Meet the Team

We are a diverse group of physicians & scientists with expertise in cell biology, pharmacology, genetics, immunology and computational biology. If you would like to join our team, please contact us.

Aaron Hata, MD-Ph.D.

Principle Investigator

Aaron received his MD and Ph.D. degrees at Vanderbilt University in Nashville TN, where he studied the structure and function of prostaglandin receptors in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Breyer in the Department of Pharmacology. He completed an Internal Medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, followed by a Medical Oncology fellowship at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital. He performed his post-doctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey Engelman in the MGH Cancer Center, where he focused on understanding mechanisms of drug sensitivity and resistance to targeted therapies for lung cancer. In 2016, he joined the MGH Cancer Center faculty as principal investigator.

Assistant Physician

Hematology and Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Harvard Medical School

Associate Member

Broad Institute

Post-Doctoral Fellows

Toshio Fujino, MD-Ph.D.

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…

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Samar Ghorbanpoorvalukolaie, Ph.D.

Samar obtained her Ph.D. in molecular cell biology from the University of Tehran, Iran. She conducted her Ph.D. research in the laboratory of Prof. Masoumeh Jorjani in the University of Tehran, Iran, and in the laboratory of Prof. Luis-Miguel Garcia Segura at Cajal Institute, Madrid, Spain. Her research focused on investigating aromatase activity and the expression of two classical estrogen receptors following spinothalamic tract injury in the spinal cord and…

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James Heather, Ph.D.

Jamie completed his Bachelor and Masters at the University of Sussex, before undertaking his PhD at the University College London. There he worked with Professors Benjamin Chain and Mahdad Noursadeghi, developing methods for high-throughput sequencing and analysis of T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires. He moved from London to MGH to work with Mark Cobbold, exploring immunopeptidomes and TCR repertoires in a range of cancers. Staying within the department, he moved…

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Hideko Isozaki, Ph.D.

Hideko joined the Hata Lab in June 2017. She completed Ph.D. at Okayama University in the Department of Hematology, Oncology and Respiratory Medicine where she focused on the mechanisms of drug resistance to molecularly target inhibitor in lung cancer harboring the EML4-ALK fusion gene. A number of mechanisms of drug resistance to target therapy have been identified such as her previous study, yet little is know what’s happening on during…

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Radhika Koranne, Ph.D.

Radhika joined the Hata lab in 2022. She did her Masters in Virology from the National Institute of Virology, India. Radhika received PhD in Cell and Molecular biology from the University of Toledo, Ohio. During her graduate school in Dr. William R. Taylor lab her research focused on the spindle assembly checkpoint and mitotic spindle architecture. In the Hata lab she is working on understanding the role of tumor micro-environment…

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Chendi Li, Ph.D.

Chendi received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science as an honors graduate from Shaanxi Normal University, China. She then completed a PhD in the Department of Biochemistry at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) where her research in the laboratory of Dr. Stephen Farmer focused on understanding the mechanisms of energy expenditure and stem cell fate in brown adipose tissue. Chendi joined the Hata laboratory as a research…

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Graduate Students

Wafa Malik, B.A.

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…

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Research Technicians

Michelle Cho, B.S.

Michelle joined the Hata lab in June 2021 after earning her Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry and Biology at Brandeis University. At Brandeis, she worked in the Street Lab, studying the binding mechanisms of ER chaperone proteins. In Hata Lab, she works with Haichuan studying the interplay of tumor and stromal cells and its influence to drug resistance. She hopes to later pursue a career in medicine. In her free…

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Emily Hensley, B.A.

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…

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Ishmarie Colón, B.S.

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.…

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Grace Kelley, B.S.

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…

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Lauren Highfield, B.A.

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…

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Molly Henderson, B.A.

Molly joined the Hata Lab in June 2023 after receiving her BA from Bowdoin College. At Bowdoin, Molly was a Molecular and Cellular Biology/Dance double major, and Honors student in Dr. Jack Bateman's Genetics lab. Her work focused on the impact of proximal Zeste binding sites and promotors on rates of transvection in drosophila. In the Hata lab, she is a member of the Model Development Team which seeks to…

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Anahita Nimbalkar, B.S.

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.…

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Katie Parker B.S.

