Chen Lab

Principal Investigator

• Yvonne Chen
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology

  Yvonne earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Caltech. She received postdoctoral training at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute and at the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. Yvonne was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows prior to joining UCLA in 2013. Dr. Chen has been a recipient of the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, the ACGT Young Investigator Award in Cell and Gene Therapy for Cancer, the NSF CAREER Award, the Mark Foundation Emerging Leader Award, and the Cancer Research Institute’s Lloyd J. Old STAR Award. Yvonne is also the co-director of the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, and a Member Researcher in the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

  yvonne.chen at ucla dot edu

Project Scientists

• Mobina Khericha
  • BSc, Biotechnology, Bangalore University, India
  • MSc, Molecular Genetics, University of Leicester, UK
  • Ph.D., Molecular Genetics, University of Leicester, UK

  Mobina K. is an Assistant Project Scientist and the Chen Lab Manager. She comes from labs at University College London and Texas A&M where her work focused on aging using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. In her free time, Mobina K. enjoys traveling, cooking, trying new restaurants and spending time with her daughter.

Postdoctoral Associates

• Nayoung Kwon
  • B.S., Biological Sciences, Seoul National University
  • Ph.D., Cell Biology, Yale University

  Nayoung completed her Ph.D. in Cell Biology at Yale University, focusing on the genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying the fate specification of hematopoietic progenitors. She is originally from South Korea, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Seoul National University. She is excited to be in LA and to develop immunotherapy techniques. In her free time, Nayoung enjoys exploring the city, playing tennis, and watching movies.

• Kenny Vo
  • B.S., Biological Sciences, UC Irvine
  • M.D., Eastern Virginia Medical School
  • Pediatrics Residency, UC Davis
  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow, UCLA

  Kenny earned his M.D. at the Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed his residency training in Pediatrics at UC Davis in Sacramento. He is currently a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow at UCLA interested in developing cellular therapies to target pediatric sarcomas. In his free time, you can find Kenny tring to find the next new place to grab some food.

Graduate Students, Ph.D.

• Tomasz Zamyslowski
  • B.S., Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Technology
  • M.S., Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Technology
  • Ph.D. Student, Biochemistry Molecular and Structural Biology (BMSB), UCLA

  Tomek is a PhD student in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department. He completed his Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s of Science degrees at the Warsaw University of Technology. After graduation he spent 2 years in Anthony Kossiakoff’s lab at the University of Chicago working on antibody engineering. Currently he focuses on developing bispecific T-cell engagers for cancer immunotherapy. In his free time, Tomek enjoys kickboxing, cooking and spending time outside.

  tzamyslowski at ucla dot edu

Research Associates

• Caitlin Harris
  • B.S., Biological Sciences, CSU Fullerton
  • B.A., Psychology, CSU Fullerton
  • M.S., Immunology, CSU Fullerton

  Caitlin is a Staff Research Associate in the Chen Laboratory. Her previous research focused on characterizing the reactive oxygen species response in Drosophila macrophages. Outside of the lab, Caitlin likes to take care of her house plants, go to the beach, and try new recipes.

• Jimmy Chang
  • B.S Biophysics, University of Washington
  • M.S. Biomedical Engineering, New York University

  Jimmy is a Staff Research associate in the Chen Laboratory. His two previous research experiences include observing Tungsten ditelluride topological superconductivity patterns and studying CAR-T cell activation patterns via mechanobiology. Outside of the lab, Jimmy enjoys producing music, cooking, and playing video games.

• Anushka Ahmed
  • B.S., Bioengineering, UCLA
  • M.S., Bioengineering, UCLA

  Prior to joining the Chen Lab, she worked throughout the biotech industry in the Los Angeles area. She has previously worked at Amgen, Atara, and GenVivo gaining experience in process and assay development for a variety of biologics including CAR-T cells and viral vectors. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, pottery, and fostering animals.

Undergraduate Students

• Ken Woo

  Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology