Edward J. Kelly, Ph.D
Principal Investigator
Dr. Kelly earned his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Palmiter, developing transgenic and knockout mouse models to study the function of the metal-binding protein metallothionein. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular toxicology at the UW Department of Environmental Health with Dave Eaton, he ventured into Biotech, managing the Preclinical Bioanalytics group at Targeted Genetics Corporation, evaluating the safety and efficacy of gene therapies for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis and hemophilias.
Upon his return to academia, his research interests have stayed within the realm of preclinical biology. His lab works on developing novel models to study normal human physiology and disease states, with a particular focus on cytochrome P450 enzymes and their role in endobiotic/xenobiotic metabolism.
The focus of his lab is on ex vivo modeling of human organ physiology and toxicological responses to drug/xenobiotic challenge. This research makes use of “organs on chips” or microphysiological systems (MPS) populated with primary and stem-cell derived cell types to recapitulate two key ADME organs, the liver and kidney. Recent work is extending MPS technologies to model human diseases, as well as how organs respond to the extreme environment of microgravity on the International Space Station. Dr. Kelly holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and also serves as Co-Director of the Pharmaceutical Bioengineering Program.
Current Members
Chris Arian
PhD Candidate
Chris is from Cleveland, Ohio. His research involves developing and characterizing intestinal enteroids for use in drug absorption modeling. He likes to make Italian pasta sauce, bouldering, and his cat Chives.
Anish Mahadeo
PhD Candidate
Anish earned his B.S. in biochemistry from USC in 2020. He uses kidney microphysiological systems to assess risk factors for chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu). He loves spicy food, skiing and gaming.
Brad Hansen
PhD Student
Brad is a Toxicology PhD Student in the UW School of Public Health. He is co-advised with Dr. Elaine Faustman. Prior to graduate school, Brad earned his B.S. from the University of Vermont and worked in environmental and toxicological risk consulting. Brad is interested in the advancement of in-vitro models to study reproductive and developmental toxicity. His current research focuses on post-natal development of testis and how testis development can be recapitulated in organoid models. These models provide platforms for high impact translational research across reproductive development, testis toxicology, and fertility.
Eimear O'Mahony
PhD Student
Her name rhymes with "lemur."
Alumni
Kendan Jones-Isaac
Graduate Student
Jade Yang
Research Scientist
Jade started as an Undergraduate Research Assistant and is now a Research Scientist in the Kelly lab. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2020 with a degree in Biochemistry. One of her favorite things to do in Seattle is visiting different coffee shops.
Mickey Ruiz
Undergraduate
Mickey intends to major in neurobiology and minor in global health. She hopes to become a neurosurgeon in the future. Her hobbies outside of lab and school include drawing, singing, and playing the ukulele. She is now doing a post-bac in pharmacology at the University of Washington
Wei-Yang (Jeremy) Chen
Postdoctoral Researcher
Jeremy received his PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology from University of Louisville in 2016, where he studied alcohol-induced gut-liver injury in alcoholic liver disease at the University of Louisville. He continued training as a postdoc in neuroscience and behavioral research in Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics (CARE) at the University of Illinois at Chicago before he joined Dr. Catherine Yeung’s lab in July, 2020. Jeremy is interested in pharmacokinetic modeling and microphysiological system (MPS) in the application of drug metabolism and disposition research. He enjoys playing basketball, snowboarding, attending concerts, and he is a big football and basketball fan. He now works for Arcus Biosciences as a DMPK scientist.
Pavan K. Bhatraju, M.D., MSc.
Acting Instructor, Pulmonary Fellow
Pavan is a physician in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at the Department of Medicine; a member of the Kidney Research Institute; and acting instructor at the University of Washington.
Francine Cesar, M.S.
Graduate Student
Francine earned her MS in 2021. Her Thesis is titled, "Development of a Cystic Fibrosis Microphysiologic Model of Glomerular Filtrate Reabsorption". Following graduation, she has taken a position as a Pharmacokinetic Scientist at Altasciences.
Kevin A. Lidberg
Former Graduate Student
Kevin received his PhD in June of 2021. Kevin's work focused on utilizing a microphysiological model of the human renal proximal tubule to evaluate whether phosphorothioate backbone chemistry is a major determinate of antisense oligonucleotide-induced renal injury. Kevin was also interested in understanding how human serum components affect proximal tubule epithelial cell phenotype. Kevin currently holds a position at RayzeBio.
