MariCarmen Lafita Navarro, PhD.

Principal Investigator – Assistant Professor
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MariCarmen joined the University of Virginia in 2025 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine. Dr. Lafita Navarro earned her PhD in Biomedicine and Molecular Biology from the University of Cantabria, Spain in the laboratory of Dr. Javier León at the Biomedicine and Biotechnology Institute of Cantabria (IBBTEC). There, she studied the transcriptional regulation mediated by the oncogenic MYC network. Then, Dr. Lafita Navarro joined the laboratory of Dr. Maralice Conacci-Sorrell at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, where she discovered key metabolic and nucleolar regulators of MYC-driven cancer cells. Learn more.

Riddhi Ursekar, M.S.

Research technician
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I am Riddhi Ursekar, and I joined the lab in August 2025 as Lab and research tech 2. I am interested in learning how metabolic pathways are connected to glioblastoma, and I am excited to explore how changes in cell metabolism can influence cancer growth. Being in this lab gives me the chance to build new skills and dive deeper into questions that connect basic biology with real-world impact. Outside of science, I love to travel, discover new places, and try different cuisines.

Kristine Han

Undergrad student UVA
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I am a fourth-year undergraduate at UVA studying Biology!I joined the lab in August 2025. My two favorite subjects are Developmental Biology and Forensics which correlates to my interest in hopefully becoming a forensic examiner someday. In my free time, I love making and listening to music and taking care of my cat named Brad.

Abigail Lee

Undergrad student UVA
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Abigail Lee joined the lab in August 2025 and is eager to continue her work throughout the academic year. She is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Virginia pursuing a major in Neuroscience and minor in Dance on the Pre-Health track. Abigail is especially interested in exploring the connections between the brain, behavior, and movement, and she looks forward to gaining hands-on experience in scientific research while building a strong foundation for a future career in medicine. Beyond the lab, she is an active member of the University Dance Club, where she enjoys performing and collaborating with other dancers. She is also involved in Kappa Delta sorority, where she values the sense of community and sisterhood, and she loves spending her free time discovering local coffee shops, hiking trails, and everything else Charlottesville has to offer.