Our Team

Rachel grew up in O’Fallon, Missouri and received her Bachelors of Science in Biology from the University of Missouri St. Louis. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time cooking with her husband, who is also a self-proclaimed foodie, or cuddling with her pitbull Buddy and her two cats. She also enjoys hobbies such as crocheting, playing board games, watching anything thriller or mystery related, and attending Friday night commander at her local game store.

Ana Kolicheski was born and raised in Curitiba, Brazil, where she got her bachelors in Veterinary Medicine. Her love for science and genetics made her study abroad for her Masters in Animal Breeding and Genetics through the EMABG Master’s scholarship in the Netherlands and Sweden. She completed her PhD training in veterinary pathobiology at the University of Missouri where she analyzed whole genome sequences of dogs and identified disease causing mutations in different breeds. She transitioned to human genetics and studied the genetics of Early Onset Parkinson’s disease and healthy neurological aging during her post doctoral training at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. She is now working to identify genomic mutations that cause rare pediatric immune diseases and assisting on the bioinformatics analysis of the lab’s projects. Kolicheski is a huge heavy metal fan, singer, animal lover, gamer and overall “nerd”.

Jennifer has always resided in the St. Louis, Missouri area. She obtained her B.A. in Mathematics and BS in Biology at Saint Louis University. Jennifer has worked in labs on the Washington University School of Medicine campus since 1996.  Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with her husband and twin sons. In addition, Jennifer volunteers as a coach for a local youth team and works with other nonprofit organizations on both the state and national levels.

Kristen McDaniels grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and completed her BS in Biology at Michigan State University. Before joining The Cooper lab, Kristen worked in the pharmaceutical industry at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, as a registered dental hygienist for 15 years, and as a clinical research coordinator on oncology treatment trials at Washington University. Outside of work, Kristen enjoys traveling to new places, attending music concerts and dance performances and spending time with her husband and 2 wonderful children.

Nermina Saucier joined the Cooper lab in the summer of 2010 as a research technician. She received her B.A. and M.S. in Biology from Saint Louis University. Outside of lab, she enjoys rock climbing, camping, hiking and spending time with her husband Jon and daughter Lydia.

Yongjun grew up in Hebei province, China and obtained his Ph.D. in Plant Genetics and Breeding. He transitioned to biomedical research after joining Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University. He has previously worked at The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, and Saint Louis University. Before joining the Cooper lab, he was a Research Assistant Professor at Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences and The Director of Biomedical and Obesity Research Core at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In his spare time, he enjoys watching TV shows and playing tennis with his teenage son.

Elizabeth Schmitz is an MSTP student in the immunology program. She grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota. She received her bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics from the University of Pittsburgh where she did research on transcriptional repressors in T-cells. Subsequently, she did post-baccalaureate research at the NIH where she studied genetic causes of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In the Cooper Lab, she is currently working on understanding somatic causes of immune dysregulation. In her free time, she enjoys cuddling babies in the SLCH NICU, baking, and crafting with friends.

Stacey Sohn is a PhD student. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Sogang University in South Korea. Her current research focus is about NK cell metabolism. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movie and cooking.

Josh Tobin is an MSTP student in the immunology program. He grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received his Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University where he studied metabolic regulation in the opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Josh then worked as a technician at the University of Pittsburgh studying the immune response to Influenza-Aspergillus superinfections. Currently, he is studying B-cell immunodeficiencies in the Cooper Laboratory. In his spare time, Josh enjoys running in Forest Park, exploring St. Louis, and spending time with his new puppy, Oliver.

Matthew Du grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is an undergraduate student at Washington University studying Biochemistry with a minor in Human-Computer Interaction. At WashU, Matthew is involved in promoting global healthy equity through an on-campus organization, choreographing traditional Chinese lion dance performances, and assisting an introductory computer science course as a teaching assistant. In his free time, Matthew enjoys doing digital art, playing violin, and spending time with family and friends.

Kelly Gan grew up in San Diego, California and is an undergraduate student at Washington University studying Biology with a minor in Anthropology: Global Health and Environment. At WashU, Kelly is involved with teaching health-centered curriculum to elementary school children and organizing a show displaying Asian culture fashion. In her free time, Kelly enjoys exploring places to eat and making Spotify playlists.

Michelle Liu grew up in Avon, Connecticut, and is an undergraduate student at WashU studying computational biology with a minor in anthropology. At WashU, Michelle is involved in Science Olympiad, a club which prepares local middle school students for competitions and hosts annual Science Olympiad competitions for middle and high schoolers. She is also a TA for the general chemistry lab and is a study group leader for Calculus III. In her free time, Michelle enjoys taking walks around campus and exploring Forest Park.

Madison McCormick grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and is an undergraduate student at WashU studying Biology with a minor in Psychology. At WashU, she is involved in Natural Ties, a group that meets weekly with adults with special needs from the St. Louis area,and in WashU’s Red Cross Club. She enjoys reading, crocheting and watching true crime documentaries in her free time.