Lab Members
Aarti Asnani, MD
Principal Investigator
Dr. Asnani is the Section Head of Cardio-Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. She is a principal investigator in the BIDMC CardioVascular Institute and an Associate Member of the BIDMC Cancer Research Institute. Dr. Asnani graduated from Duke University with a degree in chemistry and French. She stayed at Duke for medical school and spent a year as a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Gerszten. After completing clinical training in internal medicine and cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, she pursued postdoctoral training in chemical biology in the laboratory of Dr. Randall Peterson. Dr. Asnani came to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 2017 to establish her basic and translational research program in cardio-oncology.
Jing Liu, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Liu received her PhD in Cardiovascular Medicine from Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China in 2018 and her MD from Nanchang University, China in 2013. Dr. Liu trained for three and half years as a student and postdoc at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her past research experience focused on cardiovascular immunology. Dr. Liu received an AHA postdoctoral fellowship award in January 2020 and joined Dr. Asnani’s lab in May of 2020. Dr. Liu’s research is now focused on the molecular mechanisms of cancer-therapy induced cardiotoxicity.
Sandeep Basu, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Sandeep received his bachelor's (B.Sc.) in Genetics from Bangalore University and master's (M.Sc.) in Biomedical Genetics from VIT University, India. He then joined the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and learned zebrafish chemical biology. In August 2013, he started a PhD in Dr Chetana Sachidanandan's lab and utilized the zebrafish model to study hemochromatosis. After his PhD, Sandeep joined the Burns' lab at Harvard Medical School (Boston Children's Hospital) to understand the molecular pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysms. In March 2023, Sandeep joined Asnani Lab for his second postdoc, where his research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmia associated with estrogen receptor signaling. Sandeep also enjoys fishing, driving, travelling, cooking, watching movies and reading books.
Max Narvaez, MD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Max is originally from Mexico City, Mexico. He obtained his medical degree from the Tecnologico de Monterrey University in 2023. Before graduating from medical school, he completed his medical community year as a research fellow in the cardiovascular department of his university, as well as serving as a teaching assistant. He is passionate about research in heart failure and cardio-oncology, and hopes to pursue these specialties in the future. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, cooking, playing tennis, and spending time with family and friends.
Andrea Nathalie Rosas Diaz, MD
Medical Resident
Nathalie is originally from Bogota, Colombia. She is a Medical Doctor who graduated from Universidad del Rosario in 2019. She is passionate about the early detection of cardiotoxicity, identification of frailty in the elderly population receiving chemotherapy and treatment response in chemotherapy-induced heart failure. She loves doing ecotourism in her home country. In her free time, she likes to exercise with Zumba classes.
Sanam Alilou, MD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Sanam is originally from Khoy, Iran. She obtained her medical degree from Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2022. During her MD, she was fascinated by the cardiovascular field and worked at Rajaie Cardiovascular Center, one of Iran's top heart centers, for four years as a research fellow. After completing her MD, Sanam continued her medical practice in her hometown and joined Dr. Asnani's Lab in May 2024. She is passionate about understanding the pathophysiology of chemotherapy induced cardiotoxicity and heart failure, with aspirations to pursue a career in cardio-oncology. Sanam also enjoys studying zebrafish heart development and cardiovascular disease. In her free time, she enjoys swimming and playing the guitar.
Moydul Islam, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Moydul received his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2024. He worked in Prof. Abhinav Diwan’s lab in the Cardiovascular Medicine Department for his thesis. He studied how aberrant phase separation of the cardiac chaperone protein, Alpha-B-Crystallin (CRYAB), worsens left-ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. Before coming to WashU in Fall-2018, he received an M.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Moydul received his undergraduate degree from the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. His current research interest is focused on elucidating the roles of tissue-specific Cyp1A1 and Cyp1A2 signaling in mediating cardioprotection against doxorubicin-induced toxicity and the impact of renal cell carcinoma on cardiovascular health. Besides having a passionate interest in research, he enjoys traveling, photography, trying out new restaurants, reading fantasy novels and composing a few tunes on his guitar.
Anthony Pettinato, MD, PhD
Medical Resident
Tony is an internal medicine resident at BIDMC pursuing a clinical and research career in cardiology. Following undergrad at the University of Maryland, he completed a postbac research fellowship in immunology at the NIH before obtaining his MD and PhD from the University of Connecticut. Tony performed his PhD research in the lab of Dr. Travis Hinson studying inherited cardiomyopathies and cardiomyocyte regeneration. He also worked as a visiting scientist in the lab of Dr. James Lo at Weill Cornell studying post-MI inflammation. Tony is interested in cardiomyocyte function, sarcomere biology, and genetics. In his free time, he enjoys exploring Boston with his wife and dog.
Casie Curtin, BS
Research Assistant
Casie is a recent graduate of Salem State University. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in biology with a concentration in biomedical sciences and a double minor in chemistry and psychology. Casie was a three-sport varsity collegiate athlete, being named captain for two of them as she emerged as a leader on and off the field. She has always been passionate about learning, especially in the STEM field. One of her favorite parts of school was being in the laboratory setting. Casie hopes to apply to medical school in the coming years with an interest in the prevention and treatment of cancers.
Monica Urias, BA
Research Assistant
Monica is originally from Mexico. At a young age she moved to a border city named Laredo, Texas. In 2023, she graduated from Texas A&M International University with a Bachelor's of Arts in biology and a minor in psychology. From a young age, she knew science and service were her passions which then turned into an interest for a future in the healthcare field. During college, she participated in research under the biology and chemistry department chair which sparked her interest in pursuing a career in research and cardiology. She moved to Boston to pursue my education in Medical Diagnostic Sonography with a concentration of Echocardiography and Research. Outside of work and school, Monica enjoy traveling, reading, painting, and taking walks.
Lab Alumni
Abul Andrés Ariza Manzano, MD - Postdoctoral research fellow (2023-2024)
Benjamin Weitzman - Undergraduate research student (2021-2023)
Luis Alberto More, MD - Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2019-2021); Current Cardiology Fellow at Alpert Medical School and Brown University
Sarah Lane, BS - Research Assistant (2019-2021); Current Medical Student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Sujithraj Dommaraju, MBBS - Clinical Research Coordinator; Current Primary Care Physician
Amudha Kumar, MBBS - Clinical Research Coordinator; Current Cardiology Fellow at Loyola Medicine
Anita Vohra, BS - Research Assistant; Current Veterinary Intern at University of Wisconsin
Rahul Lall, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow
Cole Turissini, BS - Research Assistant; Current Medical Student at Tufts University School of Medicine