Dr. Alfredo Quiñones -Hinojosa, known by his patients as Dr. Q, received his undergraduate from UC Berkeley and earned his medical degree from Harvard with Honors. He did his residency at the University of California San Francisco, and currently works at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. His titles include Professor of Neurological Surgery, Professor of Oncology, Director of the Brain Tumor Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and Director of the Pituitary Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Q also oversees two labs in his efforts to discover the ability of stem cells to fight brain cancer. In his free time Dr. Q enjoys mentoring, training for his half-marathon fund raiser run, and spending time with his wife and three kids.

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Research Associate

Dr. Hugo Guerrero-Cázares received his M.D. in September 2000 and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences in February 2007 from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico. He moved to Baltimore, MD with his family to join the Brain Tumor Stem Cell Laboratory in March 2007 and is currently a research associate. Dr. Guerrero-Cazares participates in multiple research projects in the lab, particularly on studying the effects of Slit proteins on the migration of Brain Tumor Stem Cells. For this project he developed a model to evaluate the migration of human cells on human tissue.

Awards & Grant support: MSCRF (TEDCO)

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Instructor

Colette Aprhys is an expert in gene transfer technology with experience in bacterial, plant, and mammalian systems. She received her Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Colette did her postdoctoral research in the field of DNA damage and DNA repair at the National Institute on Aging. Subsequently, she returned to Hopkins to establish a Viral Vector core facility. Currently, she is providing vector support to the laboratory of Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa.

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Dr. Sara Abbadi received her B.S. in molecular biology from the University of Padova in Italy. She continued her studies in cellular and molecular biology at Ferrara University, Italy and Queen Mary University, London. She earned her Ph.D. degree from the University of Padova where she worked on brain tumor stem cells. In 2010, she joined the Brain Tumor Stem Cell laboratory directed by Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. Currently, she is leading a project that focuses on the role of glucose metabolism and hypoxia on primary-cultured brain tumors, to evaluate the effects of 2-DG on proliferation, migration, speed of motility and tumor formation in an in vivo model.

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Dr. Paula Schiapparelli, received her Biology and Biochemistry degree from University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. After obtaining her PhD degree in that same institution, she decided to continue her training as a post-doctoral research fellow at the Brain Tumor Stem Cell laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, under the mentorship of Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa.

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Dr. Vivian Capilla-Gonzalez received her B.S. in Biology from the University of Valencia, Spain. In Oct 2011, she earned her Ph.D. degree in neuroscience at the same institution under the mentorship of Dr. Jose Manuel Garcia-Verdugo. Vivian focused her research on neural stem cells and neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain. In Jan 2012, she decided to move to Baltimore, MD, to join the Brain Tumor Stem Cell laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, where she works as post-doctoral research fellow. She is currently leading a project that focuses on the effect of aging and radiotherapy on neural stem cells. Moreover, Vivian is evaluating if Slit2 modulates the migratory capacity of brain tumor stem cells by interaction with NKCC1, to determine the possible effects on tumor progression and invasion.

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Dr. Qian Li joined the Brain Tumor Stem Cell laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow in August 2011. Her work focuses on the application of human Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hAMSCs) as an effective treatment for GBMs.
Qian received her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Peking University in May 2011.

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Kaisorn Chaichana, currently a 5th year neurosurgery resident at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, is completing a two year research fellowship funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Kaisorn received his B.S. in 2003 from the University of Utah and majored in Biology. Kaisorn joined the Brain Tumor Stem Cell Lab in June 2006. He is interested in studying the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the migration of normal neural stem cell and tumor stem cell migration. He is also trying to determine the phenotype of the invading brain tumor cells that make brain tumors resistant to treatment. He is also working on identifying ways to improve outcomes for patients with brain tumors following surgery.

Recipient:

•The Paul Ehrlich Young Investigator's Day Award
•The Henry Strong Dension Student Research Award
•Walter Dandy Clinical Research Award

Juan Carlos received his MD in January 2013 from Monterrey Tec School of Medicine in Mexico. He first joined the Q-lab as a Research Scholar in January 2012 being awarded a prestigious year-long training position by the Mexican Ministry of Health. In January 2013, after receiving his degree, Juan Carlos was recruited as a full-time Postdoctoral Fellow. Juan Carlos is interested in studying the molecular mechanisms of brain cancer malignancy in search of novel targets for clinical therapeutics.

