TEAM
Donata Vercelli, MD
Regents Professor
Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Director, Arizona Center for the Biology of Complex Diseases
Associate Director, Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center
Professor, The BIO5 Institute
Vadim Pivniouk, PhD
Position: Research Associate Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Associate Scientist, Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center
Education: PhD, Immunology, Institute of Immunology, Moscow, 1994
Peace Ezeh, PhD
Position: Researcher/Scientist IV
Education: PhD, Biomedical Sciences [immuno-toxicology], University of New Mexico, 2015
Peace studies the biology and functional properties of the airway epithelium as a protective barrier that maintains lung homeostasis.
Avery DeVries, PhD
Position: Research Scientist III
Education: PhD, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, 2018
Avery uses computational approaches to analyze longitudinal omics data (transcriptome, DNA methylome) and understand environmental and developmental factors influencing asthma pathogenesis.
Dayna Anderson
Position: Research Technologist II
Education: BS, University of Arizona, 2001
Dayna focuses on the cellular mechanisms and environmental effects that contribute to asthma development in both humans and mice.
Oksana Pivniouk
Position: Lab Manager, Research Specialist Senior
Education: BS, Nursing and Physiology, Moscow State Pedagogical University, 1991. MA, Fine Arts and Art Education, Moscow State Pedagogical University, 1991. MA, Art Education, University of Arizona, 2013.
Oksana manages the lab, coordinates the mouse colony and contributes to virtually all projects through cellular and molecular techniques.
Ashley Michael
Position: Research Specialist Senior
Education: BS, Biology and BS, Chemistry, Northern Arizona University, 2013
Ashley works primarily to develop gnotobiotic mouse models of allergic asthma, especially focusing on lung function measurements.
Seongmin (Min) Hahn
Position: Research Technologist II
Education: MS, Microbiology and Immunology, 2005
Min is responsible for multiple aspects of the mouse work that feeds all projects in the lab.
Alaa Alruwaisan
Education: MS, Genetics with a focus on molecular biology and immunology, King Saud University, 2018
Alaa's graduate research explored genetic variations in immune responses to diseases, utilizing molecular and cellular techniques to understand immune system regulation. Currently, Alaa is a student volunteer in our lab and she's also applied to the U of A PhD program.
Former Lab Members and Students
Sydney VanLinden
Education: PhD, Genetics, University of Arizona, 2025; BS, Genetics, Clemson University, 2017
Sydney completed her PhD studies in the lab in August 2025. She relied primarily on single-cell technologies to identify fundamental mechanisms in physiologic mouse models of asthma.
Sunil Banskar, PhD
Position: Research Scientist III
Education: PhD, Biotechnology, SP Pune University, 2019
In our lab Sunil was studying the roles of microbes and viruses in the pathogenesis and exacerbations of asthma.
Satake Shun
Shun trained in our lab for three years, while pursuing a M.S. Degree in Genetics. He graduated in December of 2024 and received a job in a pharmaceutical industry in Japan.
Maithreyi Prakash
Maithreyi was a visiting student participating in the Global Research Internship, a dual-degree program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine facilitated by the University of Arizona and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University in India. She received her training in our lab in the second half of 2023.
Ananth Nair
Ananth is pursuing a B.S. in Physiology and Medical Sciences and minoring in Biochemistry.
Sean Malone
Sean trained in our lab for three years, while pursuing a B.S. in Physiology and Medical Sciences and a B.A. in Spanish with an emphasis on Portuguese. He graduated in Spring of 2023 and joined the Marines as a medic. His goal is to go to medical school after his service.