Team
Aaron Meyer, Principal Investigator
Ph. D., Biological Engineering, MIT
B.S., Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles
Aaron is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering and a member of the Bioinformatics IDP, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Broad Stem Cell Research Center, and Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences. He strives to learn how we can use computational models to control biological systems and treat disease. Outside of the lab, he can be found consuming anything that might be considered science fiction, reading about the philosophy/history of science, or cycling in the Santa Monica mountains.
Farnaz Mohammadi, Graduate Student
B.Sc. Bioelectrical Engineering, University of Tehran
Farnaz joined the lab in September 2018 as a Ph.D. student with an interest in mathematical analysis to study cancer-immune cell communication. In her free time, she likes mountain climbing and watercolor painting.
Cyrillus Tan, Graduate Student
B.S. Biology & Computer Science, Emory University
Cyrillus is a Bioinformatics Ph.D. student. His research interests include developing computational methods and models to understand biological systems. Aspiring traveler, amateur musician, financial analyst with no actual experience, know-it-all wannabe.
Brian Orcutt-Jahns, Graduate Student
B.S. Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles
Brian is a Ph.D. student who joined the lab during Summer 2019. Brian completed his B.S. in Bioengineering at UCLA, where he conducted research as a member of the Kasko group. Brian’s research interests include computational analysis of cellular signaling pathways and their processing dynamics, as well as the utility of these models in the process of drug discovery. His interests outside of the lab include playing soccer, lifting weights, and watching cooking shows.
Jackson Chin, Graduate Student
B.S. Bioengineering, University of Washington
Jackson is a Ph.D. student who joined the lab during Fall 2020. He joins the lab from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he researched using metabolomics to predict type 1 diabetes onset. Jackson’s research interests include developing interpretable deep learning methods for understanding the mechanisms of cancer. Outside of lab, Jackson is an avid soccer fan, board game collector, burrito connoisseur, and foodie.
Andrew Ramirez, Graduate Student
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis
Andrew is a Bioengineering Ph.D. student who joined in Fall 2021. In his free time, Andrew is an avid Netflix/Hulu watcher for shows like Modern Family, Dragon Ball Z, and Parks and Recreation, loves boba, and enjoys walking his pitbull Misty.
Michelle Loui, Graduate Student
M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Arizona State University
B.S.E., Biomedical Engineering, Arizona State University
Michelle joined the lab in Spring 2022 as a bioengineering Ph.D. student. During her earlier studies, she worked on developing an injectable polymer for treating cerebral aneurysms and researched the extreme properties of amyloid materials through individual fibril analysis. Her research interests include therapeutic resistance in cancer. Outside of the lab, Michelle enjoys playing Animal Crossing and Mario Kart, consuming sweets, and volunteering at the West LA animal shelter.
Meera Trisal, Graduate Student
B.S., Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
Meera is an M.S. student who joined the lab in Fall 2022. Before coming to UCLA, Meera worked at Stanford University where she studied the mechanisms underlying the adaptive immune response to vaccination. In her free time, Meera enjoys spending time with friends, reading, playing soccer, dancing, and binge-watching TV.
Armaan Abraham, Undergraduate Student
Armaan is an undergraduate student majoring in biophysics and computer science. He is interested in computational modeling, biological measurement, and nanoengineering. He enjoys science fiction, weightlifting, and the beach.
Emily Lin, Undergraduate Student
Emily is an undergraduate student majoring in bioengineering. She is interested in computational approaches to immunotherapeutic research, tissue engineering, and pharmaceutical engineering. Outside of academics, she enjoys consuming and creating fiction and stories in all forms, including novels, movies, and video games.
Ethan Hung, Undergraduate Student
Ethan is an undergraduate student majoring in Computational & Systems Biology who joined the lab in Fall 2021. He’s interested in computational approaches to biological data and more broadly, how they can be applied in medicine. Outside the lab, he’s a big foodie, loves playing tennis and rock climbing, and spends his free time folding origami and watching Netflix.
Victoria Gong, Undergraduate Student
Victoria is an undergraduate student majoring in biochemistry. She is interested in cancer-related immunology research, protein engineering and structural analysis, and drug discovery/design. In her free time, she enjoys archery and singing.
Het Desai, Undergraduate Student
Het is a Bioengineering undergraduate student who joined the lab in Fall 2022. He works on the cancer serology project investigating the properties of anti-tumor antibodies. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and camping, checking out the food scene in LA, and watching sitcoms and whodunnits.