Lab Director
Neal Paragas, PhD
Faculty Positions
Research Associate Professor, University of Washington Department of Radiology 2022-Present.
Research Assistant Professor, University of Washington Department of Radiology 2021-2022.
Research Assistant Professor, University of Washington Department of Medicine Division of Nephrology 2014-2020.
Instructor of Medical Sciences, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Department of Medicine Division of Nephrology 2012-2014.
Post Doctorate
Columbia University, 2010-2012, studied host/pathogen interaction of the kidney under Drs. Barasch and Al-Awqati.
Graduate Education
Columbia University, PhD - 2005-2010 studied mechanisms of cell injury during renal ischemia and reperfusion under Dr. Jonathan Barasch.
Undergraduate Education
University of Washington, 1995-2000, BS, Botany
Lab Manager
Darshini Vijayakumar, BS
Darshini is a recent graduate from UC Santa Cruz with her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience. While at Santa Cruz, she was an undergraduate research assistant part of Dr. Yi Zuo’s lab investigating the social preference deficits of neurodegenerative mouse models. Currently, she is a research scientist a part of the Paragas Lab where she manages the Radiology Optical Imaging Core, as well as participates on various small animal PET imaging projects.
Former Lab Members
Toni Hsu, PhD
Dr. Hsu studied molecular and hormonal control of crustacean biological rhythms in the Dr. Horacio de la Iglesia Lab at the University of Washington. She continued her work in biological rhythms as a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Michael Rosbash’s lab at Brandeis University, where she developed a rapid MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry workflow looking at differential neuropeptidomics in Drosophila melanogaster. Returning to Seattle, she joined Dr. Eric Turner’s lab at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Using a multi-disciplinary approach (genetics, neuroanatomy, behavior and electrophysiology), she examined the functions of habenula and its role in depression and anxiety. As a research scientist in the Paragas Lab Toni manages the South Lake Union Small Animal Imaging Core and investigates the pathophysiology of kidney diseases.
Tomoaki Miyazaki, MD PhD
Faculty Positions
Research Scholar, University of Washington Department of Medicine Division of Nephrology 2016-Present.
Graduate Education
Showa University, Japan, PhD - 2010-2016 studied clinical effect of tonsillectomy and steroid pulse therapy to IgA nephropathy under Drs. Ashio Yoshimura and Toshio Nakadate.
Postgraduate Training
Assistant Professor, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital Department of Medicine Division of Nephrology, Japan 2012-2016.
Resident in Internal Medicine, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, Japan 2010-2012.
Undergraduate Education
Showa University in Japan, MD - 2004-2010.
Stefan M Czerniecki, MS
Stefan is working on a collaborative project with the Dr. Benjamin Freedman group on high-throughput kidney injury screening. He completed his Masters degree in Cellular and Physiological Sciences at the University of British Columbia.