Gilbert J. Rahme, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Gilbert was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. After a Bachelor's degree at the Lebanese University, and a Master's degree in Science at the American University of Beirut, Gilbert joined Mark Israel's lab at Dartmouth for his Ph.D. focusing on signaling pathways that underly brain tumor pathology. He then joined Bradley Bernstein's lab at Harvard Medical School for his postdoctoral research, focusing on brain tumor epigenetics. During his free time, Gilbert loves to spend time with his wife and two daughters, playing the guitar, and enjoying the wonderful beaches the Long Island area offers!

Jina Yim, B.S.

Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology MS Student

Jina is a Master's student from South Korea. She studied biochemistry in SUNY Binghamton as an undergraduate, and joined Dr. Callahan's lab as a research assistant focusing on Sonic Hedgehog signaling in tumors. Jina is interested in studying the epigenetic changes that drive brain tumors, especially motivated to ultimately help people suffering from this devastating disease. In her free time, Jina likes to be with her wonderful niece, play tennis, and explore different food from all over the world!

Stilianos (Steven) Papazahariou, B.S.

Research Support Specialist

Steven is Greek-American and grew up in Queens, New York. He graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology, and is very excited to join the Rahme Lab as a Research Support Specialist, focusing his studies on brain tumor epigenetics. During his free time, he likes to be with his friends and family, play guitar, and sing. 

Yuqianxun (Harriet) Wu, B.S., M.S. 

Genetics Ph.D. student

Harriet graduated in 2022 with a BS/MS degree in Bioengineering from Northeastern University with highest honors. During college, she worked to discover a 3D model for predicting natural C. elegans intestinal bacteria interactions. For her master’s project, she investigated deep reinforcement learning for the control of microbial co-cultures in bioreactors. After graduation, she worked for a year at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute as a full-time research technician studying translocations in renal cell carcinoma with Dr. Srinivas Viswanathan. She is very excited to work on diffuse gliomas and functional epigenetics in the Rahme lab!

Anuj Raghani, B.S.

Computer Science Master's Student

Anuj is currently pursuing his master's of science in computer science at Stony Brook University. He hails from Mumbai, India. Anuj works in the Rahme Lab as a computer scientist, helping everyone analyze their next-generation sequencing data and building bioinformatics pipelines for the team. In his free time, Anuj loves watching and playing soccer, reading finance articles, and watching TV shows.

Sikder Rabbi (Nahid), B.S., M.S.

Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology MS Student

Sikder Rabbi is a Master's student in the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology program at Stony Brook University. Before joining the program, Nahid worked as a scientist in a pharmacogenomic lab in Bangladesh, developing biomarkers that guide targeted therapies. Nahid obtained his B.S. and M.S. in pharmacy from the State University of Bangladesh. Nahid is excited to continue his interest in targeted therapies during his graduate work in the Rahme laboratory, only this time employing epigenomics as a guide. In his free time, he enjoys watching documentaries and spending time with family and friends.

Christian Jefferson, Undergraduate

Christian is a freshman undergraduate at Stony Brook University and was born and raised in Maryland. He plans to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and is excited to study cancer epigenetics in the Rahme Lab. When he is not working hard on the bench, Christian likes to read, spend time with his friends, and explore different genres of music.

Diana (Zirui) Shao, Undergraduate

Diana is a sophomore undergraduate majoring in biochemistry and AMS. She is a pre-dental student currently working as a dental assistant in Queens. During her free time, she enjoys origami, going out with her friends, and trying out new restaurants in the city!

Aviya Boyce, Undergraduate

Aviya is a Caribbean-American freshman student pursuing her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Psychology at Stony Brook University. She is very grateful to be studying cancer epigenetics in the Rahme Lab. In her free time, Aviya likes to dance, learn new songs on the piano, socialize with family and friends, and travel.

Yerona (Yerong) Lin, Undergraduate

Yerona is a sophomore undergraduate at Stony Brook University and grew up in Queens, New York. She plans to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Psychology. Yerona is a Pre-Pharmacy student interested in Cancer biology, and is excited to study brain tumor epigenetics in the Rahme Lab. In her free time, Yerona likes to be with her friends, read novels, and watch movies.

Afwan Mahmood, Undergraduate

Afwan is a Sophomore studying Biology with an interest in oncology and epigenetics. Afwan comes from Queens, NY but was born in Bangladesh. In his free time, Afwan likes working out, learning the guitar, and hiking.

Tammy Ruan, Undergraduate

Tammy is a Brooklyn native. She is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Biology at Stony Brook University. Tammy is thrilled to be a part of Rahme Lab to learn more about cancer epigenetics and to collaborate with the team. During her downtime, she enjoys spending time with family and friends while scouting new dining spots.

Eiki Shido, Undergraduate

Eiki is a Japanese-American and grew up in Manhattan, New York. Eiki is a sophomore undergraduate on the pre-dental track at Stony Brook University. He plans to graduate with a Bachelor's of Science in biochemistry and is excited to study cancer epigenetics at the Rahme Lab! In his free time, Eiki enjoys working out, spending time with friends and family, and listening to Japanese rock.

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Alumni

Laura O'Sullivan, Visiting Undergraduate, Summer 2024

Laura is a visiting summer student from the University of Pennsylvania with a keen interest in cancer epigenetics and brain tumors. Laura accomplished a ton during her time in the Rahme lab, cloning multiple plasmids and designing key epigenome editing approaches.

Suyeon 'Emily' Ryu , Visiting High School Student, Summer 2024

Suyeon Ryu is a high school senior attending Stuyvesant High School. She is thankful and eager to learn from everyone else working at the Rahme lab. On her free time, she enjoys thrifting and running. Suyeon learned how to clone a gene and managed to clone multiple plasmids in a mere 2 months in the lab!

Madeline McCullough, Visiting High School Student, Summer 2024

Madeline McCullough is a rising junior from Smithtown High School East and is very grateful to be volunteering in the Rahme Lab this summer. She has a strong interest in brain tumors and cancer epigenetics, and is excited to work in the Rahme lab. In her free time, Madeline plays soccer, enjoys running, and spends time with friends. Madeline learned high-throughput screening of plasmids during her summer experience and is excited to come back to the Rahme lab during the summer of 2024!