Members

Chandra Mohan
Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Endowed Professor
cmohan@central.uh.edu

 

 

Kamala Vanarsa
Lab Manager
kvanarsa@central.uh.edu

Her research focuses on utilizing novel proteomic technologies including ITRAQ and NRM assays to quantitate biomarkers in human body fluids. Other research interests include detecting novel biomarkers in human body fluids using Somalogic’s SomaScan Assay.

 

 

 

Yewei Ma
HOC Core Director
yma29@uh.edu

 

Dr. Yewei Ma’s projects focus on cutting-edge proteomics and biomarker detection from any types of samples, including autoantigen/antibody screening, protein microarrays, aptamer-based multiplexed proteomics, proximity extension assay, bead-based immunoassay and many more.  Our personalized services will significantly accelerate your research progress and grant application.

 

 

  

 

Anto Sam Crosslee
Research Assistant Professor
crosslee@central.uh.edu

Crosslee’s research focuses on understanding the molecular pathways involved in autoimmunity and is working on creating an in-vitro model of glomerulus.

 

 

 

Geethangili Madamanchi
Research Scientist
gmadaman@central.uh.edu

Geethangili’s research focuses on Non-invasive OCT/OCE of Skin Fibrosis in a Bleo Mouse Model.

 
 
 
 
 
Valeria Espinosar
Core Scientist
valeria.espinosar@gmail.com
 
Valeria’s research is centered on the identification of proteomic biomarkers through diverse platforms, including Olink, ELISA, RayBiotech L-Series Antibody Array, and Somalogic Somascan.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jayaraman Tharmalingam
 
Jayaraman’s research is focused on identifying the pathogenic mechanisms underlying lupus nephritis, using animal models, with translational biomarker studies in human lupus nephritis.

 

 

 

 

 

Ayesha Budhwani
PhD Student (BME)
ajbudhwa@cougarnet.uh.edu

Ayesha works in Dr. Mohan’s and Dr. Abidian’s laboratories to explore how various ECM proteins impact the growth of renal resident cells or neurons. This involves 3D-printing of ECM proteins, cell culture and functional studies. Alongside, she is characterizing a novel monoclonal antibody with therapeutic potential.

 

 

 

Aalekyah Biswas
PhD Student (NSM)
Abiswas5@cougarnet.uh.edu

Aalekhya’s research focuses on exploring the molecular mechanisms that modulate the function of infiltrating macrophages and resident renal cells in lupus nephritis, using cutting-edge molecular and cellular techniques.

 

 

 

 

Sonja Vodehnal
PhD Student (NSM)
savodehn@cougarnet.uh.edu

The focus of Sonja’s research involves the assessment of published urinary biomarkers and the use of innovative proteomic technologies to identify additional urinary biomarkers that may have improved diagnostic accuracy for lupus nephritis. Future studies will also include designing multi-analyte point-of-care assays that can be used for in-home monitoring.

 

 

Sanju S
PhD Student (BME)
ssukumar@cougarnet.uh.edu

Sanju’s project focuses on Unravelling the molecular basis of Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in NPSLE. This project aims to investigate the circulating factors and alterations in cell adhesion proteins and molecules that contribute to BBB breakdown in NPSLE. It employs an in vitro BBB       model using mouse endothelial cells and astrocytes and will identify candidate proteins as potential biomarkers for NPSLE and examine their effects on BBB integrity and permeability.

 

 

 

 

Haley Romaine
Undergraduate Researcher
hmromine@cougarnet.uh.edu

Haley’s research focuses on pathogenic proteins in Lupus patient serums that induce endothelial-mesenchymal transition in podocytes; this research will contribute to ongoing studies that follow the progression of Lupus Nephritis in patients.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Sohny Hasan
Undergraduate Researcher 
 
Sohny’s research is focused on identifying urinary biomarkers linked with lupus nephritis and their association with activity and chronicity indices of concurrent renal biopsies. Her research aims to discover non-invasive diagnostic methods to replace the current reliance on invasive renal biopsies for patients with lupus nephritis.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sofia Cantu
 Research Tech1
 
