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Lauren Tauer, M.S. – Lab Manager and Associate Director of Metabolic Disease Research Center
Lauren Tauer earned her Master’s degree at Colorado State University in Fort Collins focusing on Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. She then returned home to Massachusetts to work in the pharmaceutical testing industry for 4 years until joining Dr. Kim's laboratory in 2018. Lauren is currently the Associate Director of the Metabolic Disease Research Center and a lab manager with expertise in mouse metabolism, analytical biochemistry, and diabetes research. With her caring personality, she also enjoys her role in mentoring students. Outside the laboratory, she loves hiking year-round and spending time with her Norwegian Elkhounds.
Muhammad Sajid, M.S., Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Muhammad Sajid received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Master of Philosophy in Microbiology from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad in Pakistan in 2016. He then completed his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Wuhan University in China in 2021, where he studied the role of Interferon-stimulated gene 6 on HBV gene expression and replication at the State Key Laboratory of Virology. He also worked on SARS-CoV2 in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and optimized ddPCR to detect the SARS-CoV2 virus. After completing his postdoctoral training in Dr. Wenwen Fang's laboratory, he joined Dr. Kim’s lab to study type 2 diabetes, metabolic liver disease, and obesity. Muhammad is currently investigating the effects of diets on metabolic liver disease using transgenic mice with altered macrophage signaling that were recently generated in our laboratory. His multifaceted projects also focus on molecular analysis of hepatocytes, macrophages, and other immune cells in the liver while delineating the role of intercellular crosstalk in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. In his free time, He likes to play badminton and enjoy a fun time with his family.
Asha Daryanani, B.S. – Graduate Student
Asha Daryanani obtained her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Following her undergraduate education, she spent two years as a postbaccalaureate researcher, working on prostate cancer at the National Cancer Institute. She helped establish mouse models that recapitulate metastatic phenotypes and explored novel drug treatments. She began her graduate study at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in 2023 and is now in her second year as a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Kim’s laboratory. She joined Dr. Kim’s lab to help find a cure for diabetes. Asha is currently investigating the molecular mechanism by which a pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-12 (IL-12) modulates insulin action and glucose metabolism in the liver using various molecular approaches, including adeno-associated virus and siRNA. Her exciting projects further examine the effects of gain-of-function and loss-of-function in IL-12 action on insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis using transgenic mouse models. Outside the lab, she enjoys baking, reading, and taking long walks with friends.
Suryateja Rao, B.S. – Medical Student
Suryateja “Teja” Rao is a 4th-year medical student at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and a research fellow in Dr. Kim’s laboratory. He has a Bachelor of Science in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Economics from Johns Hopkins University and was a founding executive at a biotechnology startup company in San Francisco before joining our medical school. His deep interest in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying obesity and its whole-body sequelae, and in applying these insights to better care for these conditions as a physician, led him to pursue a research year in our lab. His project focused on metabolic liver disease and applied his clinical skills to using a state-of-the-art 4D ultrasound to noninvasively assess liver steatosis and fibrosis in mice. Teja was instrumental in our study, recently published in Nature Communications, identifying a novel role of interferon-gamma signaling in macrophages and their release of a pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-12 (IL-12), in regulating intercellular crosstalk in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. He is currently investigating the molecular mechanism by which Tirzepatide, an exciting new diabetes drug based on gut peptide (GLP-1) action, modulates insulin sensitivity using diet-induced obese mice. His exciting results were recently presented at the 2024 Endocrine Society Conference in Boston. Teja continues to work on our project to delineate the underlying mechanism by which IL-12 regulates insulin action and glucose metabolism in the liver using transgenic mice with interferon-gamma signaling deficient macrophages. He also presented his findings at the 2024 Endocrine Society Conference. For his 4th research project, Teja studied the effects of acute exercise on spontaneous physical activity in mice, which led to his presentation at the 2024 American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Boston. Teja continues to follow up on his ongoing research projects and is currently preparing manuscripts for submission while finishing his last year of medical school. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing and watching sports (especially basketball and football), reading, running, and spending time with family and friends. As an aspiring surgeon-scientist, Teja looks forward to continuing his research endeavor and his journey in clinical practice and biomedical innovation!
Hanna Choi, B.S. – Medical Student
Hanna Choi is a 2nd year medical student at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Hanna obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology with Spanish and Linguistics Minors and Commonwealth Honors College Greatest Distinction from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2021. She has previously worked as a research coordinator at the Massachusetts General Eye and Ear and Harvard Retinal Imaging Lab. She has research experience in transcriptomic changes in soil virology as an undergraduate at UMass Amherst and clinical research experience on the diagnostic characteristics of retinal diseases including Age-related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy. Her academic involvements include leading the Diabetes Optional Enrichment Elective at UMass Chan. Hanna is currently investigating metabolic liver disease using transgenic mice with altered macrophage signaling and 4D-ultrasound analysis. She is also studying the sex-specific effects of diets on liver steatosis and fibrosis and recently presented her preliminary findings at our school's summer project poster sessions. As an aspiring physician, Hanna looks forward to treating and advocating for the Diabetes community.
Kaushal Kasina, – Undergraduate Intern (UMass Amherst)
Kaushal Kasina is a 3rd year student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, majoring in Biology. During his research internship in Dr. Kim's laboratory for 3 summers, he participated in several projects involving metabolic liver disease and obesity-mediated inflammation and insulin resistance. He was actively involved in our research projects focusing on the role of macrophage interferon-gamma signaling in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and as a result, he coauthored our recent publication in Nature Communications.
Jiho Lim, – Undergraduate Intern (University of Texas at Austin)
Jiho Lim is a 3rd year student at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Biology with a growing interest in medicine and becoming a physician-scientist. He has previously worked at the Cancer Center of the Texas Tech University Health Science Center where he studied neuroblastoma. For his research internship, Jiho investigated the molecular mechanism by which conditional loss of interferon-gamma signaling in Kupffer cells modulates insulin action and glucose metabolism in the liver using diet-induced obese mice. He presented the data at the annual Summer Undergraduate Research Program poster session. He hopes to gain more research experience and skills while engaging with people having different backgrounds and skills to widen his perspectives and deepen his understanding of biomedical research. Jiho immigrated with his family from South Korea.
Debie Bih – High School Intern
Debie Bih is a junior at Acton Boxborough Regional High School with a growing interest in pursuing a career in biomedical engineering. She was on the honor roll for the last 2 years and received a Silver Medal for outstanding community service and a French National Language Award. Debie is involved in the Science Club, school paper, and varsity track and field at her high school. During her research internship, Debie worked on research projects involving metabolic liver disease and type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Kim's Annual Summer Lab Picnic
2024 Kim Lab Summer Picnic at Dean Park