Our Team
Chad V. Pecot, MD
Principal Investigator
Twitter: @ChadPecot
Thanks for taking the time to learn about my lab. We are always looking for dynamic, bright and engaging people to join our team.
Because we take a team science approach, we are especially looking for scientists interested in working collaboratively and across several unique disciplines.
Fun Fact
I’ve had potbellied pigs for pets that I taught how to dance. I have an adventurous appetite and have eaten tarantulas, grasshoppers, and grub.
Yazmin Sanchez
Administrative Support Specialist
yssanche@email.unc.edu
Hometown
Surf City, NC
Fun Fact
I’ve lived in Japan and have a leopard gecko named Ringo
Kristina Whately, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
kwhately@med.unc.edu
Twitter: @KWhately
Research Focus
My research focus is fate-mapping tumor cell clones and metastases in breast and lung cancer. I am also working on the development of lentivirus autochthonous mouse models and testing immune checkpoint therapy in different models of lung cancer.
Hometown
Lynchburg, VA
Fun Fact
My husband and I played T-ball together when we were 5 years old.
Lincy Edatt, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
lincy13@email.unc.edu
Research Focus
My research is focused on therapeutic studies on highly metastatic lung and breast cancer
Hometown
Kerala, India
Fun Fact
Huge fan of anime…..and love cooking
Katherine Zhou, MD, PhD
Fellow | Visiting Scientist
kiz@email.unc.edu
Research Focus
I am studying the role of a small nucleolar RNA in the lymphatic dissemination of triple negative breast cancer.
Hometown
Chicago, IL
Fun Fact
I went to a French school from kindergarten through 8th grade.
Shetal Patel
Adjunct Faculty Member
shetal_patel@med.unc.edu
Research Focus
I am a thoracic and head/neck medical oncologist with an interest in utilizing mouse and human lung cancer models to test novel treatment strategies that could be translated to clinical trials for patients.
Fun Fact
I sang a cappella in college.
Yogitha Chareddy
Graduate Research Assistant
yogitha@live.unc.edu
Research Focus
I am working on the development of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics targeting the MYC and KRAS oncogenes.
Hometown
Marietta, GA
Fun Fact
I’m an amateur fragrance collector and reviewer.
Allison Woods
Graduate Research Assistant
atwoods@unc.edu
Research Focus
I study Malignant Pleural Effusion (MPE), a very poorly understood disease that is caused when cancer cells are found in the pleural cavity of the chest (the space between your lungs and chest wall). Affecting ~150,000 patients annually in the US alone, and with extremely poor clinical outcomes (3-12 month survival), my work using novel animal models of MPE and single cell RNA sequencing techniques aim to help elucidate genetic and cellular drivers of MPE.
Hometown
San Antonio, TX
Fun Fact
Some of my favorite things to do are go to local artisan/craft markets, pick up new hobbies, read great books, and sing- I even almost pursued a career as a musician and am currently in a local choir!! I have 3 kitties named Ghibli, Pickle, and Mochi who are the light of my life.
Aaron Chack
Graduate Research Assistant
Chack1@email.unc.edu
Research Focus
I study how RNA secondary structure correlates with cellular function, and how certain non-coding RNAs contribute to lung cancer metastasis.
Hometown
Weston, WI
Fun Fact
I’ve gotten a hole-in-one while golfing!
Alessandro Porrello
Bioinformatician
alessandro_porello@med.unc.edu
Research Focus
Hometown
Fun Fact
Lab Alumni
Nisitha Sengottuvel
Twitter: @SNisitha
Research Focus
1. Evaluating the role of inflammatory monocytes on lung cancer progression. 2. Evaluating the roles of p53 and Pten on lung cancer progression.
What is she doing now?
Attending her last two years of medical school at UNC!
Jonah Im
Research Focus
I am investigating Ligand Characterization for Cancer Therapeutics
What is he doing now?
Attending medical school at UCLA!
Hayden Huggins, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Research Focus
My research is focused on developing RNAi and ligand-targeting technologies for silencing difficult to drug targets in cancer.
What is he doing now?
Andrew Putz
Research Technician
Research Focus
B7H3 and EGFR ligand discovery via mRNA display
What is he doing now?
Attending graduate school!
Gargi Dixit
Undergraduate Student Extraordinaire
Research Focus
I am investigating how miRNAs in blood endothelial cells change with tumor growth.