Team

Claudia Benavente

Claudia Benavente, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Department of Developmental and Cell Biology
Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
claudia.benavente@uci.edu
(949) 824-7845

STAFF

Loredana Zocchi, PhD
Assistant Project Scientist
lzocchi@uci.edu

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

Claire Chen, PhD
Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Yijun Gu
Ph.D. Pharmaceutical Sciences

Ahhyun (Ashley) Kim
Ph.D. Pharmaceutical Sciences

Daniel (Danny) Martinez
Ph.D. Developmental & Cell Biology

Marina Suarez Pizarro
Ph.D. Developmental & Cell Biology

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Mona Ly
Biological Sciences

Abigail Qian
Biological Sciences

FORMER MEMBERS

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

Stephanie C Wu, PhD (2020-2021) – currently a postdoctoral fellow at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

CLINICAL FELLOWS

Sarah Sahib, MD (2021-2023)

Aditi Mehta, DO (2016-2018) – currently Medical Director at Atara Biotherapeutics

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Samar Riaz (2020) – M.S. Biotechnology Management

Stephanie C Wu (2019) – Ph.D. Developmental and Cell Biology – currently a postdoctoral fellow at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

David J Panek (2016) – M.D. School of Medicine – currently an Internal Medicine resident at University of Southern California

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Parker Smith (2021-2023) – currently a medical assistant while applying to medical school

Arturo Salazar (2021-2023) – after graduation went to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for his Ph.D.

Joshua (Mateo) Valenzuela (2021-2023) – after graduation went to Harvard University for his Ph.D.

Frederick Guzman (2018-2022) – after graduation went to Johns Hopkins University for his Ph.D.

Josephine Chan (2021-2022) – Biological Sciences undergraduate student

Kelsey Salcido (2018-2021) – after graduation went to University of Pennsylvania for her Ph.D.

Sarah Singh (2019-2021) – after graduation went to The Scripps Research Institute for her Ph.D.

Yasamin Fazeli (2018-2021) – after graduation went to Cleveland Clinic for her M.D.

Meagan Khuu (2018-2021) – after graduation went to Albert Einstein College of Medicine for her M.D.

Ana Barrionuevo (BRIDGE program summer 2019) – UCI Pharmaceutical Sciences undergraduate

Yijun Gu (2017-2019) – after graduation stayed at UCI for her Ph.D.

Aleen Atikian (2017-2019) – after graduation went to UCLA for her Master in Nursing Program

Jocelyne Lopez (2016-2018) – after graduation went to UCSF for her Ph.D.

Kristy Thu-Thao Huynh (2016-2018) – after graduation went to UCSD School of Pharmacy for her Pharm.D.

Annie Kim Jeon (2016-2018) – after graduation went to UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy for her Pharm.D.

Sara Akhlaghi (2016-2018) – after graduation went to Medical School at California University of Science and Medicine

Sylvía Cruz (2017-2018) – after graduation went to UC Davis for her M.D.

Metta Beshay (2017) – currently a hip hop musician

Patricia Osuna (Summer 2017 – CAMP) – BSN, RN from UCI

Erin Yamanaka (2015-2017) – after graduation went to UCSD School of Pharmacy for her Pharm.D.

Uyen Tran (2015-2017) – after graduation went to UT-Austin School of Pharmacy for her Pharm.D.

Kyle Thien Tran (2015-2017) – after graduation went to UCI School of Pharmacy for his Pharm.D.

Josselyn Peña (2016-2017) – after graduation went to Stanford for her Ph.D.

Ashley Hadweh (2016) – after graduation went to USC School of Pharmacy for her Pharm.D.

Austin Stills (2016) – after graduation went to USC School of Pharmacy for her Pharm.D.

Kayla Simonson (2015-2016) – currently Accountant at Daniel Dubois CPA & Company Inc

JungAh Kim – Pharmacy – Ewha Woman’s University (2015)

Ani Rupenian (2015) – after graduation went to USC School of Pharmacy for her Pharm.D.

POSTBAC STUDENTS

Allan Argelagos – stayed at UCI for his Ph.D.

Sanam Rashidi – went to UCSF School of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (UCI CRI Science Youth Fellowship Program)

Alondra Lopez (summer 2022)

Isabella Alcaraz (summer 2019) – went to UCLA

Luis Rizo (Summer 2017) – went to UC San Diego

Bryanna Perez (Summer 2016) – went to UC Berkeley

BENAVENTE LAB – Spring 2021
BENAVENTE LAB – Summer 2020: physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic
BENAVENTE LAB – Summer 2019
BENAVENTE LAB – Spring 2018
BENAVENTE LAB – Spring 2017
BENAVENTE LAB – Summer 2016
BENAVENTE LAB – Summer 2015