Lab Members
Bret D. Freudenthal, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Department of Cancer Biology
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, B.S. in Biochemistry, 2004
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, Ph.D. in Biochemistry, 2010
National Institutes of Environmental Health, NIH, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2010-2015
Nicholas Ashton, Ph.D.
SENIOR SCIENTIST
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, B.Biomed.Sc in Molecular Biology, 2012
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, 2016
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Visiting Fellow, 2016-2023
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, HMS, Instructor, 2023-2026
Justin Ling, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Iowa State University, Ames, IA, B.S. in Biochemistry and Genetics, 2018
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, Ph.D. in Biochemistry, 2023
Eli Newcomb, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, FL, B.A. in Biochemistry, 2019
University of Florida, Gainsville, FL, Ph.D. in Biochemistry, 2024
Peyton Oden, B.S.
GRADUATE STUDENT
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Baker University, Baldwin City, KS, B.S. in Chemistry, 2021
Abbey Vito, B.S.
GRADUATE STUDENT
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Creighton University, Omaha, NE, B.S. in Biochemistry, 2023
Anzhou He, B.S.
GRADUATE STUDENT
Department of Cancer Biology
Franklin & Marshall University, Lancaster, PA B.A. in Biochemistry and Philosophy, 2024
Luke Johnson, B.S.
GRADUATE STUDENT
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Concordia University, Seward, NE B.S. in Biology, 2024
Zach Onyszchuk, B.S.
GRADUATE STUDENT
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Creighton University, Omaha, NE B.S. in Biology, 2025
Past Members
Spencer Thompson, Ph.D.
MD/PhD STUDENT
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Creighton University, Omaha, NE, B.S. in Chemistry, 2020
Ava Hammons, B.S.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Culver-Stockton College, Canton, MO, BS in Biochemistry, 2023
University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, MS in Bioinformatics, In Progress
Ava is now a Senior Research Associate for the KUMC Cryo-EM Research Facility.
Kaitlin DeHart, Ph.D.
GRADUATE STUDENT
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK, B.S. in Biomedical Sciences, 2018
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2025
Kaitlin is now a Research & Development Scientist at MilliporeSigma.
Luis Cortez, Ph.D.
MD/PhD STUDENT
NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein (F31) Pre-doctoral Fellow
Department of Cancer Biology
Washington State University, Pullman, WA, B.S in Biochemistry, 2016
Washington State University, Pullman, WA, B.S in Genetics and Cell Biology, 2016
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, PhD in Cancer Biology, 2025
Luis is now finishing his M.D. as part of the KUMC dual M.D./Ph.D. Program.
Tyler Weaver, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, B.S. in Biology, 2013
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, Ph.D. in Biochemistry, 2019
Tyler now leads at lab at the University of Virginia in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics.
Benjamin Ryan, Ph.D. 2019-2023
GRADUATE STUDENT
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Creighton University, Omaha, NE, B.S. in Chemistry, 2018
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2023
Ben is now a Post-Doc in the Lab of Bevin Engelward, ScD at MIT in Cambridge, MA.
Griffin Welfer, Ph.D. 2019-2023
GRADUATE STUDENT
NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein (F31) Pre-doctoral Fellow
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, B.A. in Biochemistry, 2018
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2023
Griffin is now a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Scott Blanchard, PhD in the department of structural biology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.
Adil Hussen, B.S.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Ashland University, Ashland, OH, B.S. in Biology, 2021
Adil is now an Associate Scientist at AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD.
Jonah Spencer, B.S. 2021-2022
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, B.S in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, 2022.
Jonah is currently enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Max Fairlamb, Ph.D. 2017-2022
GRADUATE STUDENT
Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellow
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, B.S. in Molecular Biosciences, 2015
Max is currently pursing a postdoctoral fellowship in the Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center at the University of Kansas Lawrence.
Nicole Hoitsma, Ph.D. 2017-2022
GRADUATE STUDENT
American Heart Association Pre-doctoral Fellow
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, B.S. in Biological Sciences, 2015
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, Ph.D. in Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, 2022
Nicole is now pursuing her postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. Karolin Luger at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Amy Whitaker, Ph.D. 2015-2022
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow
University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX, B.S. in Chemistry, 2008
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Biophysics, 2015
Amy is now a tenure-track assistant professor running the Whitaker Lab at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA. Check out her lab's website at the link below!
Fausto (Alex) Varela, Ph.D. 2019-2021
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
California State University, San Bernardino, CA, B.A. in Psychology, 2009
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, Ph.D. in Pharmacology, 2019
Alex is now a Research Scientist at Sekisui XenoTech, LLC in Kansas City, KS.
Wesley Stark 2018-2020
LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, B.S. in Medical Physics 2019
Wesley is now pursuing his MD at University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).
Kristen Khoang 2018-2020
LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, B.S. in Biochemistry, 2018
Kirsten is now pursuing her MD at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Matt Schaich, Ph.D. 2016-2020
GRADUATE STUDENT
Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellow
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Nebraska, Lincoln. NE, B.S. in Biochemistry & B.A. in Music, 2014
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, Ph.D. in Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, 2020
Matt is currently a Hillman Postdoctoral Fellow for Innovative Cancer Research in the lab of Dr. Ben Van Houten at the UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh.
Mallory Smith, Ph.D. 2016-2020
GRADUATE STUDENT
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, B.S. in Chemistry, 2014
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, Ph.D. in Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, 2020
Mallory is now the Assistant Director of Foundation Relations at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, WA.
Frank Deng 2018
2018 Summer Internship
Frank returned back to school to complete his Liberal Medical Education (PLME) at Brown University.
Ashlee Herken, B.S. 2018
Washburn University, Topeka, KS, B.S. in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, 2018
Ashlee left the lab to pursue her Ph.D. at Kansas State University.
Tony Flynn, B.S. 2016-2018
University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, KS, B.S. in Biology, 2016
Tony returned to his home state of Texas teaching high school science to the new generation!