Members

Principal Investigator

 

Dr Horvath Headshot

Anelia Horvath, PhD
Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
Director, McCormick Genomics and Proteomics Center
Email: horvatha [at] gwu [dot] edu
 

Our Team 

We  are a passionate, collaborative team at the merging intersection of AI and single-cell genomics. Our work aims to uncover the molecular logic of how the genetic code — including variations and expressed mutations — acts in concert to drive, or sometimes prevent, cancer and other diseases. We harness the power of long-read single-cell sequencing to push these frontiers. Coding and AI skills are a big plus, but above all, we value curiosity, creativity, and the courage to ask bold questions. We work hard and play hard, support one another, and love science — applying it with purpose, joy, and a deep sense of discovery.

New members-horvath lab

Members:

Siera Martinez

B.A. in Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology
M.S. in Electrical Engineering (ongoing)

Siera brings a unique blend of expertise in bioinformatics and computational biology, merging her background in biology and neuroscience with advanced skills in machine learning, programming, and statistical analysis. Her experience includes satellite data analysis at NASA and creating bioinformatics workflows for single-cell RNA sequencing in Dr. Horvath's lab at George Washington University. With strong proficiency in next-generation sequencing, software development, and cancer data modeling, Siera is exceptionally equipped to contribute to the McCormick Bioinformatics Core. Her technical skills and hands-on research experience align seamlessly with the Core’s mission to propel genomic and transcriptomic research through innovative computational approaches.

Luke Johnson

M.S. in Bioinformatics

Luke

 

Luke Johnson, a graduate of GWU's Bioinformatics and Molecular Biochemistry program, combines a passion for technology with a strong commitment to scientific discovery. With expertise in Linux, shell scripting, R, and Python, alongside a solid foundation in biochemistry and practical experience in machine learning, Luke brings a comprehensive technical skill set to the team. His focus on single-cell data analytics drives his enthusiasm for bioinformatics, where he is eager to make impactful contributions and continue exploring the field’s potential.

 

 

Hovhannes Arestakesyan

Bioinformatics Specialist

HA

Hovhannes is a neuroscientist-turned-bioinformatician with a passion for making sense of big messy datasets — especially when it comes to cancer, immunology, and the tumor microenvironment. He holds a PhD in Physiology and an MS in Bioinformatics, and completed his postdoc at GW studying cardio-metabolic disorders. As a Fulbright Scholar, he dove deep into advanced imaging and stem cell biology. Known for his consistency — in the lab and in his 5am workouts, he brings focus, discipline, and a collaborative spirit to every project.

 

 

 

 



 

Midrar Alhossiny

B.Sc. in Clinical Laboratory Science, M.S. in Bioinformatics(Georgetown University)
Ph.D.- G.W - IBS Program(ongoing)

MA

 

 

 

Midrar is pursuing her doctorate in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Her dissertation research in our lab will focus on AI models of treatment response informed by expressed genetic variants from long-read scRNA-seq data.

She brings prior experience as a Genomic Laboratory Specialist I at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Saudi Arabia and holds a B.Sc. in Clinical Laboratory Science from King Saud University and an M.S. in Bioinformatics from Georgetown University.

 

 

 

Jewel Dias

M.B.B.S, M.S.- Bioinformatics & Molecular Biochemistry (ongoing)

JD

Dr. Jewel J. Dias is a physician-scientist in training with an M.B.B.S. (M.D. equivalent) from India, including service during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Bioinformatics & Molecular Medicine at The George Washington University,.In parallel at the Horvath lab, she applies single-cell and long-read sequencing approaches to investigate genetic variation, allele-specific expression, and transcriptome complexity. Her long-term goal is to integrate clinical insight with computational biology to develop regenerative and preventive strategies.

 

 

 

Vania Ballesteros Prieto

B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Bioinformatics

As an innovative bioinformatician at the Horvath Lab, Vania leverages her expertise in genetics, molecular biology and programming languages like R, Python, and Bash to develop and implement new bioinformatics pipelines. Her work directly contributes to the team's ability to apply computational methods and unravel the complexities of genetic variation.

Student Volunteers:

Azka Sajjad
AS

 

 

 

 

Azka Sajjad is a clinically trained dental surgeon with prior experience as a prosthodontics trainee, now bridging clinical practice with computational biology. She applies machine learning to biomedical data integration, predictive modeling, and hypothesis generation. She also performs transcriptomic analyses to interpret disease mechanisms and therapeutic variability. This dual perspective helps translate analytic findings into outcomes that matter in precision oncology and personalized medicine.

Kanishk Goel
KG

 

 

 

Kanishk Goel is data science graduate student from GWU, supporting research through data analysis, machine learning and impactful visualizations. Passionate about uncovering insights from complex datasets and translating them into actionable results. Enthusiastic batsmen in the sports of cricket and a love for clean code. 

 

 

Interns:

Alyssa Yao

 Senior- Pomona College, SPARC Intern(Summer of 2025)

AY

Alyssa is a rising senior studying Molecular Biology at Pomona College. She joined the Horvath Lab as a SPARC intern to build upon her interest in precision medicine and cancer research. Since joining the lab, she has grown as a novice juggler and expert orchid caretaker at the Horvath Lab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maya Ensley

Intern(Summer of 2025)

MH

 

 

 

Maya is an intern at Horvath Lab and is a rising sophomore in high school. She is interested in cellular biology and medicine, as well as behavioral biology. she is taking this opportunity to stay at the forefront of modern research and to make connections with others in similar fields of interest. In her free time, she plays competitively on her high school tennis team and volunteers tennis to 5-8 year olds. 

 

 


 

Nicole Vassilev

Senior - George Washington University, Intern(Summer of 2025)

NV

 

 

 

Nicole is a senior at George Washington University who is jointly pursuing her Bachelors of Science(B.S.) in Public Health and Masters of Public Health(MPH) in Health Policy. She hopes to improve global health outcomes through early intervention efforts. As an intern, she is helping conduct research on cancer biomarkers to develop effective strategies for early cancer detection. In her free time, she loves enjoying a cup of tea and a pastry with her friends at one of D.C.'s cafes.