Karolak Lab
Aleksandra (Aleks, Ola) Karolak
Assistant Professor and Member
Education and Positions
2021 – present Assistant Member, Moffitt Cancer Center, Department of Machine Learning, Division of Quantitative Science, Tampa, FL
2021 – present Assistant Professor, University of South Florida (USF), Departments of Oncologic Sciences (College of Medicine) & Biological, Chemical and Materials Engineering (College of Engineering), Tampa, FL
2019 – 2021 Assistant Research Professor at City of Hope, Division of Mathematical Oncology, Departments of Computational and Quantitative Medicine and Population Sciences, Duarte, CA
2018 – 2019 H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology Postdoctoral Fellowship, Genome Data Science, IRB Barcelona, Spain
2015 – 2018 Postdoctoral Researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center, Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Tampa, FL
2010 – 2015 PhD in Biophysical and Computational Chemistry, USF, Tampa, FL
1995 – 2000 MSc (included BSc) in Metal-Organic Chemistry, Maxima Cum Laude, Individual Curriculum, Adam Mickiewicz University, Posen, Poland
OUR TEAM:
Katarzyna (Kat, Kasia) Mizgalska, MSc
PhD Student since Spring 2024
Katarzyna is a Ph.D. student in chemistry at the University of South Florida. She is passionate about modern computational chemistry and machine learning techniques, which facilitate drug discovery. With her previous experience from projects on various biological targets, such as steroid receptors, kinases, ubiquitination systems, and aggregating proteins, she hopes to contribute meaningfully to Dr. Karolak's group efforts to advance machine learning techniques in anticancer computational drug discovery.
Education
2023-2028 (expected) PhD in Chemistry at USF, Tampa, FL
2021-2023 MSc in Drug Discovery and Development, Medicinal Chemistry at the Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
2018-2021 BSc in Chemistry at the University of Wrocław, Poland
Trieu Nguyen
Research Trainee since Spring 2023
Trieu is an undergraduate sophomore pursuing a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics degree at the University of South Florida. He always aspires to invent and work on unexplored technologies and innovations. Engaged as a research trainee in Dr. Karolak's lab, he is committed to contributing his utmost in the battle against cancer. This research opportunity has discovered the missing part of him that really strengthened his passion for all branches of science and motivated him to widen his knowledge of all scientific disciplines. He is on a mission of doing important things for science.
Education
2022 - 2026 (expected) BSc in Mathematics and Statistics at USF, Tampa, FL
Education
2024-2027 (expected) BSc at John Hopkins University, Cellular and Molecular Biology
2024 Graduated from Wiregrass Ranch High School
Meghna Manjith
Research Trainee since Summer 2023
Meghna first joined the Machine Learning Department at Moffitt Cancer Center in early 2023. She’s passionate about the intersection between biochemistry and technology and hopes to gain more experience using machine learning and drug repurposing techniques. One of her earlier research projects was about creating an inexpensive, yet effective treatment that can be used for the prevention of surgical site infections in surgery patients. She’s heavily involved in science fair competitions and was a Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair Finalist last year.
Outside of research, Meghna is a strong activist against human trafficking, invoking change at both local and state levels. She has also created a fiscally sponsored organization that helps raise awareness about human trafficking in her community and generates resources for shelters that rehabilitate survivors. She is a professionally trained Indian Classical Kuchipudi dancer and is currently the concertmaster in her school’s chamber orchestra.
Mouktik Isukapalli
Research Trainee since Spring 2024
Mouktik is a freshman at the University of South Florida majoring in Biomedical Sciences. He is passionate about DNA, specifically identifying mutations that can lead to cancer and learning how to prevent them. At the Karolak Lab, he will help identify certain mutations and non-canonical DNA structures associated with various cancer subtypes.
In his free time, he plays basketball, listens to music, and hangs out with friends. Outside of the lab, he hopes to become an Emergency Medical Responder in order to help and impact the community."
