TEAM
Kay F. Macleod, PhD, Professor
Dr. Macleod is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland (B.Sc. Hons) and obtained her PhD from the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Following post-doctoral fellowships at the Pasteur Institute, France (with Dominique Stehelin) and at the MIT Center for Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA (with Tyler Jacks), Dr. Macleod set up her own independent research laboratory at the University of Chicago in 2002. Promoted with tenure in 2009, Dr. Macleod currently also directs the NCI-funded T32 “Multi-disciplinary Training Program in Cancer Research” and is a co-Leader of the Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer (MMC) program at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC). At a national level, Dr. Macleod is a past-President of CABTRAC (2019), a reviewing editor for eLife and a current member of NCI’s Subcommittee F.
Damian E. Berardi, PhD, Post-doctoral scholar
A native of Argentina where he obtained his PhD from the University of Buenos Aires, Damian joined the Macleod Lab in December 2019 (right before Covid) to work on the role of BNIP3 and NIX in breast cancer metastasis. Damian’s work has highlighted novel and unique roles for NIX in promoting breast cancer metastasis while BNIP3 represses it. His ongoing work is defining the shared and divergent roles of BNIP3 and NIX in cancer growth and metastasis. In addition, Damian collaborates with others in the lab on the role of BNIP3 in liver and pancreatic cancer.
Georgina Mancinelli, PhD, Post-doctoral scholar
Georgi obtained her PhD at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC) in 2020, examining the role of activin in the progression of pancreatic cancer in Paul Grippo’s lab. In the Macleod Lab, she examines the role of BNIP3 in skeletal muscle during cancer cachexia induced by pancreatic cancer where her extensive experience of mouse models of cancer comes in useful. Originally from Argentina, Georgi has artistic talents that she enjoys in her spare time.
Althea Bock-Hughes, Graduate student
Thea is a fourth-year graduate student in the Molecular Metabolism & Nutrition program who joined the Macleod Lab in 2020. Thea researches the role of BNIP3 in the liver where she has shown a role for BNIP3 in preventing lipid accumulation and in metabolic zonation in the liver. Her current work is focused on understanding how BNIP3 modulates lipid droplet turnover at the autolysosome. Thea is also a trained opera singer and along with Leah, is a BTS music fan!
Leah Ziolkowski, Graduate student
Leah is a third-year graduate student in the Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition program who joined the Macleod Lab in 2021. Leah researches the role of the ATF4 transcription factor and the integrated stess response in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using novel mouse models where she has revealed novel roles for ATF4 in both initiation of PDAC and in PDAC tumor maintenance. Leah is an avid BTS fan!
Elizabeth Foster, Undergraduate student
Elizabeth is a senior in the College at the University of Chicago who will be graduating in June 2023. She has worked with Georgi on the cancer cachexia project and is an expert at dissecting out different muscle groups from mice and performing molecular analyses on them to characterize the role of BNIP3 in muscle atrophy linked to pancreatic cancer. Elizabeth comes from California and rides a scooter to lab every day, rain, hail or shine.
Karen Liao, Undergraduate student
Karen is a junior in the College at the University of Chicago who plans to graduate in June 2024. Karen works with Thea on her project to define the role of BNIP3 in preventing steatosis in the liver with age.
Alumni
| 2002–2006 | Huiping Liu, PhD, Committee on Molecular Pathology |
| Current position: Associate Professor, Northwestern University | |
| 2002–2007 | Benjamin Spike, PhD, Committee on Cancer Biology |
| Current position: Assistant Professor, Department of Oncological Sciences, The Huntsman Cancer Institute, The University of Utah | |
| 2003–2005 | Ben Dibling, PhD |
| Current position: Deputy Managing Director, Penn Center for Innovation, University of Pennsylvania | |
| 2003–2007 | Alexandra Dirlam, PhD, Committee on Immunology |
| Current position: Director Medical & Reimbursement Policy, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota | |
| 2007–2010 | James Knabb, PhD, Committee on Cancer Biology |
| Current position: Technology Transfer Specialist, National Cancer Institute (NCI) | |
| 2008–2010 | Sandra Barth-Schweikart, PhD |
| Current position: Senior Manager Scientific Affairs, PharmLex Gmbh, Frankfurt, Germany | |
| 2005–2010 | Kristen Tracy, PhD, Committee on Cancer Biology |
| Current position: Senior staff scientist, Biomarin Pharmaceuticals, CA | |
| 2007–2011 | Danielle Glick, PhD, Committee on Cancer Biology |
| Current position: Head of Computational Biology at Switchback Systems | |
| 2010–2013 | Marina Sharifi, MD, PhD, Committee on Cancer Biology (MSTP program) |
| Current position: Assistant Professor, The University of Wisconsin | |
| 2010–2015 | Michelle (Beaton) Boland, PhD, Committee on Molecular Metabolism |
| Current position: Senior Research Scientist, Gubra | |
| 2012–2016 | Aparajita Chourasia, PhD, Committee on Cancer Biology |
| Current position: Vice-President, BioTheryx Inc., San Diego | |
| 2011–2016 | Lauren (Olson) Drake, PhD, Committee on Molecular Medicine & Pathology |
| Current position: Senior Scientist, Abbott Pharmaceuticals | |
| 2013–2016 | Erin Mowers, MD, PhD, ISTP program |
| Current position: Clinical Fellow, University of Pittsburgh | |
| 2014–2019 | Maya Zafrir Springer, PhD, Committee on Cancer Biology |
| Current position: Senior Scientist Applied Research, Abbott Pharmaceuticals | |
| 2015–2021 | Logan Poole, PhD, Committee on Cancer Biology |
| 2020–2021 | Georgina Mancinelli, PhD |
| Current position: Scientist, Stealth Biotechnology, Chicago |