Lab Members and Alumni
PI
Ferrara, Katherine W.
Katherine W. Ferrara is a Professor of Radiology at Stanford University, School of Medicine. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the IEEE, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the Acoustical Society of America and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. Dr. Ferrara received her Ph.D. in 1989 from the University of California, Davis. Prior to her PhD, Dr. Ferrara was a project engineer for General Electric Medical Systems, involved in the development of early magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound systems. Following an appointment as an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Dr. Ferrara served as the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis. Her laboratory is known for early work in aspects of ultrasonics and has more recently expanded their focus to broadly investigate molecular imaging and drug delivery. Dr. Ferrara’s laboratory has received numerous awards including the Achievement Award from the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Society, which is the top honor of this society.
Link to Katherine Ferrara’s Google Scholar profile.
e-mail: kwferrar@stanford.edu
Current Lab Members
An, Jongmin – Postdoctoral Fellow
an2250 at stanford.edu
Jong Min An is a post-doctoral fellow who joined Ferrara Lab in 2024 to investigate non-canonical amino acid synthesis. He received his B.S. in Life Science and Chemistry from Sahmyook University, Seoul, Korea, in 2017. After that, He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from Kyunghee University, Seoul, Korea, where he was awarded the Top Thesis Award for his research on developing novel molecules for fluorescence-guided surgery and photosensitizers (Supervisor: Dokyoung Kim). His research interests focus on peptide synthesis and imaging molecules for PET, CT, MRI, and ultrasound modalities in therapeutic applications.
Choi, Sungwook – Postdoctoral Scholar
schoi715 at stanford.edu
Sungwook Choi (Seongwook Choi) received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and MS-PhD in IT Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea, in 2018 and 2023, respectively. Then, he worked in POSTECH Institute of Artificial Intelligence and joined Ferrara Lab in 2024. His research interests are the development of non-invasive biomedical imaging techniques including photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging.
Coate, Chandler – Staff Research Associate
ccoate at stanford.edu
Chandler graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2022 with a B.A. in Neurobiology. There, he studied the development of the retina in the lab of Dr. Marla Feller. After graduation, he worked at SonALAsense, Inc., which is administrating clinical trials in Sonodynamic Therapy for brain cancer. He hopes to study Cancer Biology as a Ph.D. student with a focus in lipid peroxidation and ultrasound.
Engudar, Gokce – Physical Science Research Scientist
gengudar at stanford.edu
Gokce received her B.Sc. degree in Chemistry and Food Engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 2009 and 2010, respectively. She received her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and Radiochemistry from Technical University of Denmark in 2018. Her Ph.D. projects focused on the development of drug delivery systems and methods for therapeutic compounds and imaging agents. She conducted her first postdoctoral research in Hafeli Lab at the University of British Columbia, where she worked on evaluation of the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of insulin self-assembly using SPECT/CT imaging (2019-2020). She worked as a postdoctoral researcher/research officer in several projects, from the production and radiochemical separation of radionuclides to in vivo evaluation of the developed radiopharmaceuticals, under the supervision of Dr. Paul Schaffer at TRIUMF (2020-2023). Her main focus was to develop 225Ac-labeled immunoconjugates for the treatment of neuroblastoma. She joined the Ferrara lab in 2023 to develop radiopharmaceuticals for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy.
Foiret, Josquin – Senior Research Scientist
jlfoiret at stanford.edu
Josquin Foiret received his B.Sc. degree in Physics and his M.Sc. degree in Acoustics from the University Paris VII in 2008 and 2009, respectively. In 2013, he received the Ph.D. degree from the University Paris VI for his work on characterization of cortical bone using ultrasonic guided waves. He joined the Ferrara lab in 2014 as a postdoctoral researcher. He currently works on novel signal processing to monitor ultrasound induced hyperthermia and enhancement of drug delivery through the combined use of ultrasound and contrast agents.
