Sandra Sanchez-Roige, PhD
Associate Professor
I co-lead the Sanchez-Roige Lab with Lisa, a talented British Shorthair, and Margot, a curious five-year-old. Psychiatric geneticist, with an emphasis on translational research, I am passionate about identifying the biological drivers that place people at risk for substance use disorders and comorbid physical and mental health. I speak Catalan, Spanish, and English (with a complicated accent that is a hybrid of the Spears’ 1998 hits and the Great British Baking Show). I am fortunate to work with stellar colleagues at UCSD and beyond, through multiple consortia efforts. If you'd like to join our efforts, or provide feedback, please reach out!
Renata Cupertino, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Originally from Brazil, Renata received her BSc (Biomedical Sciences), MSc and PhD (Genetics and Molecular Biology) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, with a year of fellowship during this period at Donders Institute for Neuroimaging and Cognition, in the Netherlands. Renata was previously a postdoctoral associate in the University of Vermont, where she worked for the neuroimaging genetics consortium, ENIGMA-Addiction. Her major interest is to gain better understanding of the neuroscience underpinning psychiatric disorders and behaviors using genetic tools. In her free time, Renata likes to do yoga, hang out with friends, and go on hikes.
Laura Vilar-Ribó, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Laura is a postdoctoral researcher at Sanchez-Roige lab. She grew up in Barcelona, where she received her BSc in Biochemistry, MSc in Biomedical Research, and PhD in Human Genetics from the University of Barcelona. Her research focuses on unraveling the genetic mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders and complex traits, with a particular emphasis on substance use disorders (SUDs) and impulsivity. Through rigorous investigation and innovative methodologies that leverage phenotypic and genomic data, Laura aims to uncover the shared genetic liability and causal relationships between SUDs and comorbid conditions. Additionally, she seeks to provide genetic insights into the heterogeneity of these conditions, paving the way for more targeted interventions and treatments. In her free time, Laura enjoys outdoor activities, hiking, yoga, and dancing salsa.
Hayley HA Thorpe, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Hayley is a visiting scholar in the Sanchez-Roige lab. Her main home is at Western University in the lab of Dr. Jibran Khokhar. She received her BSc in Neuroscience (Dalhousie University), MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology (University of Guelph), and PhD in Biomedical Sciences (University of Guelph). Hayley is interested in using human and animal research to understand the genetics of substance use and major psychopathologies, especially during critical neurodevelopmental periods. Currently, she is investigating genetic factors underpinning commonly used substances, like coffee and cannabis, and their genetic relationships with psychiatric, health, and lifestyle factors. Hayley enjoys 3D printing/modeling, playing video games, and watching anime in her free time.
Mariela V Jennings, BSc
Information Systems Analyst
Mariela is a data analyst in the Sanchez-Roige Lab. She received her BSc in Molecular Biology and Data Science from George Mason University. Mariela has always been passionate about research and working with large datasets, and has had a particular interest in the genetics of substance use disorders, which is why she joined the Sanchez-Roige Lab. She has been able to contribute to multiple projects combining genetic and electronic health record data to further our understanding of the factors that contribute to higher liability for developing a variety of substance use disorders. In her free time, Mariela enjoys running, road trips and yoga.
John J Meredith, BSc
Bioinformatic Systems Analyst
John is a bioinformatics programmer in the Sanchez-Roige Lab. He received his BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduation, he managed surgery EHR software at Epic for several hospitals in the United States. He got his start in academia with the Pankratz Lab at the University of Minnesota, developing software for genomic analysis with a particular focus on pediatric cancers. Currently, he is developing analysis pipelines for substance use and other psychiatric traits, and his primary focus is using cloud-based tools like the All of Us Researcher Workbench to expand these analyses to new cohorts. John enjoys spending time with his dog, running, hiking, and playing golf in his free time.
Ivonne Xu, MSc
Information Systems Analyst
Ivonne is a part-time Research Analyst in the Sanchez-Roige lab, based in New York. She currently works full-time as a Research Engineer in the tech industry. She holds a BSc in Management from Purdue University and an MSc in Applied Data Science from the University of Chicago. Ivonne is passionate about analyzing trends in various types of patient data and their connections to psychiatric conditions. Her current work focuses on general medication data and pain medication. In her free time, she enjoys boxing, skiing, and exploring new technologies.
Shreya Pakala, BSc
Masters Student
Shreya is a graduate student researcher in the Sanchez-Roige lab. She holds a Master's degree in Data Science from the University of California, San Diego. Her research is focused on leveraging large-scale datasets to elucidate genetic factors influencing human behavior, utilizing advanced statistical modeling techniques and causal mixture models. She has a keen interest in predictive analytics, deep learning algorithms, and artificial intelligence applications within the healthcare domain. Shreya also dabbles in web design occasionally. In her leisure time, she enjoys playing badminton, binge-watching TV series, and trying out new recipes.
Ellen Tsai, BSc
PhD Student
Ellen is a Ph.D. student in the Genetics and Genomic Sciences program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is co-mentored by Dr. Lea K. Davis and Dr. Sandra Sanchez-Roige. She joined the lab after graduating from UCLA with a degree in Computational and Systems Biology in 2023. Ellen is broadly interested psychiatric genetics, with her current focus being opioid use disorder (OUD). She is investigating the impact of different phenotyping methods on genetic analyses and is working on understanding the genetics underpinning of OUD in diverse populations. In her free time, Ellen enjoys crocheting, cooking, and watching volleyball games.
Jean Gonzalez, BA
PhD Student
Jean is a PhD student in the Sanchez-Roige and Palmer Labs. He is in the Bioinformatics and Systems Biology program at UCSD where he is also a Sloan Scholar. Jean previously earned his BA in Computer Science from Vassar College. He has previously done research at the University of North Dakota, Texas A&M, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on a variety of computational biology projects. Jean is interested in the computational processing of biological data, namely genetics. Outside of the lab he is usually reading or watching classic movies.
Anirudh Chandrasekaran
Student Researcher
Anirudh Chandrasekaran is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology, with minors in Psychology and Human Developmental Science, and is hoping to go to medical school. Anirudh will be studying opioid use disorders, and hopes to gain a better understanding of risk factors associated with opioid use among different demographics. Apart from the lab, Anirudh enjoys playing the violin, loves to swim, and is always keen to try different food places!
Yajaira Ramos
Graduate Student Researcher
Yajaira is a graduate student researcher in the Sanchez-Roige lab. She is a master’s student in Clinical Research interested in exploring the genetic factors contributing to psychiatric disorders. She plans on pursuing medical school to combine clinical research and practice to provide support for underrepresented communities. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and exploring new places!
Lisa
Lab Assistant
Because it’s always a good idea to hire a cat.
Alumni
Natasia Courchesne-Krak (2022-2023)
Michael Ehinmowo (2022-2023)
Sevim Bianchi (2020-2023)
Benjamin Pham (2022)
Terry Lee (2022)
Calvin Lee (2021-2022)
Jin Yi Wu (2019-2021)
Zeljana Babic (2021)
Yuye (Flory) Huang (2020-2021)
Rebecca Tsai (2019-2020)
Frederick Martinez (2019-2020)
Kaiqi Zhang (2019-2020)
Jazlene Mallari (2018-2020)
Cedric Snethlage (2018)