Postdoctoral Researchers
Sheeraz Akram, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2018-2022
After Benos’ Lab: Superior University, Pakistan, Associate Professor
Current Position: Superior University, Pakistan, Associate Professor
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Abha Bais, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2008-2011
After Benos’ Lab: UC Berkeley, Postdoctoral fellow
Last Position: Ribometrix, Inc, Senior Scientist I
Publications (3):Bais, Kaminski, Benos, 2011 Zhang et al, 2011 Coronnello et al, 2012
Profile: LinkedIn
Claudia Coronnello, PhD
Postdoctoral Ri.MED Scholar Fellow
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2010-2012
After Benos’ Lab: IBIM-CNR (Palermo), Postdoctoral fellow
Current Position: Fondazione RiMED, Principal Investigator in Advanced Data Analysis
Publications (6): Coronnello et al, 2012 Coronnello, Benos, 2013 Jain et al, 2013 Osmanbeyoglou et al, 2013 Lu et al, 2013 Edinger et al, 2014
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Tridib Dutta, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2010-2013
Current Position: NetMotion Software, Principal Data Scientist
Profiles: LinkedIn
Hyokyeong Lee, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2014-2017
After Benos’ Lab: Baylor College of Medicine, research associate
Last known position: Molloy University, Assistant Professor
Profiles: LinkedIn
Shaun Mahony, PhD
Research Associate
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2005-2007
After Benos’ Lab: MIT, Research associate
Current Position: Penn State, Associate Professor
Publications (10): Mahony et al, 2005 Mahony et al, 2006 Belov et al, 2006 Mahony, Auron, Benos, 2007a Mahony, Auron, Benos, 2007b Mahony, Benos, 2007 Mahony et al, 2007 Mikkelsen et al, 2007 Lu et al, 2007 Zinman et al, 2011
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar; Web page
Dimitris Manatakis, PhD
Research Associate
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2015-2018
After Benos’ Lab: Emulate, Inc., Director of Biomedical Data Science
Current Position: Merck, Inc., Biomedical Data Science Leader
Publications (7): Kitsios et al, 2018 Raghu et al, 2018 Sedgewick et al, 2018 Manatakis*, Raghu*, Benos, 2018 McDonough et al, 2019 Kitsios et al, 2019 Kotok et al, 2020
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Klea Panayidou, PhD
Research Associate
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2015-2016
After Benos’ Lab: Carnegie Mellon University, Postdoctoral fellow
Current Position: European University of Cyprus, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics
Profiles: Web page
Omar Rafique, PhD
Research Associate
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2024-2025
After Benos’ Lab: University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, India, Assistant Professor
Current Position: University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, India, Assistant Professor
Profiles: LinkedIn
Khaled Sayed, PhD
Research Associate
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2019-2023
After Benos’ Lab: University of New Haven, Assistant Professor
Current Position: University of New Haven, Assistant Professor
Publications (8): Molina, et al. 2021 Kitsios et al. 2023 Li et al. 2023 Jia*, Sayed*, Kapetanaki*, et al. 2023 Shah, et al. 2024 Kitsios, et al. 2024 Sayed, et al. 2024 Hensley, et al. 2025
Profiles: LinkedIn
Alain Tchagang, PhD
Research Associate
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2007-2008
After Benos’ Lab: Natl Res Council Canada, Research Scientist
Current Position: Natl Res Council Canada, Senior Research Scientist
Publications (3): Tchagang et al. 2008 Tchagang et al, 2009 Tchagang et al, 2011
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Graduate Student
Rachel Brower-Sinning, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, PITT
Thesis title: “On the evolution of microbes: the evolution of genomes with respect to RNA folding” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2007-2011
After Benos’ Lab: U Pitt, postdoctoral researcher
Last known position: CMU Software Engineering Institute, Machine Learning Scientist
Publications (2): Brower-Sinning et al, 2009 Zinman et al, 2011
Kristina Buschur, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, PITT
Thesis title: “Unsupervised methods for pattern discovery in high-throughput genomic data” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2012-2019
After Benos’ Lab: Columbia University, T32 Postdoctoral fellow
Current Position: Columbia University, Associate research scientist
Publications (4): Sedgewick et al, 2018 Morse et al, 2019 Buschur, Chikina, Benos 2019 Buschur et al, 2023
Profiles: LinkedIn
David Corcoran, PhD
Grad Student, MSC (Biostatistics), PhD (Human Genetics), PITT
Thesis title: “Transcriptional Regulation Of MicroRNA Genes And The Regulatory Networks In Which They Participate” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2002-2008
After Benos’ Lab: Duke Univ, Research associate
