Close-up of sample being place into microplate

Research Lab Overview

At the heart of the Shuck Lab is the search for a greater understanding of how metabolic dysregulation causes diabetes and cancer. Specifically, we are investigating the biochemistry involved when excess sugar damages important molecules such as proteins and DNA. Using our discoveries, we are focused on developing proactive tools to predict and prevent disease. Through our work with other research teams at City of Hope, we are testing these tools in patient samples collected from individuals with diabetes, kidney disease and cancer. Our goal is to expand our work into clinical tests to detect disease at the earliest stages. Such tests would allow doctors to implement more effective treatment plans, decreasing disease burden and improving patient quality of life.

Principal Investigator: Sarah Shuck, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Diabetes & Cancer Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute

Full bio

Lab Members

Alana Battad

Research Associate I

Alana Battad was born and raised in Wailuku, Hawaii. She earned her bachelor's in biology with a concentration in cellular and molecular biology and minored in neuroscience at Occidental College. Her lab career started as an undergraduate where she worked with a research group under Kerry Thompson, Ph.D. studying the fusogenic properties of various neuronal cells induced with pluripotent stem cells. As a research associate in the Shuck lab, Battad currently studies the links between prostate cancer and methylglyoxal accumulation in diverse populations and how this affects the enzymatic activity of Glyoxalase.

Keilani Sun

Research Associate I

Keilani Sun earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry with an emphasis in medical science from the University of California, Riverside. During her studies, she worked closely with various research labs within the School of Medicine where she found a particular interest in cancer metabolism. She's focused on learning various research techniques including high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to be able to assist in her research. Currently, Keilani is focusing on the identification of metabolic adducts associated with prostate cancer progression in African American men by studying the impact of GLO1 SNPs on MG-AGE accumulation, cell growth, the expression of metastatic markers and the induction of genomic mutations. In the future, she plans to further her education and hopes to share her knowledge and passion for research with the future generations through teaching.

Edwin Lopez Gonzalez

Research Associate II

Edwin D. J. Lopez Gonzalez completed his bachelor’s degree at Pomona College in 2021 earning degrees in neuroscience and chemistry. He conducted research in areas ranging from electrochemistry and organic synthetic chemistry to molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. He joined the Sarah Shuck Lab in June of 2021 to serve the chemistry needs of the team. He quickly developed expertise in mass spectrometry and multiomics to analyze and quantify a wide range of samples from in vitro to biospecimens collected from patients with rare diseases. Edwin hopes to take the training and skills he has acquired in the Shuck Lab to future endeavors as a physician scientist

Kassy Lopez

Graduate Student

Kassy Lopez earned her associate's degree in biological sciences from Citrus Community College. At Citrus, she was selected for a summer research fellowship in environmental sciences to study the anti-predator behavior of hermit crabs at Chapman University under William Wright, Ph.D. She then transferred and graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a bachelor's in biological sciences with a minor in psychology. During her time at Cal Poly Pomona, she was selected for the Scholars Program in Research, Education & Science to conduct research under Frances Mercer, Ph.D. She was awarded the Doris A. Howell Foundation – CSUPERB Research Fellowship to support her research investigating the role of CD64 in the neutrophil killing of Trichomonas vaginalis via trogocytosis. She's currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences and is co-mentored by Sarah Shuck, Ph.D. and Debbie Thurmond, Ph.D. Her research aims include the role of metabolic alterations in driving type 2 Diabetes and identifying novel biomarkers for clinical use. Her research is supported by the Diabetes Prevention Risk Omics Metabolism and Therapy of Diabetes T32 predoctoral fellowship.

Mya Walker

Graduate Student

Mya Walker received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from California State University Long Beach and completed research internships at the Ohio State University and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles before joining the Ph.D. program at City of Hope. She began her doctoral training in City of Hope's Division of Health Equities, under the supervision of Rick Kittles, Ph.D., professor and division director, investigating the role of vitamin D signaling and diet-related DNA adducts on prostate cancer disparities. She then joined the Sarah Shuck lab to complete her Ph.D. training. Her thesis research focuses on methylglyoxal-derived advanced glycation end products and their role in increased prostate cancer risk and aggressiveness in African American men.