Kirk P. Van Ness, Ph.D
Former Research Scientist
Kirk attended the University of Washington to earn both his MS in fisheries and Ph.D in toxicology. He now has more than 17 years of biotechnology experience in nonclinical safety assessment toxicology, upstream process development, and protein chemistry research. While working in the Kelly Lab, Kirk was engaged in the investigation of the implementation of microfluidic devices (organs-on-a-chip) to evaluate the toxicity and pharmacology of drugs and toxicants exposed to renal and hepatic cells growing in a 3D connective tissue matrix. Outside of lab, he is a Expert Toxicology Witness for the King County Department of Public Defense and Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.
Christina Kim
Former Laboratory Technician
Christina is a lab technician for the Kelly Lab. She majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, graduating from UW in 2018, and will be continuing her studies as a dental student at UW's School of Dentistry. Her work mainly consisted of recombinant protein expression and purification.
Ranita S. Patel, M.D.
Pediatric Nephrologist, Former Research Fellow
Born and raised in Texas, Ranita completed her medical doctorate program at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and residency program at the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Children's Medical Center. Upon finishing her pediatric nephrology fellowship with the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital Division of Nephrology, she is continuing as a research fellow in the Kelly Lab. She grew to love the Pacific Northwest and can be found spending time with her husband and friends in local hangouts, playing and listening to music, hiking, biking, and practicing yoga.
Tomoki Imaoka, Ph.D
Former Research Scientist
Tomoki was a visiting scientist from Japan. With an educational background in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic research, he is exploring the applications of a microphysiological model of the human renal proximal tubule to evaluate and predict renal handling of drugs in humans. He also has strong interest in studying chemical toxicity related to environmental diseases.
Shirley Y. Chang, Ph.D
Former Research Scientist
Shirley is an international student who comes from Taiwan. She got her BS degree from Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan, and her MS degree from National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Her academic background is in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As a student in the Toxicology PhD program of the Environmental Health Department, she contributes applications of her molecular biology knowledge and research experiences related to the broad field of environmental health, including finding the etiology of environment-related diseases.
Mikias Woldetensae, B.S., B.A.
Former GenOM-ALVA Student
Mikias was in the Kelly Lab in 2011 as a GenOM-ALVA student. He is currently a Phlebotomist at Bloodworks Northwest.
Hadar Scharff, M.S.
Former Graduate Student
Hadar earned her Master's in Public Health in 2011. Her thesis title was "MicroRNA Regulation of Drug Metabolizing Enzymes, Including Ethical Implications for Pharmaceutical Research in Pregnant Women." She is currently a User Experience Researcher at Google.
Jacelyn Bain
Former Undergraduate
Jacelyn Bain graduated from the University of Washington in 2021 with a degree in Bioengineering. Her favorite hobbies include reading, movie-going, and hiking.
Phoenix Chen
Former Undergraduate
Phoenix Chen graduated from the UW with a degree in Biochemistry. He is a Seattle native and loves going on runs in the summer around Green Lake. He can also solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute.
Virginia Vaenuku
Former GenOM-ALVA Undergraduate
Virginia Vaenuku graduated from Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, WA in 2017. As a UW GenOM ALVA summer intern, Virginia tested the nephrotoxicity of an antibiotic, Gentamicin. As a pre-med student with interest in pediatrics, she hopes to also pursue research in drug-related nephrotoxicity in children. Her favorite hobbies are swimming, hiking, and hanging out with her family and friends.
Elijah J. Weber, Ph.D
Former Graduate Student
Eli earned his Ph.D in 2018. His thesis was titled "Development of a Microphysiological Model of the Kidney Proximal Tubule and Application in Predictive Toxicity Testing of Polymyxin Antibiotics." Shortly after graduating, he started his position as a clinical pharmacologist at Gilead in Forest City, California.
Jenna Voellinger, Ph.D
Former Graduate Student
Jenna joined the Kelly lab in 2009 as a PhD student and graduated in 2015. Her thesis is titled "Molecular and Cellular Characterization of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Hepatocytes." Following graduation she took a position at Seattle Genetics as a Clinical Pharmacologist. She currently holds the position as Senior Clinical Pharmacologist.
