Ejehi Erewele

Ejehi earned her bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Health, Society, and Populations from the University of Kentucky in 2020. During her undergraduate career, she took several courses in topics such as advanced cellular biology and immunology which served as her first introduction to vascular pathology. Her experience as a MD candidate at UIC and anesthesia technician intern has galvanized her desire to learn more about the critical interplay between anesthesia, the pulmonary system, and cellular moderators that govern vascular diseases. Ejehi enjoys contributing to the scientific discourse surrounding pulmonary arterial hypertension as it gives her the opportunity to apply her clinical skills and knowledge in a fundamental research setting.  

Maricela Castellon

Maricela is an experienced Research Scientist with more than 10 years working as Lab Manager and Lab technician. She started her research and medical training at UIC in 1997, and six years later of active research and management training, she got her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. By 2011, Maricela earned a MS degree in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the same institution, and since then, her professional trajectory has been evolving incredibly, as indicated by her current appointment as the Assistant Director of the UIC Cardiovascular Research Core. Maricela is helping the Vascular Immunobiology Lab to get started by handling the animal colony, the Lab Biosafety, and providing essential support for in vivo animal experiments.

Elizabeth Villarreal

Lizzy is an undergraduate student on the pre-medical track at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC; Honors College). Her major is biochemistry, and she has already taken multiple biology and chemistry courses during her time at UIC. This is Lizzy’s first laboratory experience, and she is really motivated in learning about pulmonary arterial hypertension as well as helping to make a difference when it comes to vascular diseases. She thinks the experience in the laboratory of vascular immunobiology will provide her with an amazing opportunity to use the technical skills and scientific background she has been learning to gain crucial research experience for her future in medical school.

Omar Loya

Omar is an undergraduate student in Biological Sciences with a concentration in General Biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He is also a recipient of the L@s GANAS Research Fellowship. What is L@s GANAS? L@s GANAS is a program, here at UIC, that strives to provide opportunities and support Latinx students in STEM. Although this is his first year in science, Omar has already gotten awards for Outstanding Achievement in Science and Biology at UIC.  Moreover, this is Omar’s first laboratory experience, and his interested in being a part of our research group is because he thinks the experience in the VI Lab aligns with his future career goals. 

Ygor Marinho

Dr. Marinho is a Postdoctoral Research Associate. He obtained his Ph.D. and M.S. in the field of immunology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – Brazil. He has more than 10 years of experience in scientific research. During his journey, he developed projects related to Gouty Arthritis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, with focus on the role of the purinergic signaling. Nowadays, he is starting a new phase in his career, working with cardiopulmonary diseases, a challenging and relevant field of investigation. As a young afro-American researcher, he believes in his responsibility and acts to change reality, create opportunities and promote inclusion.