People

Principal Investigator

Chen grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He moved to the US for college where he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majored in biochemistry. Chen received his PhD in cell biology from Northwestern University and carried out his postdoctoral training with Valentina Greco at Yale. The Kam lab opened its doors in February 2025 in the UCLA Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology and Broad Stem Cell Research Center (BSCRC).

Postdocoral Fellow

Ino was born and raised in Daejeon, South Korea. He earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa, where he conducted research on stem cell biology and extracellular vesicles (EV) under the guidance of Prof. James Martin and Prof. Kyungsup Shin. His expertise includes EV analysis, deep sequencing, 3D computational modeling, and hydrogel-based drug delivery. After completing his doctoral training, Ino joined the Kam Lab in September 2025 as a postdoctoral researcher where he is interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying vascular malformation development.

Staff Research Associate

Matthew was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. In 2023, Matthew graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA in Psychology. During his undergraduate studies, Matthew joined an accelerated master’s degree program which allowed him to graduate with his MS in neuroscience in 2024. Matthew’s graduate research investigated the relationship between early life stress, anxiety-like behaviors, and microglia activity in rodent models. Following graduation, Matthew moved back to Los Angeles, where he worked as a lab technician at USC’s Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology. Matthew joined the Kam Lab in May of 2025 as a staff research associate where he is interested in understanding cytoskeletal regulation of vascular maintenance.

Undergraduate Researcher

Kao was born in Boston and raised in Seattle. She is currently an undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Biomedical Research, and is expected to graduate in 2027. Her interest in research began in 2022, when she worked in Dr. Christopher Chen’s bioengineering lab through Boston University’s RISE summer program. In the summer of 2024, she continued exploring vascular and developmental biology in Dr. Yosuke Mukoyama’s lab at the National Institutes of Health. During her time at UCLA, she has also contributed to research in Dr. Linda Cai’s lab in the Department of Anesthesiology. Kao joined the Kam Lab in June 2025 as an undergraduate researcher.

Undergraduate Researcher

Vincent was born and raised in San Diego, California. He is currently an undergraduate at UCLA majoring in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology (MCDB), with an expected graduation in 2028. His interest for research sparked in the summer of 2023 when investigating the connection between Epstein-Barr virus reactivation and cancer under Dr. Amy Tarangelo through the Polygence Research Program. Outside of the lab, he volunteers with the Transforming Care at Bedside (TCAB) program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and serves as the CERT Logistics Advisor for the American Red Cross Club at UCLA. Vincent joined the Kam Lab in June 2025 as an undergraduate researcher.

Undergraduate Researcher

Anna was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is currently an undergraduate student at UCLA, majoring in Public Health, and is expected to graduate in 2027. Her interest in research began after a dermatology internship, where she became curious about the molecular interactions underlying the macro-level conditions she was working with in the clinic. Outside of the lab, Anna serves on the board of Project Dot, volunteers at community health screenings, and is a board member of San Marino Cares. She joined the Kam Lab in September 2025 as an undergraduate researcher.

Undergraduate Researcher

Erica was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She is currently an undergraduate at UCLA majoring in Psychobiology and is expected to graduate in 2028. She was drawn to the Kam Lab due to her academic interests in aging biology, vascular development, and how tissues repair and regenerate over time. Erica joined the Kam Lab in September 2025 as an undergraduate researcher.

Undergraduate Researcher

Bailey was born and raised in Orange County, California. She is an undergraduate at UCLA majoring in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology with a specialization in Computing. During the winter and spring quarters of 2025, Bailey was a member of the Arisaka Lab in the Physics and Astronomy Department. At the Arisaka Lab, she worked on developing an interpretable, agentic framework for robot navigation, intended for surgical applications. In the summer of 2025, Bailey volunteered as a proofreader for the Brain Atlas Encyclopedia Project under Dr. Oren Poliva. Bailey later joined the Kam Lab in September 2025 as an undergraduate researcher.

Undergraduate Researcher

Eric was born in New Jersey and raised in Potomac, Maryland. He is currently an undergraduate at UCLA majoring in Biology, with an expected graduation in 2028. His interest in biomedical research developed through his clinical experiences at Johns Hopkins University and UCLA and his fascination with vascular biology and regenerative medicine. Outside of the lab, he serves on the board of MedNexus Collective at UCLA, performs as a cellist in the UCLA Symphony, and is a member of the UCLA Club Sailing Team. Eric joined the Kam Lab in September 2025 as an undergraduate researcher.

Undergraduate Researcher

Lucas was born in Sacramento and raised in Davis, California. He is currently an undergraduate at UCLA majoring in Human Biology and Society, with an expected graduation in 2028. His interest in research began when he joined the Undergraduate Science Journal (USJ) as part of the layout board, helping design the 38th volume and future journals. Outside of the lab, Lucas volunteers through the Companion Care program at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, is a part of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club, and is the co-founder of the Armwrestling club. Lucas joined the Kam Lab in September 2025 as an undergraduate researcher.