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Godwin Lab Members

Haitham Abdelhakim, M.D.
Assistant Professor

MD - Benha University 2011
Research Training - Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 2012-2013
Internal Medicine Residency - University of Kansas Medical Center 2013-2016
Hematology/Oncology Fellowship - University of Kansas Medical Center 2016-2019
Bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy Fellowship - University of Kansas Medical Center 2019
Research Focus: Acute myeloid leukemia, blood and marrow transplantation, T cell immune suppression, Cell therapy, mitigating cell therapy toxicity.


Musa Bayi, BS
Graduate Student

BS - Human Anatomy, Bayero University, Kano- Nigeria, 2018.

Research Focus: My research is centered on the identification and characterization of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) derived from Extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential biomarkers for the early detection of ovarian cancer.


Trisha Home, MS
Research Assistant for the Biomarker Discovery Lab

MS (Biochemistry), Kalyani University, India, 2001

MTech (Biotechnology), Jadavpur University, India, 2003

Research Focus: I work as a Research Assistant in the Biomarker Discovery Lab. My work focuses on identifying and monitoring potential biomarkers for different diseases that may make early identification and intervention of the disease possible leading to a better chance of cure or survival for the patient.


Hyter
Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Kamilla Isakova, BS
Research Associate for the Biomarker Discovery Laboratory

BS - Biochemistry, University of Missouri 2012

Research Focus: Main focus is to identify, research and study biomarkers in various types of cancers in order to improve patients' diagnoses, monitor therapeutic response to treatments and individualize patients' treatment using molecular targeted therapies.


Arthur Lee, BS
Graduate Student

BS – Psychobiology, University of California – Los Angeles, CA 1999
CA - Biotechnology Engineering, University of California - Los Angeles, 2018
CA - Advanced Biosciences, University of California - Berkeley, 2020

Research Focus: My research is developing and utilizing extracellular vesicles for treatment and prognostication of lymphoma and leukemia.


Amitra Mitra, Ph.D.
Research Associate

Email: amitra2@kumc.edu

PhD:  Biochemistry (Reproductive Genetics), University of Calcutta (CU), India ,2014 

MS:  Human Genetics, Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute (University), India 2007 

BS:   Genetics, Biochemistry and Zoology, Bangalore University, India ,2005 

Research Focus:  My research goal is to identify potential biomarkers for various types of cancer. My work involves using GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) to analyze proteins and RNA transcripts in tumors and surrounding tissues. My research studies on Protein and RNA expression, including whole transcriptome level across the tumor and tumor microenvironment which can help to develop biomarkers for early identification and intervention in cases of potential diseases leading to a better chance of cure or survival for the patient.


Harsh Pathak, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor

Ph.D. - Biochemistry, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 2006
BS - Biochemistry, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, 1998

Research Focus: Exploiting biological networks to improve clinical treatment of ovarian cancer; identification of biomarkers for the early detection and risk of breast and ovarian cancer.


Rajni Puri, Ph.D.
Research Associate

Ph.D. – Biotechnology, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, India 2017
MS – Biotechnology, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Gharwal University, India 2008
BS – Education – Himachal Pradesh University, India 2006
BS – Basic Sciences – Himacheal Pradesh University, India 2005

Research Focus: My research focuses on identification of potential biomarkers for cancers and other diseases in collaboration with other scientists and clinicians. Our studies aim to discover exosome based, and nucleic acid-based biomarkers which can open new horizons for prognosis and therapeutics


Sagar Rayamajhi, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. – Chemistry (Biological), Kansas State University – Manhattan, KS 2021
B.Tech – Biotechnology, Kathmandu University – Nepal 2015

Research Focus: I am interested in the multi-faceted avenues of EV research focusing on the role of EVs in cancer diagnosis and therapy, including biomarker development, imaging-based diagnosis, and therapy. Currently, my research aim is to identify extracellular vesicles (EVs)-based circulating biomarkers for the early detection of ovarian cancer. EVs play a significant role in disease progression including metastasis. My work will also involve tracking these EVs using imaging techniques to elucidate their role in the progression of ovarian cancer.


Priya Sabu, M.D.
Gynecology Oncology Fellow

MA – Bioinformatics, New York University – New York, NY 2013
M.D. – Virginia Commonwealth University – Richmond, VA 2017
Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency, Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic – Roanoke, VA 2017-2021

Research Focus: Oncobiome, microbiome, tumor microenvironments, ovarian cancer microbiome, endometrial cancer microbiome, early detection strategies, targeted treatment strategies


Karnoon Shamsoon, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. - Cancer Biology, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Japan, 2022

B.D.S. - Bachelor of Dental Surgery, Bangladesh Dental College, University of Dhaka, 2013

Research focus: My research is centered on the identification and advancement of innovative therapeutic drug interventions for Ewing Sarcoma, the second most prevalent bone malignancy affecting children and young adults. In the course of my research, I aim to contribute to the development of new and effective treatments tailored to address this particular medical condition. My research will also include with a specific emphasis on the involvement of EVs (extracellular vesicles), in the processes of cancer diagnosis and therapy. This scrutiny encompasses aspects such as the advancement of biomarkers, diagnostic methodologies based on imaging, and therapeutic applications.


Jared Sipes, BS
Graduate Student

BS – Chemical Engineering with minors in Biomedical Engineering, Biology and Chemistry, University of Tulsa – Tulsa, OK 2019

Research Focus: Focused on determining the role of small Extracellular Vesicles (sEVs) in ovarian cancer niche formation and cancer invasion, with a particular emphasis on the tumorigenic properties of cancer sEVs on healthy Fallopian tissue. Other interests include identification of ovarian tumor derived sEV-based biomarkers for use in liquid biopsies and production of ovarian tumor organoids for use as novel in vitro models of cancer development and high throughput drug discovery in ovarian cancer.  


Ashley Tetlow, MS, BS
Graduate Student

MS - Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California-Los Angeles - 2015
BS - Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia - 2011

Research Focus: My research is centered on the study of blood-based biomarkers (i.e. small extracellular vesicle-encapsulated microRNA and long noncoding RNA) of the different histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer; high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, clear cell ovarian carcinoma, mucinous ovarian carcinoma, and endometrioid ovarian carcinoma. The long-term goal is to establish actionable biological signatures found in the blood of ovarian cancer patients to develop a screening assay that could potentially help diagnose ovarian cancer at an earlier stage, when treatment is highly effective.


Soumya Turaga, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. - Regulatory Biology, Cleveland State University/Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute (OH), 2019
MS - Biotechnology, Osmania University (India), 2012
BS - Biochemistry, Microbiology and Chemistry, Osmania University (India), 2010

Research Focus: My research is focused on identification and development of novel therapeutic drug treatments for Ewing Sarcoma, the second most common bone malignancy in children and young adults.


KU School of Medicine

University of Kansas Medical Center
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Mail Stop 3045
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: 913-588-7070
Fax: 913-588-7073