Guo, Yutong – Postdoctoral Scholar
yutongg at stanford.edu
Yutong Guo received her Bachelor degree in mathematics at University College London and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. She received her Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology, where her research was focused on ultrasound-actuated microbubble dynamics and the associated mass transport in the brain tumor microenvironment. Yutong joined the Ferrara Lab in 2023 to explore the potential of focused ultrasound in cancer immunotherapy.
Jan, Basit Latief – Life Science Research Professional 3
bljan at stanford.edu
Basit is a researcher having more than 10 years of experience working in both industry and academia. He is experienced in the fields of innate immunity and stem-cell biology. He was working as an Associate Scientist at a biotech start-up before joining Ferrara lab here at Stanford. Prior to that he worked at Stanford’s Stem Cell Institute. Basit has a BS in Biotechnology and a MS in Immunology.
Lu, Ning – Postdoctoral Scholar
ningluu at stanford.edu
Ning joined Ferrara Lab in 2023 to explore volumetric ultrasound imaging. Previously, she received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and Scientific Computing from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, in 2023, working on MR-guided histotripsy for noninvasive brain treatment. She gained a B.S.E. degree (highest honors) in Biomedical Engineering from Southeast University, Nanjing, China, in 2018. Her research interests include ultrasound instrumentation, ultrasound therapy, ultrasound imaging algorithms, and AI in healthcare.
Pandrala, Mallesh – Research Scientist
malleshp at stanford.edu
Mallesh Pandrala is a Senior Scientist of Radiology at Stanford University, School of Medicine. He received his PhD in 2014 from the University of New South Wales, Australia, where his research focused on therapeutic properties of mono- and di- nuclear Iridium(III) complexes. Prior to his PhD, Dr. Pandrala worked as a process chemist and drug discovery chemist in leading drug discovery companies such as Dr Reddy’s laboratories and Jubilant Biosys in India. During postdoctoral training at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR-Rio Piedras), he developed synthetic strategies to conjugate small molecules to bioactive peptides to improve selective drug delivery to cancer cells. As a postdoctoral researcher and research scientist in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, he developed small molecule kinase inhibitors of the BCR-ABL1 oncogene, small molecules to prevent or reverse T cell exhaustion. He developed strategies to synthesize prodrugs for approved drugs to improve their pharmacokinetic properties. He continued his medicinal chemistry efforts at Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon. At Stanford, he continues to develop and translate novel small molecules for cancer treatment and imaging.
Raie, Marina – Life Science Research Professional 2
mraie at stanford.edu
Marina received her B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Davis in 2019. She joined the Ferrara Lab in 2018 as an undergraduate volunteer at the University of California, Davis, maintaining mammalian cell cultures and processing tissues for testing the effects of anticancer therapies. Currently, she works as a researcher helping with pre-clinical studies.
Seo, Jai W. – Research Scientist
jaiwseo at stanford.edu
Jai Woong Seo received a B.S. (2001), M.S. (2003), and Ph. D. degrees (2007) in chemistry at Inha University in Korea. He conducted the preparation of ionic liquids by the time he finished B.S. and development of nitric oxide suppressor as M.S. degree. While he was doing Ph. D course, he studied about estrogen receptor imaging for breast cancer detection with F-18 labeled cyclofenil derivatives at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a visiting graduate student (2003-2004). After then, he developed facile F-18 labeling methods for small molecules until he finished Ph. D. at Inha University (2004-2007). He joined professor Ferrara group in University of California, Davis (2007). His research involved development of Cu-64 and F-18 labeling method for tracking liposome in vivo, and synthesis and evaluation of near-infrared dye for optical imaging. His research interest is the molecular imaging for targeted drug delivery system.
Song, Minho – Postdoctoral Scholar
minhos at stanford.edu
Minho received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering at Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, in 2013 and 2015, respectively. After 4 years of industrial experience as a noise and vibration research engineer at Korea Aerospace Industries, LTD in Sacheon, South Korea, he began his doctoral studies in 2019. He earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, in 2024, with research focused on ultrasound monitoring guidance in cavitation-based high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy. Minho joined Ferrara Lab in 2024. His research interests encompass advanced ultrasound imaging modalities and focused ultrasound therapy.
