People of the Sancak Lab

Assistant Professor

Dept. of Pharmacology

Yasemin (she/her) received her undergraduate degree from Bogazici University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics in Turkey in 2002 and her Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010. Her thesis work in the Sabatini Lab at the Whitehead Institute focused on understanding how cellular growth is regulated and how mammalian cells sense the availability of amino acids to regulate growth. After completion of her thesis work, she joined Dr. Vamsi Mootha’s laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital where she made important contributions to understanding mitochondrial calcium uptake machinery. She is the recipient of the Abraham J. Siegel Fellowship Award, Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award, Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, NIH Director's New Innovator Award and Pew Biomedical Scholarship. She joined the UW Pharmacology faculty in 2017.

Post-Doctoral Researcher

Dept. of Pharmacology

George (he/him) grew up in Madison, WI and attended the University of Minnesota, earning a degree in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development. He received his Ph.D in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, where he worked in the lab of Dr. Gloria Brar investigating how cells decide whether to keep or discard different organelle populations during cell differentiation. As a postdoc in the Sancak lab, George is interested in how communication between organelles shapes mitochondrial function. Outside of lab, George can be found hiking, playing soccer, and exploring the Seattle food scene.

Mengru Li (she/her) obtained her undergraduate degree in Pharmacy from Sichuan University and subsequently earned her Master’s degree in Pharmacology from Fudan University in China. Her research has focused on developing nitric oxide donors to address tumor resistance and refractory tumors. She joined the Sancak lab to explore how mitochondrial calcium signaling influences fibrolamellar carcinoma and investigate potential treatments that target calcium overload. Outside the lab, she enjoys traveling with her cat, playing ball games, and cooking with friends.

Research Assistant, Co-Lab Manager

Francisco (he/him) graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 with a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He hopes to pursue an MD/PhD to probe the network of relationships that lie between autoimmune disease, environmental toxicity, and the gut microbiome. In the Sancak Lab, he hopes to further this pursuit by focusing in on the intersection within this network that is the mitochondria. In the lab, he is investigating how mitochondria communicate within the cell by contact with other organelles, as well as the use of mitochondrial transplantation in ischemic reperfusion injury in stroke. Outside of lab, he enjoys meditation, exercise, watching/reading anime/manga (especially One Piece), and chatting with friends.

Research Assistant

Marianna (she/her) is an undergraduate at UW who plans on studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology in addition to Early Childhood Education. For many years, she has had an interest in genetics and the beautiful design of the human body. The Sancak Lab, most prominently Dr. Sancak, is teaching her all the basics of research, and she hopes that one day she can contribute her own findings to the field of genetics. She also enjoys the fact that she can tell family and friends that she knows more about the mitochondria besides its role as the powerhouse of the cell. In her free time, Marianna likes playing Animal Crossing, hunting for clothing at thrift stores, and decorating the pages of her scrapbook with stickers.

Research Assistant

Albert (he/him) is currently a senior at the University of Washington who is working towards his B.S. in microbiology, and Japanese fluency (JLPT N1). He is excited to develop his lab and research skills after enduring a year of online, simulated labs. Albert is currently working on mastering western blotting techniques, a key protocol in the Sancak Lab. Outside of lab, Albert enjoys watching anime and reading manga.

Nikitha (she/her) is a high school research assistant in the Sancak lab with plans to major in Biology. She is a senior at Interlake High School in Washington and a graduate of the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program. She is passionate about exploring the causes of cancer and potential treatments, which led her to join the Sancak lab to deepen her understanding and gain hands-on experience with a range of lab techniques. In the lab, currently she is working on creating mito-ER tether cell lines. She enjoys working with tissue culture, running gels, and using fluorescence microscopy to examine cells. Outside the lab, she loves writing stories, drawing comics, hiking, birdwatching, and practicing karate. She hopes to continue her learning and research of cancers in college.