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

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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, 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.

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.