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People

Everett Moding, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Moding is a physician scientist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University. He received his bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Colorado College in 2008 where he performed population genetics and analytical chemistry research. He completed the Medical Scientist Training Program at Duke University School of Medicine in 2015. For his PhD, Dr. Moding worked in the laboratory of Dr. David Kirsch studying the mechanisms regulating tumor response to radiation therapy. He performed his postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Maximilian Diehn at Stanford University as part of the Holman Research Pathway using circulating tumor DNA to monitor the response of patients with lung cancer to radiation therapy.

emoding@stanford.edu

Ziwei Wang, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

Dr. Wang received her BE in biopharmaceutics at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. She obtained her PhD in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis, where she worked in the laboratory of Dr. Patricia Oteiza investigating the mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of (-)-epicatechin on high-fat-induced intestinal permeability and endotoxemia. She currently works as a postdoctoral fellow, establishing a platform to rapidly validate the functional impact of genetic alterations in tumor cells and potential therapeutic targets in the stromal cells of primary tumors. She is as passionate about working in the lab as she is about enjoying nature by doing outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, travelling, and trying out new foods.

wangzw@stanford.edu

Ajay Subramanian, BS

Bioinformatician

Ajay received his degree in bioinformatics with a minor in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. He has always been interested in statistics, never failing to have the box score up in games. Machine learning and computational research in undergrad peaked his interest into the world of data science and cancer research. Using data to help solve problems is his passion and cancer biology is his deep interest. He was previously at Moffitt Cancer Hospital and worked on various projects including using patient gene expression data to develop a model for personalized radiation therapy. He also loves visual arts, basketball, and football, and he enjoys nature by scuba diving and hiking while avoiding getting lost.

ajayss@stanford.edu

Shaghayegh Soudi, PhD

Research Scientist

Dr. Soudi earned her PhD in evolutionary biology from Germany. After finishing her PhD, she spent several years as a postdoctoral research fellow in Canada and USA studying the evolutionary genomics of adaptation to stressful environments and convergent-parallel evolution where she developed a deep interest in understanding the role of evolution in shaping cancer. Her major areas of interest include the discovery of novel cancer genes, the identification of somatic mutation processes operative in tumors, and the characterization of patterns of tumor progression and treatment resistance using multi-omics data. Her ultimate goal is to discover fundamental principles in evolutionary biology of cancer to inform the future design and application of novel therapeutic options to directly address tumor evolution.

 

shsoudi@stanford.edu

Stefano Testa, MD

Oncology Fellow

Dr. Testa completed his Internal Medicine residency at Stanford University, and he is currently an Oncology Fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is interested in solid tumor oncology, and specifically sarcomas and immunotherapy. A native of Italy, he obtained his medical degree at the University of Naples “Federico II”, and moved to the USA in 2019 to start his post-doc in the Ronald Levy lab at Stanford University where he studied a novel type of immunotherapy – intratumoral vaccination – with a specific focus on mRNA vaccines. He plans a career as a physician scientist working at the bench and at the bedside to develop novel immunotherapy strategies for patients with sarcoma.

testa21@stanford.edu

Marina Francis, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

Dr. Francis earned her BS in Biology at Notre Dame University – Louaize. She completed her MS in Physiology and PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the American University of Beirut, where she worked in Dr. Youssef Zeidan’s lab investigating the role of the sphingolipid-modifying enzyme SMPDL3b in radiation nephropathy. Her research interests revolve around improving cancer treatment outcomes and patients’ quality of life by optimizing radiation therapy, combined treatment strategies, and personalized precision oncology. She is also interested in identifying biomarkers of cancer initiation, therapy-induced tumor response, and collateral treatment-associated toxicities. In her postdoctoral work, she is using genomic analysis of patient samples and preclinical models to identify new targets that sensitize sarcoma to treatments like radiation and immunotherapy. Outside of work, she enjoys playing sports, traveling, cooking, and watching sitcoms and Formula 1.

marinasf@stanford.edu

Gregory Wu, BS

Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator

Gregory graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Molecular & Cell Biology. He previously was a Research Assistant under Professor Ashley Styczynski in the Division of Infectious Disease, where he studied risk factors for antibiotic resistance in developing countries. During his time at Berkeley, he was a Clinical Research Assistant at the Golden Bear Sleep & Mood Research Clinic, aiding in a study to promote positive circadian outcomes, and a Research Intern for CatenaBio, a biotech startup. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, producing music, exploring restaurants, and watching football, basketball, and Formula 1.

gswu@stanford.edu

Luke Sylvester, BS

Research Assistant

Luke grew up in Ventura, California and earned his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from CSU Channel Islands. After gaining experience in industry, he returned to academia and joined the Biomolecular Engineering Department at UC Santa Cruz. As a Junior Specialist there he studied the molecular mechanisms underlying Wolbachia infection, which is an endosymbiotic bacterium with promising potential for controlling diseases like dengue fever. Luke plans to pursue a PhD in Bioinformatics with a focus on advancing precision medicine. Outside the lab, he’s an avid baker (his partner and dog are happy taste testers) and a loyal fantasy reader!

l2825@stanford.edu

Mattias de los Rios Rogers, BS

Rotation Student

Mattias grew up in Berkeley, California and received his BS in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Bioinformatics from the University of California, Los Angeles. At UCLA, he worked in the lab of Dr. Thomas Graeber where he studied the biology of aneuploidy in prostate cancer. He is currently working to understand determinants of radiation resistance and sensitivity in sarcoma. Outside of lab, he enjoys hiking, backpacking, squash, and spending time with friends..

mdelosriosrogers@stanford.edu

Former Lab Members

Max Devine, BS

Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator

Max is attending medical school at the University of Nebraska.

TJ Sears, BS

Bioinformatician

TJ joined the Bioinformatics and Systems Biology PhD Program at the University of California San Diego.

Erik Blomain, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

Dr. Blomain is a physician scientist on the faculty at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.

Tim Ellis-Caleo, MD

Medicine Resident

Dr. Ellis-Caleo is completing his Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Stanford University.

Eniola Oladipo, BS

Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator

Eniola is studying Global Health and Epidemiology in graduate school.

Anish Somani

Student Intern

Anish joined the Stanford Chemistry PhD program.

Serey Nouth, BS

Postbaccalaureate Researcher

Serey joined the MSTP program at the University of California Los Angeles.

Agnes Ewongwo, MD, MPH

Radiation Oncology Resident

Dr. Ewongwo joined the faculty at UT Southwestern.

Claire Johns, MD

Pediatric Oncology Fellow

Dr. Johns joined the faculty at Stanford.

Nadia Silvia, BS

Research Assistant

Nadia is attending graduate school at UC Berkeley.

Cierra Hong, MD

Orthopaedic Surgery Resident

Dr. Hong is completing an orthopaedic oncology fellowship.

Faith Ryu, BS

Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator

Faith is attending medical school at Dartmouth.