Ram Savan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Immunology
Savan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington. After his early education in India, he moved to Japan to obtain his Ph.D. under Dr. Masahiro Sakai at the University of Miyazaki. He received the Monbuso fellowship to study the evolution of the immune system in lower vertebrates. His postdoctoral training was 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 obtained tenure in 2017. He has received the NCI Director's Innovation and Milstein Young Investigator Awards. He is the Chair of the Immunology DEI committee. Contact
Other affiliations:
UW Molecular and Cellular Biology, Seattle
Associate Professor of Immunology
Savan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington. After his early education in India, he moved to Japan to obtain his Ph.D. under Dr. Masahiro Sakai at the University of Miyazaki. He received the Monbuso fellowship to study the evolution of the immune system in lower vertebrates. His postdoctoral training was 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 obtained tenure in 2017. He has received the NCI Director's Innovation and Milstein Young Investigator Awards. He is the Chair of the Immunology DEI committee. Contact
Other affiliations:
UW Molecular and Cellular Biology, Seattle
Nandan Gokhale, Ph.D.
Helen Hay Whitney Fellow
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 received Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award in 2019. He joined the Ram lab in the Fall of 2019 and has been studying the role of long non-coding RNAs in innate immunity and viral infection.
Contact
Helen Hay Whitney Fellow
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 received Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award in 2019. He joined the Ram lab in the Fall of 2019 and has been studying the role of long non-coding RNAs in innate immunity and viral infection.
Contact
Kim Somfleth, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow - from Adelaide Australia
Kim received his Ph.D. in Physics in 2020 from the University of Adelaide, where he worked on lattice quantum chromodynamics. Kim is developing new computational approaches to study the evolution of immune genes. He joined the Ram lab in 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow.
Contact
Senior Fellow - from Adelaide Australia
Kim received his Ph.D. in Physics in 2020 from the University of Adelaide, where he worked on lattice quantum chromodynamics. Kim is developing new computational approaches to study the evolution of immune genes. He joined the Ram lab in 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow.
Contact
Yo Okamura, Ph.D.
Japanese Society for Promotion of Science Fellow - from Miyazaki Japan
Yo received his Ph.D. in 2021 from the University of Miyazaki in Japan, where he studied the innate immune responses in fish and crustaceans. Yo investigated the function of interleukin 17 in the gut of medaka. He joined the Ram lab in autumn of 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He is studying comparative innate immune responses.
Japanese Society for Promotion of Science Fellow - from Miyazaki Japan
Yo received his Ph.D. in 2021 from the University of Miyazaki in Japan, where he studied the innate immune responses in fish and crustaceans. Yo investigated the function of interleukin 17 in the gut of medaka. He joined the Ram lab in autumn of 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He is studying comparative innate immune responses.
Julian R. Smith
Ph.D. Candidate, Immunology - from La Mirada, CA
Julian graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2014 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. After graduating he studied blood-brain barrier breakdown and repair in the context of neuroinflammation in the laboratory of Dritan Agalliu at Columbia University. Julian joined the Ram Lab in 2018. Julian is studying the role of alternative splicing in programming innate immunity. Julian was funded by the T32 UW-Immunology Training Grant. Contact
Ph.D. Candidate, Immunology - from La Mirada, CA
Julian graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2014 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. After graduating he studied blood-brain barrier breakdown and repair in the context of neuroinflammation in the laboratory of Dritan Agalliu at Columbia University. Julian joined the Ram Lab in 2018. Julian is studying the role of alternative splicing in programming innate immunity. Julian was funded by the T32 UW-Immunology Training Grant. Contact
Rachel Van Gelder
Ph.D. Candidate, Immunology - 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
Ph.D. Candidate, Immunology - 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
Alexandra Dinu
Staff
Alex graduated from the University of Washington and was a Mary Gates Scholar. Alex is currently investigating the role of interleukin-26 in antimicrobial responses. Alex joined the Ram Lab in 2019.
Staff
Alex graduated from the University of Washington and was a Mary Gates Scholar. Alex is currently investigating the role of interleukin-26 in antimicrobial responses. Alex joined the Ram Lab in 2019.
Noa Etzyon
UW Student - Mary Gates research scholar
Noa is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Washington studying Public Health-Global Health. As an undergraduate researcher, Noa is currently studying the effects of CELF2 protein in RNA regulatory mechanisms that control innate antiviral immunity and the role of alternative splicing in innate programming immunity. Noa joined the lab in 2021.
UW Student - Mary Gates research scholar
Noa is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Washington studying Public Health-Global Health. As an undergraduate researcher, Noa is currently studying the effects of CELF2 protein in RNA regulatory mechanisms that control innate antiviral immunity and the role of alternative splicing in innate programming immunity. Noa joined the lab in 2021.
Russell K Sam
UW Student
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
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.
Dylan Omelia
UW Student
Dylan is a fourth year undergraduate at the University of Washington studying Biology. In the lab, Dylan is currently studying the role of IL-12 and IL-2 in the post-transcriptional regulation of interferon gamma. Dylan joined the lab in 2022.
UW Student
Dylan is a fourth year undergraduate at the University of Washington studying Biology. In the lab, Dylan is currently studying the role of IL-12 and IL-2 in the post-transcriptional regulation of interferon gamma. Dylan joined the lab in 2022.
Collaborators
Michael Gale Jr., Ph.D.
University of Washington, Department of Immunology, Seattle, WA
Interferon and antiviral immunity
Steven Ziegler, Ph.D.
Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA
mRNA translation in immunity
Stephen Anderson, Ph.D.
Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer institute, NIH
Mechanisms of interferon transcription
Jennifer Hyde, Ph.D.
University of Washington, Department of Microbiology, Seattle, WA
RNA-binding proteins in antiviral immunity
Matthew Daugherty, Ph.D.
University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Division of Biological Sciences - Section of Molecular Biology
Role of zinc-finger antiviral protein in host-virus interactions
Karen Cerosaletti, Ph.D.
Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA
Functional polymorphisms in infection and autoimmunity
Michael Gale Jr., Ph.D.
University of Washington, Department of Immunology, Seattle, WA
Interferon and antiviral immunity
Steven Ziegler, Ph.D.
Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA
mRNA translation in immunity
Stephen Anderson, Ph.D.
Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer institute, NIH
Mechanisms of interferon transcription
Jennifer Hyde, Ph.D.
University of Washington, Department of Microbiology, Seattle, WA
RNA-binding proteins in antiviral immunity
Matthew Daugherty, Ph.D.
University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Division of Biological Sciences - Section of Molecular Biology
Role of zinc-finger antiviral protein in host-virus interactions
Karen Cerosaletti, Ph.D.
Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA
Functional polymorphisms in infection and autoimmunity
