People

Julia J. Mack, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator

Julia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology at UCLA. She received her Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from UCLA working in Prof. Richard Kaner’s laboratory on carbon nanomaterials. She then worked in industry at Teledyne Scientific in the Composite Materials Group. After developing biocompatible composites for tissue engineering applications, she decided to return to UCLA in 2011 to study vascular biology as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab of Prof. Luisa Iruela-Arispe. As a postdoc, she discovered that NOTCH1 is an endothelial mechanosensor and functions to maintain arterial homeostasis in the adult vasculature. She established the role of NOTCH1 protein in endothelial quiescence under flow and revealed the pathophysiological relevance of NOTCH1 signaling in suppressing atherosclerosis. Julia is interested in modes of endothelial mechanotransduction to discover how blood flow controls vascular function. Her broad research interests lie in the multi-disciplinary field of regenerative medicine, specifically focusing on the complex role of physical forces in vascular response and remodeling. To this end, the lab utilizes bioreactor systems to control the microenvironment and investigates how cells organize and communicate. In her spare time, Julia enjoys the sunny California weather by hiking the Santa Monica mountains, cruising along Venice beach bike paths and yoga in the park.

Soon-Gook is a Postdoctoral Fellow since July 2022. He holds a B.A. in Physical Education from Korea University and M.S. in Exercise Physiology from Seoul National University in South Korea. During his time as a M.S. student, Soon-Gook participated in multiple human research projects focusing on the effects of physical activity on chronic diseases associated with aging and cognitive function in elderly. Then, he received his Ph.D. in Kinesiology: Integrative Exercise Physiology from Temple University, focusing on mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy process in endothelial cells under physiological flow conditions. He worked in Dr. Joon Park’s Laboratory in the Cardiovascular Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University as a Research Assistant. His research areas of interest include endothelial/mitochondrial biology, mechanobiology and exercise physiology. The long-term goal of his research is to elucidate the molecular signaling mechanisms by which physical activity improves adverse effects of aging, especially in the blood vessel and prevents cardiovascular diseases. During his spare time, Soon-Gook enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, swimming and weight training.

Soon-Gook Hong, Ph.D.
Postdoc

Meigan Wu
Lab Manager

Meigan is a staff research associate who joined the lab in July 2022. She graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics and a minor in Anthropology. As an undergraduate student, she volunteered in the lab of Dr. Elizabeth Tarling and Dr. Thomas Vallim studying an E3 ubiquitin ligase and its effect on LDLR and plasma cholesterol levels. Meigan also conducted novel bacteriophage research as part of the intercollegiate SEA-PHAGES program under the guidance of Dr. Amanda Freise and Dr. Ana Garcia Vedrenne. Some fun facts: Meigan loves to play the flute, play tennis, and go on hikes!

Eesha is a third year Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology major from Thousand Oaks, California who is minoring in Biomedical Research. She is very interested in the cardiovascular system and the role of endothelial cells in maintaining cardiovascular health. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, listening to music, doing puzzles with her friends, and spending time with her family. After graduating from UCLA, Eesha hopes to attend medical school and continue to pursue research while also working as a practicing physician.

Lily Mayek
Mouse Technician

Lily is a third year Biology major with a minor in Japanese from White Bear Lake, Minnesota. She is a Resident Assistant and a member of the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team and APA Health Care. She also volunteers with TimeOut@UCLA in the Department of Geriatrics. Lily has always had an interest in the cardiovascular system and its intricacies, and is excited to be doing mouse-work in the Mack Lab and learn more about the genetic associations in endothelial cell inflammation. In her free time, Lily likes to go eat yummy food with friends, hammock, and listen to music.

Alice is a third-year majoring in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. She joined the Mack Lab hoping to learn more about endothelial cells, the dynamics of blood flow, and vascular function in relation to suppressing atherosclerosis. Some of her hobbies include watching the sunrise, gazing at the evening stars, and going on spontaneous trips to the Farmer's Market in Westwood Village.

Alice Yao
Zebrafish Imaging

Alexis Barrera
Cell Imaging

Alexis is a fourth year Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics major who is minoring in Biomedical Research. Upon graduating, she plans to attend medical school with the intent of becoming a cardiologist. Currently an EMT, she has also enjoyed working at an Outpatient Surgery Center caring for patients alongside Nurses, Doctors, PAs, and NPs. These experiences have further fueled her desires to pursue a career in medicine. Alexis is excited to learn more about the importance of endothelial cells in the cardiovascular system in the Mack Lab. In her free time, she likes to watch anything from Bravo, eat sushi, and play with her cat.

Nicholas is a fourth-year Data Theory student from Lafayette, California. He joined as part of the image analysis team mainly utilizing python to quantify localized calcium tip activity in endothelial cells. In the past he has doing image analysis work for the Orsulic laboratory to identify biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer cells. He enjoys working out by lifting weights, swimming, running, and loves to spend time at Lake Tahoe where he skiis in the winter and wakesurfs during the summer. Currently he is interning as a software engineer at Cisco and post-graduation hopes to continue his career in software development and further his passion for AI research by pursuing a graduate degree sometime in the future.

Nicholas Davidson
Image Analysis

Image Analysis
Jiexuan Fang

Jiexuan is a fourth-year computer science student from Beijing, China. Before joining the Mack Lab, he interned at the American Chamber of Commerce in the department of digital technology and analytics, where he helped increase productivity by automating spending analysis, information collection and data maintenance on the company system. In his free time, Jiexuan enjoys ultimate frisbee and sim racing.