Current Monje Lab Members

Pamelyn Woo

With a spirit of inquiry, Pam found her way back to science after receiving a BA in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley and graduate work in film studies at the University of Chicago.  She has been a neuroscience research assistant at Stanford since 2010 working on a variety of in vivo projects.  Currently she focuses on colony management, behavior, and translational research on pediatric brain tumors.

Anitha Ponnuswami

Anitha graduated with a Master's degree in Cell & Molecular Biology. She is very passionate about her research. She joined the Monje lab in early 2012 as a Research Assistant and Lab manager. She is involved deeply in DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) research, studying it's heterogeneity using single cell molecular analyses and in vitro studies. She also plays an important role in the expansion and distribution of DIPG tumor cell lines around the world.

Lijun Ni

Lijun’s research experience includes 15 years of being a research associate at Indiana University Cancer Center. She has a Master’s Degree in Biotechnology. In the Monje Lab, Lijun focuses on quantitative microscopy, including electron microscopy (EM), as well as cell culture work. Since her move to the west coast, Lijun enjoys exploring the scenic wonders of the Bay Area during frequent road trips with her family.

Erin Gibson, PhD

After receiving her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Duke University, Erin obtained her PhD in Psychology-Neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley in 2011.  Her current research focuses on the role of neuronal activity in the maturation of neural circuits during development.  Specifically, her research investigates the effect of neural activity on the proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells and their subsequent differentiation into functional oligodendrocytes and myelin.  Ultimately, the project aims to understand the underlying interactions between neuronal activity and glial cell maturation in order to provide insight into possible mechanisms and treatments for the deleterious side effects of cancer treatment on brain physiology and function.

Juliet Knowles, MD, PhD

Juliet is a PGY5 Pediatric Neurology resident at Stanford Children's Hospital. She completed her MD and PhD training in the laboratory of Dr. Frank Longo at Stanford, and she looks forward to a fellowship in Epilepsy at Stanford after residency. Currently, Juliet is using optogenetics and other methods to study the effects of seizures upon myelin plasticity, in collaboration with Dr. John Huguenard's lab. 

Anna Geraghty, PhD

Belgin Yalcin, PhD

Belgin received her PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2016, after completing an undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Istanbul Technical University in 2011. In the Monje lab, her research focuses on understanding myelin plasticity of the brain. Specifically, she is investigating the basis of heterogeneity in the response of myelin-forming cells to neuronal activity.

Katy Taylor, PhD

After graduating from the University of Portsmouth with a BSc in Biomedical Science, Katy started her career in cancer research by investigating kinase inhibition in rhabdomyosarcomas. Katy obtained her PhD from the Institute of Cancer Research/University of London in 2016, where she studied translational genomics of diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. Her current research within the Monje Lab focuses on the interaction between pediatric gliomas and their microenvironment. In particular, she studies the neurodevelopmental mechanisms which are leveraged by glioma cells to advance their own progression.

Marlene Arzt, MD

Marlene is a Neurology resident at the University Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. She received her MD from the University of Heidelberg in 2014 and has spent the last years working with Neuro-Oncology patients at the Heidelberg University Hospital and NCT (National Center for Tumor Diseases) of Heidelberg.

After spending two years (2010-2012) at the Max Planck Florida Institute to study neuronal networks in somatosensory cortex, her current work in the Monje-Lab  focuses on neuron-glioma cell interaction and its role in driving tumor proliferation in glioma.   

Yuan Pan, PhD

After graduating from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with a B.S. in Biochemistry, Yuan studied membrane protein trafficking in the retina as a PhD student at University of Iowa. She started her career as a postdoc in David Gutmann’s lab to investigate how immune cells shape the microenvironment that drive glioma growth. In the Monje lab, Yuan continues exploring her research interests in glioma microenvironment. Specifically, she will determine the role of neuronal cells on the pathogenesis of pediatric low-grade gliomas, using mouse models of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1). 

Christopher Mount
Neuroscience Program

Chris graduated from the University of Washington in 2011 with a B.S. in Bioengineering. He is currently a Stanford MSTP student and a member of the Neuroscience graduate program. In the Monje lab, his work is focused on heterogeneity in oligodendrocyte progenitor populations and their responses to cortical neuronal activity. Ultimately he aims to complete his training as a physician-scientist and bring a better understanding of neural development to bear on the host of neurological diseases that continue to elude treatment.