Mingxin Zhu is an Exchange Ph.D. student in the Department of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He obtained M.D. degree in 2009 and licence for medical practice in China in 2010. He got Chinese Scholarship Council funding in Sep. 2012, which support him studying in U.S. for two years. Now he work in the Brain Tumor Stem Cell Laboratory directed by Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa. His works focus on the characteristics of migration of Neural Stem Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells in vitro and vivo. The long term goal is to choose a better cell resource for treatment of glioma.

Dr.Feng Yun received her Ph.D. degree in Microorganic and Biochemical pharmacy from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College(CAMS&PUMC), Beijing, P. R. China. In Feb 2013, she join the Brain Tumor Stem Cell laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, where she works as a research scholar, under the mentorship of Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa. Yun focused her research on the target therapy of gliomas.

Joanna Wang graduated from Columbia University with a degree in neuroscience and behavior in 2011. She is currently a medical student at Johns Hopkins University, and joined Dr. Q’s lab in March 2012. Her work focuses on using human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells as a vehicle to deliver targeted therapy for glioblastoma.

Sagar R. Shah is a doctoral student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Sagar completed his BS in biological sciences and a minor in mathematical sciences with general and departmental honors in both disciplines at Clemson University in 2006 and was bestowed the university’s highest honor, the Norris Medal. Subsequently, he completed his MS in bioengineering at Clemson University in 2007 through a 5-year BS/MS program. He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and is interested in understanding the genetic controls of cancer cell growth and death. Sagar's interests range from understanding American public policy to mentoring at a local school.

Awards & Grant support: NSF

Christopher L. Smith, of Murfreesboro, TN, is a PhD candidate in the department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He earned his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from MIT in 2006. Chris has received numerous awards as a graduate student, including the 2007 Ford Foundation Graduate Fellowship, and the 2011 UNCF/Merck Graduate Science Research Dissertation Fellowship.

Christopher is conducting a collaborative project with primary mentor, Andre Levchenko, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and co-mentor, Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, M.D. Christopher’s research utilizes adult stem cells from human fat to treat brain cancer. Specifically, he is attempting to enhance the ability of stem cells to localize to tumor sites and deliver therapeutic agents. His experimental approach employs novel micro- and nanotechnology.

Awards & Grant support: UNCF/Merck

Olindi Wijesekera is in the BA/MS program at Johns Hopkins University studying cellular and molecular neuroscience. In July 2011, Olindi joined the Brain Tumor Stem Cell lab. She works with Dr. Qian Li to characterize the interactions of adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs), brain tumor stem cells, and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4). In collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff’s lab, Olindi is exploring the use of hydrogels as a delivery method for hAMSCs as a brain cancer therapeutic.

Nathaniel Tippens completed his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in May 2011. His research focuses on understanding the molecular pathways that enable the unchecked proliferation and migration of cancerous cells, and he hopes to earn first a PhD and then an MD in order to continue this research. In addition to his studies, Nathaniel will be running in the Baltimore half-marathon to help raise funds for cancer research for the second year in a row, and finds nothing more relaxing than an insightful book, documentary, or movie: fiction or non-fiction.

Sean Dangelmajer received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Johns Hopkins University in 2012 with Academic, Departmental, National Neuroscience and National Biological Honors. He was previously awarded the Provost Undergraduate Research Award to study the hormonal regulation of the N-methyl-D-asparatate receptor and its role in vocalization and learning. Sean joined Dr. Q's lab in August of 2012 shifting his research focus to cancer. He will eventually pursue a degree in medicine.

Alexandra Larsen joined Dr. Quiñones-Hinojosa's laboratory in October of 2010. She is investigating, along with Dr. Nestoras Mathioudakis, the role of stem/progenitor cells in pituitary tumors. Alexandra expects to receive a bachelor's degree from The Johns Hopkins University in 2013, where she is studying both Molecular and Cellular Biology. Alexandra is originally from NYC, where she attended Stuyvesant High School.

Ram Sundaresh is third year undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in neuroscience and mathematics. He has been working in Dr. Q's lab with Dr. Mathioudakis, investigating pituitary cancer stem cells. In his free time he enjoys playing piano and spending time with friends and family.

Thomas O'Donnell is from Flemington, NJ and is a senior at Johns Hopkins University pursuing a degree in cellular and molecular neuroscience. He plans to go to medical school after he graduates. He is currently working with Chris Smith to find ways to treat hAMSCs so that they can more efficiently localize to tumor sites and deliver therapeutic agents. They also have a project that uses novel mirco- and nanotechnology to to study stem cell migration. In his free time, he enjoys reading, exercising, playing guitar, and spending time with friends and family.

