Castro and Lowenstein Lab
Courtesy of Michigan Medicine Photography
Dr. Maria Castro
R. C. Schneider Collegiate Professor Professor, Neurosurgery Professor, Cell & Developmental BiologyAreas of Interest
Pediatric and adult brain cancer biology and therapeutics. Epigenetics, cancer metabolism, and signaling networks that mediate tumor progression. Uncovering the role of secreted cancer ligands in hematopoietic stem cell development and anti-tumor immunity. Nanotechnology to develop novel anti-cancer therapies. DNA damage, DNA damage response, and development of novel combination therapies for both adult and pediatric brain tumors, including novel immunotherapeutic approaches.
Dr. Pedro Lowenstein
Richard Schneider Collegiate Professor Professor, Neurosurgery Professor, Cell & Developmental BiologyAreas of Interest
What is the molecular and cellular basis of malignant brain tumor invasion and growth? What are the essential mechanisms used by tumor cells to grow and to destroy normal brain tissue, thus killing the host? What are the first steps in the invasive process? Knowing this information, can we inhibit tumor growth?
Dr. YingXiang Li
Postdoctoral FellowYingxiang holds a PhD in Marine Biology from the University of Chinese Academy of
Sciences. Before joining the Castro-Lowenstein Lab, he studied the conservation and
divergence in the molecular mechanism of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and
reported the existence of an unexpectedly diverse mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in
marine invertebrates. He also investigated the molecular mechanism of cell renewal and
discovered a novel signaling loop involving ROS, SGK1, and F1Fo-ATP synthase that
regulates epithelial cell renewal using a zebrafish model and human breast cancer cells.
In August 2022, Yingxiang joined the Castro-Lowenstein Lab. He is currently studying the
role of micronuclei in pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) and the molecular mechanism
of pHGG recurrence after radiation therapy.
Marta Edwards, MD.
Lab ManagerMarta joined the Castro/Lowenstein Lab in January 2013. She received M.D. degree from the Medical Academy of Lublin, Poland. After moving to Michigan, she worked in Immunohistochemistry, the Department of Pathology. Later she moved to research and worked in several laboratories:
– Kresge Hearing Institute, Department Of Otolaryngology with R. Altschuler, Ph.D.
-Served as a Technical Director of the Morphology Core, Center For Organogenesis in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology under Deborah Gumucio, Ph.D.
-Department of Pediatrics and Pulmonary Medicine with Marc Hershenson, M.D.
-Department of Internal Medicine and Genetics with Steven Weiss, M.D.
Marta is now the lab’s manager, and her responsibilities include all aspects of histology, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, including training other lab members in these procedures. She is also responsible for sample preparation, and imaging on Sigma 3View Scanning Electron Microscope and sectioning on a Leica Cryomacrotome. Additionally, Marta ensures that the lab and its members have the necessary supplies and materials to keep our busy lab functioning in top condition.
Melissa Lay
Research Administrative AssistantMelissa joined the Lowenstein-Castro Lab in 2021, after working 20 years at the University of Michigan Fetal Diagnostic and Treatment Center. Melissa received her bachelor’s in health service administration from Baker College. Melissa enjoys spending time with her family and 2 Bernese Mountain dogs, going on adventures throughout the United States. When she isn’t on any adventures, she loves to bake all kinds of goodies
Claire Tronrud M.S. B.S.
Research Laboratory Technician IntermediateClaire graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry in 2020 and graduated from Cardiff University with a Master of Science degree in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics in 2021. Shortly afterward, she joined the Castro-Lowenstein Lab in February of 2022 as a lab technician and has been working on several different projects since she joined the lab.
Molly West, MS
Research Lab Specialist InterMolly completed her B.S. and M.S. in Biology at the University of Michigan and Bowling Green State University, respectively. Her master’s research aimed to elucidate ecotoxicological effects of genetically modified crops on macroinvertebrates. She went on to work for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department studying chronic wasting disease in cervids. Subsequently, she obtained a position with the University of Wyoming Biocontainment Facility/Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory performing research on select agents, as well as piloting a sequencing and bioinformatics laboratory section for the study and diagnosis of a multitude of veterinary pathogens.
Molly joined the Castro-Lowenstein laboratory in June 2022 as a research lab specialist, with a focus on using spatial phenotyping to explore the interplay between gliomas and the immune system.
Dr. Maria Luisa Varela
Postdoctoral FellowMarilú is a Biologist and holds a PhD in Biological Chemistry from University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her thesis was conducted in the Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology and Signal Translation at Institute of Biology and Experimental Medicine (IByME) under Dr. Carolina Mondillo, where she studied the biology of Leydig cell tumors, and the interaction of the histaminergic system and vitamin D, allowing to propose Histamine receptor 4 agonist in combination with calcitriol as therapeutic target. Her follow-up research, holding a Postdoctoral fellow position, focused on studying the negative impact of antihistaminic (targeting histamine receptors H1 and H2) in normal physiology.
In October of 2020, Marilú joined the Castro-Lowenstein Laboratory to study the role of LAIR-1 in mouse models of Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This collagen receptor has showed to be present in gliomas cells as well as in infiltrating cells. Employing conditional transgenics for LAIR-1, Marilú will attempt to describe the mechanism in which this receptor is involved in tumor developing as well as its role in tumor cells and in infiltrating cells. Ultimately, her works aims to generate a gene therapy approach and/or an antibody-based therapy targeting LAIR-1, that could lead to innovating treatments for GBM.
