Former Members of the Escorcia Lab
Barghi, Samyar
Major: B.A. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Path: M.S. in Pharmacology at University of California-Irvine (Class of 2027)
Lab Project: Investigation of structurally disruptive mutations in human Timeless and its S. pombe homolog Swi1, examining how impaired replication fidelity leads to increased DNA damage and genomic instability, fundamental drivers of tumorigenesis.
Daudov, Ruslan
Major: B.A. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Awards: 2025 Stanford Medical Scribe Fellowship (COMET); 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award (Department of Biology); 2024-2025 Prakristi Suri Memorial Award (CSUN)
Career Goal: M.D. (surgery path)
Lab Project: Examination of lipid abundance and distribution in UV-exposed mammalian cells with abrogated maf1, linking these findings to genomic models predicting structural damage and tissue-specific effects of recurrent mutations in the maf1 transcription factor.
Duncan, Lisa
Major: M.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: Biomedical Research
Lab Project: Exploration of the mutational landscape of Timeless in cancer and how structural disruption of this DNA replication fork factor contribute to increased genomic instability and oncogenic progression.
Mallari, Kayla
Major: B.A. Biology
Class Year: 2025
Awards: 2024-2025 BUILD PODER Undergraduate Research Fellowship; 2025 CSUNPosium 3-Minute Research Presentation (2nd Place); 2nd Place Talk - 2025 Sigma Xi Research Symposium, CSUN Chapter.
Career Goal: M.D.
Lab Project: Examination of thermoregulatable RNA elements to modulate in trans and in cis gene expression, exploring how temperature-sensitive RNA structures can precisely control protein production and regulate cellular responses under varying environmental conditions.
Manukyan, Marianna
Major: B.A. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Awards: 2024-2025 Associated Students Scholarship (CSUN); 2024-2025 MSP Amron Scholarship (CSUN); 2024-2025 MSP Turner Boyd Women in Intellectual Property Pipeline Scholarship (CSUN)
Career Goal: M.D.
Lab Project: Investigation of how common SNPs and pathogenic variants in the C1s component of the complement system may predispose individuals to lupus erythematosus-like syndromes.
Nalbandian, Lusine
Major: B.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology
Class Year: 2026
Caree Goal: Pharm.D.
Lab Project: Investigation of the intersection between the AMPK pathway and the DNA damage response (DDR) in S. pombe, focusing on how metabolic stress during aging triggers coordinated signaling between these pathways to maintain cellular survival and genomic stability.
Petrosyan, Tahmina
Major: B.A. in Biology
Class Year: 2026
Awards: 2025 CSUNPosium 3-Minute Research Presentation (2nd Place)
Career Goal: M.D./D.O.
Lab Project: Examination of thermoregulatable RNA elements to modulate in trans and in cis gene expression, exploring how temperature-sensitive RNA structures can precisely control protein production and regulate cellular responses under varying environmental conditions.
Perez, Erwin
Major: A.S. in Biology
College: Los Angeles Valley College
Transfer Year: 2025
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences/Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology
Lab Project: Examination of how disrupted lipid homeostasis in C. elegans contributes to reproductive abnormalities and accelerated aging.
Vasquez, Desserie
Major: B.S. in Biotechnology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: M.S./Ph.D. Molecular and Cell Biology
Lab project: Investigation on how common food preservatives affect physiological decline during biological aging in fission yeast.
Vamenta, Caitlin
Major: B.S. in Biotechnology
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: M.D.
Lab project: Investigation of a spore-killing system that improves plasmid retention by utilizing a poison-antidote mechanism, which selectively favors the survival of gametes containing the vector system and carrying a wtf gene.
Major: B.A. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Path: M.S. in Pharmacology at University of California-Irvine (Class of 2027)
Lab Project: Investigation of structurally disruptive mutations in human Timeless and its S. pombe homolog Swi1, examining how impaired replication fidelity leads to increased DNA damage and genomic instability, fundamental drivers of tumorigenesis.
Daudov, Ruslan
Major: B.A. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Awards: 2025 Stanford Medical Scribe Fellowship (COMET); 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award (Department of Biology); 2024-2025 Prakristi Suri Memorial Award (CSUN)
Career Goal: M.D. (surgery path)
Lab Project: Examination of lipid abundance and distribution in UV-exposed mammalian cells with abrogated maf1, linking these findings to genomic models predicting structural damage and tissue-specific effects of recurrent mutations in the maf1 transcription factor.
Duncan, Lisa
Major: M.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: Biomedical Research
Lab Project: Exploration of the mutational landscape of Timeless in cancer and how structural disruption of this DNA replication fork factor contribute to increased genomic instability and oncogenic progression.
Mallari, Kayla
Major: B.A. Biology
Class Year: 2025
Awards: 2024-2025 BUILD PODER Undergraduate Research Fellowship; 2025 CSUNPosium 3-Minute Research Presentation (2nd Place); 2nd Place Talk - 2025 Sigma Xi Research Symposium, CSUN Chapter.