Sofia’s research focuses on comparing and assessing advanced biomarker platforms, focusing on the variations between techniques used, specificity, advantages and disadvantages, as well as systematic evaluation of the reproducibility of research between differing biomarker discovery platforms.
Sofia has been awarded the PURS Scholarship for Spring 2024.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Angela Nguyen
Undergraduate Researcher
avnguy51@cougarnet.uh.edu
 
Angela’s project focuses on identifying biomarkers associated with brain-blood barrier breach and cognitive impairment in serum samples of patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE). This research will contribute to the development of a comprehensive diagnostic model.
Angela has been awarded the SURF scholarship for Summer 2024.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rabea Mudassar
Undergraduate Researcher
rmudassa@cougarnet.uh.edu
 
Rabea’s research focuses on a spatial metabolomics project investigating differentially expressed metabolites in FFPE kidney tissue from lupus nephritis patients across varying activity and chronicity indices. This work contributes to advancing non-invasive diagnostics and enhancing our understanding of disease progression in lupus nephritis.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vinaika Maruvada
Data Analyst (MS in Biostatistics)
 
Vinaika is a data analyst at Mohan Lab, where she specializes in analyzing proteomic data to uncover biomarker changes that impact disease outcomes. Her role involves conducting diverse forms of data analysis and identifying potential biomarkers from the datasets. Additionally, she plays a crucial part in maintaining the lab’s website.
 
 
 
 
 

 

Akanksha Reddy Pisati
Research Tech1
 
Akanksha’s project focus on leveraging Halo and QuPath software for advanced analysis of cellular structures with  image processing techniques for image acquisition, segmentation, feature extraction, and classification, driving innovative discoveries in cellular biology.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alfonzo Munoz
Medical Student
 
Alfonzo’s project focuses on identifying the specific cells death occurring in proximal tubule cells of lupus nephritis patients.

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
Hoang Audi
Medical Student
 
Audi’s project focuses on identifying the specific cells death occurring in proximal tubule cells of lupus nephritis patients

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Ali Sherwani
Undergraduate Researcher
 
Ali’s project focuses on studying how extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and stiffness contribute to fibrosis in lupus nephritis. I perform immunofluorescent staining, confocal microscopy imaging, and computational analysis of protein expression to assess fibrotic markers under varying ECM conditions.
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
Manisha Madhusudan
Undergraduate Researcher
 
Manisha’s project focuses on modeling the glomerular filtration barrier using endothelial and podocyte co-culture to study how lupus patient serum disrupts barrier integrity. She is also profiling autoantibodies in lupus nephritis (LN) using a 21,000-plex protein array to identify both known and novel IgG, IgA, and IgM targets involved in immune pathways and biomarker discovery.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Madeline Rogers
Undergraduate Researcher 
 
Madeline’s research focuses on modeling blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and leakage in neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE). She assists in developing and maintaining an in vitro BBB model by culturing astrocytes and mouse brain endothelial cells (MBECs), supporting experiments that investigate barrier integrity under inflammatory conditions. Her work contributes to identifying key molecular mechanisms and potential biomarkers that could improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for patients with NPSLE.

 
 
 
Shuvethapriya Sampathkumar
Graduate Researcher (MS in BME)
 
Shuvetha is a graduate researcher focused on advancing 3D bioprinting technologies and developing innovative point-of-care diagnostic tools. Her work explores the use of biomaterials and bio-fabrication strategies for engineering proximal tubules of the kidney. She is also working on developing rapid, point-of-care assays for detection of Lupus Nephritis.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Salman Promon
PhD Student
 
Salman’s research is focused on proteomic biomarker-based ‘point of care’ diagnostic device development and 3D bioprinting. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Munim Ahmed
PhD Student (Biomedical Engineering)
 

Munim’s research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to address challenges in medical image analysis. His work aims to develop AI-driven methodologies that enhance diagnostic and prognostic capabilities, improve disease outcome prediction, and translate computational advances into clinical tools that support decision-making in healthcare. Through advanced ML models for medical imaging, he seeks to contribute to the integration of AI into healthcare for more precise and effective treatments.

