Lab Members – Pannunzio Lab

Principal Investigator

Nick Pannunzio, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Medicine, Division of Hem/Onc
Department of Biological Chemistry

Nick received his Ph.D. from the City of Hope in Genetics and Molecular Biology studying mechanisms of homologous recombination. His post-doctoral training was performed at the University of Southern California where he contributed to the understanding of several biochemical aspects of the non-homologous end-joining DNA repair pathway and how DNA breaks in human B cells can result in chromosomal translocations common in many B cell malignancies. The current focus of the Pannunzio Lab is to understand how DNA sequence and torsional stress combine with endogenous sources of DNA damage to lead to these translocations. A further goal is understanding the prevalence of cancer health disparities where there are clear differences regarding cancer occurrence, treatment outcomes, and survivorship between racial and ethnic groups. This research has direct implications for preventing and treating several human cancers. Has directed The Pannunzio Lab since its inaugural season in 2019 after Scorsese turned it down.

Graduate Students

Valeria Rangel

Valeria received her B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Arizona State University and started as the lab manager for the Pannunzio Lab. She discovered her passion for science at a very young age and has since decided to dedicate herself to the world of scientific research and innovation. Her plans for the future include furthering her education by earning a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry. During her free time, Valeria enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as taking long walks and watching the sunset. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in the Season 1 pilot.

Melissa Folkerts

Melissa received her B.Sc. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics from UCLA and began as a Jr. Specialist in the Pannunzio Lab. She has always known that she would pursue a career in research and is currently working towards her Ph.D. in the Pannunzio Lab. Though science is her main focus, Melissa also likes to enjoy her time watching comedy video podcasts and baking shows with her friends or pup, Rocky. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in the Season 1 pilot.

Alisa Mahieu

Alisa received her B.Sc. in Molecular Biology from Brigham Young University and then worked in a laboratory performing gene expression screenings for cancer patients. Now, she is happy to be a PhD student at UCI studying Biological Chemistry. Her current research focuses on how circadian clock disruption and genomic instability can drive cancer progression. Outside of the lab, she likes yoga, playing the harp, and bringing her dog to the park. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 3 and has a co-starring role in the Masri Lab.

Victoria Shen

Victoria received her B.S. in Global Disease Biology from UC Davis. While there, she performed undergraduate research in the lab of Geoff Attardo where she collected DNA and RNA from field samples of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 3.

Cameron Hom

Cameron received her B.S. in Molecular and Medical Microbiology from UC Davis in 2023. As an undergraduate, she did research in Wolf-Dietrich Heyer’s lab understanding how mismatch detection proteins prevent multi-invasion recombination outcomes using model organism S. cerevisiae. Now, she’s excited to continue her journey in DNA repair as a Ph.D. student in the Pannunzio Lab. When not in the lab, she enjoys growing plants, fishing, dancing, and cooking. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 5.

Angie Nguyen

Angie received her B.S. in Genetics from UC Irvine in 2021. During her undergraduate studies, she researched the global phylogeny of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the open ocean in Dr. Adam Martiny’s lab. Her interest in both medicine and research led to her joining UCI’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD). Angie is excited to start the research phase of her program while focusing on computational analyses. In her free time, she likes to assemble miniatures and learn other crafts. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 6 and has a co-starring role in the Masri Lab.

Alejandra Aguilar Quintero

Alejandra received her B.S. in Biology from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. After college she went on to work at different biomedical research labs to broaden her experience and skills. Her last job at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute made her fall in love with cancer research. She then decided to pursue a graduate school degree and earn her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry while also moving across the country to attend UC Irvine. On her free time she enjoys long walks/jogging, going to the beach, karaoke, and going salsa dancing. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 6.

Ellie Damozonio

Ellie received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Davis in 2024. During undergrad, she studied the DNA binding activity of the tumor suppressor BRCA2 in homologous recombination, as a member of Wolf-Dietrich Heyer’s lab. As a PhD student, she is studying the mechanisms by which disruption of the circadian clock induces genomic instability. In her free time she loves reading, baking, and spending time with her family (including her two cats!). Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 6 and has a co-starring role in the Masri Lab.

Aly Monterroso

Aly received her B.S in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology from UC Santa Cruz in 2021. As an undergrad she studied the mechanisms that allow RNA Polymerase II to transcribe through chromatin. During her time working as a lab technician, she studied both drivers of genomic evolution and B cell responses to infection and vaccination. As a PhD student she blends her science interests together to study DNA repair complexes in early B cells and how they can be targeted for improving treatments for leukemia and lymphoma. In her free time she enjoys running, hiking, reading, spending time with family and going on beach walks with her two dogs! Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 6.

Specialists

Grace Zhou

Grace received her B.S. in Biosciences with a concentration in Biochemistry from Rice University. During her time at Rice, she conducted research in Dr. Yang Gao’s lab, focusing on DNA repair mechanisms and DNA polymerase fidelity. Grace aims to apply her research interests to the field of medicine in the future. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, swimming, playing the piano, and spending time with friends and family. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 6.

Undergraduates

Ashley Valdovinos

Ashley is a third-year Biological Sciences major. Interested in oncological research, she hopes to attend graduate school with an emphasis in molecular biology. She joined the Pannunzio lab to
hone laboratory skills and learn more about DNA damage and its role in preventing cancer. During her free time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and reading. Joined The Pannunzio Lab in Season 5.