Bertha Guadalupe Rueda Zarazúa. ScD Student. I am a Chemist-Pharmaceutical Biologist by the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. I worked on pharmaceutical care so I had the opportunity of dealing with patients. I got a master’s degree in neurobiology by studying the deletions in the mitochondrial human genome. Since I can remember, I have been a person who enjoys the amazing feeling of understanding all kinds of phenomena. I am overwhelmed by the complexity of biology and I realize that every observation in nature is the result of a specific configuration of variables in a precise time. I am particularly interested on biomedical subjects, and more recently on cancer and its study from a genomic perspective. That’s why now I am working on the analysis of the adenocarcinoma lung cancer exome in this research group. I like spending time with the people I love and my gorgeous cat. I also enjoy a lot cinematography, painting, dancing, doing photography and eating as an experience.
Sharik Hernández Rizo. ScD student. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Experimental Biology at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) where I started working on development biology and regenerative medicine. During the master´s degree I started to work in cancer cell research. Here I began to study the molecular, cellular and metabolic mechanisms of liver cancer. During an internship in the Biomedical Research Institute of Barcelona (IIBB)- CSIC- IDIBAPS I had the opportunity to complete my studies in mitochondrial and metabolic research. There I gained not only academic experience I meet new people with new ideas and particular ways to see the entire life. The academic stay strengthens the idea that I want to continue my carrier in science. Now a days, I am in Melendez-Zajgla team where I continue with cancer research, particularly investigating the role of platelets in the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. In my free time I like to draw animals, cartoons and human faces. I like to listen music and whale sounds. I have 3 dogs and I love them.
Jonathan González Ruiz. ScD student. I completed my bachelor´s degree at Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (UAM) in experimental Biology, where I began to study cancer and I discovered that science is my passion. To obtain the degree I developed my thesis on the study of hormones and their relationship with cancer through Src kinase. One year later, during the master, I studied the molecular mechanisms beetween cholesterol and cell aggressiveness in liver cancer. Here I began to work with molecular biology with CAS9 technology. However, it was during an internship in Rennes, France, in NUMECAN, where I discovered my love for genomic sciences and its applications. Now a days, I am working at the Functional Genomics Laboratory at INMEGEN. I am so happy to have the opportunity to belong to Melendez Zajgla´s team where I am investigating the relationship between platelets and pancreatic cancer. Otherwise, I’m a very passionate and competitive guy, I like to play sports, travel, play video games, I love to spend my time with my family. I love to live my life with magic.
Nona Merckx. MSc Student. In 2016 I graduated from Maastricht University, in the Netherlands, with a bachelor degree in Biomedical Sciences majoring in Molecular Life Sciences. After this, I pursued my studies with a master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences with a specialization in Clinical Molecular Sciences. Here I started working with genetics during an internship in the Boston Children’s Hospital in the United States, where I did research to genetics in autism spectrum disorder. In 2018, I continued my interests in genetics by starting a master’s in Advanced Genetics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in Spain. Since February 2019, as part of my master’s program, I am doing my final thesis project here at the Functional Genomics Laboratory at INMEGEN where I investigate the genetics of cancer stem cells. Besides my interests in Molecular Life Sciences and Genetics, I like to travel and experience other cultures all over the world.
Aaron Galindo. ScD Student. I’m 28 years old PhD student at Facultad de Medicina, UNAM. I have a bachelor in Biology, in a proyect abaout of a endothelial dysfunction model in vitro related to preeclampsia, I also have a master´s degree in biological sciences with a specialty in Biomedicine, in wich I done a proyect about of the intratumoral heterogeneity in a pancreatic cancer cell line at single cell level, both at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Currently I´m researching the pancreatic cancer stem cells at single cell level (scRNAseq). My academic interests are molecular and cellular biology, genetics, biochemistry pathways, functional genomics and bioinformatics. I would like to travel first through my country and around the World.
Alejandro Aguilar Arista. MSc Student. I am 24 years old. I have a Bachelor in Biological Sciences and a I am doing my Masters in Molecular Biomedicine and Biotechnology Sciences. My current investigation field is in the oncogenic properties of CBFB in breast cancer and DNA methylation in pancreatic cancer. My academic interests are focused in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Epigenetics, Genetics and Cancer Research. On the other hand, my hobbies are watch science fiction movies, read books and comics, play videogames, visit Museums and go travel.
Erika Curiel-Gómez. ScD Student. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. After this, I studied my master’s degree in Neuropharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV). Currently, I am studying my Ph.D. at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN) where I am researching the genetics of pancreatic cancer stem cells. My academic interests are cancer research using molecular and cellular biology, genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics approaches. On the other hand, I have worked as a quality coordinator in the pharmaceutical industry, I have been a professor and mentor on the program Women Leaders in STEAM.
Adan Gutierrez. PhD Student
Cecilia Zampedri. Postdoctoral Student. I am a postdoctoral researcher with a background in developmental biology and extensive handling of zebrafish as a human diseases animal model. In addition to my main attention on cancer cell xenograft assays in in the lab, nowadays, my work focuses on modeling human cancer in zebrafish throughout genome edition novel techniques. I am primarily interested for the integral in vivoand real time study of pancreatic cancer. I am also enjoying teaching undergraduate students; participate in different projects in the lab and to organize training about zebrafish techniques for my co-workers. Researchgate site: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cecilia_Zampedri
Ela Alcántara. Postdoctoral Student. I have a Bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s degree in phytochemistry, histology and plant physiology, and doctorate in biological sciences, natural products and cancer. I am currently investigating the intrinsic drug resistance of cancer cells.I like cancer research, scientific divulgation, music, reading and chocolate.
Benjamin Bustamante. Research Technician. Pharmaceutical Biologist Chemist and Master Degree in Clinical Research by Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, currently studying my PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and Instituto Nacional de Pediatría. My work areas are DNA repair, Cellular Cycle and Cancer Genetics. In Dr Melendez-Zajgla Team I have had the opportunity to learn new genomic technologies and applications for cancer study.
Magali Espinosa. Associate Researcher . I am a biologist and I had been working in the field of cancer for 20 years. The apoptosis and signaling pathways of this group of diseases were part of my first research. Currently, I’m working in projects where we are trying to find molecular alterations in the cells, which give them the ability to originate a tumor or have resistance to treatments. That is why we analyze patient tumors and perform in vitro and in vivo models, such as cell lines, multicellular spheroids and zebrafish embryo xenograft. My research focuses on analyzing the participation of CBFbeta in the malignant phenotype of breast cancer, using the CRISPR-Cas technique mainly.
Gisela Ceballos. Associate Researcher. I am a biochemical engineer with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. I have a deep interest in understanding the mechanisms of cancer development and progression, and also of therapy resistance. I have been studying apoptotic pathways and signal transduction cascades in cancer cells for about 15 years. More recently, I have been participating in cancer genomics projects focused in find new and more accurate prognostic and diagnostic markers as well as therapeutic targets. I’m currently participating in projects on breast and pancreatic cancer.
Jorge Meléndez-Zajgla. Head Researcher
Melendez-Zajgla Lab 