Grant Lin
Neuroscience Program

Grant graduated from Indiana University in 2012 with a dual B.S. in Biochemistry and Neuroscience.  Currently, he is a Stanford MSTP student in the Neurosciences PhD program.  His research focus is on the interactions of microglia, neurons, and glial precursor cell populations.  Specifically, he is interested in studying how different phenotypes of microglial subpopulations affect their local environment and neighboring cells, and how these interactions may lend insight into disease states and regeneration strategies.

Humsa Venkatesh
Cancer Biology Program

Humsa Venkatesh is a third year graduate student in the cancer biology program. She received her B.S. from University of California, Berkeley in Chemical Biology, and has since been working in the realm of cancer research. In the Monje lab, Humsa uses in vitro glioma model systems to study various cellular interactions within the tumor microenvironment. Humsa hopes to elucidate these interaction mechanisms with the aim of identifying new targets for glioma therapeutics.

James Lennon
Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program

James is a PhD candidate in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. He graduated from Stony Brook University in 2013 where he studied Biomedical Engineering. His research is focused on understanding the mechanisms responsible for brain tumor formation. In particular, he studies the cell-intrinsic vs. microenvironmental factors that cause neural stem/progenitor cells to transform into tumor-initiating cells using a mouse model of Neurofibromatosis type I.

Surya Nagaraja
Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program

Surya graduated from the University of Michigan in 2013 with a B.S. in Cellular & Molecular Biology and Pure Mathematics. He is an MSTP student intending to join the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine program. His research will study epigenetic state transitions in oligodendrocyte differentiation with the intent to gain insight towards the development of pediatric gliomas. He hopes to build knowledge in the basic developmental biology of glial cells as a first step towards better understanding pediatric brain tumors and developing targeted therapies.

Shawn M. Gillespie
Cancer Biology Program

Shawn graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 2009 with a B.S. in human biology and anthropology. Before attending Stanford, he spent several years in Boston studying chromatin regulation in cancer. As a PhD student in the Cancer Biology program, Shawn is interested in better understanding how cancer cells interact with one another and with normal cells of the microenvironment. In the Monje lab, he is focused on elucidating mechanisms mediating neural regulation of pediatric high-grade glioma pathophysiology.

Razina Aziz-Bose

Razina graduated from Amherst College in 2014 with a BA in Neuroscience. Before starting medical school at Stanford, she spent two years conducting research at Massachusetts General Hospital. In the Monje lab, Razina studies pediatric high-grade glioma invasion that is mediated by neural activity, with a strong interest in the therapeutic targets that will arise from a better understanding of this process. She hopes to pursue Child Neurology and continue research in the field.

Eleanor Frost

Eleanor is a Junior studying biology and art practice. She is currently investigating the impact of seizures on myelination. She hopes to pursue medicine and research in the future. 

Praveen N. Pallegar

Praveen is a sophomore at Stanford majoring in Symbolic Systems with a neuroscience concentration. He is currently investigating the role of neural activity in oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation and maturation following cancer treatment. He hopes to continue his love of research by attending an MD/PhD program after he graduates while pursuing his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.  Praveen is also very passionate about music and languages. He loves playing the piano and the violin and can converse in fifteen languages.

Jacob Joseph Greene

Jacob is a sophomore at Stanford majoring in Biology (neurology) and minoring in Political Science. Currently, he is investigating how cancer treatment affects oligodendrocyte precursor cell maturation. After his undergraduate education, he hopes to pursue a MD and MPH in hopes of becoming a physician. Outside of the lab, Jacob enjoys hiking and playing the saxophone.

Michael Quezada

Michael is a rising junior at Stanford studying bioengineering. His research focuses on specific epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to the development of DIPG. In his spare time, Michael enjoys playing soccer and keeping up avidly with the San Jose Sharks hockey team. One day he hopes to become a physician-scientist and see the Sharks hoist the Stanley Cup.

Caroline Soane

Caroline graduated from Stanford with a degree in Human Biology (Child Health and Development) and is spending a gap year researching the effects of seizures on myelin plasticity. Next year, Caroline hopes to attend medical school. 

Reem Ghanem

Reem is a senior studying Biology and Human Rights. In lab, she is studying the role of small molecules in the myelination process. In the future, she hopes to continue studying Neuro-Oncology, attend medical school and become a practicing surgeon while integrating her study of human rights and health disparities into her work. Outside of lab she loves to spend her time reading, watching stand-up comedy, playing sports, and searching for great music.