Leslie Wenning

Graduate Student

As an undergraduate, Leslie Wenning majored in psychology and obtained a New York State Elementary Teaching Certificate from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She loved studying the human mind and genuinely enjoyed teaching elementary school children in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She also enjoyed working with animals while doing undergraduate research. Thus, after graduation, Wenning wanted to enter a field that combined her passions for psychology, education, and research. As either a physician or veterinarian, she could be a health educator and scientist, as well as a source of emotional support, to either patients or patient’s owners. Wenning was torn between applying to medical versus veterinary school, but her father’s passing during that time personally motivated her to become a physician. But then, during her third year of medical school, she realized that she missed working with animals. As a veterinarian, not only would she get to work with animals and conduct research, but she would be able to use her psychology and education skills with their owners. Subsequently, Wenning left medical school and was accepted to veterinary school. Given her background in human medicine, she was immediately drawn to the field of laboratory animal medicine due to the emphasis on comparative medicine between humans and animals. More importantly, Wenning has always believed that laboratory animals deserve access to enrichment, health, and ethical research protocols. And finally, she found her calling in May 2022, Wenning graduated from Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a master’s in laboratory animal medicine. Currently, she is a resident veterinarian, Laboratory Animal Medicine Fellow, and P.h.D. Candidate in biological sciences at the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope in Duarte, California. Human and animal health are interconnected, and Wenning looks forward to working on preclinical animal models in the Sarah Shuck lab to provide a better prognosis for both human and animal patients with cancer and other metabolic derangements.

Leslie Wenning

Graduate Student

As an undergraduate, Leslie Wenning majored in psychology and obtained a New York State Elementary Teaching Certificate from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

She loved studying the human mind and genuinely enjoyed teaching elementary school children in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She also enjoyed working with animals while doing undergraduate research. Thus, after graduation, Wenning wanted to enter a field that combined her passions for psychology, education, and research. As either a physician or veterinarian, she could be a health educator and scientist, as well as a source of emotional support, to either patients or patient’s owners.

Wenning was torn between applying to medical versus veterinary school, but her father’s passing during that time personally motivated her to become a physician. But then, during her third year of medical school, she realized that she missed working with animals.

As a veterinarian, not only would she get to work with animals and conduct research, but she would be able to use her psychology and education skills with their owners. Subsequently, Wenning left medical school and was accepted to veterinary school. Given her background in human medicine, she was immediately drawn to the field of laboratory animal medicine due to the emphasis on comparative medicine between humans and animals. More importantly, Wenning has always believed that laboratory animals deserve access to enrichment, health, and ethical research protocols.

And finally, she found her calling in May 2022, Wenning graduated from Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a master’s in laboratory animal medicine. Currently, she is a resident veterinarian, Laboratory Animal Medicine Fellow, and P.h.D. Candidate in biological sciences at the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope in Duarte, California.

Human and animal health are interconnected, and Wenning looks forward to working on preclinical animal models in the Sarah Shuck lab to provide a better prognosis for both human and animal patients with cancer and other metabolic derangements.

Past Lab Members

Tala Zoukari – Research Associate I
Priscilla Ki – Research Associate I
Raul Davila – Research Associate I
Seigmund Wai Tsuen Lai – Graduate Student
Adrian Huang – Summer Student
Nadia Paquin – Summer Student

Nelia Perry – Summer Student
Briana Werner – Summer Student
Isabella Saeedy – Summer Student
Cecilia Warren – Summer Student
Erin Halligan – Summer Student

Research Highlights

Individuals that are at an increased risk of developing diabetes, diabetic complications and cancer have underlying metabolic changes that contribute to disease progression. These mechanisms are not clear, but covalent modifications of DNA, RNA and protein by reactive electrophiles produced during metabolic processes are proposed to play a role. Accordingly, the team in the Shuck Lab aims to understand how genetic, epigenetic and epitranscriptomic changes induced by altered metabolism lead to diabetes and cancer.

Bridging lab discoveries to their translation into the clinic, the Shuck Lab also works to exploit covalent modifications induced by electrophiles — particularly advanced glycation end products (AGEs) — to predict the risk of disease. We are also working to develop novel tools to prevent disease onset and progression. Using our patented technology, we have identified specific AGEs that are associated with diabetes, diabetic complications and cancer. We are currently exploring the utility of these AGEs to predict disease so that clinical interventions can be implemented to prevent disease progression.