Debarshi Mustafi, M.D. Ph.D

Angela brings 20 years of experience in the field of molecular biology and ophthalmology research to help manage the Mustafi lab. Angela has extensive bench experience as well as administrative expertise to keep the lab running. She also is the point person for our collaborative efforts to help organize sharing of data and samples across institutions. 

Kenji is a Seattle native and graduated with a B.S. from the University of Washington.  He joined the Van Gelder lab shortly afterwards and has led the bioinformatic development of targeted long-read sequencing for metagenomic analysis. Kenji began working with the Mustafi lab in its earliest days and was instrumental in applying adaptive sampling for human genomic uses in the lab. He has since helped develop numerous tools to aid in variant discovery that have helped solve complex genetic cases underlying inherited retinal diseases and retinoblastoma.

Behrouz Rahimi is a research scientist in the lab working on various retinal genetic projects. He brings expertise in wet bench techniques to expand our ability to sequence blood and saliva samples for diagnostic understanding of epigenetic signatures in disease.

Samson is a PhD Student in the UW Department of Bioengineering. He is working jointly in the Mustafi and Sabesan labs to understand the genotype-to-phenotype relationship in inherited retinal diseases. Prior to joining UW, he completed his Doctor of Optometry degree at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and subsequently served there as a Clinical, Teaching and Research Assistant. Outside the lab, Samson serves as the Founder & Executive Director of iCare Network International, an organization that provides medical care and social support to underserved communities in Ghana. When not working, he enjoys photography, traveling and playing ping pong.

Elizabeth (Liza) Rooks is an MD candidate at the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine. She holds a BA in Neuroscience from Duke University, where her coursework in neuroanatomy sparked a lasting interest in the visual system. Liza is taking a dedicated research year in the Mustafi lab to study the genetics of retinoblastoma and inherited retinal diseases. Her work focuses on applying advanced sequencing and data analysis approaches to improve molecular diagnosis and understanding of disease mechanisms. She is especially interested in advancing research that improves the lives of patients with vision loss and plans to pursue a career in ophthalmology. Outside the lab, Liza enjoys outrigger canoe paddling, backpacking, and playing the fiddle.

Dr. Cech is a clinical genetic counselor at Seattle Children's Hospital and works with Dr. Mustafi as part of the multi-disciplinary inherited retinal disease clinic that allows visits with ophthalmology and genetics in one combined visit. Dr. Cech brings her research background to also engage with clinical patients that undergo research level long-read sequencing in the Mustafi lab to work with families to understand the research results and implications of their research level findings.

Stefan is currently majoring in Biochemistry with Interdisciplinary Honors at UW. Stefan's involvement in the lab dates back to high school where his interest in medical research led him to the Mustafi lab. Since then he has been an important member of the lab, now working as an undergrad researcher. Stefan is spearheading work looking at the evolving nature of population databases and how that impacts variant annotation for inherited retinal disease genes. He is also involved in retinal imaging projects examining the role of multi-modal imaging in the diagnosis of pediatric retinal disorders.

Jeremiah Chung is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington studying Neuroscience. He conducts research between the Mustafi and Sabesan Labs, where he focuses on tracking retinal degeneration in inherited retinal diseases by analyzing changes in cone density and ellipsoid zone length. Beyond the lab, Jeremiah serves as the Funding and Grants Coordinator for Narcare, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to Naloxone and Fentanyl test strips and raising public awareness about the opioid epidemic. In his free time, he enjoys bouldering and cooking/baking.