Meet Our Team
Saba Parvez, PhD
Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Saba grew up in rural Assam, a picturesque state in the northeastern corner of India. During high school, he was awarded a scholarship by the Pestalozzi International Village Trust, a UK-based charity that believes in offering life-changing educational opportunities to young people from underprivileged communities around the world. This allowed him to complete his final two years of high school education in the UK and opened the doors to subsequent undergraduate education from Bates College and graduate education from Cornell University. Saba received his PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology under the mentorship of Dr. Yimon Aye. He then pursued his postdoctoral training in Dr. Randall Peterson’s lab at the University of Utah. Saba is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of scientists. Given his personal journey and humble upbringing, he is especially committed to mentoring students and trainees from underprivileged backgrounds. When not in the lab, Saba enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, cooking, and watching sci-fi/fantasy and Bollywood movies.
Julia Florek Carlson
Research Technologist
Julia is a recent graduate from the University of Notre Dame, where she earned her BS in Biochemistry. She previously worked in the Stack Lab at Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute, where she studied and wrote a thesis on the expression and regulation of human endogenous retroviruses in ovarian cancer. Her research interests include the genetic modulation of signaling pathways and metabolic dysregulation in disease. Beyond research, Julia enjoys playing violin, running, rock climbing, and taking her dog Louie for walks. She is excited to be back in her hometown of Chicago after college.
Claire Stockard
Research Technologist
Claire is a Chicago native and graduated with a BS in Biology from UCLA in 2022. While at UCLA, she earned her EMT license and after graduating went on to work at a wound care clinic in Compton, California. With plans to attend medical school in the future, her academic interests include genetic mechanisms and cellular differentiation. In her free time, Claire enjoys skiing, crocheting, and riding horses.
Tilda Carlelycke
Undergraduate Researcher
Tilda is a senior at North Park University, pursuing her BS in Biochemistry. During her junior year, she worked as a research assistant in a lab focused on protein purification and docking studies of Riboflavin Kinases. The following summer, she joined a research assistantship as part of NASA’s AERONET network, where she analyzed Aerosol Optical Depth measurements and aerosol characteristics to predict poor air quality. After graduation, Tilda plans to continue her passion for research by implementing the skills she is learning in the Parvez lab and applying to a doctoral program. Outside of research, she has a passion for culinary arts, including cooking, baking, wine tasting, and exploring international cuisines.
Nina Brown
Graduate Researcher
Nina was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia where she first grew her passion for translational research. She then completed her B.S. at The Howard University and subsequently completed her Masters in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental biology at The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor through the Pathways Program. Nina has a particular interest in the mechanisms of complex disease regulation and as a second year DGP student, she works on CRISPR tool development and disease pathology research using the zebrafish model in the Parvez lab. In her free time, Nina enjoys gaming, reading fantasy. and going on walks with her dog Waffles.
Previous Lab Members
Magdalena Sotelo
Rotation Student-2024
Magdalena completed her BA in Molecular Biology at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Currently, she is a rotating student in the Driskill Graduate Program at Northwestern University. She is interested in epigenetics, RNA biology, and basic molecular mechanisms of disease. Outside of the lab, Magdalena enjoys spending time outdoors, running, boxing, and cooking for friends and family. She grew up in Chicago and identifies as a first-generation Mexican American.