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Meet the current graduate students in the Cell, Molecular and Cancer Biology PhD program at IU School of Medicine.

Current Graduate Students

portrait of shreya akunapuram

Shreya Akunapuram

Entered August 2023

sakunapu@iu.edu

portrait of sunandan chakrabarti

Sunandan Chakrabarti

Carpenter Lab

portrait of averi chakraborty

Averi Chakraborty

Entered August 2023

avchakra@iu.edu

portrait of ishani chattopadhayay

Ishani Chattopadhayay

Entered August 2023

ichatto@iu.edu

Haddie DeHart

Carpenter Lab

Entered August 2019

hkdehart@iu.edu

I am a PhD student in the Carpenter Lab. My research is focused on a transcription factor in the Sonic Hedgehog pathway. More specifically, I am interested in tGLI1, a truncated form of GLI1, and it’s role in brain cancer growth and progression. Before coming to IU, I lived in Boston, MA, where I first worked for Foundation Medicine, one of the leading companies in precision medicine, and The Center for Advanced Molecular Diagnostics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. When I am not in lab, I greatly enjoy rowing, running, biking, and binge-watching movies.

Alfa Dhakal

Hundley Lab

Entered August 2020

aldhakal@iu.edu

I am a grad student in the Hundley Lab. My research interest lies in RNA biology and editing. Currently I am working with C. elegans as a model system. I completed my Master's in Biology from Purdue Northwest. I am from Kathmandu, Nepal and I enjoy dancing, listening to audiobooks and trying out new recipes.

Nicholas Downing

Hollenhorst Lab

Entered August 2019

nfdownin@iu.edu

I am a grad student in Dr. Pete Hollenhorst’s lab. I study the role of the Mediator complex in regulating oncogenic expression in prostate cancer. I joined the CMCB program in August 2019 weeks after defending my MS thesis from the IU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Indianapolis. That work explored the role of Angiomotin-Like-1 in regulating astrocytic morphology and gap junction formation in the context of glioblastoma. Outside of lab, I enjoy playing guitar and hiking with my dog, Liam.

portrait of yuan feng

Yuan Feng

Tennessen Lab

Argha Ghosh

Mitra Lab

Entered 2021

arghosh@iu.edu

I am a PhD student in Dr. Anirban Mitra's lab. I joined in the spring of 2021. My research interests include understanding tumor-stromal cross-talk that regulates ovarian cancer metastasis and how it can be therapeutically targeted. I have a Master's degree in molecular biology from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, with a thesis, where I have studied the effect of small molecules in targeting the Hedgehog signaling in breast cancer stem cells. Other than that, I love doing photography which includes landscape and wildlife, I am a huge sci-fi fan, my favorite movie being Interstellar. I love to read lots of fiction and popular science books and occasionally paint as well. Hoping to get a golden retriever very soon!

portrait of sugata ghosh

Sugata Ghosh

Entered August 2023

sugghosh@iu.edu

Kelly Hartsough (she/her)

Walczak Lab

Entered August 2018

khartso@iu.edu

I graduated from Penn State in 2018 and entered the CMCB program the fall of that same year. Currently, I am a graduate student in the Walczak Lab. My research seeks to understand how polyploid cells are able to resume mitosis, as this can lead to genome instability. Outside of the lab, I can be found going on runs with my dog, Oliver.

photograph of Natasha Hockaden

Natasha Hockaden

Carpenter Lab

Entered August 2018

nhockade@iu.edu

I am a PhD student in Dr. Richard Carpenter’s lab and I study the involvement of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) in breast cancer metastasis. Before I started my PhD journey, I majored in biochemistry at DePauw University working in two labs studying zebrafish heart regeneration and stress on the immune system. I also worked as a Flow Cytometry Data Analyst for clinic trial studies at Covance. When I am not being a total science nerd, I binge watch an unhealthy amount of TV and compete in mounted archery with my mule, Mooney, and teach others how to get involved in the sport.

photograph of Emily Jones

Emily Jones

Walczak Lab

Entered August 2020

jonesmj@iu.edu

photograph of Renee Kinne

Renee Kinne

Hollenhorst Lab

Entered August 2020

rekinne@iu.edu

I did my undergrad at Michigan State University and joined the CMCB program in 2020. I’m in the Hollenhorst lab where I’ve been looking into chimeric transcription factors. For fun I like to bake bread and watch Murder, She Wrote.

