People

Visiting Investigator, The J. David Gladstone Institutes
Co-Chair of UCSF’s Junior Faculty AIDS Researchers (JFAR)
Member of UCSF’s AIDS Research Institute (ARI) Executive Committee

Nadia obtained a B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from U.C. Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School where she characterized T cell responses to the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis in a mouse infection model. She then conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at the J. David Gladstone Institutes, where she identified factors in human seminal plasma that potently enhance HIV infection and studied their mechanism of action. Currently, her lab uses ex vivo tissue models and multi-parameter single-cell phenotyping approaches to study the cellular and soluble components in mucosal tissues influencing HIV transmission and pathogenesis, and the impact of mucosal factors on reproductive health. Outside the lab, Nadia enjoys the arts, being active, and traveling to faraway places.

Johanne obtained her M.A. in Medicine from Aarhus University in Denmark. During her studies, she conducted a Research Year at the Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, where she investigated how co-infection with CMV affects T-cell recovery in HIV-infected individuals receiving ART treatment. After graduation, she started as a PhD fellow at Aarhus University, studying the molecular basis of mucosal HIV transmission in men. As part of her PhD studies, she is joining the Roan Lab for an internship, during which she will use an ex vivo tissue model for her investigations. Outside of the lab, Johanne enjoys travelling around the world, being active and spending time with family and friends.

Feng obtained a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, where he majored in Molecular and Cellular Biology. He then conducted research in the lab of Dr. John Park at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he profiled tumor cells in the blood and bone marrow of patient samples to identify targets for cancer intervention strategies. He then joined the Roan Lab as an SRA, and is currently characterizing soluble and cellular factors affecting susceptibility to HIV infection. Outside of lab, Feng loves reading and drawing. He also enjoys hiking and attending musicals with his friends and family when he finds the chance.

Karen obtained a B.S. from University of Washington, where she majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Development Biology. She then conducted research at Stanford University studying drug resistance mutations in HIV-infected individuals receiving ART treatment. In the Roan Lab, she is examining how seminal plasma components affect reproductive health, and how HIV infection and ART treatment can affect the composition of seminal plasma and how this in turn may affect viral transmissibility. Outside of the lab, Karen enjoys cooking and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Jason obtained a B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara, where he majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He conducted research in the Vaccines Department at Chiron, corp. (now Novartis, Inc) from 1990 to 2000, studying adjuvant formulations and vaccine candidates for herpesvirus. He then joined the lab of Dr. Warner Greene at the J. David Gladstone Institutes where he studied the viral determinants of HIV transmission. Since joining the Roan lab, he has been characterizing the phenotypic properties of genital mucosal cells, including their ability to affect susceptibility to HIV infection. Outside of the lab, Jason enjoys his wife's cooking. He also takes long, mushroom hunting walks with his son and appreciates the antics of Peppa Pig with his daughter.

Guorui obtained a B.S. in Biotechnology from Shandong Normal University in China, and a Ph.D. from University of Texas Medical Branch where she determined the role of MyD88-mediated signaling in the host response against a West Nile virus NS4B-P38G mutant strain. She then conducted a postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. Warner Greene at the J. David Gladstone Institutes, where she compared various “shock and kill” strategies to try to purge the latent reservoir from cells isolated from HIV-infected subjects. In 2017, she joined the Roan lab, where she is using global gene expression analysis and mass cytometry to characterize the mechanisms regulating CD4+ T cell susceptibility to productive and latent HIV infection in the context of the mucosal tissue microenvironment. Outside of the lab, Guorui enjoys swimming, hiking and skiing. She also takes Karate classes for fun.