Tumbale, Spencer – Lab Manager
stumbale at stanford.edu
Spencer Tumbale received his B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Technology Management from the University of California, Davis in 2015. He joined the Ferrara Lab in 2013 as an undergraduate research assistant and continued his work as a Jr. Specialist, serving as an assistant to in vitro studies. After the lab moved to Stanford University, he assumed the role of lab manager and continues to assist in in vitro studies.
Wang, James – Postdoctoral Fellow
jimwg at stanford.edu
James received his BS from Bioengineering at the University of Washington and PhD in Chemical Engineering from UCSD in 2019. His PhD work focused on the development of hollow silica nanoshells as ultrasound contrast agents and sensitizers for acoustic mechanical ablation in combination with immunotherapy for solid tumors. He joined the Ferrara lab in 2019 to further investigate the underlying mechanisms of tumor ablation and immune response to combination therapeutics.
Weixel, Charlotte – Visiting Student
cweixel at stanford.edu
Charlotte graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2023 with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. There, she studied therapeutic applications of ultrasound for neurological diseases in the Chen Ultrasound Lab. She started medical school at Stanford in Fall 2023 and is spending the summer researching novel targets for radiotheranostic cancer therapies.
Zhang, Nisi – Postdoctoral Fellow
nszhang at stanford.edu
Nisi Zhang received her PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering from Peking University in 2022. Her PhD work focused on the development of nanosonosensitizers and conducting sonodynamic therapy in murine cancer models. Nisi joined the Ferrara lab in 2022 and is working on ultrasound-mediated gene transfection for cancer immunotherapy using microbubbles and lipid nanoparticles.
Lab Alumni
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Aghevlian, Sadaf
2019-2020: Postdoctoral fellow.
Currently a scientist at Fusion Pharmaceuticals. -
Ahmed, Mohammed Inayathullah Nazir
2021-2022: Research Scientist.
2022-2023: Senior Research Scientist. -
Ajenjo, Javier
2021-2024: Postdoctoral Scholar.
Currently an Associate Project Scientist at UCLA Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology. -
Anders, David
danders at stanford.edu
2021-2022: Postdoctoral Researcher.
Currently the Director of the Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility. - Beegle, Julie
2010-2011: Assistant to in vivo studies. - Borden, Mark
2004-2007: Project scientist.
Currently an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. -
Bendjador, Hanna
2021-2022: Postdoctoral Fellow. -
Brandner, Dinah
dinah_brandner at yahoo.de
2020: Visiting student researcher.
Currently enrolled in the masters program in Mechatronics at the Johannes Kepler University. -
Cai, Xiran
2018-2020: Postdoctoral Fellow.
Currently an Assistant Professor at ShanghaiTech University. - Caskey, Charles
cfcaskey at gmail.com
2004-2008: PhD student.
2008-2013: Postdoctoral fellow.
Currently an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University. -
Chen, Weiyu
2020-2021: Postdoctoral fellow.
Currently an Assistant Professor in The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine. -
Choi, Wonseok
2022-2023: Visiting Scholar.
Currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea. - Dayton, Paul
2001-2007: Research engineer.
Currently a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University. - Even, Lisa
2009-2019: Manager of in vivo studies. -
Feng, Yi
2019: Visiting Associate Professor.
Currently an Associate Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University. -
Fite, Brett
2008-2013: PhD Student
2013-2016: Postdoctoral Scholar
2016-2018: Assistant Project Scientist
2018-2023: Instructor - Gagnon, Karen
2009-2014: Postdoctoral fellow. - Hlawitschka, Mario
2009-2011: Postdoctoral fellow.
