current members

shivalir@stanford.edu

I was born and raised in Lucknow, India, though my roots trace back to the Himalayas. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biotechnology from Amity University and IIT Guwahati, respectively. I pursued my PhD with Dr. Swasti Raychaudhuri at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, where I investigated protein aggregation under stress conditions in mammalian cells. Following this, I completed a brief postdoctoral training with Prof. Bingwei Lu at Stanford University. In the Rohatgi lab, my research focuses on the cholesterol trafficking pathway implicated in Niemann-Pick disease type C. Outside the lab, I enjoy watching sitcoms, British television shows, Korean dramas, and Japanese anime. I am an animal lover and a nature enthusiast.

yukigy@stanford.edu

Born in the Bay Area and raised in Pennsylvania, I began my academic journey at Penn State University on a full-ride scholarship. During my undergrad, I primarily worked on high-throughput small molecule screening to identify potent inhibitors of an antibiotic resistance-inducing enzyme and completed my honors thesis entitled "The inhibition of Erm methyltransferases to prevent antimicrobial resistance" under the mentorship of Dr. Squire J. Booker. Wanting to pursue my long-standing interest in cancer cell signaling research, I decided to take two gap years working in the Rohatgi lab before applying to MD-PhD programs. In the Rohatgi lab, I plan to investigate small molecules that target components of the Wnt pathway. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time with my family, my dog Pax (a morkie), playing the piano/tenor saxophone, and practicing taekwondo.

kdelong@stanford.edu

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

I grew up traveling, so while I went to high school in northern Virginia I often call Massachusetts home! I attended the University of Chicago, where I researched neuromuscular junction formation in the Carrillo lab. Post-graduation, I worked in Feng Zhang's lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to develop novel CRISPR delivery systems. I then came to Stanford’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology to pursue my interest in the molecular mechanisms and regulation of developmental signaling pathways. As a PhD student in the Rohatgi lab, I plan to investigate signal transduction at the primary cilia and develop a mechanistic understanding of key pathways such as Shh and Wnt. Outside of research, I enjoy reading classic science fiction novels, going to concerts, and exploring national parks!

mma19@stanford.edu

A.P. Giannini Foundation, Post-doctoral Fellowship

American Cancer Society, Post-doctoral Fellowship

I was born in China and grew up in the Bay Area. Wanting to explore the sun and beaches of southern California, I attended UC San Diego, where I received a BS and MS in Cell Biology and Biochemistry. From there, I attended Yale University and received my PhD in Cell Biology, studying membrane trafficking in the laboratory of Christopher Burd. Missing California food and weather, I came back to the Bay Area and joined the Rohatgi lab in August 2019. Here, I hope to use my cell biology expertise to further our understanding of oncogenic WNT signaling in cancers. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, traveling, and playing tennis.

mkinnebr@stanford.edu

Hanna Gray Fellow and Stanford Distinguished Fellow

NIH Director’s Early Independence Award Recipient

I was born in Guatemala and grew up in Orange County, California. Since then, I have continued to move north on the North American continent, first to the University of California at Santa Barbara, where I received a BA in Biology, and now to Stanford where I am a PhD candidate in the Rohatgi lab. My project focuses on the molecular mechanisms of Hedgehog signaling, with a emphasis on the EvC complex and Smoothened. While not in the lab, I enjoy fishing, camping, cooking and wine/beer tasting, especially in combination!

ganesh22@stanford.edu

American Heart Association, Post-doctoral Fellowship

I was born and raised in Vizag, a coastal city in Southern India. After completing my Masters in Biotechnology from the University of Hyderabad, I moved to Germany to begin my research career. I obtained a Ph.D. degree in the field of Cell Biology (protein trafficking and signal transduction).  After completing a short post-doc in the Pfeffer lab at Stanford University, I joined the Rohatgi lab in early 2013. My major research interest is to understand the molecular mechanisms of oncogenic WNT and Hedgehog signaling pathways. My long-term research career goal is to develop a therapeutic targeting “undruggable” oncoproteins. My outside interests include playing cricket and watching documentaries.