PhD

Education:

PhD in Neuropharmacology and Immunology, University of Nebraska, 2017
Research Focus:
Advanced stem cell modeling of brain tumors

Technicians

Stephanie Bozeman, BS

Education:
BS, Biochemistry, Missouri Southern State University
Research Focus:
Preventing vision loss from NF1 optic gliomas in mice

Yunqing (Clare) Gao, BA

Education:  
BA, Biology, Boston University 2022
Research Focus:
Neuronal regulation of brain tumor growth

Jennifer Guyton, BS, BA

Education:
BS, Biology, BA Psychology, Webster University, St. Louis, 2012
Research Focus:
Human induced pluripotent stem modeling of brain tumors in NF1

Elvedina Subasic, BS

Education:
BS, Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2023
Research Focus:
Modeling low-grade brain tumors in mice

Postdoctoral Fellows

Rasha Barakat, PhD

Education:
MSc, Neuroscience, American University of Beirut
PhD in Neurobiology, Université De Paris
Research Focus:
T cell trafficking and stromal interactions in brain tumors

Alexander Chen, PhD

Education:
BA, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
PhD in Cancer Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Research Focus:
Exploring the role of cell of origin in pediatric brain tumors

Lori Forster, PhD

Education:
PhD in Education, Georgia State University
Research Focus:
Defining the molecular basis for cancer-related neuronal hyperexcitability

Vaishali Mulchandani, PhD

Education:
PhD in Education, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata
Research Focus:
Molecular and Cellular Biology of NF1 Low-Grade Brain Tumor Neoplastic Transformation

Shintaro Yamada, MD, PhD

Education:
MD, PhD, in Education, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Research Focus:
Leveraging systems biology approaches for personalized medicine

Graduate Trainees

Anthony Kirchner, BS

Education:
BS, Saint Louis University, 2024
Pursuing MSIBS, Washington University in St. Louis

Research Focus:
Still deciding

Desiree Zanetti-Alepuz, MS

Education:
BS, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 2019
Pursuing DBBS, Washington University in St. Louis

Research Focus:
Defining the impact of sex and genomic modifiers on neural function in neurodevelopmental disorders 

Postbaccalaureate Trainees

Talia Eligator, BA

Education: 
BA, Neuroscience & Science in Society, Wesleyan University, 2023
Research Focus:
Ecosystem modeling of pediatric brain tumors for precision therapeutics

Chloe Kernan, BS

Education: 
BS, Washington University, 2023
Research Focus:
Defining the mechanisms underlying high-grade brain tumor development

Undergraduate Trainees

Angelica Barnes

Education:
Pursuing undergraduate degree, Washington University
Research Focus:
Working with Rasha Barakat on immune regulation of NF1 brain tumor growth

Madeline Falkov

Education:
Pursuing undergraduate degree, Washington University
Research Focus:
Working with Corina Anastasaki

Joyce Lin

Education:
Pursuing undergraduate degree, Washington University
Research Focus:
Working with Jit Chatterjee

Sadie Navid

Education:
Pursuing undergraduate degree, Washington University
Research Focus:
Working with Jit Chatterjee

Megan Ouyang

Education:
Pursuing undergraduate degree at Washington University
Research Focus:
Working with Jit Chatterjee

Maya Ryu

Education:
Pursuing undergraduate degree at Washington University
Research Focus:
Working with Lori Forster on retinal ganglion cell hyperexcitability

Paulina Situ

Education: 
Pursuing undergraduate degree, Washington University
Research Focus:
Working with Vaishali Mulchandani on NF1 Low-Grade Brain Tumor Neoplastic Transformation

Christina Zhang

Education: 
Pursuing undergraduate degree, Washington University
Research Focus:
Working with Enquan Xu on developing advance stem cell of brain tumors

Lab Alumni