Our Team
Elena Piskounova, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Elena Piskounova is an Assistant Professor at the Cancer Center and Department of Pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Originally from Russia, Dr. Piskounova received a combined Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, UK. She then completed her PhD training in Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Gregory at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Piskounova did her postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Dr. Sean Morrison at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she made several foundational discoveries about the biology of the metastatic cascade. She defined oxidative stress as a significant barrier to metastasis and identified key metabolic adaptations required for the survival of metastasizing cancer cells.
In 2017, Dr Piskounova started her laboratory at the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.
In 2024, the laboratory moved to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, studying unique mechanisms of stress resistance that enable metastasis to identify novel therapeutic targets specific to metastatic disease.
Riley Hughes
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Pharmacology, New York Team
Originally from Manlius, NY, Riley currently is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine. As an Undergraduate, Riley worked with the Woolridge Research Group at Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY) investigating the Laccase Mediator System, and, during the summer of 2018, he interned at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Tarrytown, NY) in the Obesity, Metabolic, and Muscle Diseases Department. Interested in the metabolic rewiring of cancer cells, Riley joined the Piskounova Lab in the Summer of 2020. His current focus is on modifications of tRNAs, an up-and-coming post translational modification, and their role in the stress response of metastasizing melanoma cells. Outside of the lab, one might find Riley pretending he’s still a competitive cross-country athlete on the East River Esplanade or in Central Park, watching a Broadway show, or attempting to retain his Spanish minor.
Hannah Davis
Research Technician, New York Team
Hannah joined the lab as a Lab Technician in the summer of 2023. She is originally from Warwick, NY and continued her academic pursuits as an undergraduate student at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). As an undergraduate, Hannah studied Biological Sciences with a concentration in Computational Biology. Throughout her years at Cornell, she conducted research in the Wu Biofluidics Lab, investigating the effect of hyaluronic acid on tumor invasion and metastasis within the extracellular matrix. Hannah is thrilled to continue researching metastasis and to learn about the biological pathways that impact metastasis of melanoma cells. She is assisting on Riley's project, exploring tRNA modifications and their role in the stress response of melanoma metastasis. Outside of the lab, Hannah enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, cross-stitching, and going to museums!
Sujin Kim, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Boston Team
Sujin joined the Piskounova Lab in November 2024 as a postdoctoral researcher. Originally from Changwon, South Korea, she completed her undergraduate studies in biosystems and biomedical sciences at Korea University. She received her PhD in the summer of 2023 from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). During her Ph.D., Sujin discovered mitochondrial double-stranded RNAs (mt-dsRNAs) and uncovered their regulatory mechanism, as well as their role in human degenerative diseases. She is excited to apply her chemical/molecular biology expertise in RNA and mitochondria to explore how cancer cells withstand various stresses during metastasis from multiple biological perspectives including translation. As one of the first members of the Boston team, she is eager to contribute to a successful relocation and foster a positive lab culture while pursuing exciting research. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending fun time with her family, working out at a gym, and reading novels.
skim86@bidmc.harvard.edu
Shelly Rozen, Ph.D.
Scientist, Boston Team
Shelly Rozen (Ph.D.) is a Staff Scientist who joined the group in November 2024. Originally from Israel, she brings a unique combination of multi-disciplinary scientific background and biopharmaceutical research and development experience. Shelly completed her Ph.D. at the Weizmann Institute of Science in the lab of Dr. Michal Sharon, followed by a post-doctoral training in the lab of Dr. Jarrod Marto at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Before joining the team, she worked at Protalix Biotherapeutics, leading the development of a proprietary drug candidate from preclinical research to first-in-human clinical phase. Outside the lab, Shelly loves spending time with her family, connecting with nature, and dancing.
srozen@bidmc.harvard.edu
Matthew Shapiro
Research Technician, Boston Team
Matthew, originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, joined the Piskounova Lab in October 2024 as a Research Assistant at the newly established lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. He graduated from Tufts University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, where he conducted research on glutamate metabolism in traumatic brain injury using 3-D cell cultures. At the Piskounova Lab, Matthew is excited to apply his biochemistry background to explore the mechanisms of melanoma metastasis. As one of the first members of the Boston team, he looks forward to contributing to the lab's expanding research efforts. Outside of the lab, Matthew enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, exploring new music, and biking around the city to discover hidden foodie gems.
mshapir2@bidmc.harvard.edu
Alumni
Ines Delclaux- PhD Student, the Lund Lab, NYU
Kellsey Church- Medical Student, Weill Cornell Medicine
Graciela Cascio
Leona Nease, PhD - Biotech Equity Research Associate, Jones Trading
Marwa Zerhouni
Elsbeth Kane- Cornell University: College of Veterinary Sciences
Kelsey Aguirre- Biomedical Data Scientist