Lab Members
Anat Ben-Shlomo, MD, earned her medical degree at Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. Her research focuses on clinical and translational research in pituitary and adrenal gland disorders. She has an emphasis on pituitary tumor genomics and therapies and somatostatin biology. For more information, please refer to Ben-Shlomo’s bio webpage in the Cedars-Sinai investigator directory.
Vera Chesnokova, PhD, graduated from Novosibirsk State University and obtained her doctorate from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics Russian Academy of Science, Novosibirsk, Russia. She joined the Melmed Lab at Cedars-Sinai in 1996. Her work focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying pro-tumorigenic properties of GH in the colon and protective effects of GH deficiency for colon tumor growth. For more information, please refer to Chesnokova’s bio webpage in the Cedars-Sinai investigator directory.
Cuiqi Zhou, PhD, earned her doctorate at Peking Union Medical College and then did postdoctorate work at Cedars-Sinai. In the Melmed Lab, she studies molecular pathogenesis and treatment for pituitary adenomas using molecular, cellular and animal models. For more information, please refer to Zhou’s bio webpage in the Cedars-Sinai investigator directory.
Naomi Even-Zohar, MD, PhD, earned her MD and PhD degree from Tel Aviv University. She joined the Melmed Lab in 2019. Using pluripotent induced stem cells, she works on creating functional and faithful human pituitary cell models.
Derya Metin-Armagan, PhD, obtained her doctorate from Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, in 2018. She joined the Melmed Lab in 2018. She has established a model for human pituitary organoids using induced pluripotent stem cells that differentiate in vitro, with a goal of regenerative therapy in patients with pituitary disease.
Rosemary Moran received a bachelor of science degree from California State University of Channel Islands. She previously worked as a veterinary technician and joined the Melmed Lab in 2019, conducting lab support, benchwork and animal work.
Evelyn Ding, MD, earned her medical degree from the Third Military Medical School in China, and her master’s degree in immunopharmacology from the Academy of Military Medical Science, China. She joined the Melmed Laboratory in 2013. She currently works on defining pituitary tumor mutations.
Stephen Shen earned his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. He joined the Melmed Lab in 2018 and supports studies on pituitary tumor biology.
Svetlana Zonis, PhD, received her doctorate degree in experimental oncology from N. N. Petrov Oncology Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia, and earned her master’s degree in biological sciences from St. Petersburg State University in Russia. She joined the Melmed Lab at Cedars-Sinai in 2003, and studies effects of growth hormone on colon tumor development.
Contact the Melmed Lab
8700 Beverly Blvd.
Davis Building, Room 3024
Los Angeles, CA 90048