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: Postdoctoral Research Associate
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.
Sunil Banskar, PhD
Position: Research Scientist III
Education: PhD, Biotechnology, SP Pune University, 2019
Sunil is studying the roles of microbes and viruses in the pathogenesis and exacerbations of asthma.
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
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.
Students
Sydney VanLinden
Position: PhD Candidate, Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program
Education: BS, Genetics, Clemson University, 2017
Sydney relies primarily on single-cell technologies to identify fundamental mechanisms in physiologic mouse models of asthma.
Shun Satake
Shun is a master student in Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Arizona. He’s working on his Master Thesis.
Maithreyi Prakash
Maithreyi is 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 will be receiving 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.