People
Justine C. Lee, MD, PhD, FACS
Principal Investigator
Bernard G. Sarnat Endowed Chair
Professor and Associate Chief, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
UCLA Molecular Biology Institute
UCLA Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
UCLA Gender Health Program
she/her/hers
M.D., Ph.D. University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Henry K. Kawamoto Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Xiaoyan Ren, MD, PhD
Adjunct Associate Professor
Senior Scientist
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
xren@mednet.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
M.D., Qingdao University School of Medicine, Qingdao, China
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebrew University, Hadassah School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Wei Chen, PhD
Assistant Project Scientist
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
weich@mednet.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
she/her/hers
Ph.D., Florida International University, Miami, Florida
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Urology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Project Scientist, Cardiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Maiwand Bedar, MD, MSc
Postdoctoral Fellow
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory and Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
maiwand.b@gmail.com
he/him/his
M.Sc., Neuroscience, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
M.D., Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Ph.D., Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and Division of Hand Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Youngnam (Emma) Kang, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
ynkang@g.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
Ph.D., Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Zhenjiang (Mark) Ma, MD
Research Assistant
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
zhenjiangma@mednet.ucla.edu
he/him/his
M.D., Qingdao University School of Medicine, Qingdao, China
Kelly Huang, BS
Research Coordinator
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
kellyhuang1220@g.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
B.S., Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Jeremiah Taylor, BS
2023-2024 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
JeremiahTaylor@mednet.ucla.edu
he/him/his
B.S., Chemistry, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Nghiem Nguyen, BA
2023-2024 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
nghiem.h.nguyen@kp.org
they/them/theirs
B.A., Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, California
Medical Student, Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, Pasadena, California
Anne Hall, BS
Medical Student
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
AEHall@mednet.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
B.S., Biology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Tufts University, Medford, MA
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Catherine (CeeCee) Cascavita, BA
Medical Student
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
ccascavita@mednet.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
B.A., Molecular and Cell Biology, and Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California
Master of Legal Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, California
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Archi Patel
Undergraduate Student
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
archipatel@g.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
Computational and Systems Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California
Kaavian (Kaav) Shariati, BS
Medical Student
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
KShariati@mednet.ucla.edu
he/him/his
B.S., Biological Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Jose Chevalier, BS
Medical Student
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
JMChevalier@mednet.ucla.edu
B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Sarah Fadich, PA-C
Medical Student
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
sfadich@mednet.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
B.A., Northwest University, Kirkland, WA
Masters of Clinical Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residents
Anthony_A._Bertrand, MD, MBA
2019-2020 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
M.D., University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
M.B.A., Stanford University
Nirbhay S. Jain, MD
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
NSJain@mednet.ucla.edu
B.S., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
M.D., Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
Alumni
Elizabeth J. Volpicelli, MD
2016-2017 Research Coordinator
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
Current: Pediatric Resident at University of California Los Angeles
volpicel@gmail.com
B.A., Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
M.D., Temple University School of Medicine
Julia R. Ayeroff, BA
2017-2018 Research Coordinator
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
Current: Medical Student at University of Arizona College of Medicine- Tucson
julia.ayeroff@gmail.com
B.A., Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California
Fransia De Leon, BA
2018-2019 Research Coordinator
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
Current: Medical Student at UC Davis School of Medicine
fransiadeleon@ucla.edu
B.A., Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
David Foulad, MD
2017-2019 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
Current: General Surgery Resident at Loma Linda University
dfoulad@gmail.com
M.D., University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
General Surgery Residency, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California
Hi'ilani M.K. Potemra, BS
2018-2019 Research Coordinator
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
Current: Graduate Student in Psychology
hpotemra14@ucla.edu
B.S., Psychobiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Shengyu (Sam) Lyu, DDS, PhD
2019 Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
shengyulyu@mednet.ucla.edu
D.D.S., Shandong University School of Medicine, Shandong, China
Ph.D., Shandong University School of Medicine
Miles J. Pfaff, MD, MHS
2014-2020 UCLA Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Resident
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
Current: Assistant Professor, Craniofacial Surgery, University of California Irvine
miles.pfaff@gmail.com
B.S., University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California
M.D., Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
Candace H. Chan, BS
2019-2020 Research Coordinator
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
Current: Medical Student at Oregon Health Sciences University
candacechan19@g.ucla.edu
B.S., Physiological Science, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Allison C. Hu, MD
2019-2020 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
Current: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Resident at Stanford University
huallisonc@gmail.com
B.A., Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California
M.D., University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
Brian N. Dang, MD
2019-2020 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
Current: Pediatrics Resident at University of California San Francisco
bndang54@gmail.com
B.S., Marine Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
M.D., University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Michelle Oberoi, MD
2020-2021 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
Current: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Resident at Baylor Scott and White
Michelle.Oberoi@medsch.ucr.edu
B.A. Spanish, B.S. Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
M.D., University of California Riverside School of Medicine, Riverside, California
Rachel Caprini, BS
2020-2022 Research Coordinator
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
Current: Medical Student at University of California Irvine
rcaprini@mednet.ucla.edu
B.S., Psychobiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Harshini Malapati, BS
Medical Student
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
smalapati@mednet.ucla.edu
B.S., College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Johnny Lin, PhD
Statistical Consultant
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
Institute for Digital Research and Education
University of California Los Angeles
jlin@oit.ucla.edu
B.S., Psychology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
Ph.D., Quantitative Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Natalie Dahan, BA
2021-2022 Research Technician
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
ndahan@mednet.ucla.edu
B.A., Biology, Minor in Africana Studies, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, California
Qi (Lori) Zhou, DDS, PhD
2018-2021 Postdoctoral Fellow
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
qizhou@mednet.ucla.edu
D.D.S., Shandong University School of Medicine, Shandong, China
Ph.D., Shandong University School of Medicine and University of California Los Angeles
Vivian Hu, MD
2020-2021 Medical Student
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
Current: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Resident at University of California San Diego vhu@mednet.ucla.edu
B.S., Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
M.D., University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Dillon Dejam, BS
2021-2022 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
ddejam@mednet.ucla.edu
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Ami Hayashi, BS
Medical Student
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
ahayashi@mednet.ucla.edu
B.S., Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Jonnby LaGuardia, BS
2022-2023 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory and Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team
jonnby_laguardia@urmc.rochester.edu
he/him/his
B.S., Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Medical Student, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
Shahrzad Moghadam, BS
2022-2023 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
smoghadam@mednet.ucla.edu
she/her/hers
B.S., Human Biology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
Medical Student, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Madeline Chin, BA
2022-2023 Research Fellow
Craniofacial Outcomes Research Team and Craniofacial Regeneration Laboratory
Madeline_chin@brown.edu
she/her/hers
B.A., Medical Humanities, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
Medical Student, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island