at UC San Diego
Our Team
Karen Mestan
Principal Investigator
Dr. Karen Mestan is now the Division Chief of Neonatology at UC San Diego/Rady Children's Hospital after spending nearly 20 years at Northwestern University teaching, researching, and building a biorepository of placenta and cord blood. She received her B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University and her M.D. from Chicago Medical School and completed her residency and fellowship at University of Chicago. In her free time, Dr. Mestan has run marathons and triathlons and likes to travel and spend time with her husband, two daughters, and dog.
.jpeg)
Janu Newar
Lab Manager/Staff Research Associate IV
Janu completed her Bachelor's in Biotechnology from St. Edmund College, Shillong, Meghalaya in 2012 and her Master's in Biotechnology from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha in 2014. She successfully defended her Ph.D. work at KIIT University in July 2022 which focused on the isolation, characterization, and purification of adhesive proteins from gastropods and their use in developing biocompatible wound-healing adhesives hydrogels. She is from a beautiful town situated in the North Eastern part of India called Tezpur, Assam. Apart from doing research, Janu loves capturing moments with her camera, traveling and exploring new places, watching movies, gardening, and spending quality time with her loved ones.
Aliyah Abanes
Clinical Research Coordinator
Aliyah received her B.S. in Neurobiology from UCSD and completed her UCSD Premedical Post-baccalaureate program. Her previous work with vulnerable and underserved communities has inspired her to pursue a healthcare career that will allow her to amplify marginalized voices. In her free time, she loves reading, swimming, exploring new places, and spending time with family and friends.
Abhik Chakraborty
Postdoctoral Researcher
Abhik was born and raised in the state of West Bengal, India. He successfully defended his doctoral thesis in June 2022 at KIIT University, which focused on the screening of cytogenetic and molecular biomarkers in a cohort of eastern Indian couples with a known history of recurrent pregnancy loss. Following his doctoral work, he had 2 years of postdoctoral experience in Dr. Louise Laurant's lab, where he explored biophysical characterization of extracellular vesicles from placental explants and cell culture models. Besides research, he loves traveling, camping, and photography.
Liz Brees
Medical Student
Liz Brees is a medical student at UC San Diego and is interested in neonatology. As a student in the Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), she is currently a Second Lieutenant in the Individual Ready Reserve and will serve as an active-duty Air Force physician upon completion of her medical training. She grew up in Southern Maryland and received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Biology from Mount St. Mary’s University. After graduation, she taught high school biology and physics in Los Angeles for 2 years while earning her Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame. She loves hot yoga, riding her Peloton bike, hiking, camping, reading, and watching movies with her husband and pup. Her go-to fun fact is that she can find a 4-leaf clover in almost any patch!
Michelle Kastner
Administrative Coordinator
Michelle is the Administrative Coordinator at UCSD and currently serves two Divisions, Neonatology and Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology (AIR). She recently joined UCSD in June of 2023. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Health Sciences from Stetson University in Florida where she also played D1 Indoor Volleyball. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys going to the beach with her two doodles and staying active.
Erika Lin
Former Lab/Data Manager
Erika graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine and a M.S. in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Chicago. Erika has been with Dr. Mestan since 2019 and transitioned to UC San Diego in September 2021. She is currently studying to receive a Master's in Medical Sciences at Boston University to prepare her for medical school. Her dream is to become a Physician Scientist studying pediatric diseases. Otherwise, Erika enjoys trying different cuisines, running, and cooking for friends and family.
Rekha Karuparthy
Summer 2022 Research Medical Student and Former Clinical Research Coordinator
Rekha graduated with a B.A. in Global Health and MSW in Health from Washington University in St. Louis in 2019. Rekha has been with Dr. Mestan since 2020 and helped out at the lab during her summer break from medical school at UC San Diego. Her goal is to continue bridging social work and medicine as well as build her research skill set to one day be a Neonatologist herself. Outside of academics, Rekha loves to hang out with her friends/family and play board games!
Lab Alumni
Lillian Blank
Staff Research Associate I
Lillian graduated with a B.S. in Microbiology and Minor in Chemistry from UC San Diego in Spring 2022. She joined the UC San Diego School of Medicine in Fall 2024 after being a part of the Mestan Lab for two years. When she's not in the lab, Lillian is the vocalist and pianist in an indie band and loves staying active and cooking for her friends.
Rebecca Gin
Undergraduate Student
Rebecca is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Human Biology at UC San Diego. She is interested in understanding maternal health and child development. She is the Co-President of the Biological Sciences Student Association and a BioSci Peer Mentor on campus. She enjoys trying new restaurants, hiking, reading, and watching the sunset with friends in her free time.
Clinical Research Coordinator
Hailey Catrambone
Hailey is a recent graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a degree in Medical Biology & Physiology. She has a background in public health research and initiatives, particularly focusing on infectious diseases and addressing health and educational disparities among women. She will join the UMass Chan Medical School in Fall 2025 after being a part of the Mestan Lab for two years. In her free time, Hailey enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and going to the beach.