Meet Our Team

Forest White

Ned C. (1949) and Janet C. (Bemis) Rice Professor of Biological Engineering
Ph.D., Florida State University (1997)
B.S., Framingham State College (1993)

Forest is a professor of biological engineering at MIT, a member of the Koch Institute, and a member of the MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Framingham State College and a doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from Florida State University. Following postdoctoral research with Donald Hunt at the University of Virginia, he joined MDS Proteomics, Inc. as a research scientist working his way up to group leader. Forest joined MIT as an assistant professor in 2003, where he has received several awards, including the Mitsui Career Development Professorship (2005-2008) and the Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2010.

Isadora Deese

M.A., Boston University, Creative Writing Program
B.A., Indiana University, Theater Arts and English Literature

Hailing from Kentucky, Isadora is the Senior Admin for the White lab and a writer. Her fiction explores the evolving connections between technology, art, and nature that are shaping our near future.

Hannah Boyce

Ph.D. Candidate, Chemical Engineering
B.S., Northeastern University (2022)

Hannah is a lifelong Massachusetts resident and earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University, where she did co-ops focused on drug delivery in industry, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. At MIT, she is interested in applying chemical engineering principles to understand cellular control and communication through phosphoproteomics. If she’s out of lab, she’s probably hiking, biking, planning her next camping trip, or cooking with friends.

Yufei Cui

Ph.D. Candidate, Biological Engineering
B.S., Rice University (2021)

Yufei received her B.S. in bioengineering from Rice University. Now she is exploring the interaction of tumor with immune cells during immunotherapy treatment using immunopeptidomics and phosphoproteomics approaches. Outside of lab, she enjoys playing volleyball, watching anime and exploring restaurants around the city.

Alicia D’Souza

Ph.D. Candidate, Medical Engineering and Medical Physics, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology
B.S., Stanford University (2019)

Originally from Texas, Alicia received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University. At MIT, she is interested in using phosphoproteomics and systems biology to study T cell signaling networks to inform cancer immunotherapy. Outside of lab, she enjoys trying out new restaurants, traveling, and practicing with the MIT Triathlon Club.

Weixi Kang

Ph.D. Student, Biological Engineering
B.A., Vanderbilt University (2023)

Originally from Beijing, China, Weixi received his B.A. in Chemistry and History from Vanderbilt University. At MIT, he is interested in using immunopeptidomics and phosphoproteomics to develop new therapies for untreatable diseases such as pancreatic cancer. Outside of the lab, he enjoys traveling, tennis, and searching for good restaurants around the area.

Owen Leddy

Ph.D. Candidate, Biological Engineering
Co-advised by Prof. Bryan Bryson
B.S., University of Chicago (2019)

Owen grew up in Los Angeles and studied Biological Chemistry at the University of Chicago. His current research focuses on identifying peptide antigens presented on MHCs by phagocytes infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in order to select targets for the development of effective tuberculosis vaccines. Outside of research, his interests include writing fiction, web app development, and climate justice advocacy.

Sergio Quispe Sanchez

Ph.D. Student, Biological Engineering
B.S., University of Michigan (2024)

Originally from Lima, Peru, Sergio obtained his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. At MIT, he is interested in developing more effective strategies to target cancer cells and overcome therapy resistance by leveraging immunopeptidomics and phosphoproteomics approaches. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing basketball, traveling, and reading and watching science fiction.

Marcus Borenäs (Borenaes)

Ph.D., University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2024)
Degree of Master of Science in Medicine (Doctor of Medicine (MD)), University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2016)

After finishing his medical studies at the University of Gothenburg in 2016, Marcus worked as a junior doctor before starting his medical internship and becoming a licensed medical practitioner in 2021 (Sweden). His Ph.D. studies focused on cancer signaling, especially the receptor tyrosine kinase Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) and its role in neuroblastoma. He joined the White lab hoping to identify phosphoproteomic signatures and signaling events associated with worse outcomes among clinical tumor samples that could allow for individually targeted precision medicine in the future. Outside the lab, Marcus is a keen fisherman who also enjoys sailing and spending time with his wife and son.

