Members

Welcome to the Ahn Lab Members page. Here you can find information about our principal investigator and the talented team of postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers who drive our research forward.

Dr. Eun Hyun Ahn, MS, PhD
Principal Investigator

For Dr. Ahn's research background, education, and training, see Ahn

Zhipeng Dong, PhD student

B.S. (Magna Cum Laude) Mechanical Engineering. Minor: Chemistry
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
M.S.E. Biomedical Engineering (2019 Fall - 2021 Spring)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Satvik Kethireddy, MS Student

B.S Food, Agricultural, Biological Engineering with Double Major in Molecular Genetics
M.S. Biomedical Engineering (2023 Fall - present) Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Patrick Ting, BS Student

San Ramon Valley High School, Danville, CA
B.S. Biomedical Engineering (2023 Fall - present)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Diego Trafton, BS Student

Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale, PA
BB.S. Biomedical Engineering (2021 Fall - present)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Joseph Yun, BS Student

Walter Johnson High School, Bethesda, MD
B.S. Biomedical Engineering (2025 Fall - present)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Howard E. Nebeck, MS

Research Scientist/Engineer, Bioinformatician
B.S. (Suma Cum Laude) Aerospace Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M.S. Aerospace Engineering
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
M.S. Medical Engineering
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Before Howard began working as a Bioinformatician at the University of Washington, he worked as an Engineering Programmer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and at the Boeing Company. He has two certificates in Biostatistics and a certificate in Radiation Physics from the University of Washington. His recent contribution on one of his projects was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Kwon et al 2019). In his free time, he enjoys hiking, scrambling, and climbing. He also volunteers as an instructor at the Mountaineers Club's climbing and navigation classes in paragliding (70+ flights, USHPA P2 rating).

Asmitha Sathya, BS Student

Biotechnology High School, Freehold, NJ
B.S. Biomedical Engineering (2021 Fall - present)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Former Members

Jiwon Min, BS Student

Saint John's Catholic Prep, Buckeystown, MD
BS/MS Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (2018 Fall - Present)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Joshua Ni, BS Student

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, RPV, CA
BS/MS Biomedical Engineering (2018 Fall - present)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Shunyao Lei, MS Student

B.S. (Summa Cum Laude) Biomedical Engineering
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
M.S.E Biomedical Engineering (2020 Fall - present)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Susan S. Kim, BS

Edmonds-Woodway High School, Edmonds, WA
B.S. Biochemistry, Minor: Chemistry
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
As one of Susan's research projects in Dr. Ahn’s lab, she has recently published an original research article in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Kwon et al 2019), which investigated mutational changes in stem cell-derived versus non-stem cell derived immortalized cells. Prior to entering UW, she served as Captain in Cross Country and Track & Field at Edmonds-Woodway High School.

Alex Wu, BS

Parkland High School, Allentown, PA
B.S. (Cum Laude) Biochemistry, Minor: Chemistry
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Alex Wu has worked on: Fabrication of nanotopographically defined extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic culture platforms; breast cancer cell culture; and Quantification of cellular migration properties using imageJ and Fiji programs. He has also started involving in post-analyses of Duplex Sequencing data from glioblastoma and breast cancer stem cells. Currently, Alex is a research technologist in the Department of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Seung Hyuk (Tony) Lee, BS

Research Scientist/Engineer Assistant (2017-2019)
Bothell High School, Bothell, WA
B.S. Biochemistry, Minor: Chemistry
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Tony has worked in Dr. Ahn’s lab during his entire UW undergraduate years. After his B.S. graduation, he worked as a Research Scientist Assistant until September 2019. While he conducted his undergraduate research, he published an original research article in a prestigious journal Cancer Research (Ahn et al 2016). After his B.S. (Dean's List), he has recently published another original research article in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Ahn and Lee 2019). He is currently preparing two additional original research articles for publication: a) investigation of migratory properties of breast cancer stem cells in biomimetic environment; b) identification of mutations induced by SV40-T, radiation, and HER2 overexpression in breast carcinogenesis. He is currently pursuing his PhD program in Human Genetics at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) since Fall 2019.

Sujin Kwon, BS

Research Analyst
Grand Rapids Christian High School, Grand Rapids, MI
B.A. Mathematics, Minor: Applied Mathematics
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
As one of Sujin's research projects in Dr. Ahn’s lab, she has recently published an original research article in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Kwon et al 2019), which investigated mutational changes in stem cell-derived versus non-stem cell derived immortalized cells. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Bioinformatics at North Carolina State University.

Joon Yup (Jason) Kim, BS

Research Scientist Assistant (2017-2017)
Woodinville High School, Woodinville, WA
B.S. (Cum Laude) Biochemistry, Minor: Chemistry
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Jason worked in Dr. Ahn’s lab during most of his UW undergraduate years. After his B.S. graduation, he worked as a Research Scientist Assistant (2017). While he conducted his undergraduate research at Dr. Ahn’s lab, he was awarded with UW Mary Gate’s Research Scholarship (2017) and Rex J. And Ruth C. Robinson Scholarship (2016-2017). His work led to the publication of an original research article as coauthor in a prestigious journal Cancer Research (Ahn et al 2016). He is currently pursuing his M.D. at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Mackenzie Coston

Undergraduate Student (2016)
B.S. Biology University of Washington, Seattle, WA
She is currently working as Research staff at Allen Institute, Seattle, WA

Hejie Choi

Undergraduate Student (2013-2014)
B.S. Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology University of Washington, Seattle, WA
She is currently pursuing her PharmD at the University of Washington: School of Pharmacy

Michael B. Lee

Laboratory Assistant, Undergraduate Student
B.S. (Cum Laude, Honors) Biochemistry, Minor: Chemistry
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
While he conducted his undergraduate research at Dr. Ahn’s lab, he was awarded with the UW Mary Gate’s Research Scholarship and the Korean American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) scholarship. His undergraduate research led to the publication of an original research article in Anticancer Research (Ahn et al 2018).” He graduated from the University of Washington with honors (Cum Laude). He is an avid traveler, visiting over 20 countries around the world, coupled with his high interest in humanitarian work. He has volunteered in rural hospitals in the Philippines and taught North Korean refugees in South Korea. He currently works at Stratos Genomics on the Biochemistry team developing a new sequencing technology.

Kensen T. Hirohata

Undergraduate Student (2013)
Research Technologist
B.S. Biochemistry University of Washington, Seattle, WA
His project led to the publication of an original research article in PLoS One (Ahn et al 2015). He currently works as a Sales Engineer at Sterlitech Corporation, Kent, WA