Lab Members
Wendy A. Woodward, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Woodward graduated from Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, in 1993. In 2000, she received her M.D. as well as her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Thomas Jefferson University/Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. She did her internship in medicine at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA, followed by a radiation oncology residency at MD Anderson Cancer Center, which she completed in 2005. During that time she did a one year fellowship on breast cancer stem cells in the laboratory of Jeff Rosen, Ph.D., at Baylor College of Medicine. She then joined the faculty at MD Anderson and is currently a board certified Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, on the breast cancer service and Deputy Director of the Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program.
Surbhi Shivare, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Surbhi completed her Ph.D. in biological sciences through a joint program between the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) and the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT). Her doctoral research focused on the molecular mechanisms of chemoresistance in ZEB1-modulated breast cancer stem cells, with an emphasis on the role of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. Her work, published in Molecular Biology Reports and Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research, demonstrated how cell density and ZEB1 expression can influence chemoresistance, leading to potential combinatorial treatment strategies. She has presented her research at prestigious platforms like the 108th Indian Science Congress and contributed a book chapter on cancer stem cells and signaling pathways published by Elsevier. Her current research interests include on understanding the mechanisms of growth, progression and metastasis in inflammatory breast cancer and breast cancer stem cell biology. She is passionate about translating her research into clinical applications to improve patient outcomes.
Richard Larson, B.B.A.
Senior Research Assistant
Richard is a native Houstonian. He received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Houston in 2005. Following his bachelor’s degree, he then obtained his master’s degree in zoology from Texas Tech University in August 2010. He has been working with the Woodward Lab since June 2010.
Li (Jessica) Li, M.B.A.
Research Assistant II
Li was born in China, and received her bachelor’s degree in 1988. Her current research focuses on radiation resistance in cancer stem cells. She has been in the Woodward Lab since 2006.
Tanu Sharma, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Caren Sanchez, B.S.
Graduate Research Assistant
MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences