Predoctoral Trainees
Sarah Ghalayini
Mentor: Natividad Fuentes, Ph.D.
Department: Cancer Biology
Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: Elucidating the role of membrane dynamics in mediating immune dysfunction within the tumor microenvironment
"I am confident that the T32 Program is the best next step in my training as it will provide me with the necessary foundation and an environment conducive to developing into the translational scientist and empathetic clinician I aspire to be."
Romeesa Khan
Mentor: Louise McCullough, M.D., Ph.D.
Department: Neurology
Institution: UTHealth Houston
Project Title: Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of MMPs for Delayed Stroke Treatment
"The T32 program emphasizes the critical role of translational research in driving clinical advancement. Through the TL1 fellowship, I aim to leverage structured training and mentorship to further develop rigorous, high-impact translational research skills and strengthen a bench-to-bedside perspective. This training will enable me to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of stroke therapeutics, and ultimately improve long-term outcomes and quality of life for stroke survivors."
Natalie West
Mentor Name: Clifton D. Fuller, M.D., Ph.D.
Department: Radiation Oncology
Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: Improved monitoring of radiation-induced bone injury using advanced magnetic resonance imaging
"The T32 Program fosters research at the intersection of clinical and translational science. As a medical physics trainee, I am committed to conducting research that is both innovative and patient-centered. The program’s resources, including clinical shadowing, interdisciplinary coursework, and interactive workshops, will equip me with the skills and perspectives necessary to excel as a translational scientist."
Julia Zickus
Mentor: Pratip Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
Department: Cancer Systems Imaging
Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: Interrogating Alzheimer’s Disease Progression and Therapeutic Efficacy by Hyperpolarized Metabolic Imaging
"I wanted to join the T32 program to spark my career goals as a clinical researcher. This program supports my passion for translational science and allows me to witness its direct impacts on patients. With this program, every day becomes a reminder of why I entered this field and gives me a further purpose to pursue research."
Anna DeBruine
Mentor: Vihang Narkar, Ph.D.
Department: Institute of Molecular Medicine
Institution: UTHealth Houston
Project Title: Targeting estrogen-related receptors to prevent cancer cachexia
"I wanted to join the T32 program to gain experience in the translational sciences and learn how to turn my passion for science into a way to help others. I’m very excited to be a part of the program!"
Natasha Garcia-Rodriguez
Mentor: Joanne Curran, Ph.D.
Department: Human Genetics
Institution: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Project Title: The Role of Phthalates in Steatotic Liver Disease
"I am thrilled to be part of the T32 Program because it offers the structured clinical and translational training I need to advance my research from the bench to meaningful impact for patients and communities. As a first-generation scientist and mother, my path into research has been shaped by a deep commitment to improving health outcomes in communities like my own along the Texas–Mexico border. My dissertation examines how phthalate exposures interact with genetic susceptibility to influence steatotic liver disease in Mexican Americans, a population that experiences a disproportionate disease burden yet remains underrepresented in translational research."
Amit Niyogi
Mentor: Peter Lillehoj, Ph.D.
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Institution: Rice University
Project Title: AC Electrothermal Flow-Enhanced Screening of High-Affinity Anti-Tumor T Cells
"I wanted to be part of the T32 program to gain a deeper understanding of how clinical involvement drives translational research and informs meaningful scientific discovery. As an engineering PhD student developing microfluidic technologies for immune cell screening and enrichment, it is critical for me to understand not only the technical aspects of device design, but also the clinical constraints, biological questions, and translational pathways that determine real-world impact. The T32 program provides interdisciplinary training and mentorship that bridges engineering and immunology, allowing me to better align my research with unmet clinical needs and prepare for a career in translational biomedical research."
Mikayla Deehring
Mentor: Momona Yamagami, Ph.D.
Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Institution: Rice University
Project Title: User-Centered Engineering of a Personalized Exergaming Platform for Pediatric Stroke
"I am driven to increase my clinical involvement with the pediatric stroke population and develop the skills to conduct meaningful translational research. The CCTS T32 program is the ideal environment, providing clinical shadowing opportunities for deeper understanding and the necessary training to translate my scientific work directly into improved patient care."
Brian Koehler
Mentor: Jian Hu, Ph.D.
Department: Cancer Biology
Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: The Role of Circulating Tumor Cell Cluster-associated Macrophages in Melanoma Brain Metastasis
"I am very interested in the professional development for translational research offered by the T32. I feel my career goals as a physician-scientist aligns closely with the goals of the CCTS T32/TL1 project, especially as it affords me opportunities to maintain my clinical skills in the PhD phase, gives me networking experience with a broader network of translational scientists, and helps sharpen my translational research skills through seminars, conferences, and workshops."
Jack Adams
Mentor: Ali Azhdarinia, Ph.D.