Dr. Ziwen Zhu
Postdoctoral FellowZiwen received a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from University of Michigan. His thesis was targeting on the branched chain amino acid metabolism in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma microenvironment. His research demonstrated the TGF-β/SMAD5 axis directly targets BCAT1 in cancer-associated fibroblasts to secrete branched-chain keto acids. Ziwen joined the Castro-Lowenstein Laboratory in 2021 to study the role of myeloid cells in IDH-mutant glioma.
Dr. Anzar Abdul Mujeeb
Postdoctoral FellowAnzar completed his B.S in Biochemistry from AMU, Aligarh, India. He continued his education at Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, AMU, India, first with an M.S in Biotechnology under the supervision of Prof. Asad U khan, followed by a Ph.D. in Molecular Immunology under the supervision of Prof. M. Owais, investigating the role of cytokines in establishment and survival of intracellular pathogen in the host. He was awarded Research fellowships in Life Science by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India, and Dept. of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India , India.
Anzar joined the Castro-Lowenstein team in January 2021 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to study the pro and anti-tumor mechanisms mediated by genes involved in autophagy, DNA damage repair (DDR), and immune mechanisms of gliomas. Currently, he is working on neuro immuno-oncology which involves uncovering the role of the mIDH1, CXCR4/CXCL12, and DDR signalling in glioma. His goal is to establish the basis of a new treatment regimen for gliomas based on manipulating the immune, DNA damage repair, and autophagic mechanisms in glioma, leading to novel immunotherapeutic approaches which could be translated into the clinical trials.
Gurveer Singh
Research TechnicianGurveer earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a Minor in Entrepreneurship from the University of Michigan in May 2021. Following graduation from the University of Michigan, Gurveer obtained a Graduate Certificate Degree in Neuroscience from Michigan State University as well as worked as an ophthalmic technician at the Retina Consultants of Michigan before joining the Castro-Lowenstein Lab as a Research Technician in September 2023. He will be applying to M.D. & D.O. programs and has significant interest in Neurosurgery. With regards to research, Gurveer is specifically interested in acquiring a comprehensive foundation regarding the concepts underlying neural diseases, and particularly gliomas, as well as the development of possible therapeutic remedies to help combat these diseases. In his free time, Gurveer likes to spend time with his friends and family, workout, and golf.
Dr. Daiana Perez Visnuk
Postdoctoral FellowDaiana is a biotechnologist with a PhD in Biochemistry from the Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, Argentina. Her thesis was carried out in the Laboratory of Immuno-Microbiology of the Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CERELA-CONICET) under the supervision of Dr. Alejandra de Moreno and Dr. Jean Guy LeBlanc, her study focused on the effect of lactic acid bacteria with immunomodulatory and/or antioxidant capacities in models of neurodegenerative pathologies, continuing with the study of related mechanisms at the level of transneuronal propagation of alpha-synuclein from the gut to the brain.
In November 2023, Daiana joined the Castro-Lowenstein lab to study the initiation of glioblastoma growth, and molecular and physical aspects of glioblastoma progression. In particular she will use in vitro models to understand how glioblastoma cells give rise to particular cellular patterns, and determine the molecular basis underlying large scale pattern formation of the tumors. To do so she will exploit the use of single cell spatial transcriptomics to evaluate the molecular basis of pattern formation both in vitro and in vivo. In the long run the molecular discoveries will be exploited to develop novel therapies to disassemble cellular patterns and thereby significantly reduce glioma growth and its aggressive behavior.
Dr. Cuong Ha, PhD
Postdoctoral FellowHa earned his PhD from Yonsei University in South Korea, where his research focused on investigating the role of the mitochondrial peptide Humanin in the progression of glioblastoma. He joined the Castro/Lowenstein Lab in August 2025 to continue his training in brain cancer biology, with a particular interest in developing immunotherapy-based therapeutic strategies. Outside the lab, Cuong enjoys hiking, working out, listening to (mostly 80s rock) music, and relaxing with a good movie night.
Chayanika Gogoi
Senior Research Technician
Chayanika Gogoi is a Senior Research Technician in the Department of Neurosurgery at Michigan Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Zoology from Gauhati University, India, and later completed her M.S. in Biotechnology at the University of New Hampshire and joined the Castro-Lowenstein lab in June 2026.
Her research experience spans multiple areas of cancer and developmental biology. As part of an NH-INBRE-funded research project, she investigated transcription factors that regulate cilia formation and cytoskeletal organization, with a focus on their role in pancreatic cancer. She has also studied neural stem cell differentiation by examining how small molecules and teratogenic compounds influence cell fate and lineage commitment.
In the field of neuro-oncology, Chayanika has worked on developing therapeutic strategies for malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) and pediatric brain cancers using the oncolytic herpes simplex virus G47Δ, a genetically modified HSV-1 virus. Her work has involved evaluating the therapeutic potential of oncolytic virotherapy and its application in aggressive cancers. In her free time, Chayanika enjoys exploring the outdoors through hiking, expressing her creativity through painting, reading books, and watching movies.
Students and Volunteers
Summer Students
