Parekh Lab Members
Caitlyn Gries
With over 15 years of animal experience in many different species, animal procedures are my specialty. I handle and coordinate all animal care, colony maintenance, and sample collection for the Parekh Lab. I do my best to keep our furry research assistants safe and comfortable while they help us understand lungs. I also work hard to make sure that the humans in the lab have the resources that they need too.
Most of my free time is spent outdoors with my pets, motorcycles, or garden. I enjoy an active lifestyle and love trying new recipes from things I have grown. When the weather doesn’t cooperate, I love a good book or video game to help refresh my mind.
Chen Chen
Chen worked in neurosurgery in China for 19 years and developed extensive expertise in microsurgical techniques. In the lab, he applies his surgical experience to support experimental models, particularly ferret lung and tracheal transplantation. He also performs genotyping for ferrets and mice and assists with tissue collection and immunofluorescence staining for ongoing research projects.
Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with his children, swimming, and cooking.
Kusum Devi
My research focuses on elucidating the role of airway progenitor stem cells in injury repair and regeneration in chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). I focus on understanding how these cells dynamically reprogram their identity and phenotype in response to injury, enabling restoration of epithelial integrity and maintenance of long-term airway homeostasis. In parallel, my work aims to define the key regulatory pathways, molecular switches, and transcriptional networks that govern these phenotypic alterations. By dissecting these mechanisms, this research addresses fundamental questions in airway biology and provides critical insights that may inform the development of biomarkers for early CLAD diagnosis, as well as novel regenerative therapeutic strategies.
When I’m not in the lab, I like to keep life a little adventurous, whether that means getting outdoors or enjoying something more low-key indoors. I’m always up for trying new things and exploring new places, which keeps life exciting. I also have a soft spot for world history and geography. I love going down random rabbit holes about different countries and cultures just for fun. And to balance it all out, I’m an admirer of comedy movies, nothing beats a good laugh after a long day.
Jack Bullis
Weam Shahin
My research focuses on understanding how stem cells make critical decisions about whether to self-renew or differentiate into specialized cell types. I study the signaling pathways and molecular switches that control these fate decisions, with particular emphasis on redox signaling in neural stem cells and transcriptional regulation in airway epithelial progenitors. This work addresses fundamental questions in cell biology while providing insights that could lead to new regenerative therapies for conditions like stroke and lung diseases.
Outside the lab, I enjoy exploring new cuisines and experimenting with cooking recipes from different cultures, which reflects my appreciation for diversity and creativity. I'm an avid reader with interests spanning scientific literature, history, and contemporary non-fiction. I also enjoy outdoor activities including walking and cycling, which help me maintain balance and fresh perspective on my research challenges.
Jake Greenlee
Students
Kareem Shoukih
My name is Kareem Shoukih, and my hometown is Iowa City. I spent my undergraduate years at the University of Iowa studying biomedical sciences, and now I am continuing my education as a medical student at the Carver College of Medicine. I tend to spend my free time playing soccer and finding local leagues to take part in. I am currently working on projects related to lung denervation during lung transplantation and the role it plays in the development of conditions like Bronchiolitis Obliterans. The current focus has been developing a strong understanding of how denervation influences airway basal stem cell phenotype and regenerative capacity.
Oluwatobiloba Da-Silva
oluwatobiloba-da-silva@uiowa.edu
Alumni
Tom Lynch, PhD
Dr. Lynch has since moved on to begin his own lab at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus Ohio.
Albert Pai, MD
Dr. Pai finished his residency in the lab and continued with his schooling. He didn't go too far, and now practices clinically in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at University of Iowa.
Kyle Freischlag
Dr. Freischlag completed his 2 year rotation in the lab and continued with his Surgical Residency.
Bethany Ahlers
Bethany went on to work with IACUC, and then went to further her education with a degree in Veterinary Medicine to continue her passion of safe-guarding animal welfare
Vitaly Ievlev
After obtaining his PHD with both Parekh and Engelhardt Labs, Vitaly decided to continue his career in science in the commercial field.
Aleena Ghumman