 
 
 
 
 
Abhiram Pavuluri
Data Analyst Trainee
 
Abhiram is a Data Analyst specializing in proteomic and genomic data, with a focus on biomarker analysis.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kimberly Hoang
Undergraduate Researcher
khoang24@cougarnet.uh.edu
 
Kimberly is developing a rapid point-of-care test for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) using novel stool-based protein biomarkers. Her work aims to increase the accessibility of diagnoses, enabling earlier intervention and a more favorable treatment outlook. This contribution will alleviate the external burdens – cost, time, energy – tied to IBD being a progressive disease, and provide a more sustainable option for monitoring. Future studies will focus on improving sub-phenotypical differentiation through multi-analyte designs.
 
 
 
 
 
Diptish Wankhade
Visiting Research Scholar
 
Diptish’s project focuses on identifying novel stool biomarkers for Inflammatory Bowel Disease using 7K Somascan proteomics and identifying stool proteins that predict strictures and fistulas in Crohn’s Disease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alumni

Staff

Cristopher Gidley
Desi Kreska
Hasna Kanta
Lavanya Elangovan
Li Li
Lloyd Walton
Satyavani Nukula
Sneha Raichandran

Postdoctoral Fellows

Benjamin Chong
Bindiya Marrakanth
Briony Strachan
Chen Yanping
Chun Xie
Cristina Arriens
Geetha Jonnala
Huihua Ding
Jack Hutcheson
Jiankun Zhu
Jianwei Li
Kui Liu
Lili Shi
Ling Qing
Lisa Li
Liunan Li
Nikita Patel
Qiang Wang
Rahul Patel
Rajalakshmy Ayilam Ramachandran
Samar Soliman
Sandeep Singh
Shangkui Xie
Simanta Pathak
Smitha Rudaraju
SoogHee Chang
So-You Min
Sushma Reddy
Tianfu Wu
Xuebin Liu
Yang Liu
Yuyang Fu
Zoran Kurepa

Undergraduate Students

Aaron Chacko
Akshara Ramasamy
Alexa Truong
Ali Sherwani
Allison Popovich
Amber Ayub
Amy Bui (SURF/PURS awardee)
Anam Haque (SURF/PURS awardee)
Angela Nguyen
Anjali Patel
Arwa Kathiria
Aubrey Swilling (SURF/PURS awardee)
Audrey Nguyen
Brittany Payan (SURF/PURS awardee)
Charles Wang
Chika Okala
Christina Kuruvilla
Christopher Gidley
Dania Albaba
David Wong (SURF/PURS awardee)
Deena Habazi (SURF/PURS awardee)
Dennis Tran
Divya Kurian
Dylan Eser-Jose
Elhaum Khobhay
Farah Break (SURF/PURS awardee)
Gabrielle Lea (SURF/PURS awardee)
Gargy Parhy
Haleigh Invathong
Haley Romaine (SURF/PURS awardee)
Hasan Rangwala
Hoang, Audi P
Hufsa Arain (SURF/PURS awardee)
Ibraheim Maudood (SURF/PURS awardee)
Jackson Owens
Jahnvi Rajput
John Jeremy
Julie Ngoc Trinh
Kala Pham (SURF/PURS awardee)
Kamal Mohd
Kate Krause
Kent Page
Kimberly Hoang
Kimeera Paladugu (SURF/PURS awardee)
Laura Paglicawan (SURF/PURS awardee)
Laxmi Ramana
Luyue Wang
Madeline Rogers
Malavika Nidhi
Maliha Mir
Malikah Al Alshaikh
Mallika Tripathy (SURF/PURS awardee)
Manisha Madhusudhan
Margaret Davis
Marwa Kharboutli
Maryam Ali
Maryam Obaid
Maryann Ivbievbiokun
Megan Benavides
Melissa Yang
Michael Seth
Munoz, Alfonzo E 
Nathan Thai
Nga Thai
Nguyen Nguyen
Nhi Nguyen (SURF/PURS awardee)
Nikhila Achanta
Nivrithi Sabhnani
Noel Chacko
Omar Abunofal (SURF/PURS awardee)
Phuongthy T Tran (SURF/PURS awardee)
Pooja Patel
Raayed Rahman (SURF/PURS awardee)
Rael Memnon
Rani Nune (SURF/PURS awardee)
Roberto Hasbun (SURF/PURS awardee)
Rose Ann Huynh
Ryan Pereira (SURF/PURS awardee)
Sahar Baig
Salar Sanati
Samantha Kozuch
Shalaka Dhavalikar
Shereen Enan (SURF/PURS awardee)
Shiraz Shoughr
Sofia Cantu (SURF/PURS awardee)
Srinandini Chandran (SURF/PURS awardee)
Sriram Hemachandran
Sunny Gotewal (SURF/PURS awardee)
Taha Ahmed
Thao Doan
Umair Akbar (SURF/PURS awardee)
Valeria Duran
Vijeta Revankar
Vishnu Raghavan
Yaqeen Alsadah
Zarmeen Khan
Zoha Ali

