MEET OUR TEAM
Atique Ahmed
Associate Professor
PhD: Mayo Graduate School
Postdoctoral training: The university of Chicago
Research interest: The focus of his laboratory research is to elucidate the mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in brain tumors.
Cheol Park
Staff Scientist and Lab Manager (2009- )
PhD: Hanyang University, South Korea
Postdoctoral training: National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney; the Mayo Clinic
Research interest: Role of therapy-induced hypoxia in glioblastoma progression and drug resistance.
Shreya Budhiraja
M2 Medical Student, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine (05/2025, Expected)
BA: Neuroscience, Northwestern
Research interest: Investigate the role of R-loop in GBM progression; Retrograde trafficking in chomresistance.
Research Awards: 1. 2022 MBTI Research Grant; 2. ABTA Jack & Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowship; 3.AANS Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship Best Abstract
Divya Ventarapragada
Research Technologist
BA: University of Georgia; MS: Northwestern Neurobiology
Research interest: Investigate role the therapeutic-induced hypoxia in promoting cellular plasticity and chemoresistance.
Khizar Nandoliya
M2 Medical Student, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine (05/2025, Expected)
BA: Neuroscience, Northwestern
Research interest: Investigate the role of tryptophanyl-tRNA Synthetase GBM progression.
Sia Cho
Undergraduate Researcher
Honors Programs in Medical Education (HPME), BA in Neuroscience(05/2023, Expected)
Research interest: Investigate the telomeric R-loops in GBM progression.
Killian Buechler
Post-baccalaureat researcher
BA: Boston collage
Research interest: Biomarker discovery for the mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in combination with temozolomide clinical trial.
Snehasis Mishra, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Ph.D.: University of Calcutta
Research interest: Investigate role estrogen receptors in promoting therapeutic resistance in GBM.
Isabelle Pretty
M3 Medical Student, Chicago Medical School at RFU (05/2024, Expected)
BA: Biological Science, The University of Chicago
Research interest: Single-cell analysis of the therapeutic adaptation mechanisms in GBM.
Graysen McManus
Undergraduate Researcher
BA in Biology (05/2022, Expected)
Research interest: Investigate the intratumoral heterogeneity in GBM
Esther Chung
Undergraduate Researcher
BA in Neuroscience (05/2022, Expected)
Research interest: Investigate the intratumoral heterogeneity in GBM
Grace Kim
M3 Medical Student, St. George University sth London, UK (05/2023, Expected)
BA: Chemistry, Swarthmore College
Research interest: Ubiquitin Proteasome Pathway in GBM
Amelia Stepniak
Graduate student (MS), Neurobiology, Northwestern University
Research interest: Investigate the role of 2HG in gliomagenesis.
Cristian Carpio
Undergraduate Researcher
Biology, Northwestern University
Research interest: Role of DNA damage response in regulating purine metabolism
Rebecca Chen
Undergraduate Researcher
Neuroscience, Northwestern University
Research interest: Mechanism to 2HG regulation in GBM
Lab Alumni
Medical Student Researcher (2016-2020)
Current position: PGY2 Resident Physician at Department of Neurosurgery, UCLA.
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant (2015-2018) 2017 AACR/ABTA Scholar in Training Award
Current position: MD, PhD Program, University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Jenny Wang
High school Student Researcher (2015-2017)
Current position: (M1), the University of Illinois at Chicago
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant (2018-2019)
Current position: (M3) Sandford University Medical School
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant (2008-2010)
Current position: PGY3 Resident Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University
Chirag Goal
Undergraduate Researcher (2019-2021)
Current position: M1 Medical Student, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant (2015-2017) 2017 Marshall Scholar
Current position: M4 Medical School, Harvard Medical School.
High school Student Researcher (2019-2020)
Current position: Undergraduate, Stanford University
Robbert Hall, III MD
Undergraduate Researcher (Honors Thesis, 2010-2013)
Current position: PGY1 Resident Physician at Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Boston Area
Postdoctoral Scholar (2011-2013)
Current position: PGY4, Chief Resident Neurology, the University of Chicago
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant (2018-2020)
Current position: School Health Coordinator at Joffe Emergency Services, San Francisco, CA.
Postdoctoral Scholar (2015-2017)
Current position: Senior Medical Writer, Oncology at Abbvie
Clare Hardiman
High school Student Researcher (2018-2020)
Current position: Undergraduate, Cognitive Science, Northwestern University
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant, Lab Manager (2010-2013)
Current position: PGY3, Chief Resident Physician Family Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine
Research Assistant (2011-2013)
Current position: Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant (2010-2021)
Current position: Ph.D. candidate, Neuroscience, Harvard University
Tom Commander
High School Research Assistant (2019-)
Current position: Undergraduate, Yale University
Divya Ventarapragada
MS student, Northwestern Neurobiology (2020-2022)
Current position: Research Assistant Neurosurgery, Northwestern University
MS student, Northwestern Neurobiology (2020-2022)
Current position: Research Assistant II Department of Cell Biology, Harvard University
Alumni postcard 2022
Alumni postcard 2022
Remembering Donna Guo
Donna was our first undergraduate student researcher. She did her Honors Thesis in Ahmed lab, entitled '"THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REPORTER SYSTEM TO STUDY CELLULAR PLASTICITY IN GLIOMAS." She was responsible for designing and developing some of the very early reporter systems to track cellular plasticity in real-time. Donna's reporter systems have been extensively used in our lab to understand the role of cellular plasticity in brain tumor therapeutic resistance, generated numerous publications, and are critical for securing NIH funding. She was a gifted scientist! Her legacy will carry on in Ahmed's lab as we are 100% committed to train the next generation of scientists.
Donna’s Reporter
Donna majored in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, the University of Chicago. She joined Ahmed Lab in 2009 as an undergraduate researcher. After graduation, she continued to work with Ahmed lab at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, while also applying to medical school with plans to enter in the fall of 2016.
Donna passed away in a car accident on April 18, 2016, while vacationing in New Zealand with her parents. Both of her parents suffered critical injuries. She is survived by an older sister who was not involved in the accident.
One of Donna's great life passions was lovingly serving and caring for children adopted from China. As president of University of Chicago's China Care, she helped create its first Mentorship and Playgroup Programs, raised money to sponsor medical treatment for children in China, and established a summer internship to send volunteers to China.