Katie joined the Hata lab in December 2021 after earning her BS/MS in Biology from Tufts University. At Tufts, she conducted undergraduate research with Julia Gouvea, studying the learning and teaching practices of Biology at multiple grade levels. Dr. Gouvea's research investigates how model-based reasoning as a biological practice can support deeper learning for students. In the Hata lab, Katie works with Samar on identifying therapeutic strategies for KRAS NSCLS.…

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Shane Dancer, B.S. & M.S.

Shane joined the Hata Lab in June 2023 after earning his BS/MS in Biochemistry at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. In his time at WPI, Shane researched the localization of two novel relatives of the cancer-killing gene apoptin. At the Hata Lab, he works with Hideko, researching the mechanistic bases of tumor evolution and developing therapeutic strategies to prevent acquired drug resistance. In the future, he hopes to pursue a career in research,…

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Administration

Lia Limone, M.S.

Lia joined the Hata Lab and MGH Thoracic Oncology Group as Program Manager in May 2018. Prior to joining MGH, Lia was a Clinical Admin Support Specialist with the GU group at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Lia received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Health and Wellness Management from Merrimack College. Outside the lab Lia enjoys hanging out with family and friends…

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Alumni

Alumni
Where They Started
Where They Are Now
Maria Gomez-Caraballo
Medical Student, Duke University Medical School
  • Alumni
  • Maria Gomez-Caraballo
  • Where They Started
  • Medical Student, Duke University Medical School
  • Where They Are Now
Sandra Misale
Research Associate, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Instructor, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Alumni
  • Sandra Misale
  • Where They Started
  • Research Associate, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Where They Are Now
  • Instructor, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Sana Raoof
Medical Student, HMS
Resident, Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Alumni
  • Sana Raoof
  • Where They Started
  • Medical Student, HMS
  • Where They Are Now
  • Resident, Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Wenjia Su
Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
Visiting Fellow, Karolinska Institute
  • Alumni
  • Wenjia Su
  • Where They Started
  • Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
  • Where They Are Now
  • Visiting Fellow, Karolinska Institute
Madeena Siddiqui
Pharmacy Student, UCSF
Clinical Science Postdoctoral Fellow, Oncology/Hematology, Genentech
  • Alumni
  • Madeena Siddiqui
  • Where They Started
  • Pharmacy Student, UCSF
  • Where They Are Now
  • Clinical Science Postdoctoral Fellow, Oncology/Hematology, Genentech
Jackson Fatherree
Graduate Student, Tufts University
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
  • Alumni
  • Jackson Fatherree
  • Where They Started
  • Graduate Student, Tufts University
  • Where They Are Now
  • Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Manrose Singh
Clinical Research Assistant, MGH
DO-PhD student at the New York Institute of Technology
  • Alumni
  • Manrose Singh
  • Where They Started
  • Clinical Research Assistant, MGH
  • Where They Are Now
  • DO-PhD student at the New York Institute of Technology
Samantha Bilton
Clinical Research Assistant, University of Chicago
Medical student, Tulane University School of Medicine
  • Alumni
  • Samantha Bilton
  • Where They Started
  • Clinical Research Assistant, University of Chicago
  • Where They Are Now
  • Medical student, Tulane University School of Medicine
Varuna Nangia
MD-PhD Student, University of Colorado Medical School
MD-PhD Student, University of Colorado Medical School
  • Alumni
  • Varuna Nangia
  • Where They Started
  • MD-PhD Student, University of Colorado Medical School
  • Where They Are Now
  • MD-PhD Student, University of Colorado Medical School
Daria Timonina
Graduate Student, University of Southern California
Graduate Student, University of Southern California
  • Alumni
  • Daria Timonina
  • Where They Started
  • Graduate Student, University of Southern California
  • Where They Are Now
  • Graduate Student, University of Southern California