 

Visiting Research Scholars and Physician Scientists

Ashtami Jayakumar
Aurélie De Groof
Bindiya Marakkath
Ding Bao
Gargy Parhy
Harshavardhan Polamarasetty
Huihua Ding
Janani Arunachalam
Ling Lei
Prashanth Sasidharan
Ramya Susarla
Sai Sravya Gude
Samar Soliman
Sirisha Gokaraju
Sneha Ravikumar
Sreeya Gude
Supriya Dubashi
Ting Zhang
Vineetha Chidipothu

Graduate Students

Amarayca Zambrano
Andrew Wang
Eric Zhiyan Liang
Ferial Koutani
Haleigh Inthavong
Hao Li
Huzair Tirmizi
Ipshita Pradhan
Jacob Orme
Jared Henderson
Jeff Sun
Jessica Castillo
Jessica Mayuex
Kirthi Raman
Lavanya Elangovan
Manali Patel
Michelle Chen
Neha Kunduru
Nitu Heggade
Omar Abunofal
Rongwei Lei
Samantha Stanley
Sanam Soomro
Sergio Calixto
Sindhu Gangula
Spoorthy Shivani Pabba
Srinandhini Chandran
Sylvia Xie
Tamika Henry
Thao Nguyen
Vishal Akash Srinivasan

High School Students/Interns

Anandhitha Arasu
Anish Patel
Anna Bashmakov
Ariana Luo
Arun Kane
Chris Jang
Deena Sajitharan
Eesha Kodavatikanti
Eesha Surapaneni
Eric Chen
Grace Jiang
Harini Venkatesh
Hubert Lu
Jae Won Joh
Jasmine Sidhu
Jason Zhou
Jennifer Li
Kavita Selvamanickam
Kelvin Hsu
Kiran Thirukonda
Krish Jha
Lana C. Nguyen
Leian Chen
Lokesh Naginini
Mahith Gottipati
Mayank Konduri
Meera Grewal
Nima Deljavan
Peter Sedrak
Rahul Agarwal
Rajni Nitturi
Rannon Hao
Richard Wang
Robell Ephrem
Ronit Kumar
Ronuk Gadamsetty
Ruchi Sharma
Sai Harish Dharmavaram
Sanika Phanse
Sanjay Krishna
Shri Chada
Shriya Ramanan
Simer Grewal
Sohan Kureti
Soumya Somani
Sriram Susarla
Suchay Kommisetty
Suneal Velmuri
Susan Davis
Varrun Athis Rajh
Vatsala Mundra
Vedant Sharma
Videet Mehta
Vidya Ganesh
Vineet Padisetty
Vishal Surya
Vishnu Siripurapu
Yixiao Chen
Zainab Fatima