Department: Institute of Molecular Medicine
Institution: UTHealth Houston
Project Title: Establishing the first-in-class chemo-radioligand therapeutic agent for the treatment of mCRPC
"I aspired to join the T32 program because I wanted to complement my preclinical training with clinical exposure and training to strengthen my skill set, enabling me to produce impactful translational research and contribute to effective, patient-centered scientific outcomes."
Postdoctoral Trainees
Hugo Lee, Ph.D.
Mentor: Xi Chen, Ph.D.
Department: Experimental Therapeutics
Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: Targeting the proteostasis network in KRAS-mutant cancers
"I chose the T32 program for its ability to support my development as an independent scientist in translational research. With the additional support from my co-mentor and clinical mentor, it will create a broader and more in-depth training experience that would otherwise be unavailable to me."
Farinaz Barghi , Ph.D.
Mentor: Funda Merci-Bernstam, M.D.
Department: Cancer Biology
Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: Therapeutic Strategies for Targeting KRAS in Biliary Tract Carcinoma
"I am seeking T32 training to gain structured mentorship, interdisciplinary exposure, and advanced translational research training that will accelerate my development as an independent cancer investigator. The program will strengthen my clinical insight, grant-writing ability, and leadership skills, enabling me to translate preclinical discoveries into effective therapies, particularly for cholangiocarcinoma and other precision oncology-driven cancers."
Amir Hernandez, Ph.D.
Mentor: Jennifer Molokwu, M.D., M.P.H., FAAFP
Department: Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Center for Emphasis in Cancer
Institution: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Project Title: Development and Assessment of a Lung Cancer Screening Educational Intervention Tool
"This program allows me to receive support to continue to develop my capacity as a research scientist in cancer prevention and control. The ability to translate research into clinical outcomes that will positively affect the health of my community encouraged me to take part in this program."
Ritu Bohat, Ph.D.
Mentor: Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D.
Department: Stem Cell Transplantation Research
Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: Enhancing CAR-NK Potency and Persistence with MyD88/CD40 Costimulation
"I am highly motivated to join the T32 training program to further my career aspiration of becoming a leading scientist. The program’s comprehensive training in translational and clinical cancer research aligns perfectly with my commitment to developing rapid and accessible cancer treatment. This opportunity will provide me with the essential expertise to drive impactful translational research and make meaningful contributions to advancing cancer therapies."
Pauline Goodson, Ph.D.
Mentor: Christopher Fagundes, Ph.D.
Department: Psychological Sciences
Institution: Rice University
Project Title: Emotion regulation as a potential target for caregiver health interventions: a longitudinal, multilevel investigation into biobehavioral relationships between emotion regulation and health in dementia
"I am actively pursuing a career as an NIH-funded, independent research professor. My intentions are to lead a research program that would be interdisciplinary, translational, and would adhere to the NIH standards of rigor and reproducibility. I am interested in (1) incorporating psychoneuroimmunology approaches with understanding how emotion regulation can be personalized to contribute towards treatment and prevention efforts in a range of vulnerable populations, including spousal caregivers for persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia (AD/ADRD), and (2) develop novel interventions for improving mental, emotional, and physical well-being. To achieve these goals, I will need to learn new skills and methodologies to understand the biobehavioral mechanisms of emotion regulation in AD/ADRD caregivers and the impact on different health outcomes. The T32 Program will enable me to become a more independent, translational health researcher through expanded resources and novel training in biobehavioral research, specifically psychoneuroimmunology, and in studying AD/ADRD and their spousal caregivers."
Emma Wheeler, Ph.D.
Mentor: Qingchun Tong, Ph.D.
Department: Institute of Molecular Medicine
Institution: UTHealth Houston
Project Title: Neurobiological Basis for GPR75 Based Therapeutics Against Obesity
"The T32 training program will provide me with the support and resources to continue developing myself as a research scientist. Translational research is the intersection point for new discoveries in medicine and this opportunity will allow me to focus my research to this intersection in the area of obesity research, for which I have only had preclinical experience."
Former Trainees
Grace Isakson-Murley
Current Position: M.D./Ph.D. Student
Lacin Yapindi, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Trey Waldrop
Current Position: M.D./Ph.D. Student
Madigan Snyder, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Antonio Pagan, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Maryam Elizondo
Current Position: M.D./Ph.D. Student
Morgan Riba
Current Position: M.D./Ph.D. Student
Kaira Church, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Meagan Conner, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Nicolas Moreno
Current Position: M.D./Ph.D. Student
Lea Stitzlein
Current Position: Medical Writer - Oncology, Global Scientific Communications
Stephen Farmer
Current Position: Ph.D. Student
Jacob Mattia
Current Position: M.D./Ph.D. Student
Gemalene Sunga
Current Position: Ph.D. Student
Brandy Walker
Current Position: Ph.D. Student