Lab Members

nia.adeniji (at) ucsf.edu

My name is Nia Adeniji, and I am currently a second-year oncology fellow at UCSF in the Gordan and Huang Labs. I received my undergraduate degree from MIT, where I studied biological chemical engineering before receiving a Masters in Bioengineering. I then took my process-oriented training and mindset with me to Genentech, where I developed antibody-drug conjugates in the Early- and Late-Stage Pharmaceutical Development departments for 6 years. Because I found myself drawn to the oncology clinical trials that I was supporting, and the patient outcomes on those trials, I decided to pursue a medical degree, which I obtained from Stanford University. There I discovered both a clinical and investigational research interest in hepatobiliary oncology.

My research interest is in understanding the ways in which the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) drives tumor development, progression, recurrence and treatment response. My ultimate goal is to provide a tissue-specific algorithm that can better direct clinical management for the large number of intermediate stage patients with HCC. I am currently looking to identify the unique immune compartments and signatures that influence HCC recurrence risk using multiplex imaging and spatial transcriptomics.

timothy.kellett (at) ucsf.edu

I was raised in Florida, where I completed my undergraduate education at FSU. I received my PhD from the University of Colorado Anschutz, where I characterized novel inhibitors of CHD1L and the PARP1-HPF1 complex. In the Gordan lab, I am working to target oncogenic signaling of PKA, as well as develop small molecule activators of LKB1. When I am not in the lab, you will likely find me rock climbing or playing the piano.

Weicheng Li, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

weicheng.li (at) ucsf.edu

bio coming soon

huatchye.lim (at) ucsf.edu 

My work in the Gordan lab involves using computational genomics techniques to investigate the pathophysiology of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis B virus infection. Outside the lab, I’m a hematology/oncology fellow at UCSF, where I also completed internal medicine residency. Before moving to San Francisco, I attended medical school at the University of Washington, and prior to that I worked as a software engineer and product manager at Amazon and Microsoft. When not working, you can often find me chasing my highly energetic young children around.

I was raised in the Bay Area/Wine Country and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a BA in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology. As an undergraduate, I studied the dependency of Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) in regulating protein-folding stability of Src-family Kinases in John Kuriyan’s lab at both UC Berkeley and Vanderbilt University. Now, as a Junior Specialist in the Gordan Lab, I am super excited to branch my research into understanding Hsp70/Hsp90 linking adaptor protein, STIP1, and its impact on stability, activity, and mobility of mutant Protein Kinase A (PKA) in rare cancers. Apart from my research, I enjoy going to the gym, playing the violin, and going on hikes.

Rigney Turnham, PhD

Specialist

rigney.turnham (at) ucsf.edu

I was raised in New Mexico and attended university at NMSU. I then obtained my PhD in 2018 at the University of Washington in the laboratory of John D. Scott, where I studied fibrolamellar carcinoma and the oncogenic signaling of the fusion kinase, DNAJ-PKAc. In the Gordan lab, I am studying a variety of oncogenic and tumor suppressive signaling mechanisms and supporting projects in fibrolamellar, hepatocellular, and colorectal carcinoma. Additionally, I am also interested in identifying genomic markers of response and resistance to therapy in cholangiocarcinoma, and modeling their effects in vitro. In my free time, I like to run and bike around San Francisco.