Meet the Lab

Rajeev Malhotra, MD MS

Principal Investigator
Sujin Lee, MD MS

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Sujin Lee is an integrated vascular surgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital and has been a research fellow in Dr. Malhotra’s lab since 2021.
She graduated with honors from Cornell University with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. She earned her MD and MS in Clinical and Translational Research from Emory University School of Medicine and the Laney School of Graduate Studies before coming to Boston for clinical residency and fellowship. Funded by an F32 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, she is currently studying novel molecular regulators of vascular calcification.
Kuldeep Singh, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Singh earned his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India, in 2015, where he specialized in cell and molecular biology. In 2016, he joined Prof. Kathleen Morgan's lab as a postdoctoral associate, focusing on therapeutic targets for aging-induced aortic stiffness. In 2021, he became a research fellow at the Malhotra Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, where his research aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms of atherosclerosis, vascular calcification, and aortic stiffness, with the primary objective of identifying and validating new genetic targets for vascular calcification. Dr. Singh enjoys playing and watching cricket with his son outside of work.
Lova Prasadareddy, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow
During his Ph.D. at the Molecular and Structural Biology Division of CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Dr. Kajuluri investigated the functions of actin-related protein ARP4 and actin-binding proteins coronin and twinfilin in the parasitic protozoan Leishmania donovani. He discovered that ARP4 acts as a negative regulator of mitochondrial calcium levels by interacting with the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU). This finding provides new insights into mitochondrial function and parasitic biology. Additionally, he and his colleagues explored the roles of coronin and twinfilin in regulating actin filament length and karyokinesis, and he developed a method to differentiate between the sister trypanosomatid genera Leishmania and Leptomonas.
As a postdoctoral fellow at Boston University, Dr. Kajuluri identified smooth muscle cell calponin1 as a crucial regulator of smooth muscle contraction, tone maintenance, and ERK activation. Since joining Dr. Rajeev Malhotra's lab at the cardiovascular research center in March 2023, he has been focusing on elucidating the roles of newly discovered proteins in vascular calcification through genome-wide meta-analysis. Additionally, he is involved in developing a gene therapy approach to treat vascular calcification.
Kangsan Roh, PhD

Instructor
Dr. Roh’s field of expertise lies in investigating lymphatic dysfunction related to the contractility of lymphatic smooth muscle cells (LMCs) and the microenvironment under physiological and pathological conditions. Specifically, he has studied lymphedema, the most frequent lymphatic disorder, focusing on understanding lymphatic contraction based on LMCs in lymphatic abnormalities associated with Acta2 gene expression. He has also determined the characteristics of aged cardiac lymphatics, identifying that exercise improved cardiac lymphangiogenesis and heart growth. With his proficiency in vascular imaging and biological techniques, Dr.Roh has explored the biology of vascular smooth muscle cells in pathological vascular disorders, particularly vascular calcification and atherosclerosis.
Wanlin Jiang, PhD MBBS

Postdoctoral Fellow
After earning an MBBS at Capital Medical University in Beijing, China, Dr. Jiang pursued a master's in biotechnology at Georgetown University, investigating the genetic and pharmacological effects of tyrosine kinase inhibition (TKI) on Alzheimer’s disease. During her Ph.D. at Creighton University, she explored the epigenetic regulation of vascular restenosis and intimal hyperplasia, resulting in three research articles, one review article, and three book chapters. In 2019, Dr. Jiang joined Dr. Rajeev Malhotra’s lab at MGH as a research fellow, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of vascular calcification and atherosclerosis. During the pandemic, she researched COVID-19 manifestations and clinical risk factors, leading to three publications. Dr. Jiang has also advanced research on atherocalcific disease, investigating epigenetic regulation and autophagy signaling in cardiovascular disease models, and co-authored a research article published in iScience. Her current work aims to explore the therapeutic potential of HDAC10 inhibition in vascular calcification, focusing on autophagy targets. Lastly, Dr. Jiang’s long-term goal is to lead an academic laboratory studying vascular disease mechanisms using ‘omics ’-based approaches, in vitro mechanistic studies, and in vivo murine models to identify novel therapeutic targets and mentor the next generation of vascular biologists.
Adam Johnson, MD

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Johnson went to undergrad at Johns Hopkins University. Afterward, he earned his MD from Weill Cornell Medicine and did his residency at MGH. Dr.Johnson is currently a third-year cardiology fellow at MGH.
Yugene Guo, BS

Sarnoff Fellow
Yugene is a rising 4th year medical student at the University of Minnesota completing a research year at the Malhotra Lab as a Sarnoff fellow. He is interested in all things cardiology, and his current project is a multi-omic analysis of drivers in coronary artery calcification.
Elizabeth Moore, BS

Research Technician I / Lab Manager
Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She represented UW-Madison as a Division I swimmer and was a member of the Canadian National Team. Elizabeth is currently applying to medical school in hopes of becoming a Pediatric Anesthesiologist.
Helena Tattersfield, MS BS

Research Technician II
Helena graduated with a BA and MS in Bioengineering, with a concentration in Cell and Tissue Engineering, from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She has interests in neurodegenerative, cardiac, and cancer research and pursuing medical school. Her hobbies include drawing, crocheting, hiking, baking, and reading.
Jason Li, MD

Cardiology Fellow
a cardiology fellow at the University of Washington who's worked closely with Dr. Malhotra on CPET/HFpEF projects and previously wet lab.
Kat Ostrom

MD Candidate
Kat is a former research technician. She is currently earning her MD at Creighton University.
Haakon Sigurslid

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