Ram Savan, Ph.D.
Professor of Immunology
Adjunct Professor, Microbiology
Savan is a Professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington. He received his early education in India before moving to Japan to obtain his doctoral degree from Kagoshima University under the mentorship of Dr. Masahiro Sakai from the University of Miyazaki. During his time in Japan, he was awarded the Monbusho fellowship, which allowed him to study the evolution of the immune system in lower vertebrates. After completing his Ph.D., Savan continued his postdoctoral training with Dr. Howard Young at the National Cancer Institute, NIH, where he studied the influence of non-coding RNA on immune responses. In 2011, he joined the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington as an Assistant Professor, and he was granted tenure in 2017. He was promoted to Professor in 2023. He has received the Monbusho, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, NCI Director's Innovation, and Milstein Young Investigator Awards. He is the Chair of the Immunology DEI committee. Contact
Other affiliations:
Department of Microbiology
Training Programs
UW Molecular and Cellular Biology, Seattle
UW Pathobiology graduate program
UW Microbiology graduate program
Professor of Immunology
Adjunct Professor, Microbiology
Savan is a Professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington. He received his early education in India before moving to Japan to obtain his doctoral degree from Kagoshima University under the mentorship of Dr. Masahiro Sakai from the University of Miyazaki. During his time in Japan, he was awarded the Monbusho fellowship, which allowed him to study the evolution of the immune system in lower vertebrates. After completing his Ph.D., Savan continued his postdoctoral training with Dr. Howard Young at the National Cancer Institute, NIH, where he studied the influence of non-coding RNA on immune responses. In 2011, he joined the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington as an Assistant Professor, and he was granted tenure in 2017. He was promoted to Professor in 2023. He has received the Monbusho, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, NCI Director's Innovation, and Milstein Young Investigator Awards. He is the Chair of the Immunology DEI committee. Contact
Other affiliations:
Department of Microbiology
Training Programs
UW Molecular and Cellular Biology, Seattle
UW Pathobiology graduate program
UW Microbiology graduate program
Nandan Gokhale, Ph.D.
Senior fellow, NIH Pathway to Independence Awardee
Nandan received his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in 2019 from Duke University where he studied the role of RNA modifications in viral infection with Dr. Stacy Horner. He is a recipient of Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award and Helen Hay Whitney fellowship. Currently he is supported by NIH pathway to independence award (K99/R00). He joined the Ram lab in the Fall of 2019 and has been studying the role of non-coding RNAs in innate immunity and viral infection.
Contact
Senior fellow, NIH Pathway to Independence Awardee
Nandan received his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in 2019 from Duke University where he studied the role of RNA modifications in viral infection with Dr. Stacy Horner. He is a recipient of Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award and Helen Hay Whitney fellowship. Currently he is supported by NIH pathway to independence award (K99/R00). He joined the Ram lab in the Fall of 2019 and has been studying the role of non-coding RNAs in innate immunity and viral infection.
Contact
Gargi Mishra, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow
Gargi is an interdisciplinary researcher who earned her PhD developing nanocarriers for theranostic applications. With a passion for uncovering meaningful insights from complex biological data, she utilizes her skills in coding and data science to analyze multi-omics datasets. At the Ram Lab, Gargi through, subcellular proteomics and machine learning techniques, investigating innate immune responses. Beyond her scientific pursuits, Gargi is a dedicated mother who cherishes reading to her young toddler. As an avid reader herself, she particularly enjoys works of humor, sattire and poetry. Gargi is also a passionate advocate for women in STEM fields. She devotes her time to networking, peer mentoring, and tutoring fellow science enthusiasts, working to support and inspire the next generation of diverse scientific talent.
Senior Fellow
Gargi is an interdisciplinary researcher who earned her PhD developing nanocarriers for theranostic applications. With a passion for uncovering meaningful insights from complex biological data, she utilizes her skills in coding and data science to analyze multi-omics datasets. At the Ram Lab, Gargi through, subcellular proteomics and machine learning techniques, investigating innate immune responses. Beyond her scientific pursuits, Gargi is a dedicated mother who cherishes reading to her young toddler. As an avid reader herself, she particularly enjoys works of humor, sattire and poetry. Gargi is also a passionate advocate for women in STEM fields. She devotes her time to networking, peer mentoring, and tutoring fellow science enthusiasts, working to support and inspire the next generation of diverse scientific talent.
