Stephen L. Lessnick, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Oncological Sciences
Investigator, HCI Center for Children
stephen.lessnick@hci.utah.edu

Lessnick earned his bachelor's degree from Brandeis University followed by MD and PhD degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). He conducted his internship and residency at Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, followed by a fellowship in pediatrics hematology. He completed postdoctoral research in the Pediatric Oncology Department at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Lessnick joined HCI in January 2004.

Richard Smith
Senior Lab Specialist
rich.smith@hci.utah.edu

Smith earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts and has extensive experience in the biotechnology industry. He has been the Lessnick Lab’s specialist since its inception. He has experience in a variety of molecular techniques and provides experimental assistance and guidance to trainees. Smith’s current focus is the analysis of EWS/FLI target genes.

Kunal Gangwal
Graduate Student
kunal.gangwal@hci.utah.edu

Gangwal earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the India Institute of Technology, Delhi, in a dual-degree program. He entered the Molecular Biology Program at the University of Utah in 2004 and joined the Lessnick lab in April 2005. His current research focus is the transcriptional regulation of target genes by EWS/FLI.

Michelle Kinsey
Graduate Student
michelle.kinsey@hci.utah.edu

Kinsey completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley. She started the MD/PhD program at the University of Utah in June 2004 and officially joined the Lessnick Lab in June 2006. Her current work involves studying the role of EWS/FLI target genes in Ewing’s sarcoma development.

Tonya Avery
Administrative Assistant
tonya.avery@hci.utah.edu

Tonya has been the Lessnick Lab’s administrative assistant since its inception. She assists with scheduling, budgeting, grant submissions, and generally keeps the lab functioning.

Ashley Kowalewski
Graduate Student
ashley.kowalewski@hci.utah.edu

Kowalewski graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Molecular Biology. She entered the Molecular Biology program at the University of Utah in the fall of 2006 and joined the Lessnick Lab in May 2007. Her current work involves studying the role of gene dysregulation in Ewing’s sarcoma.

Elizabeth (Tish) Toomey
Graduate Student
elizabeth.toomey@hci.utah.edu

Toomey graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Biology. She entered the Molecular Biology Program at the University of Utah in the fall of 2006 and joined the Lessnick Lab in April 2007. Her research focuses on EWS/FLI target genes in Ewing’s Sarcoma.

Savita Sankar
Graduate Student
savita.sankar@hci.utah.edu

Sankar earned her Bachelor’s degree from GRD college of Sciences, India followed by her Masters degree from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), India. After working in the biotech industry for two years she entered the Molecular Biology Program at the University of Utah in the fall of 2006 and joined the Lessnick Lab in April 2007. Her research focuses on EWS/FLI target genes in Ewing’s Sarcoma.

Wen Luo
Postdoc
wen.luo@hci.utah.edu

Luo earned her BS and MS degrees from Nanchang University followed by a PhD degree from Xiamen University, China. She joined Virshup lab in HCI as a postdoc in 2004 and will join Lessnick lab soon (July 2007).