Saksham is from Acton, Massachusetts, and is a second year undergraduate at Johns Hopkins
University, majoring in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. After graduating, he plans on going
to medical school and studying to become a surgeon. He is working with Chris Smith to enhance
Mesenchymal Stem Cell localization to tumor sites to more efficiently deliver therapeutic agents. In his
free time, Saksham enjoys running, reading, and spending time with friends.

Janice is from Pickerington, Ohio and is a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in Neuroscience. After graduating, she plans on going to medical school and studying to become an oncologist. She is investigating along side of Dr. Vivian Gonzalez of the role of a signal pathway in brain tumor migration. In her free time Janice enjoys running, reading, and socializing with people.

Gabrielle Drummond is a second year undergraduate from Wappingers Falls, NY, majoring in neuroscience and psychology at Johns Hopkins University. She is working with Dr. Guerrero-Cazares, investigating the role of Slit proteins and Robo receptors in the migratory pathway of Brain Tumor Stem Cells. In her free time, she enjoys running, playing piano, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Sural Ranamukhaarachchi is currently a junior at Glenelg High School. He is working with Dr. Hugo Guerrero-Cázares in the lab, studying the effects of Slit proteins on the migration of Brain Tumor Stem Cells. He hopes to pursue a degree in neuroscience in the near future. In his spare time, Sural enjoys playing sports, creating music and spending time with friends and family.

Leslie Sibener is currently a first year undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in neuroscience and writing seminars. In January 2013, Leslie joined the Brain Tumor Stem Cell lab. In collaboration with Dr. Paula Schiapparelli, her research focuses on studying the role of the NKCC1 co-transporter in the migratory abilities of glioma brain tumor cells.

Maru Jaime is from Monterrey, Mexico. She is a freshman at Johns Hopkins after college she hopes to go on to Medical School after graduating. Maru joined the lab on January 2012, and is currently working with Ignacio Jusué at the Outcomes lab and with Juan Carlos Martinez on the effects of NCKK1 on tumor growth and dispersal.

Dr. Benjamin Carson

CSF Proteins and Factors
Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) Collaborator

Dr. Carson is the Director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Carson collaborates with Dr. Jallo and Dr. Quinones through a gant from the Children’s Cancer Foundation to elucidate the putative role of the pediatric subventricular zone in the development of brain cancer stem cells.

Dr. Curt Civin

Hematopoetic Stem Cells

Dr. Civin’s Laboratory is located at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His laboratory focuses mainly on normal and malignant stem cells. Dr. Civin’s laboratory has created a NOD-SCID (non obese severe combined immunodeficiency disease) mouse that allows for engraftment of foreign cells.

Dr. Xingde Li

Dr. Steven Goldman

Dr. Goldman is the Chairman of Department of Neurology, Chief of Division of Cell and Gene Therapy, Glenn-Zutes Chair in Biology of the Aging Brain, and Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Goldman collaborates with Dr. Quinones’s research laboratory in establishing a molecular atlas of the neural and glial progenitor cell populations of the adult human brain, as derived from both normal brain tissue and from primary brain tumors.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/goldmanlab/GoldmanSA.htm

Dr. Jose Manuel Garcia-Verdugo

EM World Expert

Dr. Garcia-Verdugo’s laboratory is based in the Instituto Cavanilles in the University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. His focus is on adult neural stem cells and on their possible use for brain cell therapy.

Dr. George Jallo

CSF Proteins and Factors
Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) Collaborator

Dr. Jallo is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Jallo's laboratory research is focused on the development of an animal model for brainstem and intramedullary spinal cord tumors. Dr. Jallo and Dr. Quinones collaborate through a grant from the Children’s Cancer Foundation to elucidate the putative role of the pediatric subventricular zone in the development of brain cancer stem cells.

Dr. Hongjun Song
Cell Migration
Dr. Song’s Laboratory is located in the Institute for Cell Engineering at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Song's laboratory is interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal development of adult neural stem cells in the adult central nervous system as well as the mechanisms involved in migration.

Dr. Oscar Gonzalez-Perez
EGF Cell Activation
Studies the mechanism of migration and invasion of transit-amplifying neurogenic precursors stimulated by Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in vivo.

Dr. John Laterra

Dr. Andrew Levchenko

Dr. Jordan Green

Dr. Peters C. Searson

Dr. Helim Aranda-Espinoza

Dr. Alessandro Olivi