Lab News and Updates
July 2026
Dr. Joelle Straehla Receives ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation New Investigator Grant
We are excited to share that Dr. Joelle Straehla has received a New Investigator Grant from the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, co-funded by the Mattie Jackson Fund and the Violet Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer.
The award will support the Straehla Lab's efforts to develop innovative drug delivery strategies for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), one of the deadliest pediatric brain cancers, with the goal of improving the delivery of therapies to these difficult-to-treat tumors.
Congratulations to Dr. Straehla on this exciting achievement!
Aarun Hendrickson Officially Joins the Straehla Lab as a PhD Student
After completing an autumn rotation in the Straehla Lab, Aarun Hendrickson, a PhD student in the Molecular Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease (MMMD) program, has officially joined the lab.
Aarun will continue the project he initiated during his rotation, investigating cell-state vulnerabilities associated with the adrenergic-to-mesenchymal transition in pediatric neuroblastoma. His research focuses on leveraging the unique biological properties of these distinct cell states to improve therapeutic delivery through the development of custom-engineered nanoparticles.
We look forward to Aarun's contributions as he advances this exciting area of research.
Straehla Lab Hosts Cytiva Lunch & Learn on Targeted LNP Therapies
The Straehla Lab recently hosted a Cytiva Lunch & Learn featuring Ian Johnston, LNP Field Application Scientist at Cytiva. The session highlighted recent advances in targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) therapies, with a focus on antibody fragment-conjugated LNPs for in vivo CAR T cell engineering.
Thank you to Ian Johnston and Cytiva for an engaging and informative event.
Lab alumni Elizabeth Nelson’s holotomography image was featured on the cover of Nanoscale Horizons related to their first author manuscript: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2026/nh/d5nh00749f
June 2026
Congratulations to Alaa, Kathryn, and Sumaya on your graduation! 🎓
Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and valuable contributions to our lab throughout the past year. It has been a pleasure having you on the team and being part of your journey.
We wish each of you continued success, exciting opportunities, and fulfillment as you begin the next chapter of your careers. We are confident that you will accomplish great things and make meaningful contributions wherever your paths take you.
Congratulations, and thank you for being part of our team! ✨
May 2026
Caught a Mariners game with the lab crew ⚾️
Great company and good vibes made the night even better. Such a fun time together!
Thanks to everyone who came!!
December 2025
Welcome, Maurice Lewis
Maurice Lewis, research scientist I, has joined the Straehla Lab. He earned his BS in biology from the University of California, San Diego, and brings experience in lipid nanoparticle formulation, characterization and drug delivery optimization, with a strong focus on advancing nanomedicine therapies.
Welcome to the team, Maurice — let’s do some cool science!
End-of-Year gathering
Straehla Lab is embracing the holiday season with a cozy end-of-year gathering, celebrating community and the excitement of wrapping up our first year in Seattle. We enjoyed a wonderful night full of laughter, good food, and great company — such a perfect way to close out 2025 together!
Holiday celebrations at Ben Towne
As we wrap up the year and look ahead to 2026, we’re grateful to be part of the Ben Towne Center community. Our team had a wonderful time at the holiday party and enjoyed making the felt desk wreaths together. Here’s to a bright, productive and inspiring year ahead!
November 2025
Straehla Lab hosts lunch and learn on LNP synthesis
On November 19, the Straehla Lab co-hosted a lunch and learn session with Cytiva focused on lipid nanoparticle (LNP) synthesis using the NanoAssemblr platform.
Ian Johnston, field application scientist at Cytiva, presented on LNP technology and microfluidic-based fabrication techniques. Following the talk, attendees took part in a hands-on demonstration in the Straehla Lab to observe the NanoAssemblr system in action.
We were delighted to host this informative event and look forward to continued collaboration in advancing nanoparticle research.
Thank you to all who joined us!
October 2025
Welcoming our UW MAB student team for 2025-2026!
We’re thrilled to have Alaa, Kathryn, and Sumaya—three talented students from the University of Washington’s Master of Applied Bioengineering program—joining the lab for their capstone project this academic year.
They will be working closely with Dr. Elnaz Shaabani Sichani on developing innovative drug encapsulation strategies.
Alaa Abdou graduated from Penn State in Biomedical Engineering and brings experience in drug delivery, pharmaceutical research, and tech transfer.
Kathryn Floerchinger earned her Bioengineering degree from UW and has extensive research experience in neurological surgery and therapeutic ultrasound.
Sumaya Hassan graduated from Seattle Pacific University in Physiology and brings strong molecular biology skills with interests in translational and clinical research.
