In 2024, Divya joined Hata Lab after earning her Master’s in Biology from the Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, Trivandrum, India, and completing her Ph.D. in health sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, under Prof. Etta Livneh. In Prof. Livneh’s lab, she discovered a novel mechanism regulating PKC activity through an upstream ORF-encoded peptide, revealing its significance in cancer therapy. Her study showed a uORF with biological function exhibiting kinase inhibitory activity for the first time. Now at Hata Lab, Divya focuses on understanding the intricate dynamics between tumor cells and their microenvironment. Her research aims to develop better model systems illuminating this interplay and leverage the findings to overcome drug resistance to targeted therapy for EGFR, ALK & KRAS mutant lung cancers. Beyond the lab, Divya enjoys long walks, learning Japanese, and cherishing moments with family and friends. She’s also an enthusiastic dog-lover.
Jamie joined the Hata Lab in February 2024 after completing her BS in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Washington. While completing her studies, she was a member of the Fuller Lab, where she studied viral pathogenesis and the development of antivirals, vaccines, and immunotherapies. She also was a member of the Iribarren research group, where she worked on developing a urine metabolite test for tuberculosis drug adherence. In the Hata Lab, she is a member of the Model Development Team. Outside of lab, Jamie enjoys hanging out of her cat, watching documentaries, and cooking.
Arjun joined the Hata Lab in December 2023 after receiving his BA from Brown University. At Brown, Arjun was a Biology/Economics double major, and worked in biopharmaceutical investment banking at Leerink Partners in New York after graduation. He worked across M&A and equity capital markets for early-stage, preclinical biotech and pharmaceutical companies. In the Hata lab, he is a member of the Model Development Team which seeks to create cell lines and PDX models from patient lung cancer samples. Outside of lab, Arjun enjoys running, trying out new recipes, biking and exploring different cities.
Lauren joined the Hata Lab in August 2023 after completing her B.A. in Biology from the University of Virginia. During her time at UVA, Lauren worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant for UVA Health and as a scribe for Shenandoah Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. In the Hata Lab, Lauren is part of the Model Development Team and hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running, watching movies, and hanging out with friends.
Ishmarie joined the Hata lab in June of 2023 after completing her BS in Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Florida. At USF, she worked in the Davila and Locke labs studying the development of gene-engineered cell therapies targeting cancer cells in preclinical models. In the Hata lab, she works with Jamie studying the development of immunotherapies to treat ALK+ lung cancer. She hopes to later pursue a Ph.D. in immunology. In her free time, Ish likes reading, embroidering, and rowing.
Wafa is a graduate student in the lab within the Biological and Biomedical Sciences(BBS) program at Harvard Medical School. For her undergraduate studies, she attended Mount Holyoke College’19 where she majored in Biochemistry. During this time, she worked in the lab of Craig Woodard and studied the regulatory pathways involved in the developmental processes in Drosophila melanogaster. After college Wafa joined the Hata lab, as a research technician, where she studied the mechanisms of acquired resistance to Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) driven Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
As a Ph.D. student, Wafa aims to combine her diverse research backgrounds to explore mechanisms of tumorigenesis, cancer metastasis, and acquired resistance to leverage this knowledge towards the development of targeted therapies. Outside of science, Wafa is an avid cricket fan and in her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, going out with friends to explore the Boston area, and spending time in nature.
Anahita joined the Hata lab in July 2022 after completing her BS from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At UMass, she was a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major with a Chemistry Minor and a certificate in the Medical Humanities. During her time in Amherst, Anahita worked as an EMT and ED Technician as well as volunteered at the local food pantry. Anahita hopes to eventually pursue a career in medicine. In the Hata Lab, she works with Chendi to identify therapies which will target particularly resistant subsets within the KRAS gene mutant. For fun, Anahita loves working out, singing, and trying new recipes in the kitchen.
Grace joined the Hata lab in July 2022 after earning her BS in Biology from Providence College with a minor in Community Health. During her undergraduate studies, she worked in the Silvestrini Lab studying the role of autophagy using the model organism C. elegans. She also worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a memory care unit. In the Hata lab, she is a member of the Model Development team. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with her friends, hiking, and getting to travel.
Emily joined the Hata Lab in June 2022 after receiving her BA from College of the Holy Cross. At Holy Cross, Emily was a Biology/Chinese double major, and worked in Dr. Alexis Hill’s Drosophila Neurobiology lab. Her work focused on the gene seizure (sei) and how it affects developmental time in Drosophila, along with determining which cell types express sei. In the Hata lab, she is a member of the Model Development Team which seeks to create cell lines and PDX models from patient lung cancer samples. Outside of lab, Emily enjoys doing ballet, playing with her cat, and spending time with friends and family.
Toshio joined the Hata Lab in April 2022. He received his MD at Nagoya City University, Japan and practiced as a thoracic surgeon in Japan, where he developed a great interest in cancer biology. He then obtained his Ph.D. at Kindai University, Japan, where he studied the resistance mechanism to MET-TKIs in lung cancer harboring MET exon 14 skipping mutation in the laboratory of Dr. Tetsuya Mitsudomi.Toshio is currently focusing on drug persister cancer cell and acquired resistance to targeted therapies especially in ALK-positive lung cancer.Despite of the initial drastic efficacy of molecular targeted therapy, all patients inevitably develop resistance. Toshio believes that his project will contribute to establish new treatment strategies for lung cancer to prevent the drug resistance.
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