Dr. Heather Christofk is Associate Director of Basic and Translational Research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is a Professor of Biological Chemistry at the David Geffen School of Medicine and Co-Director of the UCLA Metabolomics Center. Dr. Christofk earned a B.S. at UCLA in 2001 and a Ph.D. at Harvard in 2007. Her research focuses on metabolic transitions in cancer, virus infection, and differentiation, with the goal of developing novel treatment strategies. She is a Searle Scholar and recipient of the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, and an American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award. Along with Drs. Bill Lowry and Mike Jung, Dr. Christofk cofounded Pelage Pharmaceuticals, a company developing metabolic based treatments for baldness. Beyond her passion for science, Dr. Christofk enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and a beautiful golden retriever.
Sydney received a B.A.'s in Biological Sciences and in Chemistry from Cornell University, where she started her research career working with C. elegans in the Schroeder Lab. She went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology at the University of Pennsylvania in the laboratory of Dr. Kathryn Wellen. Sydney's thesis work focused on understanding how pancreatic cancer cells maintain UDP-GlcNAc levels under nutrient restriction. In the Christofk Lab, she studies nutrient regulation of tissue repair and carcinogenesis, particularly in the liver and pancreas. When not in the lab she can be found trying out new fitness activities or watching HGTV and knitting with her two cats.
Sara is an MD/PhD student from Louisville, KY. She received her B.S. in Chemistry at Stanford where she studied the molecular mechanisms of the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in the lab of Dr. Rajat Rohatgi. As a PhD student in the Christofk lab, she studies skeletal muscle and satellite cell metabolism and its connection to cell signaling. Outside the lab, she enjoys researching the effects of running, lifting, and eating copious amounts of baked goods on wellness.
Abby's research focuses on nutrient sensing and the interconnection between metabolism and cell signaling. Prior to starting her post-doctoral research, Abby completed her B.S. and PhD at UCLA.
Arissa is a rheumatology fellow in the Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) program at UCLA. She obtained her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency at Vanderbilt University. During her residency she worked in Jeffrey Rathmell's lab investigating lipid metabolism in CD4+ T cells. As a PhD student in the Christofk lab, she will be studying the adipocyte-to-mesenchymal-transition that has been implicated in the development of skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with her husband Alex and her daughter Adalyn, hiking, spinning, traveling, and trying new restaurants.
Houfu received his B.S in Medicine and Science with Honours, and a M.S. of Medical Sciences degree from the University of Hong Kong. Then, he went on to pursue his PhD in Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford in the UK, with supervision from Prof. Katja Simon (FMedSci). In the Christofk Lab, with the knowledge and experience from bedside to bench, he studies broadly investigating the role of diet and metabolism in bone cancer and cancer bone metastases, as well as studying metabolism in bone marrow niche development. In his spare time, he likes to swim, watch movies and travel across the country.
Blake received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Utah. He also received a Ph.D. from the University of Utah, where he researched the mechanisms by which cells sense glucose. He joined the Christofk lab in 2018 to study understanding metabolic rewiring in cancer, and currently focuses on mitochondrial respiration and kidney cancers. He enjoys reading, exploring the many museums and attractions in LA, and spending time with his wife and son.
César was born and raised in Juárez, México. He obtained his B.S. in cellular biochemistry from The University of Texas El Paso. When he was done at UTEP, he decided he wanted to experience a snowy North American winter, so he moved to Princeton where he joined Dorothea Fiedler's research group. He later followed Prof. Fiedler to the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology in Berlin, Germany, where the lab relocated in 2015. In the Fiedler group, César focused on using metabolomics to investigate the role of inositol polyphosphates in cellular homeostasis. After finishing his PhD, César joined the group of Heather Christofk at UCLA, deciding to venture into the exciting field of stem cell metabolism while also enjoying the sunny weather of Southern California. In the Christofk group, César focuses on investigating the metabolic cues that govern stem cell activity in vivo. In his spare time he likes to watch movies and explore the vast food scene that LA has to offer.
Nedas is originally from Vilnius, Lithuania and came to the United States to explore new educational opportunities. He received his Bachelor's degree from the College of Wooster in Ohio where he majored in Chemistry and minored in Computer Science. For his senior thesis he utilized computational and experimental methods to characterize hydrogen-pi bonds. His current research interests are centered on developing faster and more reliable methods to analyze the metabolism of biological systems. Outside of the lab he enjoys martial arts, basketball and dancing.
Francesca grew up in Dubai but originally is from England. She is majoring in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology with a minor in Biomedical Research. Francesca is currently working with Dr. Sydney Campbell in investigating nutrient effects on cell differentiation during damage repair and tumorigenesis in the liver and pancreas. In her free time, she enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, paddle boarding and discovering hidden coffee shops.
Michayla is a UCLA undergraduate student from San Francisco, California. She is majoring in Human Biology and Society. Michayla is currently working with Dr. Blake Wilde in investigating metabolic effects of different variants of Fumarate Hydratase mutants in Renal Cell Carcinoma. In her free time, she enjoys reading, various arts & crafts, and playing the violin.
Melissa is a UCLA undergraduate from Stockton, California majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. She is currently working with Dr. Arissa Young to study the progression of fibrosis in various organs in a mice model of systemic sclerosis. In her free time, Melissa loves spending time outdoors, working out, baking, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
Alumni
Andrew Pfeiffer
Clinical Research Coordinator, Massachusetts General Hospital
Stephanie Hernandez
Animal Research Committee Coordinator
Nishma Chakraborty
Medical Student, Duke University
Andrew Cicchetto, PhD
Research Scientist, Poseida Therapeutics
Pete Mullen, PhD
Assistant Professor, University of Southern California
Sarah Jobbins
Graduate Student, University of Texas, South Western
Berfin Seyran
Post Doctorate Fellow, UCLA
James Ch'ng, PhD
Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach
Ernst Schmid
Graduate Student, Harvard
Shivani Thaker
Internal Medicine Resident, Massachusetts General Hospital
Lisa Situ
Graduate Student, Harvard
BJ Sullivan, PhD
Life Sciences Specialist, L.E.K. Consulting
Wen Gu, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow, UT Southwestern, Ralph DeBerardinis Lab
Katie Machado
Nursing Student, UCSF
Candice Hong, PhD
Lecturer, UCLA
Taylor Brown
Graduate Student, UCLA until December 2019 (resting in peace and in our hearts forever)
Carolina Espindola
Medical Student, A.T. Still University
Minh Thai, PhD
Senior Scientific Researcher, Genentech
Daniel Braas, PhD
Scientific Director, UCLA Metabolomics and Proteomics Center
