Brat Lab Department of Pathology

Ling-Kai is from Taiwan and received his B.S. from National Taiwan University. He moved to the U.S. in 2018 and received an M.S. in Neurobiology from Northwestern University where he studied the relationship between sleep and circadian disruption and Alzheimer’s diseases using a Drosophila model. He continued his studies by joining the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience (NUIN) Ph.D. program and the Brat Lab. He is currently investigating mechanisms on hypoxic regulation of self-renewing pathways in glioma stem cells. He hopes to expand these findings into translational research involving human GBM therapeutics.

Jiabo is from China and received his B.S in Clinical Medicine from Shanxi Medical University in 2017 and obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in Neurosurgery (Neuro-Oncology) from Tianjin Medical University in 2022. His previous research involved disrupting interactions between glioma stem cells (GSCs) and immunosuppressive components within the glioblastoma (GBM) microenvironment using a novel multi-targeted agent, ACT001. Further investigations pursued unique necrosis-related immune dysregulation, uncovering potential prognostic biomarkers for immunosuppression in GBM. He will continue investigating GSC regulation in GBM using in vitro and in vivo model systems focusing on interplay between GSCs, tumor-associated macrophages/microglia (TAMs), hypoxia, and necrosis, as well as unraveling necrosis-driven mechanisms that influence GSC behavior in the perinecrotic niche.

Tommy is a third-year MD student at the Feinberg School of Medicine. He graduated in 2020 from the University of Alabama with a BS in Biology and a minor in chemistry research methods. His current project in the Brat lab involves macrophage-glioma interactions and the Hippo signaling pathway. He also conducts projects in glioblastoma clinical outcomes with a group at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Tommy hopes to do his residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.

Luis is an MD student at the Feinberg School of Medicine. He is originally from the coffee-growing axis of Colombia. He graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Rice University in 2015 and an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University in 2023. He previously conducted computational and wet lab research on improving chronic skin wounds. His current project in the Brat lab involves the exploration of the source of cells that lead to resistance and recurrence of glioblastoma after treatment. He is very passionate about pathology and is the current president of the pathology interest group at the medical school.

Erika is a Northwestern undergraduate student (Class of 2027) currently double-majoring in Biological Sciences and Global Health on the pre-medicine track. She was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, to Guatemalan and Japanese parents and now resides in South Bend, Indiana. Erika enjoys performing the piano and violin in addition to competitive cake-decorating in her spare time. 

Puja is an undergraduate student at Northwestern University majoring in Biology with plans to pursue a career in medicine. Originally from London, England, her family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where they have resided ever since. In the Brat Lab, Puja’s current research focuses on exploring the overlap of glioblastoma stem cells and quiescent cells, as well as examining the impact of irradiation, hypoxia, and tumor-associated macrophages on cellular quiescence.