Leonard Clinton D'souza Ph.D.
Senior Fellow - From Mangalore India
Clinton received his Ph.D. in 2023 from Nitte University, Mangalore, India, where he worked on developing Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly) as an alternate in vivo model to understand the toxicity of environmental pollutants on development and functions of immune cells. He investigated the role of ROS/Toll/NFkB signaling in triggering emergency hematopoiesis. Currently, he is investigating mechanisms of interferon and cytokine signaling.
Senior Fellow - From Mangalore India
Clinton received his Ph.D. in 2023 from Nitte University, Mangalore, India, where he worked on developing Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly) as an alternate in vivo model to understand the toxicity of environmental pollutants on development and functions of immune cells. He investigated the role of ROS/Toll/NFkB signaling in triggering emergency hematopoiesis. Currently, he is investigating mechanisms of interferon and cytokine signaling.
Rachel Van Gelder Ph.D.
Research Associate - from Mercer Island, WA
Rachel graduated from Dartmouth College in 2018 with an AB in biology with mathematics. She did her undergraduate thesis on heterogeneity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the cystic fibrosis lung in Deborah Hogan's lab. Rachel came home to Seattle and joined the Ram Lab in the summer of 2019. Outside of immune gene regulation and viruses, she enjoys hiking, skiing, climbing, running, and, above all, nachos. Rachel was previously funded by the Institute of Translational Health Sciences - TL1 Training Grant. She is currently funded by Dr. Richard Titus Endowed Fellowship. Contact
Research Associate - from Mercer Island, WA
Rachel graduated from Dartmouth College in 2018 with an AB in biology with mathematics. She did her undergraduate thesis on heterogeneity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the cystic fibrosis lung in Deborah Hogan's lab. Rachel came home to Seattle and joined the Ram Lab in the summer of 2019. Outside of immune gene regulation and viruses, she enjoys hiking, skiing, climbing, running, and, above all, nachos. Rachel was previously funded by the Institute of Translational Health Sciences - TL1 Training Grant. She is currently funded by Dr. Richard Titus Endowed Fellowship. Contact
Skyler L Niemeyer
Ph.D. student, Microbiology
Skyler Graduated from the University of Washington in 2022 with a B.S. in microbiology. She did her undergraduate research on the pathogenesis of Zika virus during co-infection with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) under the mentorship of Megan O’Connor in Deborah Fuller’s lab. Skyler joined the Ram lab in 2023. Her favorite things outside of lab are spending time with her husband, Teagan and her two Dogs, Boba and Luna, miscellaneous crafts and creative endeavors, Taylor Swift, video games, traveling, and trying new foods.
Contact
Ph.D. student, Microbiology
Skyler Graduated from the University of Washington in 2022 with a B.S. in microbiology. She did her undergraduate research on the pathogenesis of Zika virus during co-infection with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) under the mentorship of Megan O’Connor in Deborah Fuller’s lab. Skyler joined the Ram lab in 2023. Her favorite things outside of lab are spending time with her husband, Teagan and her two Dogs, Boba and Luna, miscellaneous crafts and creative endeavors, Taylor Swift, video games, traveling, and trying new foods.
Contact
Dylan Omelia
Lab Manager
Dylan graduated from University of Washington studying Biology. He took over as the lab manager in 2023.
Lab Manager
Dylan graduated from University of Washington studying Biology. He took over as the lab manager in 2023.
Russell K Sam
UW Student, Mary Gates research fellowship
Russell is a third-year undergraduate honors student at the University of Washington studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He joined the lab in 2022 is currently studying the role of RNA in the RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway. Russell joined the lab in 2022.
UW Student, Mary Gates research fellowship
Russell is a third-year undergraduate honors student at the University of Washington studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He joined the lab in 2022 is currently studying the role of RNA in the RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway. Russell joined the lab in 2022.
