 | Cicely Jette, PhD Cicely Jette, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences and a member of Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Cell Response and Regulation Program. She earned her PhD in Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah where she studied the role of the retinoic acid response pathway in colon carcinogenesis. She completed her postdoctoral research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School in Boston where she studied mitochondrial apoptosis and the DNA damage response pathway using zebrafish as a genetic model system. The primary interest of the Jette Lab has been the identification and analysis of novel radioprotective genes using genetics and cell biological approaches in zebrafish and human cell culture. The ultimate goal is to identify new therapeutic targets for the treatment of apoptosis-resistant human cancers. Cicely grew up in Connecticut and enjoys traveling, hiking, and hanging out with her two favorite people (her husband and new son).
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 | Katarzyna (Kate) Modzelewska, PhD Kate Modzelewska, PhD, received her doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied signaling in breast cancer metastasis in the laboratory of Dr. Patricia Keely. Before joining the Jette Lab, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Huntsman Cancer Institute and in the Biology Department at the University of Utah, where she studied organ development in C. elegans. Kate keeps the Jette lab and the Stewart lab running stress free Kate is a native of Poland and enjoys camping, hiking, and snowshoeing with her husband and son. |
Shelly Sorrells Shelly received her BS in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh. Early in her college years, Shelly interned in a pharmaceutical microbiology lab in Phoenix, AZ and worked as a chemist/laboratory reporting specialist at a drinking water treatment plant in Pittsburgh, PA. As an undergraduate at Pitt, Shelly worked in Dr. James Pipas’ lab under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Teresa Saenz-Robles, where she used SV40 large T antigen as a model system to study tumorigenesis and cell cycle regulation. She was an undergraduate researcher in an HHMI-funded fellowship, which she eventually co-directed for a summer before going to graduate school. Shelly is currently investigating the function of a novel radioprotective gene in the DNA damage response pathway. Shelly grew up in Arizona and loves rock climbing, hiking and backpacking and traveling. | |
Pranav Mathur Pranav received his Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science from India. Following which he did his master’s in Animal Genetics and Breeding under Dr. Bajwa where he worked on the Genetic analysis of bilateral asymmetry and disease resistance vis-à-vis major histocompatibility complex in chicken. Prior to joining the graduate program, Pranav worked as a Research Assistant in Dr. Yukio Saijoh’s lab in Neurobiology and Anatomy department at the University of Utah. There he worked on genes responsible for the left-right asymmetry in vertebrates. In the Jette Lab, Pranav is analyzing the functions of a novel radioprotective gene in zebrafish. Pranav was born and brought up in India and loves playing chess, cricket and watching movies. | |
 | Cristhian Toruno Cristhian received his BS in biology from Utah Valley University. During college, he worked in histology preparing slides for high school programs around the valley. He also worked as a teaching assistant for a microbiology class. Cristhian has been a combat medic in the U.S. Army Reserve for seven years and participated in several humanitarian missions and disaster relief efforts. Currently, Cristhian is studying the role of the BH3-only protein Bad in radiation-induced apoptosis and is helping to map several radiosensitizing mutations in the zebrafish. He is also the senior manager of the HCI zebrafish facility, working with the coolest people in the world. Cristhian feeds on the idea that “nothing is ever good enough” and there is always room for improvement. Cristhian is from Costa Rica and wants to attend medical school one day. |
Tyler Laurent Tyler received his BA in biology from Southern Virginia University. In college, he spent two years as a math and biology tutor and played on the men’s soccer team. In the summer of 2010 he did an internship with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife where he worked on a white sturgeon crew, set-lining for sturgeon in the lower Colombia and Willamette rivers. Tyler’s main priority in the lab is managing and maintaining a clean and healthy environment in the zebrafish facility for the Jette, Stewart, Jones and Cairns Labs. Tyler loves to spend time with his wife and daughter. He also enjoys snowboarding, backpacking and board games.
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Matt Orr Matt is an undergraduate student at the University of Utah working on his BS in Biomedical Engineering with interest in neural engineering. Before arriving at the University of Utah Matt attended Utah Valley University and the University of Hawaii. Upon completion of his BS degree Matt wants pursue a PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering and to do research in neural interfaces and one day teach at a university. Currently Matt works in our zebrafish facility. Matt grew up in Spanish Fork Utah but for a time moved around. He enjoys playing hockey, skiing, riding his bike, and hiking with his fiancé and dog. | |
 | Norma Haas Norma was working towards a BS in geology and physics at Northern Arizona University (best Grand Canyon field trips!) before the travel bug bit. Moving from Flagstaff, she worked in many national parks of the western United States, mainly in clerical positions. At Ohio State University in the Bone Marrow Transplantation Division, she was administrative assistant to MDs and PhDs in their grant, research and faculty endeavors for 13 years. But the bug bit once more. In answering the Call of the West, Norma has since lived in Salt Lake, Reno, Seattle, Portland, and back in Salt Lake. As administrative assistant, Norma makes everyone's life easier by taking care of grant and manuscript submissions, travel, pay, and all the essentials. Norma was born and raised in western Pennsylvania and has two grown children. She loves to travel and dreams of one day finding Utopia. |