Cate Lockhart, BFA, BS, Ph.D, PharmD, M.S.
Former Graduate Student
Cate earned her Ph.D in 2016. Her thesis title was "Function and Regulation of Cytochrome P450 4V2 and the Implications in Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy." Following graduation, she became the Health Economics and Outcome Specialist at Omeros Corporation. She is currently the Program Director at Biologics and Biosimilars Collective Intelligence Consortium.
Alenka Jaklic-Chapron, Ph.D
Former Graduate Student
Alenka graduated with her Ph.D in 2018. Her thesis was titled "Development and Characterization of Vascularized Proximal Tubule Microphysiological System as a Novel In Vitro Model for Renal Tubular Drug Secretion." She is currently a post-doctoral fellow at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.
Wade Washington
Former GenOM-ALVA Undergraduate
Wade plans to major in physiology and minor in music as a pre-med undergraduate. Driven by his own experience in receiving a kidney transplant, he aspires to one day be a kidney transplant surgeon. Wade has also been playing the cello for 16 years.
Krystle Okialda-Chase, M.S.
Former Graduate Student
Krystle graduated with her Master's degree in 2012. Her thesis was titled "Screening for MicroRNA Regulators of an Orphan Cytochrome P450 4V2 (CYP4V2)." After graduating, she has worked in the biotech industry and is currently Manager of Talent Acquisition at AbbVie, overseeing recruitment for oncology R&D in the West Coast.
Oliver Parkinson
Former Graduate Student
Oliver Parkinson worked in collaboration with the Kelly Lab between 2007 and 2012 on the effects and metabolism of toxic furans in CYP4B1 null mice, demonstrating that CYP4B1 bioactivates ipomeanol and perilla ketone in vivo. After graduating from UW Oliver went on to become an internationally acclaimed circus performer.
Sara Eyal, Ph.D
Visiting Scientist
Sara spent her post-doctoral fellowship with the Dept. of Pharmaceutics here at the University of Washington before she assumed her position at Hebrew University in Israel. She returned to Seattle in July 2018 to join the Kelly Lab for a "mini-sabbatical". During her stay, she assisted in vitamin-D related experiments with kidney-on-a-chips.
Mariko Nakano, Ph.D
Former Collaborator
Mariko Nakano began collaborating with Dr. Kelly while working on her dissertation, titled “Biochemical Characterization of CYP4V2 and Its Role in the Retinal Disease Bietti’s Crystalline Dystrophy.” She earned her Ph.D in Medicinal Chemistry under the supervision of Dr. Allan E. Rettie at the University of Washington in 2011. She is currently a Senior Scientist at Molecular Testing Labs.
Megan Corn
Former Undergraduate Volunteer
Megan Corn graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where she majored in biology and minored in Spanish and biotechnology. Her interests lie in health and medicine, specifically obstetrics, and creating drugs to better life. She is now attending medical school and serving as the president of the class of 2024 at University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
Kiera Sullivan
Former High School Volunteer
Kiera Sullivan joined Dr. Ed Kelly’s lab in winter of 2015 when she was a junior at The Overlake School, Redmond WA. In the fall of 2017, Kiera enrolled as a freshman at UC Santa Barbara in the College of Creative Studies to pursue a major in Chemistry and Biochemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. Currently, Kiera works in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Weimbs, where she is involved in projects investigating the interactions between the poliovirus 3C protease and the syntaxin family of SNARE proteins.
Ria Mehrotra
Former High School Volunteer
María Lόpez Suárez, M.S.
Former Graduate Student
Maria earned her Master's degree in 2013. Her thesis title was "Isolation, Propagation, and Characterization of Primary Human Renal Epithelial Cells." Following graduation, she joined IQVIA and currently holds the position of Production Data Analyst Supervisor.
Malini Naidu
Former Undergraduate
Brian Chapron, Pharm.D, Ph.D
Former Graduate Student
Brian earned his Ph.D in 2017. He is currently a Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology Fellow at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.
Efriem Bezabih
Former GenOM-ALVA Undergraduate
Ying Long, Pharm.D
Former Undergraduate
Ying was a part of the Kelly Lab 2011-2012. After graduating from the University of Washington with her Bachelor's degree, Ying went on to earn her Pharm.D at the University of Southern California. She is currently a Clinical Oncology Pharmacist at Yale New Haven Health.