Current position: Univ. of North Carolina, Assistant Professor
Publications (8): Corcoran et al, 2005 Workman et al, 2005 Corcoran et al, 2005 Rogulski et al, 2005 Mahony et al, 2007 Benos, Corcoran, Finegold, 2007 Corcoran et al, 2009 Pandit, Corcoran, et al, 2010
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Lucas Santana dos Santos, PhD
Grad Student, MSC and PHD (DBMI), PITT
Thesis title: “Computational methods for the functional analysis of DNA sequence variants” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2010-2017
After Benos’ Lab: UPMC Lab, Bioinformatics scientist
Current Position: Northwestern University, Assistant Professor and Director of Bioinformatics
Publications (5): Mao et al, 2013 Chandran et al, 2015 Bahreini et al, 2016 Kulkami et al, 2017 Zuppo et al. 2023
Profile: LinkedIn
Mark Ebeid, PhD
Grad Student, CPCB, PITT
Thesis title: “Advancing Causal Machine Learning for Metabolomic Biomarker Discovery and Cross-Species Gene Regulation” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2020-2025
After Benos’ Lab: Profound Therapeutics, Machine Learning Scientist
Current Position: Profound Therapeutics, Machine Learning Scientist
Publications (1+counting): Balci, et al. 2023
Profile: LinkedIn
Grace T. Huang, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, PITT
Thesis title: “An Integrated, Module-based Biomarker Discovery Framework” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2008-2013
After Benos’ Lab: PopSugar, Data scientist
Current Position: Netflix, Senior Manager of Research/Machine Learning Engineering
Publications (5): Huang, Athanassiou, Benos, 2011 Zinman et al, 2011 Huang et al, 2013 Huang et al, 2015 Pociask et al, 2017
Profile: LinkedIn
Minxue Jia, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, PITT
Thesis title: “Computational Methods for Studying Gene Regulation with Applications to Aging and Chronic Lung Diseases” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2018-2024
After Benos’ Lab: U Pitt, Postdoctoral fellow
Current position: U Pitt, postdoctoral fellow
Publications (13): Cruz*, Jia* et al. 2021 Tabib et al. 2021 Mao*, Jia* et al. 2022 Jia*, Yuan* et al. 2022 Jia* et al. 2023 Jia* et al. 2023b Jia*, Sayed*, Kapetanaki*, et al. 2023 Lovelace et al. 2024 Tourki et al. 2024 Jia, et al. 2025 Mao*, Jia*, Di*, et al. 2025 Karampitsakos*, Jia*, et al. 2026 Valenzi, et al. 2026
Profile: LinkedIn
Sabah Kadri, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, CMU
Thesis title: “microRNA regulation in development” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2008-2012
After Benos’ Lab: Broad Institute, Associate computational biologist
Current Position: AbbVie, Director of Quantitative Insights Laboratory
Publications (2): Kadri, Hinman, Benos, 2009 Kadri, Hinman, Benos, 2011
Personal web page: Sabah Kadri, PhD
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar; Web page
Tyler Lovelace, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, CMU
Thesis title: “Causal graphical modeling methods with applications to heterogenous and high-dimensional biomedical data” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2018-2025
After Benos’ Lab: UT Health, Postdoctoral fellow
Current position: UT Health, Postdoctoral fellow
Awards: NIH-NLM F31 Predoctoral Fellow (2022-2025)
Publications (11 – and counting): Cárdenes et al. 2021 Bing*, Lovelace* et al 2022 Jia*, Yuan* et al. 2022 Wu et al. 2022 Barak*, Lovelace*, et al. 2023 Barak*, Lovelace*, et al. 2023b Zeng, et al, 2024 Lovelace et al. 2024 Barak, et al. 2025 Labar et al. 2025 Lovelace et al. 2025
Profile: LinkedIn
Haiyi Mao, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, PITT
Thesis title: “Causal Representation Learning for Omics Data and Its Applications in Biological Discovery” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2019-2025
After Benos’ Lab: Merck, Senior Scientist
Current position: Merck, Senior Scientist
Publications (7): Mao et al. 2020 Mao*, Jia*, et al.2022 Mao et al 2022 Mao et al. 2024 Jia, et al. 2025 Mao*, Jia*, Di*, et al. 2025 Valenzi, et al. 2026
Profile: LinkedIn
Vineet Raghu, PhD
PHD Student, CS, PITT
Thesis title: “A Computational Pipeline for Graphical Modeling of Integrated Biomedical Data” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2015-2019
After Benos’ Lab: Harvard University / MGH, T32 Postdoctoral fellow
Current Position: Harvard University / MGH, Assistant Professor
Publications (13): Huang et al, 2015 Raghu et al, 2018 Raghu et al, 2018b Raghu et al. 2018c Manatakis*, Raghu*, Benos, 2018 Sedgewick et al, 2019 Raghu et al, 2019 Xe et al, 2020 Raghu et al, 2020 Fuccello et al. 2020 Raghu et al 2021 Cameron*, Raghu*, et al, 2024 Yuan, et al. 2025
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Andrew J. Sedgewick, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, PITT
Thesis title: “Graphical models for de novo and pathway-based network prediction over multi- modal high-throughput biological data” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2012-2016
