Sanaz Memarzadeh, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA & Director, G.O. Discovery Lab
Sanaz Memarzadeh is a gynecologic oncologist and molecular biologist. She gained an undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh. After medical school, also at the University of Pittsburgh, she moved to UCLA for her OB-GYN residency. She became passionate about caring for women with gynecologic cancers and realized that there was a vital need for basic science research in this field to help improve current therapies. She pursued a clinical fellowship in gynecologic oncology and at the same time began her training as a basic scientist. Within eight years, she earned a PhD and completed her fellowship training. She is passionate about being a woman clinician-scientist who works both at the bedside and the bench. She hopes to improve how women with gynecologic cancers are treated. She cares for patients with gynecologic cancers at UCLA and at the West Los Angeles VA hospital.
DIRECTOR

Tanya Singh, Ph.D.
Project Scientist
Tanya is a project scientist in the G.O. Discovery Lab. She completed her Ph.D. in Molecular biology from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. During her Ph.D., she investigated a stress-responsive MAPK signaling pathway in Entamoebaspecies and also established its role in encystation and survival of the parasite. Tanya is passionate about research, and the excitement of science keeps her moving forward. She is excited to be part of this team and hopes to use her experience to make discoveries in for women with cancer.
Christopher Ochoa, B.S.
Graduate Student
Christopher Ochoa is a graduate student in UCLA’s Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Doctoral Program (MBIDP) in the Cell & Developmental Biology home area. He graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. During his time at UC Davis, he worked in Dr. Joanna Chiu’s lab where he studied the circadian clock in Drosophila melanogaster and its role in maintaining organismal physiology. Inspired by the passion, dedication, and research focus of the lab, Christopher joined the Memarzadeh Lab with the hopes of contributing to the research that can impact the lives of women with cancer.


Gabriella DiBernardo, B.S.
Laboratory Manager, Staff Research Associate III
Gabriella earned her degree in Biological Sciences at Union College in New York. After graduating, she began her research career at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Plastic Surgery where she investigated long gap peripheral nerve regeneration using acellular conduits and adipose stem cell therapies for soft tissue deformities. She then worked at a regenerative medicine biotechnology company manufacturing autologous muscle derived cells. Gabriella is passionate about making discoveries and advancing research in gynecologic oncology to better the lives of patients.
Laura James-Allan, Ph.D.
Project Scientist
Laura is a project scientist in the G.O. Discovery Lab. She completed her Ph.D. in Reproductive Sciences at St George’s University of London focusing on pre-eclampsia and the placenta in early pregnancy. Her research interests in the placenta continued during her postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado and University of California Los Angeles, including projects focused on the role of placental nutrient transport and extracellular vesicles in gestational diabetes mellitus. Laura is passionate about women’s health and is looking forward to applying her skills and knowledge to the field of gynecologic oncology in the hopes of improving the lives of women with cancer.


Jashan Sanghu
Undergraduate Researcher
Jashan is a second-year Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology student at UCLA. Being very passionate about understanding the role of cancer stem cells in gynecological cancers, Jashan joined the G.O. Discovery Lab, hoping to help find novel treatments. He hopes to continue this research into a career as a Physician-Scientist. As a newcomer in the lab, he will be involved in the carcinosarcoma project, trying to understand and find treatments for ovarian and uterine carcinosarcomas, which very rare and aggressive cancers.
Sophia Ting
Undergraduate Researcher
Sophia is a first-year Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics student at UCLA. She is passionate about women's health and cancer immunology, and she is excited to join the G.O. Discovery lab and contribute to the field of gynecologic oncology. In the future, she plans to continue pursuing her interests in medicine and research as a physician-scientist.


Lauryn Ruegg, B.S.
Staff Research Associate I
Lauryn graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a B.S. in Human Biology. While attending UCSD, she worked in the Jamieson Lab investigating the subcellular location of ADAR1 in Secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia. After graduation, Lauryn joined the Yang Lab at Cedars-Sinai, studying RIPK2 in Prostate Cancer. She is excited to be a part of the G.O. Discovery Lab and the advancement of gynecologic oncology research.
Former lab members