VUJKOVIC-CVIJIN LAB
TEAM
IVAN VUJKOVIC-CVIJIN (VC), PH.D.
Principal Investigator
Ivan obtained his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Francisco where he pioneered the study of the gut microbiome in HIV-associated inflammation. He performed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, where he advanced IgG-seq and other tools to assess causality in the host-microbiota relationship as it pertains to immune diseases. Ivan has a pretty wild last name so here is a pronunciation guide for the daring:
(Ee-vahn Vooy-ko-veech Tsvee-yeen)
JACOB GIFFORD, B.S.
Research Associate
Jacob graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz focusing on Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology. During his undergraduate schooling, he embarked on a field research project studying the impacts of Sea Star Wasting Disease localized in Sitka, Alaska as it relates to community dynamics of the intertidal ecosystem. Following his return, Jacob was able to contribute to global temperature analysis research at the Rovelo Lab. Currently working in the Vujkovic-Cvijin Lab, he is involved in exploring links between the gut microbiome and human health.
ALICE LO, B.S., M.S.
Research Associate
Alice Lo graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a Master of Science in Pharmacology. Her previous research at UCI in Dr. Olivier Civelli’s lab was focused on elucidating the biological significance of neuropeptides, specifically Melanin Concentrating Hormone (MCH) and its role in maternal instincts and behaviors. Alice’s current work in the Vujkovic-Cvijin lab involves exploring the diverse world of gut microbial communities and their impact on human health.
BEYZA OZDEMIR, B.S.
Ph.D. Student
Beyza graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2019, earning a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Society. During her undergraduate studies, she contributed to a systems biology project by applying multi-omics data integration methods to identify essential driver genes of fatty liver disease in the Lusis Lab. She also completed a summer internship aimed at investigating the role of aquaporin proteins in triple-negative breast cancer using murine models, conducted at the Sahin Lab at Bilkent University, Turkey. After her graduation, Beyza became a member of the Arditi Lab at Cedars-Sinai, where she participated in multiple projects focused on Kawasaki disease and SARS-CoV-2 research over the course of three years. Presently, she is a Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. student in the Vujkovic-Cvijin Lab, where her research centers on understanding gut microbial interactions in response to dietary compounds using computational and wet lab methodologies. She also investigates sex differences in the gut microbiome and their implications for human health.
ELENA IVLEVA, M.D.
Ph.D. Student
Elena received medical degree in biophysics from Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow. She gained experience in the immunology field investigating the role of tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer progression. Her work with the Vujkovic-Cvijin Lab is devoted to elucidating the role of gut microbiota in normal development and autoimmune diseases.
We are actively accepting applications from highly motivated research associates and post-doctoral fellows.
Please contact Ivan VC to join the team!