Career Goal: M.D.
Lab Project: Examination of thermoregulatable RNA elements to modulate in trans and in cis gene expression, exploring how temperature-sensitive RNA structures can precisely control protein production and regulate cellular responses under varying environmental conditions.
Manukyan, Marianna
Major: B.A. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Awards: 2024-2025 Associated Students Scholarship (CSUN); 2024-2025 MSP Amron Scholarship (CSUN); 2024-2025 MSP Turner Boyd Women in Intellectual Property Pipeline Scholarship (CSUN)
Career Goal: M.D.
Lab Project: Investigation of how common SNPs and pathogenic variants in the C1s component of the complement system may predispose individuals to lupus erythematosus-like syndromes.
Nalbandian, Lusine
Major: B.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology
Class Year: 2026
Caree Goal: Pharm.D.
Lab Project: Investigation of the intersection between the AMPK pathway and the DNA damage response (DDR) in S. pombe, focusing on how metabolic stress during aging triggers coordinated signaling between these pathways to maintain cellular survival and genomic stability.
Petrosyan, Tahmina
Major: B.A. in Biology
Class Year: 2026
Awards: 2025 CSUNPosium 3-Minute Research Presentation (2nd Place)
Career Goal: M.D./D.O.
Lab Project: Examination of thermoregulatable RNA elements to modulate in trans and in cis gene expression, exploring how temperature-sensitive RNA structures can precisely control protein production and regulate cellular responses under varying environmental conditions.
Perez, Erwin
Major: A.S. in Biology
College: Los Angeles Valley College
Transfer Year: 2025
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences/Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology
Lab Project: Examination of how disrupted lipid homeostasis in C. elegans contributes to reproductive abnormalities and accelerated aging.
Vasquez, Desserie
Major: B.S. in Biotechnology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: M.S./Ph.D. Molecular and Cell Biology
Lab project: Investigation on how common food preservatives affect physiological decline during biological aging in fission yeast.
Vamenta, Caitlin
Major: B.S. in Biotechnology
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: M.D.
Lab project: Investigation of a spore-killing system that improves plasmid retention by utilizing a poison-antidote mechanism, which selectively favors the survival of gametes containing the vector system and carrying a wtf gene.
Former Escorcia Lab Trainees
- Avrand, Derik
- Davoodimasihi, Preny
- Dehlavi Garcia, Nicolas Amiri
- Garcia, Christian
- Gonzalez, Melissa
- Hernandez, Leina
- Iuvancic, Diego
- Lee, Charlson
- Ludena, Sebastian
- Mendoza, Lizbette
- Payamani, Helya
- Valadez, Roxanne
Xavier University Lab Alumni
Arth, Heidi
Major: B.S. in Biological Sciences for Business
Class Year: 2023
Career Goal: M.D.
Asemota, Terry
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2024
Career Goal: Biomedical Research
Barta, Hayley
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2022
Publications (PMID): 34439946; 35996688
Career Path: Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at The Ohio State University
Bennett, Lauren
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Career Path: D.O. at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Burek, Sam
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: M.D.
Chen, Ramon
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2023
Publications (PMID): 37988878
Career Path: M.S. in Human Genetics at Southern California School of Health Sciences
Doerger, Hannah
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Career Path: M.S. in Genetic Counseling at Columbia University
Driggers, Julia
Major: B.S. in Chemical Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 38344063; 39379142
Career Path: Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky
Dominguez, Mauricio
Major: B.S. in Biological Sciences for Business
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 35996688; 37988878; 38344063
Career Path: M.D.
Gammage, Leighton
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences
Graber, Meghan
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2022
Awards: 2022 Xavier University Undergraduate Researcher of the Year
Publications (PMID): 34439946; 35996688
Career Path: Ph.D. in Molecular Pathology & Immunology at Vanderbilt University
Khirz, Maryam
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences
King, Charlie
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: M.D.
King, Nathaniel
Major: B.S. in Psychology
Class Year: 2026
Publications (PMID): 39379142
Career Goal: M.D.
Kohli, Kareena
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: M.D.
Kuchinski, Kennedy
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2023
Publications (PMID): 37988878; 38344063; 39379142
Career Path: Ph.D. in Pharmacology at the University of Michigan
Kuo-Esser, Lance
Major: B.S. in Chemical Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Awards: 2025 Xavier University Undergraduate Researcher of the Year
Publications (PMID): 35996688; 37988878; 38344063
Career Path: Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine & Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Kuhns, Evelyn
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: M.D.
Lawson, Kylie
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 37988878; 39379142; 39527191
Career Path: Ph.D. in Environmental Biology at the University of Notre Dame
Le, Steven
Major: B.S. in Finance
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 37988878
Career Goal: M.B.A.
Meehan, Ryan
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2024
Career Path: D.O. at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Murdoch, Maeve
Major: B.S. in Biological Sciences for Business
Class Year: 2024
Career Goal: M.D.