Education
2023 - 2027 (expected) BS in Biomedical Sciences, USF, Tampa, FL
Tiffany Ly Siev
Research Trainee since 2024
Tiffany is a high school junior at Largo High School's International Baccalaureate Programme, focused on pursuing her interests in the medical field and generative technology. She joins the Machine Learning Department as a summer research trainee and aspires to explore the novel terrain of protein folding/molecular glue degradation.
Tiffany is keen on influencing her community in terms of spreading her Asian heritage, inspiring careers in rising adults, and serving local organizations such as Morton Plant Hospital, Largo Library, John Hopkins Middle School and more. With devotion to the future, Tiffany strives to not only assist the community around her, but also spread her impact to a national degree.
Education
2021 - 2025 (expected) Largo High School, International Baccalaureate Programme
Edith Behrens
Research Trainee since 2024
Edie is a junior at the University of South Florida majoring in chemical engineering. She is interested in the intersection between the medical field and engineering field. She hopes to gain more understanding of the connection between the two through research in Dr. Karolak's lab.
Edie is the Treasurer of the Tau Beta Pi chapter at USF, an engineering honors society.
She is also a member of the club beach volleyball team at USF.
Education
2022 - 2026 (expected) BS in Chemical Engineering, USF, Tampa, FL
Education
2024-2028 (expected) BS in Chemistry, University of Florida
2020-2024 Steinbrenner High School
Ella Lawrence
Research Trainee since 2024
Ella is a freshman at the University of Florida planning on studying chemistry. She is passionate about the intersection of medicine and machine learning, and their applications in cancer research. Joining the Guida (USF Chemistry) and Karolak labs for the summer, she hopes to gain valuable research experience, focusing on analyzing protein-ligand interactions and molecular dynamics.
In her free time, Ella volunteers in her community, serving organizations such as Tampa General Hospital, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and her local middle and high school. She is also an avid musician, planning on completing a minor in cello performance during her undergraduate degree. She is interested in exploring the relationship between music and medicine in the future.
Education
2022 - 2026 (expected) BS in Biomedical Sciences, USF, Tampa, FL
Rohit Veligeti
Research Trainee since 2024
Rohit is a sophomore majoring in Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Florida. He is passionate about the interdisciplinary fields of bioinformatics and computational biology and their impacts towards cancer research. As a research trainee in the Karolak Lab, he is excited to bring his prior experience of building ML models to work on creative solutions to complex problems. Through this opportunity, he hopes to gain insight into the research process and contribute to the ongoing battle of understanding cancer.
At the University of South Florida, Rohit is the president of the Bioinformatics Club, aiming to spark more interest into this field among his fellow undergraduates. Outside of the lab and classroom, Rohit enjoys long runs, solving puzzles, and exploring the world of music.
Kylee Brown
Research Administration Specialist since 2025
Kylee has a background in research administration, communications, and technology integration, with experience supporting both academic and corporate environments. She is our Research Administrative Specialist, where she manages grant submissions, facilitates departmental operations, and coordinates communication between teams. Previously, Kylee worked in education, overseeing library operations, managing technology assets, and leading training programs.
Kylee pursues Master of Business Administration (MBA) to further develop leadership and strategic management skills. With a strong foundation in project management and a Microsoft Office Specialist certification, she is passionate about efficiency, organization, and creating impactful solutions that drive success.
AFFILIATE MEMBERS:
Adam Wojtulewski
Research Trainee 2023 - 2024
Adam is an undergraduate junior majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Florida. As a research trainee in the Machine Learning Department, Adam hopes to bring his knowledge of database systems, artificial intelligence, and software engineering and to meaningfully contribute to the efforts of Dr. Karolak’s team. Through this opportunity, he wants to expand his understanding of Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning approaches while helping to contribute to scientific understanding of cancer. At Moffitt, he currently studies heterogeneity in response to treatment among patients with similar characteristics.
