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Lab Leader
Marvin and Betty Danto Research Professor of Connective Tissue Research
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Associate Director, Lupus Program
Lab Manager
Srilakshmi (Sri) Yalavarthi, MS
Sri Yalavarthi, MS has worked at the University of Michigan for over 18 years and joined Dr. Knight’s lab in 2013. Apart from general lab maintenance, Sri's current work primarily focuses on the role of anti-NET antibodies as potential biomarkers for disease severity in auto immune diseases such as APS. She is also interested in investigating any potential connection between anti-NET antibodies and disease progression in COVID-19 patients. Outside the lab, Sri enjoys gardening and wishes that Michigan would have long summers. She also loves to travel to new places with her family and try out new cuisines.
Faculty
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
APS Program Manager
Cyrus Sarosh, a clinical research project manager, joined the team in 2021. Cyrus works on the Regulatory and Compliance aspects of the Human Research Projects, and helps oversee the research occurring in the Knight Lab. Cyrus has been working at Michigan Medicine since 2011, specializing in research. He received his bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan and his Master of Science in Administration with a focus on Health Services Administration from Central Michigan University. In his free time, Cyrus enjoys playing baseball and spending time with his family.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Ramadan Ali completed his bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Toledo, Ohio where he also received his PhD degree in Medicinal Chemistry. He joined the Michigan Medicine Division of Rheumatology in 2017 as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Ali's research focuses on adenosine receptors as potential therapeutic targets in APS. He is also interested in natural medicine, specifically the anti-inflammatory effects of ginger-derived compounds in the context of lupus, APS, and other inflammatory diseases. In his off-time, Dr. Ali loves to spend quality time with his family. Learn more about Dr. Ali’s research.
Dr. Chao Liu is a postdoctoral research fellow who joined the team in 2020. Dr. Liu works primarily on the study of renin-angiotensin system regulation on neutrophils, as well as a number of other studies involving diabetes and COVID-19. He is a 2015 graduate of Nanjing Medical University with a PhD degree in cardiovascular pharmacology. In his free time, Dr. Liu enjoys exercise and traveling.
Dr. Jacqueline Madison, a clinical fellow in Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology, joined the research team in 2019. Dr. Madison is interested in the study of APS, with a particular interest in pediatric APS. She contributes to the study of thrombosis and antiphospholipid antibodies in COVID-19 patients. Dr. Madison graduated from Yale University with bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Anthropology, and received her MD degree and completed a combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency from the University of Michigan. In her free time, Dr. Madison enjoys exploring the outdoors, running, and spending time with her family and mischievous labradoodle.
Dr. Hui Shi joined the Michigan Medicine Division of Rheumatology as a research fellow, under mentor Dr. Jason Knight, in 2019. Dr. Shi's research interests include interaction of neutrophils, NETs and endothelial cells in thrombotic disease and skin endothelial cells in antiphospholipid syndrome. She received her medical degree from Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China in 2009, and held several internships and residencies there. Dr. Shi received her PhD degree at Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine in 2017, and completed her fellowship as a rheumatologist at Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai.
Dr. Gautam Sule's research interests involve cells and factors that regulate the immune system, and their implications for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. He received his PhD degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed a fellowship at the NIH before joining the Knight Lab in 2016. Dr. Sule employs both human and mouse systems to investigate the role of innate immune cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders, with a specific interest in understanding the impact of stress response in the basic function of neutrophils and how it influences neutrophil behavior in the context of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and APS.
Dr. Ajay Tambralli is a clinical research fellow studying metabolism in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in Dr. Knight's lab and is a third-year fellow in Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology. Dr. Tambralli received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama and completed his residency at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.
Research Staff
Alyssa Harbaugh is a study coordinator and research laboratory technician who joined the team in January of 2020. Alyssa works primarily on the neutrophil metabolism project with Dr. Ajay Tambralli, as well as managing the lab's healthy control blood donations. She graduated from the University of Michigan in Spring 2021 with a BS in Biomolecular Science and minors in creative writing and music. In her free time, Alyssa directs Heal-Move-Shift, a nonprofit which she helped found in 2018. She is also an avid singer, artist, and novelist.
Claire Hoy is a study coordinator and research laboratory technician who joined the team in 2020. Claire works primarily on the ANSWERS (ANtiphospholipid Syndrome - Working to Establish Real Solutions) study, as well as a number of other studies involving APS and the COVID-19 virus. She is a 2020 graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in biology and minor in studio art. In her free time, Claire likes painting, thrifting, reading, watching movies and shows, and spending time with her friends, family, and cat, Delilah.
Sherwin Navaz is a research technician associate who joined the Knight Lab in 2021. His research interests include Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs), Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), as well as blood clotting mechanisms in COVID-19. Sherwin graduated from the University of Michigan in the winter of 2020 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Cellular & Molecular Biology and a Minor in Music. He aims to attend medical school in pursuit of becoming a physician-scientist. In his free time, Sherwin enjoys playing the piano, reading about music history, and writing music. When not in the lab or at the piano, he also enjoys fitness training and tennis.
Undergraduate Students
Andrew Fernandes
atfernan@med.umich.edu
Corinne Packel
cpackel@med.umich.edu
Julia Weiner
juweiner@med.umich.edu
