Team

Vipul Shukla, Ph.D.

Vipul was born and raised in a modest family residing in New Delhi, India. After obtaining his undergraduate education studying Zoology at Hindu College, Delhi University he completed his master’s in Toxicology at Jamia Hamdard University in Delhi. He then moved to the states to join, late Dr. Runqing Lu’s lab at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebraska (2011) to begin his formal research training focusing on molecular mechanisms controlling B lymphocyte development and their perturbations in associated malignancies. Continuing on with his interests in Immunology and Cancer Biology, Vipul joined (in 2016) the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in La Jolla, California for his post-doctoral training under the mentorship of Dr. Anjana Rao where he studied roles of cytosine modifications and alternative DNA structures in the genome.  Vipul is very passionate about training  young scientists and working with them has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his career. When not thinking about science, Vipul loves to watch (and play) sports (all kinds), dance along with his kids (when no one is watching, that is very important), and learn about astronomy, history, politics and cultures.

Ajay Abraham Ph.D., Research Associate

Ajay received his Ph.D. from Christian Medical College- Vellore, India where he worked on the mechanisms of drug resistance in leukemia with special reference to cytarabine resistance in acute myeloid leukemia. He moved to the States for postdoctoral training at University of Alabama at Birmingham and then to University of Florida, studying malignant hematopoiesis. Ajay’s research interest lies in understanding how genetic and epigenetic deregulation in leukemic stem cell compartments contribute to disease relapse and resistance to therapeutic interventions. Ajay has presented his work at American Society of Hematology annual meetings and has published his work in reputed journals. Ajay joined us in December 2021, to continue his research in hematological malignancies leading to original and clinically relevant discoveries. He is passionate about teaching and mentoring next generation scientists and bio-medics.  Ajay likes to spend his free time with family and loves to read non-fiction. He plans to rekindle his passion for photography in coming years.

Roxroy (Roy) Morgan, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Fellow

Roy got his Ph.D. in 2022 from the University of Chicago. His research involved identifying new roles for the transcription factor ETS1 in the maturation of invariant natural killer T cells. Broadly, Roy is interested in developmental biology and understanding how regulatory mechanisms at the genomic level contribute to gene expression. In his free time, Roy is an avid cook and baker and enjoys exploring all of Chicago’s attractions. Despite being a native Californian, Winter is still his favorite season of the year.

Isabella Han, Research Technologist

Bella graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Biochemistry & Biophysics. She was born in South Korea and lived there until she was in middle school, after which she moved to the Chicagoland area. She hopes to utilize her undergraduate training in researching about epigenetics and immunology in the Shukla Lab. In her free time, Bella likes playing badminton, tennis, and piano, and swimming. She also enjoys playing various computer games.

Heather Kligfeld, Clinical Fellow

Heather was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She attended the University of Central Florida where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Microbiology. She went on to obtain a medical degree in osteopathic medicine at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine. After she earned her doctorate degree in 2018, she moved to Chicago to train at Loyola University Medical Center to become a pediatrician. She became board certified in Pediatrics in 2021. Heather is now specializing in Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Her project focuses on the role of HMCES in stressed hematopoiesis. When she is not in the lab or taking care of patients, she enjoys cycling through the city and lake front trail, trying the many incredible restaurants around Chicago, and spending time with her husband and friends. When she is able, she flies to FL for quality time with her family and in-laws.

Prathyaya Ramesh, Graduate Student

Prathyaya is a PhD student in the Driskill Graduate Program (DGP). She graduated from Loyola University at Chicago with a B.S. in Biology and a Minor in Bioethics. Prior to her PhD, she worked as a Research Technician at Dr. Caroline Le Poole’s laboratory at Northwestern University studying the etiology of vitiligo, melanoma, lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and the development of designing immunotherapeutics for these conditions. She is excited to combine her experience in cancer biology and immunology with her interest in epigenetics and developmental biology. In her free time, Prathyaya pursues Bharatantyam, and enjoys drawing and writing poetry.

Mi Thao Tran, Undergraduate Intern

Mi is a sophomore at Northwestern majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry. She was born in Chicago and has stayed close to home since. As an aspiring researcher, she hopes to continue studying biomedicine in the future, and perhaps even dabble in a little biochemistry here and there along the way. Besides focusing on her rigorous studies, she loves to be on the badminton court with her friends or play on the cello to relax. There are also days where she simply just likes to sit back and relax in front of her aquariums or care for her plants as a way to wind down for the day.

Rebecca Schmitz (MSTP student, Rotating)
Rebecca Schmitz is a second-year MD/PhD student in the Medical Scientist Training Program. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2021 with a B.S. in Molecular Biology and Sociology. She is excited to learn more about immunology and molecular biology techniques with the Shukla Lab! When she’s not in the lab or studying for med school exams, Rebecca can be found exploring Chicago’s restaurants, baking something sweet, going to concerts and musicals, or curled up with a good book and a cup of tea.

Interested in joining our team?

 

 

Previous Lab Members

Leeber Lichtor, Undergraduate Intern

Leeber studied Biology and Economics at Northwestern and worked in the Shukla Lab as an undergraduate intern during his sernior year. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Leeber is the youngest of four siblings, and he is very close with all three of his older siblings. Additionally Leeber is an avid tennis (go Federer!), Chicago Bears, and NU sports fan. When not in lab or the classroom, Leeber could always be found running outside–no matter the conditions–or playing tennis.  

Rebecca Southern, Graduate Student

Rebecca is a PhD candidate in the Driskill Graduate Program (DGP). She graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and M.S. in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in 2015. Prior to starting her PhD, she worked as a research assistant in Dr. Pat Levitt’s laboratory at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles studying brain development and synapse formation. She is excited to learn all things immunology and B cell biology in the Shukla laboratory. Her project involves investigating the metabolism of B cell receptor isotypes in the context of B cell lymphomas. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys hiking, camping, playing tennis, trying new restaurants in Chicago, and singing with the student a cappella group.