Outside of coursework, Adam is heavily involved in the Polish Student Association (POLSA) at the University of Florida, having recently been elected as President of the club for the upcoming schoolyear and participates as a member in the Ukrainian Student Association and Society of Software Engineers to become more worldly minded and better equipped in his major respectively. In his spare time, Adam likes to watch and play sports, listen to music, travel, and code, primarily in Go, C++, and Python.
Education
2021 - 2024 (expected) BSc, Computer Science, Minor in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Florida
2018 - 2021 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Palm Harbor University High School
Aleksandra Sikora
MD
Aleksandra is a medical doctor graduated from the Medical University of Warsaw. Her recent research in the Students’ Scientific Association focused on the risk factors for recurrence of pulmonary embolism. She currently expands her horizons and gains experience in the field of oncology, especially in the new opportunities for treatment of metastatic cancers of gastrointestinal origin. In her free time, Aleksandra enjoys kitesurfing, cycling, and traveling.
2018 - 2024 Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
Matthew Froid
PhD Candidate
Matthew is a Ph.D. student in the Cancer Biology Program at Moffitt in Integrated Mathematical Oncology Department in the group of Dr. David Basanta. He is science-minded, bright, young professional, dedicated to excellence in all pursuits, with a passion for evolutionary biology, mathematics, and machine learning. Matthew utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to scientific problem solving. He is a pro-active self-starter with eight years of clinical laboratory experience and seven years of research experience, comfortable and adept in both settings. He utilizes his strong background in machine learning and agent-based modeling to study cancer evolution and treatment optimization. He joins our team for 10 weeks long rotations.
Education and Positions
2022 - present PhD in Cancer Biology, USF/Moffitt
2020 - 2023 MA in Mathematics, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE
2019 - 2020 NASA Research Fellow, NASA, Omaha, NE
2014 - 2019 BS in Biology, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE
Ezhilpavai Mohanan, PhD
PK/PD Modeler
Pavai works in the field of Pharmacometrics specifically of the hematological disorders. She is interested in Pharmacokinetic-Dynamic (PK/PD) modeling of the drugs used as conditioning regimen and post transplantation immunosuppressants in hematopoietic cell transplantation. Recently extending the interest to integrated computational biology / mathematical modeling in addition to in-vitro & in-vivo experiments.
Education and Positions:
2020 - 2022 Postdoctoral Fellow, Population Sciences, City of Hope, CA
2012 - 2019 PhD in PK/PD and PGen, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
2005 - 2007 MSc in Biotechnology, Maruthupandiyar College, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
2002 - 2005 Bachelor of Biotechnology, Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India
Former members:
Mourad Stitou, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher 2023-2024
Mourad's research projects revolve around harnessing the power of machine learning tools and computational methods in cancer drug discovery. His focus lies in utilizing AI to identify and evaluate small molecules with the potential to act as potent inhibitors of cancer. By employing advanced computational approaches, he aims to expedite the process of identifying novel therapeutic candidates, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective treatments for cancer patients.
Education
2023 - PhD in Chemistry, Physical chemistry and modeling, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez, Morocco
2015 - MSc in Chemistry, Mohamed V Agdal University, Rabat, Morocco
2013 - BSc in Chemistry, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez, Morocco
Education
2024 - C&MB Undergrad at USF
2021 - 2023 Hillsborough Community College, Certificate in Biotechnology
2018 - 2023 (expected) High School
Sara M. del Valle
Research Trainee / Spring - Fall 2023
Sara starts the undergraduate program at USF in January 2024. Currently she is doing full-time college classes at Hillsborough Community College. Through her appointment in our group at Moffitt ML, she is interested in collaborating, learning about AI, and continuing scientific growth. She currently studies applications of AI to Molecular Glue Degraders.
Being influenced by her younger sister’s and father’s medical journeys, she wants to learn more about oncology and do research on it. She recently became a part of the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) Future Leaders Program - a program for people who are linked to TSC and are between 17-27 years old. The program focuses on advocating, researching, and helping to obtain support from the US Congress. In her spare time, she likes to read, draw, listen to music, and code. She has a very enthusiastic personality, loves horses, and loves to make people smile.
