Our team

Jennifer Rooks (Research Associate)

Jenny recently graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a degree in neuroscience and minors in biology and Spanish. During college, she discovered her love for working with children. That’s why her goal is to attend medical school and focus on Pediatric medicine. In our lab, Jenny is interested to understand metabolic pathways since metabolic abnormalities underlie a lot of diseases in children. Outside of academics, she enjoys spending time with her friends and has recently picked up gardening as a hobby.

Layla Nazzal (Research Associate)

Layla has recently graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Human Biology, focusing on Human Health and Disease. She brings experience in patient care which has shaped her interest in understanding disease at both the clinical and molecular levels. As a research assistant, Layla aims to expand her experience in obesity research and deepen her understanding of metabolic pathways of adipocytes before pursuing a career as a physician. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading and traveling.

Faris Khan (Medical Student Researcher)

Faris Faris is a medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, Faris graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMSc) with an Honors Specialization in Medical Biophysics. He is particularly interested in therapeutic resistance mechanisms in prostate cancer and how metabolic adaptations contribute to treatment failure. Faris implement machine learning approaches in image analysis, and he worked with Jenny as team on several experiments. During his free time, Faris enjoys spending time with his family and friends, reading, and geocaching.

Sheeza Shaik (Rotation Graduate Student)

Sheeza earned her Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Indiana University Bloomington where she studied molecular and cell biology, with a focus on developing better treatments for cancer. She is interested to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic signaling pathways and cell- cell crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Outside of science, she enjoyed traveling and exploring different foods, cultures, places, and meeting new people.

Felipe Cardona Polo (Rotation Graduate Student)

Felipe is a1st-year IBMG student. He did his undergrad in Biology at IUPUI (IU Indianapolis). After graduation, he gained experiences in studying cancer, cachexia and metabolic diseases. This research sparked his interest in cancer immunotherapy and immune cells, which he is hoping to pursue in his PhD. Outside the lab, Felipe is a CrossFit Level 1 trainer and athlete. He has participated in several CrossFit competitions and just completed his first HYROX race. When he is not training, he usually hike, walk his dog, or spend time with close friends.

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I am a Pharmacologist and an Immunometabolism enthusiast.

Education:
PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacology), Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Egypt & Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, USA.
Postdoctoral Fellow in Immuno-metabolism, Physical Sciences in Oncology Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL.

More about the PI:
I am an assistant professor in the department of Urology and a full member of Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive (IUSCCC). I became interested in metabolism early in my career. After completing Pharmacy School, I pursued specialized training in diabetes and the molecular mechanisms of antidiabetic agents. As I transitioned my research focus to cancer, I realized during my PhD and postdoctoral studies that metabolic changes are often understudied, despite being key determinants of the therapeutic efficacy of anti-cancer treatments. When I had the opportunity to establish my own lab and launch an independent research program, we decided to focus on exploring how metabolism influences cancer at the cellular and molecular levels. This line of inquiry has the potential to guide the development of more effective targeted therapies and preventive strategies. It also opens the door to comprehensive, personalized approaches in which tailored nutrition can be integrated during or after treatment to improve outcomes and long-term health.