Mendoza Lab Members
Current Members
Keith received his MS from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in physics. His interests are bio-engineering and MATLAB software development for biological analysis.
Akib is a PhD student in oncological sciences. He completed his BS and MS in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Akib is studying the ERK effectors that promote cell migration and lung cancer metastasis.
Chisom was born and raised in Nigeria, where her love for biology and understanding of the development of human disease led her to obtain a bachelor's degree in microbiology. She moved to the United States to pursue her doctorate degree through the Bioscience PhD Programs at the University of Utah. In the Mendoza lab, she is exploring the mechanics of the extracellular matrix and cell migration and how these concepts contribute to cancer progression. Outside of work and studies, Chisom loves to ride her bike and to hang out with friends. She is also an ardent lover and admirer of nature and beautiful landscapes, especially enjoying the different seasons in Utah.
Tony is a biotechnology graduate of Utah Valley University. He is interested in the mechanisms of cancer progression. In the Mendoza lab, Tony is undertaking post-baccalaureate training to prepare to purse a graduate degree in Molecular biology. He is studying the proteins involved in lung cancer progression and metastasis.
Shiela is a graduate of the University of Utah's MB graduate program (PhD with Dr. Joseph Yost). She is interested in cell movements that shape development. She participates in multiple projects aimed at deciphering the signals that control cell movement and how these normal processes are hijacked to promote cancer metastasis.
Mary is interested in understanding how radiation treatments impact tumor initiation and progression. She is studying applied mathematics at the University of Utah.
Jakaria Shawon completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is interested in the signals that control cancer cell invasion during the early stages of lung cancer.
Andrew is a PhD student in oncological sciences. Andrew graduated from Bridgewater College with a BS in biology. He is studying ERK’s regulation of focal adhesions and associated cytoskeleton dynamics during cell migration.
Sam received a PhD in biophysics from the University of Chicago and a BS in biochemistry and molecular biology from Michigan Tech. She is interested in the roles of mitochondrial and metabolic reprogramming in cellular invasiveness.
Past Members
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Rebecca Zitnay—Graduate student in the Mendoza Lab; moved on the Judson-Torres lab, 2023.
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Jared Bergman—Postdoctoral fellow in the Mendoza Lab; moved on to become a research scientist at Meissa Vaccines, 2020.
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Marzieh Chaharlang—Research associate in the Mendoza Lab; moved on to become a
postdoctoral fellow Yale University, 2020. -
Kelley Ingram—Laboratory specialist in the Mendoza Lab; moved on to get a doctorate in osteopathic medicine, at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, 2020.
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Andrew Elliott—Postdoctoral fellow in the Mendoza Lab; moved on to become a research scientist, Caris Life Sciences, clinical oncology, 2019.
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Bella Ohran—Undergraduate in the Mendoza lab
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Kimberly Coffman—Master’s student in the Mendoza Lab; moved on to become a lab technician at the University of Utah, School of Medicine.
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Brian Mueller—Laboratory specialist in the Mendoza Lab; moved on to become a PhD student in biology, University of Utah, 2017.
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Yung Kim—Laboratory specialist in the Mendoza Lab; now on staff at University of Minnesota Imaging Center and a biomedical engineering graduate student, 2017.
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Jesus Juarez—Laboratory technician in the Mendoza Lab; moved on to medical school, UCLA, 2015.
Affiliations
- Department of Oncological Sciences
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Response and Regulation Cancer Center Program
- Lung Center of Excellence
- Computational Oncology Research Initiative
- Molecular Biology Graduate Program
Collaborations
The Mendoza lab has a funded collaborations with the Weiss lab in the Biomedical Engineering department. The collaboration applies computational modeling to understand the mechanics of tumor growth within the lung.