Team
Aaron Meyer, Principal Investigator
Ph. D., Biological Engineering, MIT
B.S., Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles
Aaron is an Assistant 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.
Marc Creixell, Graduate Student
M.S., Biomedical Sciences, Imperial College London
B.S., Biotechnology, University of Barcelona
Marc is a Ph.D. student in Bioengineering. While a visiting master’s student in the Yaffe lab at MIT, Marc studied novel functional sites in protein kinases and how cancer mutations perturb these sites in many of them to contribute to malignancy and drug resistance. His interest lies in kinase biology, cellular signal integration, and cancer precision medicine. Outside the lab, Marc enjoys running, nature, and traveling.
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.
Scott Taylor, Development Engineer
B.S. Cell & Molecular Biology, University of California, Los Angeles