Pluth, Jack
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Career Goal: M.D.
Rausenberger, Alex
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2022
Publications (PMID): 35996688
Career Path: D.O. at Liberty University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Rosichan, Lindsay
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology
Rose, Mia
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Career Goal: M.D.
Scandura, Tommy
Degree: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2023
Publications (PMID): 37988878
Career Path: M.S. in Physiology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Simmons, Nijah
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Publications (PMID): 37988878
Career Path: Medical Research at the National Institutes of Health
Skrtic, Shayne
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 39379142; 39527191
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Quantitative and Computational Biology
Thiam, Anta
Major: B.S. in Biophysics
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: M.D.
Vestal, Kylie
Visiting Researcher: Ohio Northern University
Major: B.S. in Forensic and Molecular Biology
Class Year: 2021
Career Path: Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Vo, Martin
Degree: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2022
Publications (PMID): 34439946; 35996688; 37988878; 38344063; 38408048; 39379142; 39527191
Career Path: D.O. at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Wood, Ryan
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2023
Publications (PMID): 34439946
Career Path: D.V.M. at Purdue University
Young, Evan
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2024
Career Path: Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Zahra, Mahnoor
Major: B.A. in Liberal Arts
Active Year(s): 2021
Career Goal: M.D.
Major: B.S. in Biological Sciences for Business
Class Year: 2023
Career Goal: M.D.
Asemota, Terry
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2024
Career Goal: Biomedical Research
Barta, Hayley
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2022
Publications (PMID): 34439946; 35996688
Career Path: Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at The Ohio State University
Bennett, Lauren
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Career Path: D.O. at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Burek, Sam
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: M.D.
Chen, Ramon
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2023
Publications (PMID): 37988878
Career Path: M.S. in Human Genetics at Southern California School of Health Sciences
Doerger, Hannah
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Career Path: M.S. in Genetic Counseling at Columbia University
Driggers, Julia
Major: B.S. in Chemical Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 38344063; 39379142
Career Path: Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky
Dominguez, Mauricio
Major: B.S. in Biological Sciences for Business
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 35996688; 37988878; 38344063
Career Path: M.D.
Gammage, Leighton
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences
Graber, Meghan
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2022
Awards: 2022 Xavier University Undergraduate Researcher of the Year
Publications (PMID): 34439946; 35996688
Career Path: Ph.D. in Molecular Pathology & Immunology at Vanderbilt University
Khirz, Maryam
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences
King, Charlie
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: M.D.
King, Nathaniel
Major: B.S. in Psychology
Class Year: 2026
Publications (PMID): 39379142
Career Goal: M.D.
Kohli, Kareena
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: M.D.
Kuchinski, Kennedy
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2023
Publications (PMID): 37988878; 38344063; 39379142
Career Path: Ph.D. in Pharmacology at the University of Michigan
Kuo-Esser, Lance
Major: B.S. in Chemical Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Awards: 2025 Xavier University Undergraduate Researcher of the Year
Publications (PMID): 35996688; 37988878; 38344063
Career Path: Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine & Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Kuhns, Evelyn
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2025
Career Goal: M.D.
Lawson, Kylie
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 37988878; 39379142; 39527191
Career Path: Ph.D. in Environmental Biology at the University of Notre Dame
Le, Steven
Major: B.S. in Finance
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 37988878
Career Goal: M.B.A.
Meehan, Ryan
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2024
Career Path: D.O. at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Murdoch, Maeve
Major: B.S. in Biological Sciences for Business
Class Year: 2024
Career Goal: M.D.
Pluth, Jack
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Career Goal: M.D.
Rausenberger, Alex
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2022
Publications (PMID): 35996688
Career Path: D.O. at Liberty University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Rosichan, Lindsay
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology
Rose, Mia
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Career Goal: M.D.
Scandura, Tommy
Degree: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2023
Publications (PMID): 37988878
Career Path: M.S. in Physiology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Simmons, Nijah
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2024
Publications (PMID): 37988878
Career Path: Medical Research at the National Institutes of Health
Skrtic, Shayne
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2025
Publications (PMID): 39379142; 39527191
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Quantitative and Computational Biology
Thiam, Anta
Major: B.S. in Biophysics
Class Year: 2026
Career Goal: M.D.
Vestal, Kylie
Visiting Researcher: Ohio Northern University
Major: B.S. in Forensic and Molecular Biology
Class Year: 2021
Career Path: Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Vo, Martin
Degree: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2022
Publications (PMID): 34439946; 35996688; 37988878; 38344063; 38408048; 39379142; 39527191
Career Path: D.O. at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Wood, Ryan
Major: B.S. in Biology
Class Year: 2023
Publications (PMID): 34439946
Career Path: D.V.M. at Purdue University
Young, Evan
Major: B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Class Year: 2024
Career Path: Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Zahra, Mahnoor
Major: B.A. in Liberal Arts
Active Year(s): 2021
Career Goal: M.D.
