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.

Research Assistant

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) student

Ananya is studying chromatin dynamics during tissue regeneration. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, running, spending time with friends, and relaxing with a good movie. Ananya completed her M.Sc. as a CIRM fellow in 2024 in the Gur-Cohen lab.

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.

Vicky Han

Master Student

Vicky Han is a first-year BS/MS graduate student at UC San Diego. She also graduated with a B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC San Diego. Vicky is interested in the relationship between stem cell fate decisions and stem cell niche during tissue regeneration. In her free time, she likes to watch baseball games and go indoor climbing with her family and friends.

Savannah Martin

CIRM student

Savanah is a CIRM intern in Biology. Savannah is excited to learn more to learn more about stem cells and is involved in projects centered at the mechanisms behind the interactions of stem cells and their microenvironment. In her free time, you will find her at the beach, or taking her dog, Luna, on walks and enjoying quality time with her family.

Katya Kazulina

Undergrad Researcher

Katya is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology at UC San Diego. Katya is interested in attending Medical School and becoming a specialized doctor. In the Gur-Cohen’s Lab, Katya is developing a novel stem cell tracing system. In her free time, Katya is enjoy lifting weights, swimming, and trying new cooking recipes. Katya is eager to expand her knowledge of tissue regeneration and work alongside our collaborative team!

Sophia Vivar

Undergrad Researcher

Sophia is a third-year student majoring in General Biology at UC San Diego. In the lab, Sophia is studying lymphatic-epithelial stem cell interactions and is excited to uncover potential therapeutic strategies to reestablish the regenerative potential of the skin. In her free time, she enjoys playing various sports, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends.

Itai Levi

Undergrad Researcher

Itai Lavi is an undergraduate student majoring in Bioinformatics at UC San Diego. He is interested in the underlying aspects of stem cell differentiation and plasticity, with a keen eye on identifying mechanistic targets for therapeutic applications. In his free time, Itai enjoys the outdoors, surfing, playing and watching basketball, as well as spending quality time with friends.

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.