Bokai Song

Ph.D., Princeton University (2022)
B.Sc., Tsinghua University (2015)

Bokai Song received his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (why so many B.S.) at Tsinghua University in Beijing, close to his hometown, Tianjin, China. He then came to the U.S. and got his Ph.D. in Ileana Cristea’s lab at Princeton University, where he applied proteomics to studying host innate immune response against viral infection. He is now a fan of PTMs and neoantigens in the White Lab, hoping to define potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of resistance to existing therapies by analyzing clinical human tumor specimens.

Heidi Temple

A.B., Princeton University (2024)
Co-mentored by Spranger Lab, MIT Biology

Heidi grew up in northeast Pennsylvania before moving to New Jersey, where she majored in molecular biology and minored in neuroscience at Princeton University. During this time, she researched under Professor Alexander Ploss to develop novel and efficient methods for the study of the hepatitis B virus. Currently, she works in the Spranger and White labs to study immune interactions and evasion in glioblastoma. In her free time, she enjoys baking, lifting, and dancing.

Elizabeth Choe, Ph.D. 2024

Biological Engineering
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013
After graduation: Associate Director, Early Oncology and AI Scientific Communications Lead, AstraZeneca

Cameron Flower, Ph.D. 2024

Computational and Systems Biology
B.S.E., University of Connecticut, 2017
After graduation: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Do Hun (Sean) Kim, Ph.D. 2024

Biological Engineering
B.S., Johns Hopkins University, 2017

Jacqueline Gerritsen, Ph.D. 2022

Biological Engineering
B.S., Leiden University, 2016
After graduation: Scientist, BioNTech

Ishwar Kohale, Ph.D. 2021

Biological Engineering
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
After graduation: Scientist, Amgen

Lauren Stopfer, Ph.D. 2021

Biological Engineering
B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison
After graduation: Scientist, BioNTech; Head of Proteomics, Aethon

Nader Morshed, Ph.D. 2020

Biological Engineering
B.S., University of California, Berkeley
After graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Stevens lab. Broad/MGH.

Raven Reddy, Ph.D. 2016

Biological Engineering
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
After graduation: BridgeBio

Daniel Rothenberg, Ph.D. 2017

Biological Engineering
B.S., The University of Texas at Austin, 2011
After graduation: Axcella. Group leader, BioNTech SE

Vibhuti Agrawal, Ph.D. 2017

Biological Engineering
B.S., Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, 2011
After graduation: Innovaccer

Yang Wang, Ph.D. 2016

Biological Engineering
Co-supervised by Prof. Alan Grodzinsky
B.S., Cornell University, 2009
After graduation: McKinsey & Company

Rebecca Lescarbeau, Ph.D. 2015

Biological Engineering
B.S., MIT, 2009
After graduation: Dicerna Pharmaceuticals. Associate Director, Intellia Therapeutics, Inc.

José L. McFaline-Figueroa, Ph.D. 2014

Biology
B.S., University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, 2006
After graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, UW Medicine. Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University (McFaline-Figueroa Lab).

Tim Curran, Ph.D. 2014

Biological Engineering
B.S., California Institute of Technology, 2008
After graduation: Senior Software Engineer, Ginkgo Bioworks

Abhinav Arneja, Ph.D. 2013

Biological Engineering
B.S. University of Minnesota, 2005
After graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard. Research Scientist, University of Virginia

Bryan Bryson, Ph.D. 2013

Biological Engineering
B.S., MIT, 2007
After graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard. Associate Professor of Biological Engineering, The Ragon Institute & MIT (Bryson Lab).

Emily Miraldi, Ph.D. 2012

Biological Engineering
B.S., Oberlin College, 2006
After graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, NYU Medical Center. Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Miraldi Lab).

