Lab Members

Principal Investigator and Lab Director

Peter Marinkovich, MD

Principal Investigator and Lab Director

Dr. Peter Marinkovich received his dermatology training at Oregon Health Sciences University, and his research training in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Burgeson on discovery/characterization of type VII collagen, the target of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and laminin-332 the target in most cases of junctional epidermolysis bullosa. Dr. Marinkovich later joined the faculty at Stanford University and the National Epidermolysis Bullosa Registry. Dr. Marinkovich directs the Bullous Diseases Clinic at Stanford, where he is known as one of the leading epidermolysis bullosa clinical experts, as well as a Bullous Diseases Laboratory, where he has been a leader in the study of basement membrane biology and molecular therapy of epidermolysis bullosa. Dr. Marinkovich is also an expert on autoimmune bullous diseases, including pemphigus, pemphigoid and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. His group has taken the three leading dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa gene therapy programs from preclinical to phase 3 clinical trials including an autologous gene therapy skin graft technology licensed to Abeona Therapeutics, an autologous fibroblast gene therapy in partnership with CastleCreek, and a topical gene therapy in partnership with Krystal Biotech. The latter study, published in Nature Medicine and the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022, became first FDA approved gene therapy for epidermolysis bullosa in May 2023. When he is not in the lab or clinic, he enjoys hiking, backpacking and cycling outdoors, weightlifting, reading, traveling and playing music with his friends.

 

Current Lab Members

Kunju Sridhar, PhD

Basic Life Science Research Scientist 

Kunju obtained her Ph.D in Biophysics from National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. She has been part of Stanford University School of Medicine as a postdoctoral fellow, Research Scientist in the field of stem cell biology, genomics, proteomics, translational and clinical research. She has been part of this team since 2016. In her personal time, she likes to cook, garden, hike and spend time with family and friends.

 

John Dolorito, MS

Life Science Research Professional

John has a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science from FEU-NRMF, Philippines and has a master's in Biomedical Laboratory Operation from MSU, MI. He is a member of PAMET NORCAL and has an ASCPi certification for international CLS. His work at Marinkovich lab is mostly protein purification for developing topical protein therapy for DEB patients. He likes playing basketball and run a Photobooth (Shots Photobooth) business with his wife on his free time.

Isin Sinem Bagci, MD

Basic Life Science Research Scientist

Sinem graduated from the Medical School of Baskent University, Ankara, in 2009. She completed two dermatology residencies, one in Istanbul and the other in Munich, where she specialized in autoimmune blistering diseases and skin imaging techniques. She joined the Marinkovich Lab in 2019. Sinem's hobbies include road biking, hiking, and skiing.

Neha Momin, BS

Life Science Research Professional

Neha graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2022 with a B.S. in Communication Sciences & Disorders with a specialization in audiology. She has lead skin cancer research efforts for POC in Austin and has also been involved in studies relating to maternal mental health. Neha is a member of the inagural REACH Post-Baccaleaureate program at Stanford and joined the Marinkovich lab in 2022 to pursue her interest in dermatology research. In her free time Neha enjoys going to soul cycle and trying new restaurants. 

Pragya Tripathi, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher

Pragya Tripathi is a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Marinkovich’s lab. She pursued her Ph. D from the Centre for Molecular Medicine, J.N.U, India, where she worked on drug development targeting KRAS in radiotherapy for cancer. In Marinkovich’s lab, she is studying the impact of COL7A1 gene therapy on SCC recurrence in RDEB skin. She enjoys playing guitar, swimming, badminton, and hiking in her free time.

Jim Cimino, BS

Clinical Research Coordinator

Jim graduated from Purdue University in 2018 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in devices and computational modeling. He has since worked in various medical departments, including emergency, transplant, and dermatology. In his personal time, he likes to explore San Francisco, cheer on the Warriors, and participate in his general aviation flying club.

Irina Gurevich, PhD

Basic Life Science Research Scientist

Irina is a multidisciplinary research scientist with an expertise in immunology, translational, and preclinical studies. She was born in Moscow, Russia, before relocating to Israel. In Israel, she earned an Engineering Degree and a Master's in Biotechnology from Tel Aviv University, and went on to pursue a PhD in Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot. Irina joined Dr. Marinkovich's lab as a scientist and was leading preclinical research focused on in vivo gene therapy for EB, all while contributing to various projects related to skin diseases in the lab. Beyond the lab, Irina is a mother of three children, and loves music, travel, spending time in nature, hosting friends, and savoring good food in the company of friends.

Vera Morhenn, MD

Collaborator

Dr. Vera Morhenn is a dermatologist who in the past did research on psoriasis and hypothesized that this disease has an immune basis. She also helped to develop a novel method to isolate intact RNA from human skin. Currently, she's interested in elucidating the mechanism(s) involved in wound healing.

Tatum La

Undergraduate Student Research Assistant

Tatum is a Stanford senior majoring in Human Biology with a concentration in Biomedical Innovation and Communication. She is interested in combining medicine and technology to improve patient care. Her work in the lab focuses on the digital imaging and analysis of epidermolysis bullosa wounds. Outside of dermatology, she is passionate about art, biodesign, and entrepreneurship. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting with fashion and making sushi.

Angela Sun, BS

Student Research Assistant

Angela graduated from UC Berkeley in 2023, majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. Her work in the Marinkovich lab focuses on analyzing the relationship between C7 and RDEB patients. In her free time, Angela likes to travel, read, and explore new restaurants and cafes. 

Past Lab Members

  • Amrita Ramkumar
  • Vamsi Yemamandra
  • Sucharita Boddu
  • Vijay Kumar Soundarapandian
  • Vishesha Kakarla
  • Aruna Azameera
  • Nazanin Ehsani-Chimeh
  • Jessica M. Fuhriman
  • Linette Jimenez
  • Martin Manoukian
  • Ngon Nguyen
  • Anusha Ponakala
  • Jennifer Wang
  • Marten CG Winge
  • Zhenjie Xu
  • Ricardo Azevedo-Pereira
  • Haritha K. Duggireddy Lakshmireddy
  • Javier Fernandez-Alcudia

Department of Dermatology
Stanford University School of Medicine
455 Broadway, Discovery Hall
Redwood City, CA 94063