Currently a faculty member in Leipzig, Germany. - Hu, Xiaowen
2007-2011: PhD student. - Ilovitsh, Asaf
2016-2019: Postdoctoral fellow. - Ilovitsh, Tali
2016-2019: Postdoctoral fellow.
Currently an Assistant Professor at Tel-Aviv University, Israel. - Ingham, Elizabeth
2009-2019: Manager of in vitro studies.
Currently the UC Davis School of Medicine Safety Officer. - Kakwere, Hamilton
2016-2018: Postdoc Research Fellow.
2018-2019: Research Scientist. -
Kare, Aris
2019-2024: PhD Candidate. -
Kheirolomoom, Azadeh (Azi)
akheirolomoom at gmail.com
2005-2018: Project Scientist
2018-2021: Senior Research Scientist -
Konda, Anuja
2024: Visiting Student Researcher. - Kruse, Dustin
1999-2004: Postdoctoral fellow. - Kusunose, Jiro
2006-2013: PhD student.
2013-2014: Research engineer. -
Kwon, Alex
2021: Undergraduate Student Researcher - Lai, Chun-Yen
2007-2013: PhD student.
2013-2014: Post doctoral fellow. -
Lee, Haeni
2023-2024: Visiting Student Researcher. -
Liu, Cheng
cheng.c.liu at stanford.edu
2018-2019: Postdoctoral Fellow.
Currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford. - Liu, Jingfei
2014-2017: Postdoctoral fellow. -
Liu, Pei
2019-2022: Postdoctoral Researcher.
Currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging, A*STAR, Singapore. - Liu, Yu
2007-2014: PhD student.
2014-2017: Postdoctoral fellow. - Lum, Aaron
1998-2003: PhD student.
2004: Postdoctoral fellow.
2005-2006: Project Scientist. - Paoli, Eric
eepaoli at gmail.com
2009-2013: PhD student. -
Park, Eunyeong
2020-2021: Visiting scholar.
2021-2024: Postdoctoral scholar.
Currently an Assistant Professor at KAIST. - Patterson, Craig
2006-2018: Contracts and grants manager. - Podkowa, Anthony
2020-2022: Postdoctoral Scholar.
Currently at Fujifilm. - Qin, Shengping
2005-2009: Postdoctoral fellow. -
Robinson, Elise
2012-2014: Undergraduate Research Assistant.
2020-2021: PhD Student.
2021-2022: Postdoctoral Fellow. -
Rivera-Rodriguez, Angelie
2022-2023: Postdoctoral Scholar. -
Schneider, Martin
2020-2024: Postdoctoral Scholar. - Silvestrini, Matthew
2013-2018: PhD student. - Stephens, Douglas
2007-2019: Principal Engineer. - Stieger-Vanegas, Susanne
2003-2007: PhD student.
Currently an Associate Professor at Oregon State University. -
Sun, Pengwei
pengwei at stanford.edu
2022: Graduate Student.
Currently a PhD Student in Biomedical Physics at Stanford University. - Sun, Yang
2002-2006: PhD student.
2006-2010: Postdoctoral fellow.
2010:2012: Assistant Project Scientist. - Tam, Sarah
2011-2019: Assistant to in vivo studies. -
Tang, Wei-Lun
wltang3651@gmail.com
2019-2023: Postdoctoral Fellow.
Currently a Scientist II at Nutcracker Therapeutics. - Tartis, Michaelann Shortencarier
2002-2006: PhD student.
Currently an Associate Professor at New Mexico Tech. - Tucci, Samantha
2015-2019: PhD student. - Vralsted, Vivian Costa
2009-2011: Postdoctoral fellow. - Watson, Katherine
2006-2008: Research associate. - Wong, Andrew
2011-2016: PhD student. -
Wu, Bo
2018-2024: Life Science Research Professional 3. - Zhang, Hua
2005-2006: Postdoc Research Fellow.
2006-2018: Assistant Project Scientist.
2018-2019: Senior Research Scientist. - Zhao, Shukui
2003-2006: PhD student.