WELCOME TO SILVA-FISHER LAB
Exploring the Wonders of RNA
2024 Deans Impact Award "Sponsorship and Mentorship"
JESSICA SILVA-FISHER, PH.D. (SHE/HERS/ELLA)
Assistant Professor
My passion for research began when I started working as a specimen collector in a Phase I Breast Cancer Clinical Trial Lab at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio—my hometown. I began my academic journey at San Antonio College and later transferred to St. Mary's University, where I earned my undergraduate degree in Biology and discovered my love for science.
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Around the same time, my mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer, which deeply impacted me and solidified my desire to understand how cells become cancerous—and ultimately, how to prevent cancer before it starts. Thankfully, she has been cancer-free for over 18 years.
Driven by that experience, I pursued a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, with a focus on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. It was there that I fell in love with RNA biology and became one of the first researchers to identify functionally relevant long non-coding RNAs in cancer cells. This work inspired me to further explore genomics at the McDonnell Genome Institute and continue my research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
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Today, I am proud to be a leader at WashU and in the broader scientific community. I’ve been honored with several scientific and leadership awards, and as a young investigator, I’ve published 13 peer-reviewed articles, including three in top-tier journals such as Nature Communications, npj Breast Cancer, and Nature Genetics. I’ve mentored over 40 pre- and post-graduate students and was recently awarded the 2024 Dean’s Impact Award for Sponsorship and Mentorship.
PRASANTH THUNGUNTLA, M.S. (HE/HIM/HIS)
Senior Research Technician
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Prasanth is a Master's graduate of Texas Tech University. He has extensive experience in molecular biology and genetic techniques. His work focuses on determining the importance of downstream regulation of how modifications located on lncRNAs can bind to proteins.
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RICHA MISHRA, PH.D. (SHE/HER/HERS)
Postdoctoral Associate
Vice President WiSTEM
Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Scholar
Dr. Richa Mishra received her Ph.D. in the field of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology. Her research is focused on investigating the crosstalk between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in metastatic disease using the novel and existing promising tools of RNA biology (CHIRP, CRISPR, CLIP) and cancer biology (patient tissues, cell lines, tumoroids/tumor organoids).
DHANUSHA DURAIYAN (SHE/HER/HERS)
Bioinformatic Research Assistant
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Dhanusha has a Master of Science in Bioinformatics from Indiana University. She joined the lab in 2023 and is applying computational methods to determine the importance and mechanisms of RNAs. She is our lead bioinformatician who focuses on analyzing next generation sequencing datasets.
CATHERYN BOLICK
(SHE/HER/HERS)
WUSTL DBBS PhD Student
Cancer Biology ​
Catheryn obtained her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Science of Biology and Music in Clarinet Performance. Catheryn is a second year student in the Cancer Biology Program. Her research focuses on understanding how RNA modifications promote tumor growth.
ELIZABETH SULVARAN-GUEL
(SHE/HER/HERS)
WUSTL DBBS PhD Student
Student Advisory Committee, Coordinator of the Health and Wellness Branch
Elizabeth is a third-year student in the Human and Statistical Genetics Program. Originally from Mexico City, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Genomics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. In the lab, Elizabeth is applying her skills in computational analysis to study the roles of how RNAs bind to protein. During her free time, she enjoys reading, doing and teaching pilates, playing the guitar, singing, and exploring St. Louis with her friends.
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JESSICA CAMACHO (SHE/HER/HERS)
WUSTL DBBS Rotating PhD Student ​
Cancer Biology
Jessica received a BA in Biochemistry from Vassar and is a first year Ann W. and Spencer T. Olin-Chancellor Fellow in the Cancer Biology program. She is studying how RNA molecules can be influenced by modifications in late relapse breast cancer.
DR. YESSICA (SHE/HER/HERS)
RNA Biologist
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Dr. Yessica loves learning about RNA.
MAHDOTE ABEBE(SHE/HER/HERS)
WUSTL MARC Program Scholar and previous Eureka Program then a Thesis Honors Student currently at undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis
STEVE DALY (HE/HIM/HIS)
WUSTL Thesis Honors Student
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Steve is a undergraduate student at WUSTL majoring in Biology. He is completing his Thesis honors research project on RNA modifications.
