Lab Members
Bio
Marilou’s research interest has always been in host-pathogen interactions, working first in Bunyaviruses’s interactions with host cells in Ari Helenius lab (Zurich, Switzerland), and in Pierre-Yves Lozach’s lab (Montreal, Canada), then joining the fascinating field of malaria in Benoit Gamain’s lab (Paris, France) where she completed her Ph.D. degree in 2018. Her work focused on the relationship between hemoglobinopathies and pregnancy-associated malaria. In the Egan lab, Marilou is working on the development of a genetic screen in progenitor cells to identify new host factors important for Plasmodium falciparum. Outside the lab, she’s enjoying a lot exploring the wonderful nature of California through cycling, surfing, hiking and especially climbing.
Praveesh completed his Ph.D. at Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi, India). He has experience in organic chemical synthesis and molecular biology. Under the supervision of Prof. Suman Kumar Dhar, he studied the cell cycle of the malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) and worked on the optimization of water-soluble Artemisinin nanopreparations in the mouse model of malaria (Plasmodium berghei). He also helped in the synthesis and characterization of a novel class of hybrid antimalarial drug, CQ-CFX. In the Egan lab, Praveesh is interested in exploring essential host-parasite interactions taking place at the surface of the red blood cell during invasion. In the long term, he hopes to acquire enough skill to study and develop antimalarial vaccine antigens and improve existing vaccine formulations. He likes old movies and music before the late 90s. He enjoys biking, badminton, and photography.
Amara earned her Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Bradley at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focused on identifying and characterizing secreted dense granule proteins in the bradyzoite and tachyzoite stages of the opportunistic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii. Her work included understanding the impact these parasite effectors have on modulating the host response. As a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Egan’s laboratory, Amara aims to further investigate host-pathogen interactions, with a particular interest in those between Plasmodium falciparum and human erythrocytes. Outside the lab, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, relaxing at the beach, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Angel has always been curious about infectious diseases and host-pathogen interactions. She obtained her Ph.D. at University of California, Merced. There, as a member of the Jensen lab, she studied the interactions between Toxoplasma gondii parasite and naïve CD8 T cells, and discovered a unique pathway required for CD8 T cell activation and interferon-gamma production in response to T. gondii infections. As a postdoctoral scholar in the Egan lab, joined in 2021, she is exploring the role of erythrocyte factor CD44 and its involvement in Plasmodium falciparum invasion.
Chhaminder joined the lab in January 2023. She completed her PhD in Prof. Swati Patankar’s Lab at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, where she worked towards understanding the intricacies of the protein synthesis process amidst multiple upstream open reading frames in Plasmodium falciparum. During her time at the Patankar lab, she also studied another apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii focusing on translation regulation of bradyzoite differentiation. As a postdoctoral scholar in Egan lab, Chhaminder is interested in exploring the host cell responses to P. falciparum infection of erythroid progenitor cells, including the role played by the parasite effector proteins.
Daniel is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He earned his bachelor's degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University in 2019. There, he did his undergraduate thesis research on the within-host biological rhythms of Human African Trypanosomiasis. Daniel’s interest in parasitic infectious diseases brought him to the Egan Lab. Here, Daniel is investigating how specific inhibitors against red blood cell proteins have anti-parasitic properties. He hopes to understand critical pathways for P.falciparum invasion as potential host-directed antimalarial targets. Outside of the lab, Daniel likes going to beaches, long-boarding, and spending time with local family and friends.
Tim earned his bachelor's degree in Microbial Biology with Highest Distinction from UC Berkeley in 2023. During his undergraduate, he joined Prof. Fenyong Liu’s lab through the URAP program, where he investigated the relationship between the latent infection of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) and circRNAs. This research experience sparked his deep interest in host-pathogen interactions. In September 2023, Tim joined the Egan lab as a life science research professional. Here, he works closely with Marilou to validate the CRISPR screen through shRNA knockdowns and focuses on exploring the erythropoiesis process and malaria host factors.
Alumni
Mario Gonzalez Ramirez
Undergraduate Student
Stanford University Class of 2024
Nana Ansuah Peterson
Life Science Research Professional
Ph.D. Student in Microbiology and Immunology, admitted Autumn 2023
Tamar Feldman, Ph.D.
Graduate student
Postdoctoral Researcher in Transfusion Innovation at American Red Cross
Emily Ebel, Ph.D.
Christian Nguetse, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Healthcare Consultant at Alcimed
Chi Yong Kim, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
R&D Scientist
Bàrbara Baro Sastre, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Research Coordinator at Lihir Malaria Elimination
Carrie Lin, B.S.
Research Assistant
R&D Scientist
Bikash Shakya, Ph.D.
Posdoctoral Fellow
R&D Scientist at Asklepios BioPharmaceuticals
Phylicia Aaron, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Associate Scientific Director at Gradalis, Inc