Meet the Lab!
Kostandin Pajcini, PhD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Kostandin Pajcini earned his B.S in Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his graduate training in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University in the laboratory of Helen M. Blau Ph.D. then moved on to conduct research in the field of hematopoietic development and disorders as a post-doc in the laboratory of Warren Pear at the University of Pennsylvania. Currently, Kostandin is a Principal Investigator and Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He continues to conduct research in hematopoietic development and uses multidisciplinary genetic studies and transgenic mouse models of the cell signaling pathways to discover the regulation of rapid HSC self-renewal in the fetal liver as well as the regulation of differentiation potential of post-natal stem cells in the bone marrow niche.
Lijian Shao, MD PhD
research assistant professor
Dr. Lijian Shao is a Research Assistant Professor in the Pajcini Lab. My research interests include (1) Hematopoietic stem cell development and Notch signaling; (2) Stem cell biology and pathophysiology of bone marrow failure and leukemia; (3) Clearance of senescent stem cells in irradiated mice and aged mice; (4) Mitigation of injuried hematopoietic stem cells under chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Shyamali Das, BS
Lab manager
Shyamali oversees the day-to-day operations of the Pajcini Lab, provides organizational support for ongoing research projects, and manages the mouse colony. She ensures that the lab maintains a safe, efficient, and well-organized research environment. Her interests include supporting innovative biomedical research and contributing to a collaborative and productive laboratory environment. Outside of the lab, she enjoys gardening and spending time with her family.
Thilinie Bandara, PhD
postdoctoral researcher
Thilinie is a postdoctoral researcher and earned a PhD degree in the Pajcini lab. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2019 with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Currently, she studies the role of Notch signaling in the bone marrow following myeloablation. Outside of the lab, she enjoys finding new restaurants and hiking.
Zekun Shen, MD PhD
postdoctoral researcher
Zekun is a postdoctoral researcher in the Pajcini lab. He graduated from Xi’an Jiaotong University in July 2023 with an MD PhD in vascular surgery. His current research focuses on exploring the role of Notch signaling pathway in ischemic diseases. Outside of the lab, he enjoys cooking and playing games.
Gyaltsen Dapka, PhD
postdoctoral researcher
Gyaltsen is a Postdoctoral Researcher. Originally from Tibet, he completed his Ph.D. in Biotechnology in Taiwan through the Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP), a collaborative program between Academia Sinica and National Chung Hsing University. His doctoral research examined how natural products influence metabolomic alterations. Currently, Gyaltsen is investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying TMTC1-mediated regulation of NOTCH1 signaling in lung injury. His research interests include molecular and cellular biology, signaling pathways, cancer biology, and the application of experimental and computational approaches to elucidate disease mechanisms.
Hyorim Jeong, MS
PhD student
Hyorim is a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her current research focuses on T-cell development, the molecular regulation of early T-cell differentiation, and strategies to enhance thymic regeneration and T-cell reconstitution. She received her M.S. in Biomedical Laboratory Science from Yonsei University in Korea after earning a B.S. in the same field, which provided her with broad training in clinical laboratory and biomedical sciences. Prior to joining UIC, she conducted bioengineering research involving extracellular vesicles, stem cells, and cancer cells, including microfluidic applications.
Email: hjeon31@uic.edu | Google Scholar | LinkedIn
Lily Kimball
undergraduate student