Leila Dardaei
Research Investigator II, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Principal Scientist, Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Alumni
  • Leila Dardaei
  • Where They Started
  • Research Investigator II, Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Where They Are Now
  • Principal Scientist, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Ammal Abbasi
Graduate Student, University of California San Diego
Graduate Student, University of California San Diego
  • Alumni
  • Ammal Abbasi
  • Where They Started
  • Graduate Student, University of California San Diego
  • Where They Are Now
  • Graduate Student, University of California San Diego
Philicia Moonsamy
Resident, General Surgery, MGH
Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow, MGH
  • Alumni
  • Philicia Moonsamy
  • Where They Started
  • Resident, General Surgery, MGH
  • Where They Are Now
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow, MGH
Catherine Meador
Medical Oncology Fellow, DFCI/MGH
Instructor in Medicine, MGH
  • Alumni
  • Catherine Meador
  • Where They Started
  • Medical Oncology Fellow, DFCI/MGH
  • Where They Are Now
  • Instructor in Medicine, MGH
Kankana Bardhan
Scientist I, Seres Therapeutic in Cambridge, MA
Scientist II, Seres Therapeutic in Cambridge, MA
  • Alumni
  • Kankana Bardhan
  • Where They Started
  • Scientist I, Seres Therapeutic in Cambridge, MA
  • Where They Are Now
  • Scientist II, Seres Therapeutic in Cambridge, MA
Kathy Shaw
Research Associate, Apic Bio, Inc.
Research Associate II, Vesalius Therapeutics
  • Alumni
  • Kathy Shaw
  • Where They Started
  • Research Associate, Apic Bio, Inc.
  • Where They Are Now
  • Research Associate II, Vesalius Therapeutics
Nicole Phan
Clinical Research Coordinator, MGH
Associate Scientist at Bristol Myers Squibb
  • Alumni
  • Nicole Phan
  • Where They Started
  • Clinical Research Coordinator, MGH
  • Where They Are Now
  • Associate Scientist at Bristol Myers Squibb
Heidie Cabanos
Research Fellow, The Scripps Research Institute - Florida
Visiting Scientist, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development - Department of Science and Technology
  • Alumni
  • Heidie Cabanos
  • Where They Started
  • Research Fellow, The Scripps Research Institute - Florida
  • Where They Are Now
  • Visiting Scientist, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development - Department of Science and Technology
Eunice Kim
Graduate Student, Stony Brook University
Graduate Student, Stony Brook University
  • Alumni
  • Eunice Kim
  • Where They Started
  • Graduate Student, Stony Brook University
  • Where They Are Now
  • Graduate Student, Stony Brook University
Yi Shen
PhD candidate, Soochow University
PhD candidate, Soochow University
  • Alumni
  • Yi Shen
  • Where They Started
  • PhD candidate, Soochow University
  • Where They Are Now
  • PhD candidate, Soochow University
Li Wan
Senior Associate, Amgen
Senior Associate, Amgen
  • Alumni
  • Li Wan
  • Where They Started
  • Senior Associate, Amgen
  • Where They Are Now
  • Senior Associate, Amgen
Pranav Gupta
Research Fellow, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Dr. Edward Schwartz’s lab
Senior Scientist, Ideaya Biosciences
  • Alumni
  • Pranav Gupta
  • Where They Started
  • Research Fellow, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Dr. Edward Schwartz’s lab
  • Where They Are Now
  • Senior Scientist, Ideaya Biosciences
Kristin Dione
PDA Dental Group
Medical Student, Boston University School of Medicine 
  • Alumni
  • Kristin Dione
  • Where They Started
  • PDA Dental Group
  • Where They Are Now
  • Medical Student, Boston University School of Medicine 
Kylie Prutisto Chang
MD-PhD student, New York University
MD-PhD student, New York University
  • Alumni
  • Kylie Prutisto Chang
  • Where They Started
  • MD-PhD student, New York University
  • Where They Are Now
  • MD-PhD student, New York University
Audris Oh
Senior Clinical Operations Specialist, Syneos Health
Quality Specialist, Biogen
  • Alumni
  • Audris Oh
  • Where They Started
  • Senior Clinical Operations Specialist, Syneos Health
  • Where They Are Now
  • Quality Specialist, Biogen
Aislinn Mayfield
Master's Student, Brandeis University
Biotechnology MS/MBA Graduate Student
  • Alumni
  • Aislinn Mayfield
  • Where They Started
  • Master's Student, Brandeis University
  • Where They Are Now
