Our Team
Meet the dedicated researchers, students, and staff who make our work possible.
Luke Carmichael Valmadrid, MPH
Undergraduate Student
Luke is a fourth-year medical student and PRIME-HEq scholar at UCSD. He received his BS degrees in Biochemistry and Violin-Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Planning to apply into psychiatry residency next year, he joined the Sanchez-Roige lab with active interests in suicide and substance use. Outside of the biomedical and social sciences, he is a runner, gamer, chamber musician, and the current second chair violist for the California Young Artists Symphony.
Ryder DiGiulio
Undergraduate Student
Ryder DiGiulio is currently an undergraduate student at University of California San Diego pursuing a B.S. in Neurobiology. She is interested in studying genetic factors underlying mental illnesses, particularly eating disorders and substance abuse disorders. Ryder plans to obtain a dual JD/MD postgrad and pursue a career in bioethics. When she’s not in class or the lab, Ryder is almost outdoors- hiking, biking, or hanging with friends at the beach.
Sandra Sanchez-Roige, PhD
Associate Professor
I co-lead the Sanchez-Roige Lab with Lisa, a talented British Shorthair, and Margot, a curious five-year-old. Psychiatric geneticist, with an emphasis on translational research, I am passionate about identifying the biological drivers that place people at risk for substance use disorders and comorbid physical and mental health. I speak Catalan, Spanish, and English (with a complicated accent that is a hybrid of the Spears' 1998 hits and the Great British Baking Show). I am fortunate to work with stellar colleagues at UCSD and beyond, through multiple consortia efforts. If you'd like to join our efforts, or provide feedback, please reach out!
Laura Vilar-Ribó, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Laura is a postdoctoral researcher at Sanchez-Roige lab. She grew up in Barcelona, where she received her BSc in Biochemistry, MSc in Biomedical Research, and PhD in Human Genetics from the University of Barcelona. Her research focuses on unraveling the genetic mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders and complex traits, with a particular emphasis on substance use disorders (SUDs) and impulsivity. Additionally, she seeks to provide genetic insights into the heterogeneity of these conditions, paving the way for more targeted interventions and treatments. In her free time, Laura enjoys outdoor activities, hiking, yoga, and dancing salsa.
Hayley HA Thorpe, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher / Visiting Scholar
Hayley is a visiting scholar in the Sanchez-Roige lab. Her main home is at Western University in the lab of Dr. Jibran Khokhar. She received her BSc in Neuroscience (Dalhousie University), MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology (University of Guelph), and PhD in Biomedical Sciences (University of Guelph). Hayley is interested in using human and animal research to understand the genetics of substance use and major psychopathologies, especially during critical neurodevelopmental periods. Hayley enjoys 3D printing/modeling, playing video games, and watching anime in her free time.
John J Meredith, BSc
Bioinformatic Systems Analyst
John is a bioinformatics programmer in the Sanchez-Roige Lab. He received his BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduation, he managed surgery EHR software at Epic for several hospitals in the United States. He got his start in academia with the Pankratz Lab at the University of Minnesota, developing software for genomic analysis with a particular focus on pediatric cancers. Currently, he is developing analysis pipelines for substance use and other psychiatric traits, and his primary focus is using cloud-based tools like the All of Us Researcher Workbench to expand these analyses to new cohorts. John enjoys spending time with his dog, running, hiking, and playing golf in his free time.
Ellen Tsai, BSc
PhD Student
Ellen is a Ph.D. student in the Genetics and Genomic Sciences program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is co-mentored by Dr. Lea K. Davis and Dr. Sandra Sanchez-Roige. She joined the lab after graduating from UCLA with a degree in Computational and Systems Biology in 2023. Ellen is broadly interested psychiatric genetics, with her current focus being opioid use disorder (OUD). She is investigating the impact of different phenotyping methods on genetic analyses and is working on understanding the genetics underpinning of OUD in diverse populations. In her free time, Ellen enjoys crocheting, cooking, and watching volleyball games.
Jean Gonzalez, BA
PhD Student
Jean is a PhD student in the Sanchez-Roige and Palmer Labs. He is in the Bioinformatics and Systems Biology program at UCSD where he is also a Sloan Scholar. Jean previously earned his BA in Computer Science from Vassar College. He has previously done research at the University of North Dakota, Texas A&M, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on a variety of computational biology projects. Jean is interested in the computational processing of biological data, namely genetics. Outside of the lab he is usually reading or watching classic movies.
Yajaira Ramos
Graduate Student Researcher
Yajaira is a graduate student researcher in the Sanchez-Roige lab. She is a master's student in Clinical Research interested in exploring the genetic factors contributing to psychiatric disorders. She plans on pursuing medical school to combine clinical research and practice to provide support for underrepresented communities. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and exploring new places!
Anirudh Chandrasekaran
Student Researcher
Anirudh Chandrasekaran is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology, with minors in Psychology and Human Developmental Science, and is hoping to go to medical school. Anirudh will be studying opioid use disorders, and hopes to gain a better understanding of risk factors associated with opioid use among different demographics. Apart from the lab, Anirudh enjoys playing the violin, loves to swim, and is always keen to try different food places!
Fabrizio Malatesta
Student Researcher
Fabrizio Malatesta is an undergraduate student researcher in the Sanchez-Roige lab. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Bioinformatics, with minors in Computer Science and Chemistry. He is excited to begin his research in computational psychiatry. Fabrizio's previous research includes studying rare CRISPR-Cas9 editing events in single cells and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Outside of the lab, he enjoys rock climbing, playing soccer, and training in Muay Thai.
Lisa
Lab Assistant
Because it's always a good idea to hire a cat.
Alumni
- Mariela Jennings (2021-2025)
- Ivonne Xu (2023-2025)
- Shreya Pakala (2023-2025)
- Renata Cupertino (2023-2024)
- Natasia Courchesne-Krak (2022-2023)
- Michael Ehinmowo (2022-2023)
- Sevim Bianchi (2020-2023)
- Benjamin Pham (2022)
- Terry Lee (2022)
- Calvin Lee (2021-2022)
- Jin Yi Wu (2019-2021)
- Zeljana Babic (2021)
- Yuye (Flory) Huang (2020-2021)
- Rebecca Tsai (2019-2020)
- Frederick Martinez (2019-2020)
- Kaiqi Zhang (2019-2020)
- Jazlene Mallari (2018-2020)
- Cedric Snethlage (2018)