About the Center for Iron Disorders

We are a group of research scientists dedicated to:

  • Understanding the role of iron in human health and disease
  • Improving the diagnosis of iron disorders
  • Developing better medications for common and rare iron disorders

Research areas

  • Control of intestinal iron absorption from food
  • Storage of iron in the liver and the spleen
  • Distribution of iron among cells and tissues
  • Regulation of iron supply for red blood cell production
  • Consequences of iron deficiency
  • Mechanisms of damage by excess iron
  • Iron in pregnancy and fetal development

Diseases of special interest:

  • Anemia of inflammation
  • Anemia of chronic kidney disease
  • Anemia of cancer
  • Iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia
  • Hereditary hemochromatosis
  • Thalassemia (Cooley’s Anemia)
  • Cardiovascular and neurological disorders associated with iron dysregulation

Staff

Faculty

Tomas Ganz

Tomas Ganz
MD PhD

Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pathology
tganz@mednet.ucla.edu

Elizabeta Nemeth

Elizabeta Nemeth
PhD

Professor of Medicine, Director, UCLA Center for Iron Disorders
enemeth@mednet.ucla.edu

Mark Hanudel

Mark Hanudel
MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

mhanudel@mednet.ucla.edu

Airie Kim

Airie Kim
MD PhD

Asssociate Professor, Pulmonary and Critical Care
airiekim@mednet.ucla.edu

Nicolaos Palaskas

Nicolaos Palaskas
MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

npalaskas@mednet.ucla.edu

Shilpa Sharma

Shilpa Sharma
MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

ShilpaSharma@mednet.ucla.edu

Veena Sangkhae

Veena Sangkhae
PhD

Assistant Professor

vsangkhae@mednet.ucla.edu

Yonca Bulut

Yonca Bulut
MD

Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Intensive Care
ybulut@mednet.ucla.edu

Fellows

Brian Czaya

Brian Czaya
PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

BCzaya@mednet.ucla.edu

Vida Zhang

Vida Zhang
PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

vzhang@mednet.ucla.edu

Akhila Vadivelan

Akhila Vadivelan
MD

Pediatric Hematology Fellow

avadivelan@mednet.ucla.edu

Joseph Olivera

Joseph Olivera
PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

JOlivera@mednet.ucla.edu

Lab manager

Grace Jung

Grace Jung
MS

cljung@mednet.ucla.edu

Graduate students

Daniel Srole

Daniel Srole

dsrole@mednet.ucla.edu

Gabriel Karin

Gabriel Karin

gkarin@mednet.ucla.edu

Scientists

Amber Lundin

Amber Lundin

alundin@mednet.ucla.edu

Moya Zhang

Moya Zhang

moyazhang@g.ucla.edu

  • Vivian Yu
  • Richard Coffey
  • Victoria Gabayan
  • Bo Qiao
  • Shirley Wong
  • Allison Fisher, PhD
  • Peter Ruchala, PhD
  • Joanne Mordechai
  • Shweta Namjoshi, MD
  • Debora Stefanova, PhD
  • Sharraya Aschemeyer, PhD
  • Erika Valore, MS
  • Rose Linzmeier, PhD
  • Eileen Fung, PhD
  • Joshua Zaritsky, MD PhD
  • Emilio Ramos, PhD
  • Gloria Preza, PhD
  • Julia Goodnough Ramos, MD PhD
  • Lan Lin, PhD
  • Michela Corbella
  • Cecilia D'Anna, PhD
  • Jason Hsu
  • Seth Rivera, MD PhD
  • Dana Shprung, MD
  • Donald Matt Limbrick
  • Ken Maes, PhD
  • Rogelio Pinon, MD
  • Matthew Hakimi, MD
  • Yen Phung, PharmD
  • Miguel Lopez, PhD
  • Dharma Thapa, PhD
  • Martha Pastuszka, PhD
  • Yelena Neyman, MD
  • Cindy Pak, MD
  • Christina Park
  • Joao Arezes, PhD
  • Eileen Fung, PhD
  • Rose Linzmeier, PhD
  • Kristine Chua

Lab Photos