Current Lab Members
Michael Alexanian
Principal Investigator
I was born and raised in Florence, Italy from an Italian/Argentinian mother and a French/Armenian father. I studied and trained in Italy, Australia, Switzerland (PhD) and USA (Postdoc). I lead an academic laboratory at the Gladstone Institutes/UCSF which studies gene regulation in heart disease. I teach theater at Improv at UCSF, a non-profit association that trains scientists to develop their communication skills, spontaneity and leadership through improvisational theater. In my free time, I love to enjoy the wonderful San Francisco with my family and friends.
Ada Zhu
Research Associate
My name is Ada Zhu and I graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and a B.A. in Chinese. I am interested in expanding my understanding of gene expression and epigenetic regulation.
In my free time, I like to explore the different neighborhoods of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Although being a San Francisco native, I always feel like there’s so much more to see and do. I also enjoy spending time and trying out new food spots with my family and friends.
Yuqian An
Postdoctoral Scholar
I received my PhD from Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China (2016-2022), where I studied neuroinflammation and senescence in Alzheimer’s disease and found novel drugs. I joined the Alexanian Lab in 2023, where I am studying immunometabolism and neuroinflammatory pathways in cardiovascular diseases. I also want to detect cell-cell connection including muscle, immune and vascular cells in cardiovascular disease.
Vee Xu
Research Engineer
I worked in international co-production film and media technology before migrating back to a science research journey. To ensure a smooth transition and to improve scientific literacy, I interned at UCSF through the CCSF biotechnology program, working on protein screening and single-cell microfluidics. I completed my undergrad in engineering and economics from Smith College and Graduate Certificates in Film Studies and Big Data Analysis from Beijing Film Academy and UIBE. I am very excited to be a part of the Alexanian Lab as a research engineer.
Junedh Amrute
Visiting Scientist
I am a cardiovascular physician-scientist in training interested in reverse translation and mechanistically guided therapeutic discovery at the intersection of inflammation, epigenetics, and fibrosis in cardiovascular disease. I studied bioengineering at Caltech and am currently a MD-PhD student at the Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine. During my PhD with Kory Lavine/Nate Stitziel I studied immune-fibroblast cross-talk in heart failure and cardiac recovery and mapping human genetic variants in coronary artery disease. Moving forward, I am interested in using multi-omic technologies, computational tools, and animal models to study immune-fibroblast cross-talk in heart failure, epigenetic regulators of inflammation and fibrosis, and mapping genetic variants to causal pathways in CVD for drug discovery.
Rangarajan Nadadur
Postdoctoral Scholar
Rajiv grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where his career aspirations eventually led him to pursue a path as a physician-scientist. After earning his undergraduate degree at MIT, he joined the MD/PhD program at the University of Chicago, completing his PhD in Dr. Ivan Moskowitz’s lab. His research focused on transcription factor interactions, gene regulatory networks in cardiac conduction, and their role in arrhythmias.
Following his training, Rajiv moved to UCSF for Internal Medicine Residency and Cardiology Fellowship. Now, as a member of the Alexanian Lab, he combines functional genomics with molecular and physiological approaches to investigate the role of inflammation and fibrosis in heart failure. He is passionate about translating these insights into novel therapies and advancing patient care.
Stephen Wu
Student Research Intern
I am a native-born San Franciscan who is enthusiastic for regenerative medicine and its limitless possibilities. I originally received my bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from UC Davis. I had hoped to move on to graduate studies in biomedical engineering, but I felt that I needed more scientific background in my education. And so I entered the biotech program at CCSF, where I gained a deep appreciation for stem cells and their roles in cellular therapies and biomedical research. I hope to put the knowledge and skills I developed to good use here at Gladstone. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending my time exploring the many great parks and museums throughout the city.
Emma Straight
Administrative Associate
I am a recent graduate from Santa Clara University, where I studied Psychology and Public Health. Throughout college, I gained valuable experience working as an RA in a psychology lab and serving as a student assistant for the public health department and school of law. Outside of work, I have a passion for film photography, live music, surfing, exercise, and travel.
Alumni Lab Members
Vivek Nalluri, Student Intern | Current role: Student, UC Berkeley
Kirsten Auclair, B.S.; Lab Manager | Current role: Administrative Assistant @ MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research
The Collaborators
The absolute most fun part of being a scientist is the enormous possibility to develop collaborative work at various institutions across the word. Our lab is strongly committed to a culture of collaboration and we feel honored to work with such creative scientists both in academia and industry.
