Lab Members

Yanling Wang has been a Staff Research Associate in the Mikkola lab since September 2005. Before joining the Mikkola lab, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Pharmacology Department at UCLA, focusing on molecular imaging in small animals. Yanling earned her Master’s degree in Microbiology and Genetics at Guangxi University in China, and further obtained a PhD in Molecular Biology at Sichuan University. She also worked as a professor at Sichuan University for ten years. Outside of lab, Yanling enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys traveling and participating in outdoors activities, like hiking, camping, and swimming.

mengwei[at]g.ucla.edu

Meng-Wei studied Veterinary Medicine at the National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan. She obtained her PhD from the UCLA, where she studied natural killer cells in cancer immunology and utilized NK cells for immunotherapy. Briefly, Meng-Wei worked in the Kaufman Lab at UC San Diego for iPSC-NK/macrophages immunotherapy. In 2023, Meng-Wei joined the Mikkola lab to take a step back and study the development of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Now, she makes adorable swirl EB and generating hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from human pluripotent stem cells (PSC) as a platform to investigate the intricate operating system (MLLT3 isoforms) for HSC stemness. Meng-Wei loves to spend her free time in the mountains for the quietness and peace.

bioyuewang[at]g.ucla.edu

Yue embarked on a new journey in the fall of 2023, joining Mikkola lab as a postdoctoral fellow with a focus on researching the hematopoietic niche. Having obtained his PhD degree in Chinese Academy of Sciences, his research primarily delved into the mechanisms of placental development and human trophoblast stem cells. Now, in Mikkola lab, Yue aims to explore the microenvironmental characteristics of human hematopoietic stem cells at various developmental stages and in different anatomical sites. Outside of the lab, Yue finds joy in the natural landscapes of LA and eagerly embraces all sorts of new experiences.

yuanyw42[at]g.ucla.edu

Yuanyuan delved into the hematopoietic toxicity of environmental pollutants and the underlying mechanisms during her PhD at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Yuanyuan joined the Mikkola lab in April 2024 to study human hematopoietic stem cell (HSCs) regulatory mechanisms. Her work aims to understand how HSCs communicate with their microenvironment and how they interpret these signals using the cell intrinsic regulatory machinery. Yuanyuan enjoys hiking, swimming, and discovering delicious cuisines in her spare time.

pkmack[at]ucla.edu

Paul joined the Mikkola lab in 2023 as a graduate student in UCLA’s Cell and Developmental Biology PhD program. Prior to continuing his graduate studies, Paul recieved a master’s degree in Biotechnology and completed a CIRM-funded research program as a member of Dr. Hiro Nakauchi’s lab at Stanford University, where he studied ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). He is now focused on investigating Trisomy 21 (T21)-associated hematopoietic anomalies during early fetal stages and the molecular mechanisms underlying T21 patients’ propensity for leukemia development. In his free time, Paul enjoys baking and riding his snowboard.

sbrimbert[at]ucla.edu

Soline Grimbert joined the Mikkola Lab mid 2023. She is Senior at UCLA, majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Biomedical Research. At the Mikkola Lab, Soline works on a project involving investigating the maturation of Pluripotent Stem Cells (PSC) derived Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) and hopes to continue research on stem cells in the future by attending graduate school. Her other interests include crocheting, hiking and gardening on her tiny patio.

tellytrando[at]ucla.edu

Telly Do is an undergraduate biology student at UCLA with a strong interest in developmental and stem cell biology. She previously worked in the Beachy Lab at Stanford, focusing on characterizing niches within the taste organ to explore their role in taste receptor cell renewal. Now at the Mikkola Lab, she aims to deepen her understanding of HSCs and the intricate processes that influence their function. Outside of the lab, Telly enjoys dancing, discovering new music, and trying different boba drinks.

juliaaguade[at]g.ucla.edu

Julia studied Pharmacy at the University of Barcelona. She obtained her PhD from the University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, where she studied cell death mechanisms with the goal to overcome drug resistance and relapse in human leukemia. Julia joined the Mikkola lab in October 2018 to address clinically relevant problems from a molecular biology perspective, and she uncovered MYCT1-moderated endocytosis as a key regulatory mechanism preserving HSC stemness. She is now at the laboratory of Dr. Calvanese in Barcelona, investigating stemness mechanisms in leukemia. Julia loves hiking and enjoyed exploring the amazing National Parks of California.

Ilse joined Mikkola lab in fall 2023 as a visiting graduate researcher with the goal to learn about HSCs and different technologies to study them. As a PhD student in Finland, her aim is to utilize the methods learned at the Mikkola lab to study leukemia. Ilse’s favorite things at UCLA were great weather, hiking, and trying out different foods.

Iman completed her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees at University of Montreal (Canada), where she used a high-throughput chemical screening and identified a small molecule, UM171 as an agonist for human HSC self-renewal (currently in clinical trial) and identified EPCR (CD201) as a first reliable marker to enrich for human HSC in culture. In 2019, Iman joined Dr. Mikkola’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow where she utilized epigenetics and mass spectrometry approaches to further characterize the role of MLLT3 (AF9) in human normal and leukemia stem cells.

Sandra earned her B.S. degree in Biotechnology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, in 2011. That same year she moved to Lund, Sweden, to learn about stem cells, a subject she fell in love with while in high school. She stayed at Lund University to pursue her PhD, which she completed in 2018. Under the supervision of Dr. Johan Flygare, she studied the master regulators of erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages and uncovered the minimal set of transcription factors capable of reprogramming mammalian fibroblasts into erythroid progenitors. She joined the Mikkola lab in August 2018 as a Swedish Research Council postdoctoral fellow and worked on understanding the mechanisms that regulate the specification and self-renewal of human hematopoietic stem cells. She is also very interested in communicating science effectively to both specialized and layman audiences. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, art and photography, and trying foods from around the globe.