Lab Members
Andrei received his MD from Pirogov Medical School in Moscow, Russia and his PhD from Moscow State University. He joined the lab in 2023 and has made significant contributions to several projects related to antiangiogenic properties of protein kinase CK2, gene therapy for diabetic corneal disease and nanodrugs use for the treatment of diabetic corneas and stem cells.
Ruchi earned her doctorate in biochemistry and systems biology from George Washington University in 2017, exploring the molecular mechanisms of alcoholic liver injury and fibrosis. As a postdoctoral scientist, she studies DNA methylation patterns in diabetic and nondiabetic corneolimbal cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Additionally, Ruchi investigates the role of Wnt5a in epithelial wound healing in the diabetic cornea, focusing on the epigenetic regulation of corneal wound healing.
Vanessa completed her doctorate at the University of São Paulo, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, where she contributed significantly to the study of sepsis pathophysiology, specifically neutrophil migration failure and cardiovascular dysfunctions. She joined the Ljubimov Lab in July 2024 to research the human diabetic cornea and nanodrugs for brain cancer therapy.
Cynthia graduated cum laude from Mount Saint Mary’s University in 2019. She began as a volunteer in the lab and has worked as a research associate since 2020. Her research focuses on generating corneal cells from induced pluripotent stem cells, which was the subject of a successful NIH grant renewal in 2022.