Angana Mukherjee, PhD is a postdoctoral research scientist in the Chan lab. Originally from India, she earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Calcutta, followed by an M.S. in Biological Sciences at Troy University, Alabama. She recently completed her PhD in Pathobiology and Translational Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she investigated how dysregulated NF-kB signaling pathway – specifically in the context of loss of the tumor suppressor DAB2IP and mutant p53, contributes to aggressiveness, therapy resistance and immune evasion in breast and pancreatic cancers, respectively. In the Chan lab, her research focuses on ribosome surveillance and synthetic lethality, with the goal of identifying translational vulnerabilities in aggressive cancers. Dr. Mukherjee brings expertise in translational pathology, molecular oncology, functional genomics, and RNA biology, and is passionate about translating fundamental insights into targeted cancer therapies. Outside the lab, she loves spending time with her husband and two sons, and unwinding by binge-watching Netflix.

Lucy is a research associate in the Chan lab where she employs CRISPR-based functional genomics to dissect mechanisms of resistance in MSI-H colorectal cancer and develop high-throughput next generation model systems. Originally born in Washington, D.C. and raised overseas in a U.S. State Department family, Lucy earned a B.S. in Biology (with Honors) and a B.A. in Political Science at Dickinson College—where her passion for molecular biology (and lifelong learning!) truly blossomed through hands‑on AML research, mentorship roles as a molecular biology teaching assistant, and interdisciplinary collaborations in a vibrant liberal‑arts environment.

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Lucy plans to pursue an MD to continue her passion for translational medicine and oncology. In her spare time, Lucy spends time with her many foster dogs exploring New York City!

Kristina is a research associate in the Chan Lab. Her work involves investigating the synthetic lethal relationship between PELO/HBS1L in MSI-H and 9p21.3-deleted cancers, aiming to uncover the underlying mechanism of action with a focus on ribosomal interactions. Prior to joining the Chan Lab, Kristina earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from Dickinson College in 2022. There, she was involved in student-faculty research in the Michael Roberts Lab, focusing on reprogramming gene expression to induce self-destruction in acute myeloid leukemia cells, with a particular emphasis on understand the role ZNF697 has in disease progression.

As a born and raised New Yorker, Kristina enjoys exploring hidden aspects of the city. In her free time, she loves working in ceramics, attending concerts, and restaurant hopping.
 

As an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Tina works alongside Dr. Chan, bringing a wealth of expertise in medicine, pharmacology, and molecular biology. With over a decade of research experience, including her previous role at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, her work is dedicated to advancing therapeutic strategies for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers. Tina excels in designing and executing complex experiments, validating novel drug targets, and developing innovative combination
therapies. She is a proven leader in cross-functional teams and collaborates effectively with leading pharmaceutical companies, consistently driving projects with direct patient impact. Her commitment to clear communication and robust collaboration underpins her success in research dissemination.

Anna C. Martínez Guadalupe is a MD/PhD student originally from Puerto Rico. She completed her undergraduate degree in Cellular Molecular Biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Her current research focuses on elucidating cell death mechanisms in the context of Ski complex deficiency and PELO knockdown, as well as investigating the unfolded protein response under these same conditions. Outside of the lab, Anna enjoys going to the movies, trying new restaurants, and rollerskating.

Riya Kishen is a rising senior at Barnard College of Columbia University studying Computational Biology and Computer Science. She has been a member of the Chan Lab since her first year, where she contributes to research in cancer genomics with a growing interest in genetic vulnerabilities and therapeutic resistance. Her work bridges both experimental and computational approaches, combining wet-lab techniques with data analysis and bioinformatics.

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Outside the lab, Riya is also exploring clinical interests in pediatric bone marrow and stem cell transplantation.

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Originally from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Riya hopes to pursue a career in medicine that combines patient care with scientific inquiry. When she’s not in class or at the bench, you can usually find her dancing. A trained Indian Classical and Bollywood dancer, Riya is passionate about storytelling through movement and choreography. She also loves discovering new restaurants, thrifting, and taking long bike rides along the West Side Highway.

Rohan is a Computational Biologist in our lab, who recently joined the team from Pittsburgh after completing his MSc in Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics at Carnegie Mellon University. Originally from India, he holds a BTech in Biotechnology with a minor in Data Science from Manipal Institute of Technology. 

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Rohan's research focuses on developing scalabe computational pipelines for analysing whole-genome sequencing, transcriptomics and single-cell sequencing data. At HICCC, he is particularly excited about using cloud-computing based platforms like AWS to help build reproducible workflows and support large-scale cancer genomics projects. 

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With a passion for bringing together computation biology and clinical research, Rohan is motivated by the potential to use data to improve understanding and treatment of cancer. 

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Outside the lab, you’ll often find him watching football (soccer) or exploring different neighborhoods around NYC in search of good food and hidden spots. 

Mengzhou is a graduate student in the Biotechnology Program at Columbia University. He grew up in Beijing, China, and later completed his undergraduate degree in Emory University in Atlanta. During his undergraduate studies, he worked collaboratively at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, focusing on pesticidal proteins. This experience sparked his interest in human-centered research, particularly in cancer studies.

Outside of the lab, Mengzhou enjoys strategic games, boxing, and practicing Bel canto.

Sophia is an Undergraduate Researcher (Columbia University ’28) working in the Chan Lab. Originally from Longmeadow, Massachusetts, she is majoring in Biology. She is very interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that affect oncogenesis and cancer cell survival. She is excited to spend the next few years in New York City and plans to attend medical school.

Tess is a current high school student from Roslyn, NY interning at the Chan Lab. She works as a computational biologist interested in building pipelines and analyzing various types of sequencing data (RNA-Seq, Ribo-Seq, etc.) to uncover translational alterations across different cancers. Tess is also interested in applying and building machine learning algorithms that can assist in modeling complex biological processes. She hopes to continue her passion for science in college and beyond. 

In her free time, you can find Tess watching Formula 1 races and anime. She also loves exploring amusement parks and hole-in-the-wall restaurants with friends and family. 

Aditi Iyer is an undergraduate researcher at the Chan Lab, originally from Seattle. She is pursuing a BA in Medical Anthropology at Barnard College. Previously, she contributed to projects in the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases division at Fred Hutch Cancer Center and at the Wood Lab at Harborview Medical Center. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Aditi hopes to attend medical school and pursue a master’s in public health. Outside the lab, she loves to dance, craft, and spend time in nature.