People

Yousang Gwack, Ph.D. Principal Investigator

Ph.D - Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea

Member: ACCESS Graduate Program, Department of Molecular, Cell & Integrative Physiology, Molecular Biology Institute, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center ygwack@mednet.ucla.edu

 

Sonal Srikanth, co-Principal Investigator

Ph.D - National Center for Biological Sciences, India

Sonal obtained her Ph.D from NCBS, Bangalore under the guidance of Dr. Gaiti Hasan in characterizing the biophysical properties of the Drosophila melanogaster Inositol 1, 4, 5 trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R). During her Ph.D she spent a year in Dr. Ilya Bezprozvanny's lab at UT Southwestern Medical center performing lipid bilayer experiments to examine the single channel properties of the Drosophila InsP3R. She then went on to join Dr. Anjana Rao's laboratory, then at Harvard Medical School and performed a genome-wide screen with Yousang, which led to the identification of Orai1 as a critical component of the CRAC channel in immune cells. She then went on to join Yousang's lab at UCLA to continue her research on the Orai family of Ca2+ channels. Other than research, Sonal enjoys cooking (strictly vegetarian), music and reading. ssrikanth@mednet.ucla.edu


Kyun-Do Kim, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ph.D - Yonsei University, South Korea

kdkim@mednet.ucla.edu







Shubhamoy Gosh, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ph.D. - National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata , India

Shubhamoy obtained his PhD degree from NICED Kolkata. The major goal of his project is to identify novel cellular factors that regulate calcium entry in immune cells. Besides research he likes hiking and photography.




Yuanyuan Gao, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ph.D. - Kyoto University, Japan

I finished my Bachelor study on Biotechnology in University of Inner Mongolia, China. Then I went to Japan to study molecular immunology, and obtained PhD in Kyoto University. During my PhD study, I did B cells research, especially on B cell activation, plasma cell and memory B cell differentiation, and B cell apoptosis under the direction of Prof. A. Shimizu and Prof. S. Yoneh ara. I joined Gwack Lab presently and has begun to investigate the functions of calcium channels in immune cells.

 

Jin-Seok Woo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ph.D. - Department of Physiology, Catholic University of Korea


Pamela Vila Undergraduate Volunteer

Pamela is a second year undergraduate student majoring in biology at UCLA. She started looking for research positions after an initial interest in learning more about topics discussed in her LS2 course, and began volunteering in the lab in January 2011. Aside from research, she is also involved in Pilipinos for Community Health as a Pre-Health Mentorship and Advising Director and volunteering at the Venice Family Clinic. She aspires to pursue medicine in the future.


Michael Jew Undergraduate Volunteer

Michael is currently a second year student majoring in Integrative Biology and Physiology at UCLA. He has been a member of the Gwack lab since January 2011 and his major responsibility in the lab thus far has been conducting PCR to genotype mice. Aside from his studies and his responsibilities in the lab, Michael can be found playing basketball at the John Wooden Center or volunteering at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center & Orthopaedic Hospital and tutoring children in the Venice community. He is a member of UCLA's Pre-Medical Fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon and has intentions of applying to medical school the summer of 2012.


Ferris Hua-Yu Yeh Undergraduate work-study student

Ferris Yeh is currently a third year UCLA undergraduate student studying physiological sciences. He has been working as a lab assistant in Gwack lab since October of 2010. He is responsible for the overall maintenance of the lab including refilling and cleaning supplies and equipments in addition to preparation of essential laboratory chemicals and solutions. Ferris is an avid martial artist and instructor outside of the lab and a great fan of the Green Bay Packers.


Ashley Caceres Undergraduate work-study student

Ashley is currently a second year undergraduate student at UCLA. She joined the Gwack lab as a laboratory assistant in April 2012 and hopes that the learning experience will help her decide on a major. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, running, and sewing.






Bora Park volunteer

B.S. - University of California, San Diego

Bora graduated from UCSD in 2010 with a Biochemistry/Cell Biology degree. She joined the Gwack Lab in 2012 with a special interest in physiology. In undergraduate, she was a language table host and a leader in ICF for years. She also played violin in Ensemble Con Brio, performing at various school events. She later became the concert master of the LACC Orchestra. She enjoys playing musical instruments and running when she has free time. She plans to pursue medicine in the future.

Alumni

Postdoctoral Fellows

Seungmin Hwang, 2008-2009 Currently postdoctoral fellow in Washington University

Ankush Vaid (2010-2011)

Staff

Hea-Jin Jung, 2007-2009, lab technician, Currently graduate student in UCLA (lab of Dr. Stephen Young)

Ma-Khin Win Yee, (2009-2011) Currently technician in the City of Hope

Students / Volunteers

Hume Stroud-Drinkwater, 2007, Access program rotation student Currently graduate student in Steve Jacobsen Lab.

Diem-Thi Duong, 2010, work-study student

Cynthia Guzman, B.S. (University of California at Los Angeles), Volunteer

Ferris Hua-Yu Yeh, (University of California at Los Angeles), Work-study student

Andrew Liu, 2010-2012 (University of California at Los Angeles), Junior/Senior Undergraduate Research Scholar

Marcus Jew, 2010-2012 (University of California at Los Angeles), work-study student, lab technician and volunteer