October 2022 - First place for the “Machine Learning in Oncology" poster at the HCC Research Poster Symposium
Archi Marrapu
Research Trainee / Summer 2023
Archi is a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, passionate about the interdisciplinary fields of biomedical engineering, health sciences, and advanced technology. At Dr. Karolak's Lab at Moffitt, she uses AI for fragment based drug discovery.
She has done several projects in AI before (including an AI phone app for melanoma diagnosis and design of an affordable yet fully functional prosthetic arm from cheap electronics), a few of which have been specifically focused on various types of cancers. In addition to her projects, Archi is the Founder and President of STEMifyGirls, a nonprofit organization aimed to provide STEM opportunities and resources for young girls and minority cultures to bridge the gender gap in STEM fields. She loves competing and engaging in stressful public speaking competitions, specifically Model United Nation, where she’s bagged many awards. Archi also engages in Indian classical dance and enjoys performing it, as she has been doing for over 12 years.
Education
2021 - 2025 (expected) Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Nam Nguyen
PhD Candidate (Summer 2022 - Spring 2023)
Nam is a Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida in the group of Dr. K.C. Chen, funded by Dr. Karolak during the semesters of Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. His experience is in algorithmic designs for classical and quantum AI for applications in cancer research. He is interested in translational AI to understand molecular dynamics, genetic biomarkers, and cancer evolution. As a research trainee at Moffitt, Nam aims to develop a set of neural intelligence pipelines which integrate information from mutational profiles and multiple modes of the human genome. With this information, he aims to understand oncogenesis and novel genetic drivers. His goal is also to design a collection of quantum neural networks which enables modeling of cancer evolution and molecular interactions toward precision medicine and drug design.
Education and Positions
2020 - 2024 (expected) PhD in Electrical Engineering, USF
2019 - 2020 MA in Statistics, USF
2017 - 2019 BS in Mathematics, Hanoi University of Education, Vietnam
Bi Zhao, PhD
Applied Research Scientist (Summer 2022)
Bi has experience in data science, machine learning, and database development for protein structural and functional research. Her research interests have focused on characterizing the intermolecular interactions and regulation under tissue and condition specificity, and discovering novel mechanisms of various diseases. Bi's goal is to establish these novel strategies and utilize them in biomedical research, especially targeting the heterogeneity of the microbiome and its relationship to cancer development and individual differences.
Education and Positions
2022 Applied Research Scientist, Moffitt Cancer Center, Department of Machine Learning, Division of Quantitative Science, Tampa, FL
2019 - 2022 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2016 - 2019 PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, USF
2013 - 2015 MSc in Medical Science in Biotechnology, USF
2007 - 2011 Bachelor of Bioscience, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
Anna Greene
Graduate Student (Spring 2022)
Anna is a graduate student at the University of South Florida, majoring in bioinformatics and computational biology. She is currently involved in research at the University of South Florida on intrinsic disorder in circadian clock proteins. As a research volunteer, she is eager to hone her programming skills and learn various research and machine learning techniques from dr. Karolak's team. In her free time, Anna loves to play the drums and ukulele, watch sports, and travel.
Education
2021-2022 MSc in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, USF
2016-2020 BS in Biology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL
Katherine Rodriguez
Undergraduate Student (Spring 2022)
Katherine is an undergraduate senior at the University of South Florida, majoring in biomedical sciences and minoring in aging sciences. As a research trainee in the Machine Learning Department, Katherine is eager to learn by working with the team of dr. Karolak, and many other renowned researchers. She anticipates that the experience will contribute to her success in investigating the intersections of human biology, microgravity, and machine learning at the graduate level. Katherine also volunteers as a research assistant for the Evans-Nguyen Mass Spectrometry Lab in the Chemistry Department at USF. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Katherine is a Tampa native that enjoys reading, exploring downtown, and engaging in on-campus activities.
Education
2018 - 2022 BS in Biomedical Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL (USF)
2014 – 2018 High School Diploma, Walter L. Sickles High School
