Who Are We?
We come from a wide variety of backgrounds and interests
The Maley Lab is made up of cancer biologists, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, computer scientists, veterinarians, artists, and research technologists. We explore the evolution of cancer using a variety of tools, techniques, and transdisciplinary ways of thinking in an effort to improve human and other animal health.
Carlo Maley, PhD
Professor and Director of the Arizona Cancer Evolution Center
Prof. Maley is a cancer biologist, evolutionary biologist and computational biologist, working at the intersection of those fields. His lab uses genomic data mining, phylogenetics, computational modeling, as well as wet-lab techniques to develop better methods to prevent cancer and improve cancer management. He is the director of the Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, which is a collaboration of 12 institutions around the world. For more information, please visit Dr. Maley's profile here.
Diego Mallo, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Diego Mallo is a biologist and computational phylogeneticist aspiring to understand the evolution of somatic cells. He develops computational methods that use genomic information to reconstruct the past; specifically, how cancers initiate and evolve within a patient. He thinks that understanding the mechanisms and dynamics of this process are not only discoveries by themselves but will also change how cancer is prevented and managed in the clinic. He has also worked on evolutionary modeling and species tree reconstruction methods and is a firm supporter of open source and data. In his free time, you may find him backpacking in a national park, cycling, or skiing. To learn more about Dr. Mallo's work, click here.
Gissel Marquez
Doctoral Student in Evolutionary Biology
Gissel Marquez is an evolutionary biologist and wet lab scientist at ASU, working on attaining my Ph.D. in evolutionary biology. During my undergrad, she studied biomedical sciences and began researching in 2018. Her research focuses on cooperation across different topics such as kombucha, the microbiome, cancer, and mental health.
Harley Richker
Doctoral Student in Molecular and Cellular Biology
Rezvan Yousefi
Doctoral Student in Human Systems Engineering
Rezvan Yousefi has a background in industrial engineering at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels. Her research focuses on human–computer interaction, trust in AI, and the application of AI-enabled systems in cancer research and treatment. She is currently developing and testing an interface for a pipeline that computes a suite of spatial statistics from landscape ecology on spatial assay data, with the goal of making these analyses accessible and easy to use for Mayo Clinic investigators and core facilities.
Ocholi Gideon Adaji
Doctoral Student in Evolutionary Biology
Dr. Ocholi Adaji received his DVM from Wale University in Nigeria.
Jasmin Menjivar
Masters Student
Caroline Castle
Masters Student in Molecular and Cellular Biology
Carolineis is working on a systematic review of the biology of cancer cachexia and potential therapeutic targets. She graduated as an undergraduate at ASU with a B.S. in neuroscience, minor in French, and a certificate in evolutionary medicine. In her free time, she enjoys baking cookies for her friends, family, and lab mates.
Ellie Pahl
Masters Student
Bailey Kane
Masters Student
Bailey carried out a systematic review of the fitness cost of therapeutic resistance in cancer cells.
