Perera Lab

Grace Hernandez | grace.hernandez@ucsf.edu
Graduate student (BMS program)
NSF predoctoral fellow

Grace grew up in Los Angeles, CA and then moved to Irvine where she attended the University of California, Irvine for her undergraduate studies. At UCI, she did research in the Lawson and Kessenbrock labs where she studied transcriptional diversity of triple-negative breast cancer primary tumors and metastatic lesions using single cell genomics. After graduating, she stayed on as lab manager and continued to study the metastatic cascade and the role of fibroblasts and immune cells in the TME. In the Perera lab, she studies the role of lysosomes in tumor progression using novel mouse models. Outside of lab, Grace enjoys trying new places to eat, going to concerts/music festivals, volunteering/science outreach in her community, and going to Golden Gate Park when it's not too cold outside!

Gilles Rademaker Ph.D | gilles.rademaker@ucsf.edu
Postdoctoral Fellow

Gilles comes from Belgium where be received his Master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences. He next completed his PhD studies at the University of Liege, Belgium in the laboratory of Vincent Castronovo and Olivier Peulen where he studied pancreatic and colon cancer biology including mechanisms of invasion and metastasis. He is now interested in studying tumor heterogeneity and metabolism. During his spare time, Gilles enjoys hiking, hanging out with friends, cooking and traveling.

Yang Yang Ph.D | yang.yang3@ucsf.edu
Postdoctoral Fellow

Yang is originally from China where he received his bachelor’s degree from Peking University in Beijing. He received his master’s degree in New York University, then completed his PhD in Rutgers University in the laboratory of Dr. Eileen White where he studied a role for autophagy in suppressing oxidative stress, and how autophagy is essential for intestinal mesenchymal cell survival and homeostasis. During his spare time, he enjoys watching movies, listening to classical music, going to museums, hiking, and traveling.

Katie O’Neill PhD | Kathleen.O’Neill2@ucsf.edu
Postdoctoral Fellow
NIH F99/K00 Postdoctoral Fellowship

Katie comes from the University of Colorado-Anschutz, where she completed her PhD in Cancer Biology in 2022. Katie got her start in biomedical research in college, when she worked as a technician at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. Afterward, she spent several years working at Kadmon Corporation, where she focused on drug discovery and validation of metabolic targets in cancer and other diseases. As a graduate student, Katie focused on cholesterol metabolism of breast cancer, which led to an interest in lysosomes and their interaction with metabolism and mTOR signaling. In 2020, Katie received an F99/K00 to pursue work in this area. In her free time, she enjoys coffee shops, eating candy, snowboarding, and watching bad TV.

Marine Berquez PhD | Marine.Berquez@ucsf.edu

Postdoctoral Fellow

Marine grew up in France, where she obtained her master's degree in cell biology and physiology. She then completed her PhD studies at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, under the guidance of Prof. Devuyst. Her research focused on investigating pathways that regulate the endo-lysosomal system in rare inherited diseases, with the goal of developing targeted therapies. Then, she pursued a postdoctoral position where she explored the role of the mTORC1 pathway in cystinosis, a rare lysosomal storage disease. In her free time, Marine enjoys shopping, skiing, cooking, and watching movies.  

Rosa Menjivar, PhD | Rosa.Menjivar@ucsf.edu

Postdoctoral Fellow

 Rosa was born and raised in El Salvador. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles and her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan in the laboratory of Dr Marina Pasca di Magliano. In the Pasca di Magliano lab she used genetically engineered mouse models and pharmacological approaches to study the role of myeloid Arginase 1 in pancreatic cancer. During her free time, she enjoys exploring new places and trying new foods.

Soeun Kang PhD | soeun.kang@ucsf.edu

Postdoctoral Fellow

 Soeun earned her PharmD and MS from Seoul National University and completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Nissim Hay’s lab. Her studies focused on glucose metabolism in fibroblasts and immunometabolism in breast cancer. In the Perera lab, she studies the metabolic reprogramming of pancreatic cancer cells during metastasis. Outside the lab, Soeun enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and snowboarding, as well as exploring new restaurants around the city with friends. 

Sumena Dahal | Sumena.Dahal@ucsf.edu

Research specialist

Sumena recently graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience. During her time there, she researched the neurological implications of early-life Manganese exposure. Currently, in the Perera Lab, she will be delving into the function(s) of the lysosome in the context of pancreatic cancer. In her free time, she enjoys reading, catching up with friends and family, and satisfying her adventurous side by exploring new places and trying out all sorts of exciting things! 

Simon McDowall | simon.mcdowall@ucsf.edu

Research Specialist

Simon received his bachelors degree from the University of Western Australia in 2023 with first-class honors in neuroscience. As part of the Akkari lab, Simon investigated the use of antisense oligonucleotides as a potential therapy for Parkinson’s disease and rare movement disorders. Now in the Perera lab, he will be identifying mechanisms of metabolic homeostasis in pancreatic cancer. In his free time, Simon likes to hike with friends, play video games, try new places to eat and explore SF.