Welcome to the team, Alaa, Kat, and Sumaya — we’re so glad to have you with us!
September 2025
Welcome, Aarun Hendrickson
Aarun Hendrickson, a Molecular Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease PhD student, has been joined to Staehle lab for his autumn rotation!
Aarun recently graduated from the University of Washington, where he studied how brain extracellular matrix glycans change in diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. This fall, he’ll explore the adrenergic–mesenchymal transition in pediatric neuroblastoma and how different cell types uptake nanoparticles to improve drug delivery.
Outside the lab, he enjoys beach volleyball and discovering new ice cream shops.
Welcome, Aarun!
Run of Hope
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the Straehla Lab was excited to participate in the Run of Hope to raise money for the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders Research. What an amazing show of support from over 90 teams!
August 2025
Welcome, Dr. Karthik Gottimukkala!
We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Karthik Gottimukkala to the Straehla Lab as an Invent Scholar Postdoctoral Researcher!
Karthik is a gene therapy researcher and bioengineer passionate about making genetic medicines more accessible. As an Invent Scholar at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, he works with Dr. Joelle Straehla and Dr. Bruce Torbett to develop cost-effective, non-viral nanoparticle systems for delivering gene-editing tools.
In the Straehla Lab, Karthik focuses on designing and optimizing exosome-like lipid nanoparticles to deliver genome-editing tools—advancing scalable, affordable therapies that every child can access.
Welcome to the team, Dr. Gottimukkala — we’re so excited to have you here!
Congrats Nichole
Nichole Loomis, a research technician in the Straehla lab, will be starting the Operations Rotational Development Program at Genentech in South San Francisco this Fall. She will be rotating in various departments such as manufacturing, data science and cell and cell therapy process development for over the course of two years. Nichole is very excited to expand her career in biological engineering and help advance medical solutions for patients! Congratulations Nichole, we will miss you!
July 2025
Welcome, Nina Buzzotta!
Nina Buzzotta, an honors undergraduate student at the University of Washington, has joined the Straehla Lab this summer! She is pursuing a B.S. in Physiology with a minor in Spanish and is on the pre-medical track, exploring human pathology, health, and disease mechanisms while gaining hands-on experience as an EMT.
In the Straehla Lab, Nina is investigating how protein regulators influence lipid nanoparticle uptake and their potential applications in drug delivery.
Outside the lab, she serves as a Director and National Student Panelist for the Kesem nonprofit and enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with her golden retriever.
Welcome to the team, Nina! We’re so excited to have you with us!
April 2025
Congrats Clara
Clara Yampanis, a research scientist I in the Straehla Lab, is planning pursue her PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine this fall! While there, she aims to focus her studies on improving design, targeting, and/or delivery of cancer therapeutics. We are so proud of you Clara, and so excited to see what you accomplish!
January 2025
Welcome, Dr. Elnaz Shaabani Sichani
Elnaz Shaabani Sichani has just joined the Straehla Lab as a postdoctoral researcher!
Originally from Iran, with a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, Dr. Shaabani Sichani has over 10 years of experience in nanomedicine, focusing on advancing drug delivery systems to overcome challenges in therapeutic delivery. During her PhD, she developed advanced nanocarriers using the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) self-assembly technique for delivering therapeutic nucleic acids (siRNA, mRNA, pDNA).
In the Straehla Lab, she will applying this expertise to design precision nanoscale delivery systems for pediatric brain tumors. Outside of work, she is passionate about science communication and enjoys traveling, cooking Persian cuisine and hiking.
Welcome, Dr. Shaabani Sichani – we are so excited to work with you! Let the unpacking begin!
December 2024
Holiday celebrations at Ben Towne
We are fortunate to be part of the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders Research, where the holiday spirit is palpable!
Dr. Straehla speaks at AACR Special Conference in Toronto
Fitting with the lab’s mission to bring more effective, less toxic drugs to children with cancer, Joelle was honored to give a plenary talk at the American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference in Cancer Research: Optimizing Therapeutic Efficacy and Tolerability through Cancer Chemistry.
October 2024
New lab member Emmeline Cheng
The Straehla Lab is excited to welcome Dr. Emmeline Cheng as a research scientist. She will be investigating biologic regulators of lipid nanoparticle delivery. Welcome, Dr. Cheng!
The Straehla Lab officially opens
Let the unpacking begin! Clara and Nichole are two bold research technicians who moved cross-country to be part of the lab. We are all excited to join a group of like-minded investigators at the Ben Towne Center, all seeking to make a difference in the lives of children with cancer!