Gina earned her PhD in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of Chicago, where she investigated molecular determinants of normal and malignant hematopoietic stem cell development. Her post-doctoral research examined developmental interactions between cells and their microenvironment in leukemia and breast cancer. At the Lurie Cancer Center, Gina has worked with diverse teams to advance numerous multidisciplinary scientific and educational programs. She joined the Adli lab in 2022 as an enthusiastic manager and fan of the MorpHiC Consortium project. Outside the lab, she’s likely to be working in her garden, or waiting for gardening season to return to Chicago. 

Fidan earned her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Koc University in Istanbul-Turkey. Her research focused on the discovery of novel genes that play an important role in glioblastoma invasion and therapy response through transcriptome profiling and CRISPR screenings. She joined Adli Lab in August 2020 as a postdoctoral researcher. She is currently working on key mechanisms of chemoresistance and immune checkpoint regulators in ovarian and pancreatic cancers through utilizing CRISPR screening. She is also utilizing single-cell multi-omics technologies in primary patient samples to identify key mechanisms of chemoresistance in primary tumors. Fidan is a movie enthusiast and loves to travel to places she has never been.   

De earned his Ph.D. in genome engineering in Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences, and the second M.S. in Mathematics & Statistics from Auburn University in 2022.  During his doctoral training, he focused on gene editing and genetic engineering using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. He joined the Adli lab in July 2022 and works on the molecular and cellular characterization of essential human genes using auxin-induced degron in hiPSC. He is leading the MorPhic consortium project in the lab. Outside the lab, De enjoys reading and traveling.

Hoda earned her B.S., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees from Helwas University (Egypt). She had a joint supervision scholarship in the United States studying leiomyomas pathogenesis during her Ph.D. She joined Adli’s lab in March 2023 and investigates the genetic and epigenetic drivers of leiomyoma pathogenesis and aims to identify novel druggable pathways for leiomyomas. Hoda is a movie fan and nature lover.

Zhonglin earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China) in 2020 and 2024, respectively. During her doctoral training, she did research on the regulation of ubiquitin degradation in the development of hepatoma, and discovery of disease diagnosis targets based on metabolomics and metagenomics. In her postdoctoral research in Adli’s lab, she is going to do research to discover new therapeutic targets in cancer through the utilization of high-throughout CRISPR-CAS tools and inducible targeted protein depletion strategies. Outside the lab, Zhonglin enjoys dancing and playing badminton.

Alex is a Ph.D. candidate and graduate student in the Driskill Graduate Program (DGP) at Northwestern University. Alex got his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 2013. He worked in a wide variety of fields, most recently at the Military HIV Research Program in vaccine development. Since joining the Adli Lab in 2018, Alex has used cutting-edge single-cell sequencing, CRISPR applications, and bioinformatics to research the transcriptional and epigenetic underpinnings of ovarian cancer chemotherapy resistance. Outside the lab, Alex likes to walk and explore Chicago neighborhoods and he loves to do the New York Times crossword puzzle to unwind.

Harun is a Ph.D. candidate graduate student in the Driskill Graduate Program (DGP) at Northwestern University. He received her BS in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Istanbul University, Turkey. He also earned his MSc degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bogazici University, Turkey. In Adli’s lab, he contributed to research on critical tumor suppressors and combinatorial drug targets in cancer. His current research focuses on critical regulators that are necessary and sufficient to establish and maintain the chemoresistant state of ovarian cancer. In addition to science, Harun loves heavy metal and the Denver Nuggets!

Ozlem obtained her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Middle East Technical University (Ankara/Turkey). During her master’s training, she studied mapping the genomic and epigenomic landscape of meningioma to identify targeted and combinatorial therapies to overcome chemoresistance in meningioma. She joined the Adli lab in November 2022 as Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow and working toward the MorPhic consortium project.

Yasemin is currently pursuing her M.S. in Biotechnology at Northwestern University. She earned her B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in Cognitive Science from the University of California San Diego. During her time as an Undergraduate Research Assistant, she contributed to studies focusing on insulin sensitivity mechanisms. With a passion for cancer biology and computational genomics, she aims to pursue a Ph.D. to advance the understanding of cancer through genomic analyses. Yasemin enjoys discovering new music and challenging herself with the NYT Wordle and Connections puzzles daily.

Alexandra is a graduate student in the Master of Biotechnology program (MBP) at Northwestern University. In 2021, she earned her BA in biology from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. In her undergrad research, she cultured a novel form of archaea and then she worked as a lab technician at a small biotech company. In the Adli lab, she is looking forward to using CRISPR and bioinformatics to understand the drivers of ovarian cancer progression and chemoresistance. In her downtime, Alexandra loves reading, doing NYT puzzles, and going on long walks by the lakefront.

Bervis earned her M.D. degree (with full scholarship) from Bahçeşehir University Medical School in Istanbul/ TURKEY. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Bervis delved into the realm of cancer biology, conducting research and publishing papers in the field. Bervis joined Adlilab in the summer of 2024 to further improve her research skills in the area of genome manipulation and functional genomics.  Beyond their academic pursuits, Bervis finds joy in the harmony of music, the artistry of ceramics, and the serenity of outdoor walks and runs.

Taylor is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine through Northwestern University’s Center for Reproductive Science. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Texas State University in 2023. Since joining the Adli Lab in January 2024, Taylor’s research has been focused on discovering small molecules to target chemoresistance in ovarian cancer and genotype-selective inhibitors of fibroid tumors through high-content screening of chemical libraries. Outside the lab, Taylor likes to read, spend time with friends, and walk by the lake.