Lab Members

Jennifer Van Eyk, PhD, is a prominent proteomic and cardiac scientist and has been named the inaugural director of Cedars-Sinai's Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute. She leads basic research at Cedars-Sinai's Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center aimed at unlocking the mysteries of gender differences in heart disease.

Margo B. Minissian, PhD, RN, is nationally board certified as an acute care nurse practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and holds California licensures as an acute care nurse practitioner and a clinical nurse specialist. Her focus is on women and heart disease, specifically microvascular disease and endothelial wall dysfunction.

Wei received her MD from Northwestern University and completed her internal medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai. She remained at Cedars-Sinai for her general cardiology fellowship and was a Chief Cardiology Fellow in 2012-13. Additionally, she was the 2013-14 Constance Austin Women's Heart Fellow at the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center.

I am currently working on the following studies: Cardiac MRI-Normal Reference Group, Autologous CD34 Cells for the Treatment of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction (CMD), Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) Mechanisms of CMD Leading to Pre-Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), and its brain supplement and vascular inflammation sub-studies.

Ana joined Cedars-Sinai in November 2021 from the Instituto Cardiovascular de Buenos Aires, where she is board-certified in cardiology and internal medicine. She collaborates with other investigators in the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center to boost knowledge of heart diseases in women, specifically microvascular disease and endothelial wall dysfunction.

Maria holds a BS in statistics from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and has gained valuable experience at Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center and City of Hope. Her passion for medical data has brought her to the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center, where she is eager to contribute her expertise.

Jenna received her BA from UC Berkeley in molecular and cell biology with an emphasis on cell and developmental biology in 2018. She joined the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center in 2015 and manages data collection and study implementation. She is also the Biobank coordinator, managing many biorepository studies.

Dorcas received her MPH from Boston University, School of Public Health in epidemiology and international health. Her love for clinical research data led her to join the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center. She assists in managing research data for various studies.

Gabriela received her BS in health science from California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI) and her MS from ASU. Driven by a passion for advancing women’s health research, she joined the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center to contribute meaningfully to its mission.

Tiffany Ossi, MD, joins the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center as a fellow with a background in internal medicine and extensive cardiovascular research. She completed training at Weill Cornell Medicine/NYP Brooklyn Methodist and a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular disease at the University of Florida, as well as a research internship at the Mayo Clinic. Dr.Ossi is passionate about advancing women’s heart health through patient-centered care and education, and reducing health disparities in cardiovascular disease.

Sabrina graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in health and human sciences (emphasis on international health) and two minors, occupational sciences and international relations. Sabrina joined the Bairey Merz Lab to contribute to the intersectionalities in cardiology research and strives to become a pediatric occupational therapist.

Natalie received an AA degree in interdisciplinary studies from Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Natalie began working on the Takotsubo Registry and currently works for the Bairey Merz Lab on the WARRIOR trial. Natalie is working on her BSN and aspires to become an NP.

Sahithi Sharma, MD, completed residency at Texas Tech El Paso, where she served as president of the House Staff Association, and championed equitable care. A former cardiac imaging research fellow at the Mayo Clinic, her interests include sex- and gender-specific cardiac care, prevention and health equity, especially for women in underserved communities.

Niko holds a post-baccalaureate in medical technology from Cal State Dominguez Hills and a BA in biology from Cal State Northridge. She served as a logistical specialist in the U.S. Army National Guard. She is CPT and EKG certified and also pursuing Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) certifications.

Brandon graduated from Yale University with a BS in molecular, cellular and developmental biology. Previous stints include the Emergency Department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston as well as for the Department of Anesthesiology at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Eileen graduated from Cal State Long Beach, with a BA in sociology. She joined Cedars-Sinai in 2015 and through dedication and hard work, she flourished in her administrative leadership role. Eileen is well-organized and able to multitask while maintaining a high level of professionalism and attention to detail.