Our lab members come from around the world to join our efforts.

Aerken Maolake, MD, PhD
Aerken Maolake, MD, PhD
Research Associate
Dr. Maolake is a trained urologic surgeon (Xi’an School of Medicine, China) who went on to complete a PhD studying the role of cytokines in prostate cancer metastasis at Kanazawa University in Japan. Dr. Maolake is leading our efforts on the mechanism of myokines regulating tumor growth and the tumor microenvironment.
Kavin Velur Ganesan, M. Tech.
Kavin Velur Ganesan, M. Tech.
Master’s Student
Mr. Genesan earned an MTech in Biotechnology at the Vellore Institute of Technology (India) prior to matriculating to the Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics program in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of University at Buffalo. Since joining the lab, he has focused on the role of the vasculature in altering the immune microenvironment of prostate tumors.
Jessica Herrington, BS
Jessica Herrington, BS
Post-Baccalaureate Trainee
Ms. Herrington is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in biomedical sciences. Initially, she characterized novel targeted photoacoustic imaging agents for prostate cancer. Recently, she has been working to unravel the role of myokines in frailty, primarily in samples from our clinical trials.
Renyuan Zhang, PhD
Renyuan Zhang, PhD
Recent Alumna

Dr. Zhang joined the Roswell Park graduate program after completing her bachelor’s degree at Xiamen University (China) in both chemical biology and advertising. She initially quantitatively determined the effects of ADT on the prostate anatomy in a mouse model of benign prostatic hyperplasia and followed up by functionally determining the activity of TNF in BPH. She then determined the role of TNF and CCL2 in castration-resistant recurrence of prostate cancer.

The focus of her thesis employed the combination of the bioinformatic expertise she developed in combination with “wet bench” characterization of mouse model to dissect the immune suppressive changes in prostate cancers, and how these are modulated by ADT.

From left: Neha Jaiswal (former post-doc), Renyuan Zhang (former PhD student), Ellen Sanders-Noonan (retired Dept. Administrator), John Krolewski (retired collaborator), Nadia Ghent (JK’s wife), Aerken Maolake (research scientist): Kent Nastiuk (photographer)
From left: Neha Jaiswal (former post-doc), Renyuan Zhang (former PhD student), Ellen Sanders-Noonan (retired Dept. Administrator), John Krolewski (retired collaborator), Nadia Ghent (JK’s wife), Aerken Maolake (research scientist): Kent Nastiuk (photographer).

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Department of Cancer Genetics & Genomics
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Elm and Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263