Benjamin Koch

Innes Lab

Entered August 2018

benkoch@indiana.edu

I entered the CMCB program in 2018 after completing my undergraduate degrees in biology and cello at Indiana University. I work in Roger Innes' lab where we study plant pathogen interaction. Initially I was interested in developing plant vesicles as nanoparticles to carry medicine. My project has morphed over time and now I study the biogenesis of plant vesicles in the context of plant pathogen defense. Outside of the lab, I enjoy making music, exploring new bike routes, and having fun with my girlfriend Gabby and our cats Eloise and Rigatoni (Riggy, for short).

portrait of samuel metcalfe

Sam Metcalfe

Entered August 2023

sametc@iu.edu

Tara Metcalfe Photo

Tara Metcalfe

Nephew Lab

Entered August 2020

txmetcal@iu.edu

I am a CMCB student who entered the program in 2020 and am in the Nephew lab. For my research, I am interested in epigenetics and the role it plays mechanistically in platinum-induced ovarian cancer stem cells. Besides this I previously graduated from Michigan State University and in my spare time I love any type of physical activities and cooking/baking.

Priyanka Mukherjee

Hundley lab

Entered August 2018

primukh@iu.edu

I am a PhD student in Dr. Heather Hundley’s lab. My research is currently focused on trying to understand the tumorigenic potential of an RNA-binding protein, ADAR3, in glioblastomas.  Before coming to IU in Fall 2018, I received a dual BS-MS degree from St. Xavier’s College (Kolkata, India). For my master’s dissertation, I studied how chemical and molecular chaperones (sodium phenyl butyrate and ERp29, respectively) could modulate Connexin 43 trafficking to the cell surface. As if experimenting in the lab wasn’t enough, I really enjoy experimenting with food too. I am always trying to learn new recipes, cuisines and cooking hacks. After any crazy day at work, this is what helps me destress.

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Matthew O’Malley

Carpenter Lab

Faculty Profile Picture Placeholder IUSM Logo

Loryn Phillips

Nephew Lab

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Anjaly Prasannajith

Walczak Lab

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Anirban Shit

Entered August 2023

ashit@iu.edu

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John Smith

Walczak Lab

Entered August 2018

jcs12@iu.edu

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Truc Vuong

O'Hagan Lab

photo of Ji Wang

Ji Wang

Mitra Lab

Entered August 2019

jwa7@iu.edu

I am an international Chinese PhD student from Dr. Anirban Mitra’s lab with research emphasis on peritoneal metastasis in ovarian cancer and on immune microenvironment in peritoneal metastasis. I joined the CMCB program in 2019. Before I came here, I was once a medical doctor from the department of gynecology and obstetrics. I have got my Bachelor and Master degree of clinical medicine in China, both of which are equivalent to MD in the USA. Actually, the PhD foreign life is completely new to me and mentors here are really kind to volunteer to help you adapt to new surroundings, just like microenvironmental factors in peritoneal metastasis assisting ovarian cancer cells in adapting to the new microenvironment in greater omental tissues. Now my main job in my lab is to do some bioinformatic analysis on sequencing data or on the public online free database such as TCGA, AOCS, GEO. During my leisure time, I would like to cook Chinese food and to play video games on game consoles. Except for that, I also like watching movies, Japanese manga and so on.

Photo Xue Xiao

Xue (Sherry) Xiao

Mitra Lab

Faculty Profile Picture Placeholder IUSM Logo

Yanchi Zhou

Nephew Lab