Lab Staff

Bo Liu, PhD 
Professor 
(608) 263-5931
liub@surgery.wisc.edu

Kartik Gupta, MS 
Research Assistant 
(608) 263-5931
kgupta9@wisc.edu

RIP3-dependent necrosis—or necroptosis— is a form of programmed cell-death that is at the pathogenesis of a constantly expanding list of diseases. A fast-growing body of literature also highlights new fundamental mechanisms by which RIP3 and necroptosis are causal of diseases.

As a graduate student in the Cell and Molecular Biology program, Kartik is interested in understanding ways in which cells maintain a given pool of RIP3 by transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms. He is interested in how diseases develop when RIP3 levels go awry such as in vascular disease, and also in fundamental physiological processes such as cell-division.

When he is not studying murine-vasculature, you can find him reading papers over a cup of coffee or running on the Lakeshore Path.
Mendota, putting into practical use the theoretical principles of a healthy cardiovascular system.

Amelia Stranz, BS
Lab Manager 
astranz@wisc.edu

Amelia is the lab manager for the Liu Lab. She previously graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology and Psychology. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She helps with various projects in the lab along with working with students and general lab maintenance.

Ting Zhou, PhD
Research Associate
zhout@surgery.wisc.edu

After receiving her Ph.D. in 2015, Ting joined Dr. Bo Liu’s lab as research associate. Now she is working on signaling pathways in smooth muscle cell death and endothelial dysfunction during the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm and therapeutic targeting.

Huan Yang, PhD
Research Associate
yangh@surgery.wisc.edu

I obtained my PhD from Peking University in 2014 working on lipid metabolism in Parkinson’s disease. Before joining the Liu lab, I worked on regulation of autophagy in retinal degeneration. In the Liu lab, I aim to explore the role of macrophage derived extracellular matrix protein TSP1 during the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Mitri Khoury, MD
Research Fellow
khoury@surgery.wisc.edu

I am a General Surgery resident at the University of Texas, Southwestern currently under the T32 Vascular Fellowship in Dr. Bo Liu’s lab at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. My research currently focuses on RIPK3’s role in thrombosis, extracellular vesicles, and deep vein thrombosis. In addition, I do work related to necroptosis and inflammation in aortic aneurysms. I will be applying to Vascular Surgery Fellowship in the 2020-2021 cycle with plans of becoming an academic Vascular Surgeon once I have completed all my training.

Elise DeRoo, MD
Vascular Surgery Resident
ederoo@uwhealth.org

Elise is a vascular surgery resident physician performing research in the Liu Lab under the support of a T32 grant. She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 2018 and subsequently matched into the University of Wisconsin’s Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency Program (2018-2025). She is currently studying the role of Receptor Interacting Protein Kinase 3 in venous thrombosis (VT). In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, trail running, and spending time with her husband exploring Madison.

Alyssa Lentine, BS
Research Assistant
lentine@surgery.wisc.edu

Alyssa received her degree in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018 and was previously a lab manager in the Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology before joining the Liu Lab in March of 2021. She currently assists Amelia and Elise with their projects and general lab maintenance tasks.