After Benos’ Lab: NantOmics LLC, Bioinformatics specialist
Current Position: Tempus Labs, Associate Principal Computational Biologist
Publications (4): Sedgewick et al, 2016 Caparosa*, Sedgwick*, et al, 2019 Sedgewick et al, 2019 Abecassis*, Sedgewick* et al. 2019
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Feng Shan, PhD
PHD Student, ISB, PITT
Thesis title: “Integrated BATF transcriptional network regulates suppressive intratumoral regulatory T cells” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2018-2023 (co-advised; primary: Prof. Dario Vignali)
After Benos’ Lab: MIT, Postdoctoral research fellow
Current position: MIT, Postdoctoral fellow
Publications (2): Cillo, et al. 2021 Shan et al. 2023
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Shu (Eric) Wang, MD
Tsinghua Scholar
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2016-2018
Last known position: Tsinghua University, MD student
Haopu Yang, MD
Tsinghua Scholar
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2019-2021
After Benos’ Lab Tsinghua University, MD student
Last known position: Washington Univ in St Louis, internship
Publications (7): Yang et al, 2020 Kitsios et al, 2020 Valenzi et al. 2021 Kitsios et al. 2021 Kitsios et al. 2023 Kitsios, et al. 2024 Yang, et al., 2026
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Daniel Yuan, PhD
PHD Student, CPCB, PITT
Thesis title: “Causal graph methods for heterogeneous data and application to MUC1 cancer vaccine response” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2019-2023
After Benos’ Lab: AstraZeneca, Senior Scientist
Current position: AstraZeneca, Senior Scientist
Publications (4 – and counting): Fuccello et al. 2020 Jia*, Yuan* et al. 2022 Shan et al. 2023 Yuan, et al. 2025
Profile: LinkedIn
Wenjie Zeng, MD, PhD
PHD Student, Epidemiology, UF
Thesis title: “Integrative analysis of clinical and single-cell transcriptomic data for the potential precision diagnosis and intervention of childhood sjögren’s disease” [PDF]
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2022-2024
After Benos’ Lab: Columbia University, Postdoctoral fellow
Current position: Columbia University, Postdoctoral research scientist
Publications (3 – and counting): Zeng, et al, 2024 Zeng et al, 2025 Herremans*, Zeng*, et al, 2026
Profile: LinkedIn
Staff
Neha Abraham
Research Programmer
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2007-2011
After Benos’ Lab: Bizowie, Junior Software Developer
Current position: Power Home Remodeling, Software Developer
Publications (2): Brower-Sinning et al, 2009 Zinman et al, 2011
Profile: LinkedIn
Arshi Arora, MSc
Medical Scientist
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2010-2012
After Benos’ Lab: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Assistant Research Biostatistician
Current Position: Volastra Therapeutics, Senior scientist
Publications (2): Coronnello et al, 2012 Lu et al, 2012
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Harry Athanassiou
Research Programmer
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2010-2013
After Benos’ Lab: Univ of Pittsburgh, System Programmer / Data Analyst
Last known position: Scientific Projects Engineer, Pittsburgh PA
Publications (1): Huang, Athanassiou, Benos, 2011
Kevin Bui
Research Programmer
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2008
After Benos’ Lab: U Pittsburgh (DBMI),Software Developer
Current Position: U Pittsburgh (DBMI), Senior Software Engineer
Publications (1): Tchagang et al, 2009
Profiles: LinkedIn
Jessica Cummings
Research Assistant
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2003-2007
Current Position: U Pittsburgh (Crit Care Med), Senior Research Specialist (Res IV)
Publications (1; as Jessica Dominick): Corcoran et al, 2005
Profiles: LinkedIn
Short Term
Giorgio Bertolazzi, PhD
Visiting Graduate Student, University of Palermo
Time in Benos’ Lab: Jan-Jun 2019
Current position: University of Palermo, Research Fellow
Publications (2): Bertolazzi et al, 2020 Bertolazzi et al, 2020b
Profiles: LinkedIn; Google scholar
Heather Kobilnyk, MSc
MSc Student, COBB
Time in Benos’ Lab: Time in Benos’ Lab: 2021 (Fall semester)
After Benos’ Lab: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Bioinformatics Engineer
Current Position: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Bioinformatics Engineer
Profile: LinkedIn
Craig Riley, MD
Pulmonary Fellow, UPMC
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2018-2019
Current Position: U Penn Health System, Pulmonary Medicine
Publications (1): Buschur et al. 2023
Yutong Yin, PhD
Graduate Student Researcher, University of Pittsburgh
Time in Benos’ Lab: 2002-2003
Last known position: Capital One, Principal Quantitative Analyst
Publications (1): Workman et al, 2005
Profiles: LinkedIn
Grace Zhang. MD
MD Student Volunteer, University of Pittsburgh
Time in Benos’ Lab: Summer 2018
After graduation: UCSF, Internal Medicine Resident
Current Position: UCSF, Gastroenterology fellow
Publications (1): Buschur et al. 2023
Profiles: LinkedIn