  • Biotechnology MS/MBA Graduate Student
Aya Shiba
Assistant Professor, University of Tsukuba
Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba 
  • Alumni
  • Aya Shiba
  • Where They Started
  • Assistant Professor, University of Tsukuba
  • Where They Are Now
  • Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba 
Wafa Malik
Graduate Student, Harvard Medical School
Graduate Student, Harvard Medical School
  • Alumni
  • Wafa Malik
  • Where They Started
  • Graduate Student, Harvard Medical School
  • Where They Are Now
  • Graduate Student, Harvard Medical School
Makeba Walcott
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Medical Student, SUNY Upstate Medical University
  • Alumni
  • Makeba Walcott
  • Where They Started
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University
  • Where They Are Now
  • Medical Student, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Nathanial Adams
Discovery analytics, BlueRock Therapeutics
Discovery analytics, BlueRock Therapeutics
  • Alumni
  • Nathanial Adams
  • Where They Started
  • Discovery analytics, BlueRock Therapeutics
  • Where They Are Now
  • Discovery analytics, BlueRock Therapeutics
Naveed Nikpour
MD/MA Student, Stony Brook University School of Medicine
MD/MA Student, Stony Brook University School of Medicine
  • Alumni
  • Naveed Nikpour
  • Where They Started
  • MD/MA Student, Stony Brook University School of Medicine
  • Where They Are Now
  • MD/MA Student, Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Chelsi Napoli
Graduate Student, Stony Brook University
Graduate Student, Stony Brook University
  • Alumni
  • Chelsi Napoli
  • Where They Started
  • Graduate Student, Stony Brook University
  • Where They Are Now
  • Graduate Student, Stony Brook University
Marta Herrero
Master's Student, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Master's Student, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • Alumni
  • Marta Herrero
  • Where They Started
  • Master's Student, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • Where They Are Now
  • Master's Student, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Farrah Wakefield
Research Scientist I, Biomedical Research
Research Scientist I, Biomedical Research
  • Alumni
  • Farrah Wakefield
  • Where They Started
  • Research Scientist I, Biomedical Research
  • Where They Are Now
  • Research Scientist I, Biomedical Research
Satoshi Yoda
Principal Scientist, Tango Therapeutics
Principal Scientist, Tango Therapeutics
  • Alumni
  • Satoshi Yoda
  • Where They Started
  • Principal Scientist, Tango Therapeutics
  • Where They Are Now
  • Principal Scientist, Tango Therapeutics
Haichuan Hu
Shanghai, China
  • Alumni
  • Haichuan Hu
  • Where They Started
  • Shanghai, China
  • Where They Are Now
Linh Phuong Nguyen
MD-PhD Student, Thomas Jefferson University
MD-PhD Student, Thomas Jefferson University
  • Alumni
  • Linh Phuong Nguyen
  • Where They Started
  • MD-PhD Student, Thomas Jefferson University
  • Where They Are Now
  • MD-PhD Student, Thomas Jefferson University
Mohammed Usman Syed
MD-PhD Student, University of Rochester
MD-PhD Student, University of Rochester
  • Alumni
  • Mohammed Usman Syed
  • Where They Started
  • MD-PhD Student, University of Rochester
  • Where They Are Now
  • MD-PhD Student, University of Rochester
Adam Acker
Masters in Medical Sciences at Boston University school of medicine
  • Alumni
  • Adam Acker
  • Where They Started
  • Masters in Medical Sciences at Boston University school of medicine
  • Where They Are Now
Justine Bellier
Accretio Management as a Life Sciences Associate
  • Alumni
  • Justine Bellier
  • Where They Started
  • Accretio Management as a Life Sciences Associate
  • Where They Are Now
Danielle Colucci
Software Bootcamp at General Assembly
  • Alumni
  • Danielle Colucci
  • Where They Started
  • Software Bootcamp at General Assembly
  • Where They Are Now
Sarah Reeves
Graduate Student, Yale University
  • Alumni
  • Sarah Reeves
  • Where They Started
  • Graduate Student, Yale University
  • Where They Are Now
Susanna Monroe
PhD in Chemistry, NYU
  • Alumni
  • Susanna Monroe
  • Where They Started
  • PhD in Chemistry, NYU
  • Where They Are Now
Luke Boland
University of Utah's Molecular Biology PhD Program
  • Alumni
  • Luke Boland
  • Where They Started
  • University of Utah's Molecular Biology PhD Program
  • Where They Are Now
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