Meet the team

Dr. Shiri Gur-Cohen

Dr. Gur-Cohen is stem cell biologist whose innovative work on lymphatic vascular niche for hair follicle stem cells opened the door to fundamental research areas to advance therapeutics for enhancing tissue regeneration.

Dr. Gur-Cohen is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Regenerative Medicine at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Gur-Cohen’s work with Dr. Elaine Fuchs at The Rockefeller University in New York unearth the lymphatic capillary network as a novel stem cell niche component, and her multidisciplinary strategy has advanced our knowledge of how stem cells synchronize and coordinate tissue regeneration. Dr. Gur-Cohen earned her Ph.D. in the Department of Immunology in Dr. Tsvees Lapidot’s lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, and completed her B.A. in molecular biochemistry and M.Sc. in medical sciences at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Dr. Gur-Cohen has published multiple high-profile papers in top tier scientific journals and has presented leading-edge scientific discoveries around the world.
Dr. Gur-Cohen seeks to perform innovative and fundamental research that would aid our understanding of 'stemness' identity and behavior.

Madison Conte. M.S.

Lab Manager

Madison earned her M.S. in Biological Sciences in Dr. John Eme’s Lab at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). She also graduated with a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from CSUSM. Madison enjoys crafting, playing disc golf, reading, and spending time with her family. She loves all things Disney and goes to Disneyland as often as she can! Madison is eager to learn more about lymphatic capillaries surrounding hair follicle stem cells and is excited to be in the Gur-Cohen lab!

Ananya Goyal M.Sc

Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Ph.D. student

Ananya is a PhD student in the lab studying the delicate balance between healthy regeneration and malignant transformation fueled by adult stem cells of the skin. Her interests range from cell intrinsic fate coordination to biomechanical properties of the stem cell niche. Outside of the lab, she enjoys painting, exercising, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Jeremy Horrell

Postdoctoral Fellow

Jeremy earned his PhD in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry at Brown University. While at Brown, he was part of the Center on the Biology of Aging where he used novel super-resolution microscopy and DNA targeting Oligopaints to uncover the hierarchical nature of chromatin structure in human cells and in tissues. In the Gur-Cohen lab, Jeremy is focused on advancing his interests in the biology of aging through the study of stem cells, cancers, and regeneration of the skin.

Outside of lab Jeremy enjoys road and gravel cycling, hiking, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Samantha Nasser

Undergrad Researcher

Samantha is a second-year student pursuing a B.S. in Neurobiology at UC San Diego. Outside of academics, she loves to travel, read, ice skate, and explore new foods and restaurants with family and friends.

Aditya Verma

Undergrad Researcher

Aditya is a third-year student pursuing a B.S. in Biology with a specialization in Bioinformatics at UC San Diego. Outside of academics, he enjoys writing, exploring new cafes and restaurants, playing soccer, and spending time with friends and family.

Hodaya Knafo

Masters Student Researcher

Hodaya Knafo is a master’s student at UC San Diego, building on her undergraduate foundation in Human Biology with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Following the completion of her graduate studies, she plans to attend medical school with the goal of becoming a surgeon. Hodaya is deeply interested in investigating how lymphatic vessels and the vascular environment influence the behavior of cancer stem cells and contribute to the development of malignancies. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, practicing yoga and pilates, cooking, traveling, and attending music festivals.