AAK'INAA (REESE) JENNINGS
WUSTL BME Undergrad Independent Research
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Reese is a now a senior and got accepted into the FDA CCR program.
DR. J LEGO (SHE/HER/HERS)
Scientist
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Dr. Lego is always by Dr. Bobble-Heads side. She cant wait to put down her flask.
DR. JESSY SASSY BOBBLE-HEAD (SHE/HER/HERS)
Bobble-head Investigator
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Dr. Bobble-Head oversees the lab from her high position on the shelf. Nodding away at the crazy exciting science going on in the lab.
SILVA-FISHERÂ LAB ALUMNI
DAKOTA COLBERT ROMERO
Science Coach WUSTL Cancer Bio High School Summer student
ALANI PERKIN
(SHE/HER/HERS)
Opportunities in Genomics Research Scholar (Postbac) now a PhD candidate at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine.
A'JAHÂ GREEN
Opportunities in Genomics Research Summer Fellow
A'jah is currently an undergraduate at Hampton University.
BRIANNA DUHART
Siteman Diversity in Cancer Research Program Summer fellow
Brianna is currently a WUSTL undergraduate.
MATHEW MUELLER
Saint Louis University Summer Bioinformatic Intern
Matt is currently a Master's student at SLU.
JAIYANA KING
Siteman MOLSAMP Summer undergraduate
Jay is currently a undergraduate student at UMSL.
KELLY WICHMANN
(SHE/HER/HERS)
WUSTL DBBS PhD Rotation Student
YASH RAJANA
(HE/HIM/HIS)
WUSTL Thesis Honor Student
Yash is an undergraduate student at WUSTL.
LAYAN SALMAN (SHE/HER/HERS)
WUSTL Thesis Honors  student working in Silva-Fisher lab. She started in the lab as a MARC U-STAR Summer scholar.
JUSTIN LAN (HE/HIM/HIS)
WUSTL Thesis Honors student and currently undergraduate at WashU majoring in computational biology.
YOON JAE CHANG (HE/HIM/HIS)
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Yoon Jae is a Marquette High School graduate now at Columbia University.
ALYSSA WEINSTEIN (SHE/HER/HERS)
Cancer Biology Rotation Student
KATELYN BAGWILL, M.S. (SHE/HER/HERS)
Bioinformatic Research Assistant
Katelyn was a SLU intern in Dr. Jess lab in 2021 and joined the lab in June 2022. Katy is continuing her training in an Academic lab for Bioinformatics.
VANESSA BRIZUELA (SHE/HER/HERS)
MGI OGR Summer Scholar graduate from California State Domingues Hills in the Opportunities in Genomics Research Program Accepted to GRAD SCHOOL!
MADDIE TURNER (SHE/HER/HERS)
MSTP Student
SAVANNAH GONZALES (SHE/HER/HERS)
McDonnell Genome Institute OGR Extensive Research Program Scholar
Savannah Gonzales recently graduated from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas with a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Bioinformatics. She was a post-bac researcher in the McDonnell Genome Institute's Opportunities in Genomics Research Program.
Currently getting her PhD at Dartmouth!
ALEX BENTON (HE/HIM/HIS)
Alex is currently a DBBSÂ Cancer Biology student.
ALEXANDER MILLER, M.S. (HE/HIM/HIS)
Bioinformatic Research Assistant (now in BioIndustry)
DEANNA WELLS (SHE/HER/HERS)
WashU U-STAR Summer Program (current WashU undergraduate)
KYLA GELEV, B.S. (SHE/HER/HERS)
OGR Extended Program Fellow (now PhD candidate at UCLA)
AJ MURPHY (HE/HIM/HIS)
McDonnell Genome Institute Opportunities in Genomic Research Summer Scholar (now Sophmore Brown)
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TORMEYÂ MCMANAMAN (HE/HIM/HIS)
Washington University Diversity High School Initiative Science Coach (now High School Senior)
JOSHUA WILSON (HE/HIM/HIS)
MARCuSTAR student (now WUSTL Â graduate)
