Our People

Computational Biologist

Hanbing Song received his Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from the College of William and Mary. His research in the lab focuses principally on the genomic analysis of prostate cancer.

Postdoc

Jon received his Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from UC Santa Cruz. His research interests are focused on using genomic analyses to better understand and address disparities in cancer outcomes. Outside of lab, Jon enjoys making Japanese food and rock climbing.

Postdoc

Chih-Hao Chang received his PhD in Genome and Systems Biology from National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. His research in the lab focuses on molecular and cell biology experiments in prostate cancer.

Postdoc

Keila earned her PhD in Biological Sciences from Vanderbilt University, where her research focused on human genetics and evolution. In the Huang Lab, she applies bioinformatics and deep learning methods to understand transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in prostate cancer cells. If not coding, you'll likely find her learning history, philosophy, criminology, German, reading Sci-Fi, collecting rocks, or playing the bass guitar.

Research Scientist

Verima Pereira is a Research Scientist in Dr. Franklin Huang’s lab, where she studies prostate cancer biology. Her work focuses on spatial transcriptomics, single-cell, and single-nuclei sequencing. Previously, she researched liver cancer with an emphasis on cell signaling pathways. She is also a recipient of the CCMI award, along with several other recent recognitions.

Postdoc
Josephine is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Huang Lab, where she uses functional genomic approaches to identify durable therapeutic targets for advanced prostate cancer. Josephine holds a jointly awarded PhD from The University of Adelaide in Australia and Nagoya University in Japan. Her research focuses on androgen receptor biology, drug resistance, and the identification of novel strategies to enhance prostate cancer immunotherapy.

Graduate student in Biomedical Informatics

Maggie is a graduate student in the Biological and Medical Informatics PhD program at UCSF. She is interested in applying and developing computational methods to advance precision oncology. She majored in Molecular Biology and minored in Computer Science at UCSD for her undergraduate studies.

Lab Manager

Lorraine graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a B.S. in Biochemistry. Her work focuses on characterization of molecular drivers of prostate cancer with a focus on race-based disparities and the preclinical validation of cell-surface targets for immunotherapy identified through single-cell transcriptomics data. In her free time, Lorraine enjoys painting and petting her cat.

Lab Technician

Lorena Benitez-Rivera received her bachelor and master from San Francisco State University (SFSU) in Cell and Molecular Biology. She is a PROPEL scholar, and is doing a post-bachelor with us. She is passionate about leveraging cutting-edge genomic technologies to uncover and analyze genetic information in underrepresented populations. Outside of lab, Lorena enjoys dancing Latin music, going on hikes, spending time with family and friends.

Lab Technician

Pranav graduated from UCR in 2023 with a B.S. in biology. His work focuses on using single cell genomics to find genetic markers in metastatic prostate cancer. In his free time, he loves walking through Golden Gate Park and overpaying for coffee.

Research Fellow

Nia Adeniji is currently a second-year oncology fellow at UCSF in the Huang Lab. Her research interest is in understanding the ways in which the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of colorectal cancer drives tumor development, progression, recurrence, and treatment response. She is currently looking to identify unique immune compartments and signatures that may confer increased aggressiveness in early onset CRC tumors in African American males. She is additionally interested in understanding how the mismatch repair status of CRC tumors influences the TME, with the hope of identifying new molecular targets for both prognostication and disease treatment.

Medical Student

Julia graduated from Williams College in 2022 with a B.A. in Biology, and spent three years as lab manager and technician for the Franklin Huang lab before attending medical school at Thomas Jefferson University. Her work is focused on studying genomic alterations in underrepresented ethnic minorities in order to promote research diversity and target cancer disparities. In her free time, Julia enjoys cooking, playing with her puppy, and helping out on her family’s flower farm.

Medical Student

Harrison received a BS in Bioengineering from UCSD followed by an MPhil in Cancer Research from the University of Cambridge. He is taking a research gap year from medical school. His research in the lab focuses on using spatial transcriptomics to explore the metastatic niche of prostate tumors.

Clinical Research Coordinator

Chloe graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology. She currently lead oncology studies at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, focusing on prostate and lung cancer. She is passionate about promoting access to healthcare and clinical research for underrepresented communities. Outside of work, you'll find Chloe volunteering at her local church, attempting to learn guitar, or hiking a new trail.

Clinical Research Coordinator

Katiyana graduated from University of San Francisco with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She leads and assists with precision oncology research studies at the San Francisco VA, primarily working with patients and coordinating with research personnel. She is pursuing a medical degree and hopes to conduct future research with an emphasis on African American community advocacy.

Clinical Research Coordinator

Kristy graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Psychology. She leads and assists with oncology research studies at the San Francisco VA, primarily working with patients and coordinating with research personnel. She is pursuing a graduate degree in clinical psychology and hopes to conduct research and practice within the clinical psych field.

Graduate student in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (joint with Neil Risch)

Heme/Onc Fellow (joint with Luke Gilbert)

Then: Project Manager

Now: PhD Candidate at University of California, Berkeley

Then: Clinical Research Coordinator

Now: Medical student at University of California, Los Angeles

Then: Clinical Research Coordinator

Now: Medical student at University of California, Davis

Then: Junior Specialist

Now: Medical Student at Tufts University

Then: Lab Manager and Junior Specialist

Now: Senior Research Associate at Renasant Bio

Then: Junior Specialist

Now: Software engineer

Then: High School Volunteer

Now: Medical student at Saint Louis University

Then: Lab Manager and Junior Specialist

Now: Medical student at Columbia University

Then: Clinical Research Coordinator

Now: Medical student at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Then: Computational analyst

Now: Programmer analyst at Genentech

Then: Assistant Specialist

Now: PhD student at University of California, San Francisco

Then: Undergraduate student

Now: Medical Student at Yale University

Then: Lab Manager

Now: Anesthesia Technician

Then: Medical Student at Cambridge

Now: Surgery Resident

Urology Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco

Professor at University of Colorado, School of Medicine

Professor at Nagoya City University, School of Medicine

Urologic Oncology Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles

Then: Lab Manager

Then: Bioinformatics student at UCSF

Then: Undergraduate Student at UC Berkeley