Scott Carlson, Ph.D. 2011

Biological Engineering
M.Phil., University of Cambridge, 2006
B.S., Chemistry, Stanford University, 2005
After graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Gozani lab, Stanford University. Ampersand Biomedicines

Joshua Apgar, Ph.D. 2009

Biological Engineering
B.S., Johns Hopkins University, 1999
After graduation: Principal Scientist in the Systems Biology Group of the Department of Immunology and Inflammation at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals; Co-founder and CSO, Applied BioMath; Vice President and Head of QSP Software, Certara

Paul Huang, Ph.D. 2008

Biological Engineering
B.Sc. (Hons), Biotechnology, Imperial College London.
After graduation: Professor and Head of the Molecular and Systems Oncology Laboratory at the Division of Molecular Pathology at the Institute of Cancer Research, London.

Alejandro Wolf-Yadlin, Ph.D. 2007

Biological Engineering
B.S., Universidad de Chile, 1999
M.S., Universidad de Chile, 2001
After graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Washington; Principal Scientist, Bioinformatics at Seattle Genetics.

Ryuhjin Ahn, 2024

Ph.D., McGill University (2019)
After White Lab:

Tigist Tamir, 2024

Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2019)
After White Lab: Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine (Tamir Lab)

Sophie Herbst, 2024

Ph.D., University of Heidelberg (2020)
After White Lab:

Jason Conage-Pough, 2023

Ph.D., Emory University, 2018
​After White Lab: AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow

Antje Dittmann, 2019

Ph.D., Heidelberg University, 2014
After White Lab: Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Expert, ETH Zurich

Kristina Bennet Emdal, 2018

Ph.D., University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2015
After White Lab: Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Fellow, Olsen Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Proteomic Research, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Elizabeth Gordon, 2016

Ph.D., UC Irvine, 2013
After White Lab: Scientist, Bruker; Scientist, Gritstone Oncology; Postdoctoral Scholar, Sanofi Genzyme.

Aaron Gajadhar, 2015

Ph.D., University of Toronto, 2011
After White Lab: Senior Scientist, Discovery at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals; Strategic Marketing Scientist, Proteomics, Thermo Fisher Scientific; Director of Strategic Applications, Seer.

Daniel Sears, 2013

Ph.D., Imperial College London, 2009

Hannah Johnson, 2013

Ph.D., University of Manchester, United Kingdom, 2008
After White Lab: Visiting Research Scientist, Babraham Institute, UK

Amanda Del Rosario, 2012

Ph.D., University of Virginia, 2008
After White Lab: Research Scientist, Koch Institute Proteomics Core; Senior Scientist, Janssen Pharmaceuticals

Jason Neil, 2012

Ph.D., University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 2008
After White Lab: Senior Scientist, Thermo. Principal Scientist, Scorpion Therapeutics

Leo Iawi, 2010

Ph.D., Federal University of Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, 2004
After White Lab: Senior Research Scientist, Research Scientist, Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo; Postdoctoral Fellow, The Institute of Cancer Research, UK

Jawon Seo, 2009

Ph.D., Ewha Women’s University, South Korea, 2006

Aleksandra Nita-Lazar, 2009

Ph.D., University of Basel, 2003
After White Lab: Chief, Functional Cellular Networks Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Claudia Donnet, 2008

Ph.D., University of Buenos Aires, 1995
After White Lab: Senior Research Scientist, Northeastern University; Staff Scientist at US Genomics.

Nate Tedford

Ph.D., Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006
After White Lab: Ginkgo Bioworks. Head of Foundry, Ginkgo Bioworks.

Katrin Moser Schmelzle, 2007

Ph.D., University of Geneva, 2000

Ji-Eun Kim, 2005

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004
After White Lab: Postdoctoral Associate, Rockefeller University

Yi Zhang, 2005

Ph.D., Dartmouth University, 2001
After White Lab: Senior Marketing Specialist, Thermo Fisher Scientific; Research Scientist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University

Wen Chen, 2004

Ph.D., Harvard University, 2003
After White Lab: Scientific Editor, Neuron

Jenevieve Kuang, 2020-2022

After White Lab: Graduate student, Northeastern University

Jacqueline Ekins, 2015-2016

B.S., Smith College, 2015

Nina Lee

S.M., Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011
After White Lab: Thermo Scientific