Lab Members
About Florencia McAllister, M.D.
, is a physician-scientist who leads a basic and translational Immunology laboratory with the goal of making discoveries that can result in effective cancer early detection, immunoprevention and immunotherapy. McAllister has received immunology post-graduate training with Jay Kolls, M.D., at the University of Pittsburgh, where she made several discoveries in T Helpers17 (TH17) cells biology, including the characterization of the lung epithelial IL-17 signaling pathway, the dissection of the role of IL-17 pathway in cystic fibrosis, the understanding of the function of IL-22 in innate immunity. Upon completion of her Internal Medicine in Pittsburgh, McAllister pursued a combined clinical training in Medical Oncology and Clinical Pharmacology at Johns Hopkins University, where she undertook postdoctoral research studies in Cancer Biology and Tumor Immunology in the laboratories of Steven Leach and Drew Pardoll, discovering the key role of TH17 cells in the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer. In 2012 McAllister was the recipient of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)- AACR Samuel Stroum Fellowship and was awarded the Young Investigator Award from the Conquer Cancer Foundation.
McAllister began her research lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center in the fall of 2014. Her lab focuses on understanding the role of the immune system in immunosurveillance and immunoevasion. More recently, the laboratory has developed an interest on dissecting the role of bacterial products in modulating cancer immune responses. McAllister has received the PanCAN-AACR Career Development Award in 2014 and a Translational Award in 2016. She is currently the recipient of a K12-Career Development Award from NCI, a V Foundation Research Scholar and received the Bernard Lee Schwartz Designated Research Scholar Award from the American Gastrointestinal Association.
McAllister is an attending in Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology and leads a multi-disciplinary Pancreatic Cancer High-Risk Clinic in which patients with higher genetic susceptibility for pancreatic cancer undergo surveillance and elect to participate in a cohort with prospective biospecimens and data collection with the ultimate goal of validating novel biomarkers of risk and early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Principal Investigator
Faculty in Tumor and graduate programs
Email: FMcAllister@MDAnderson.org
Seyda Baydogan
I joined the McAllister Lab in 2019 as a clinical research investigator. My background is as an OB/GYN. My main interest is in understanding the gut microbiome's effect on developing cancer.
Research Investigator
Email: SBaydogan@MDAnderson.org
Vidhi Chandra
I joined the lab in 2018 as a Ph.D. student in the Cancer Biology program. My dissertation project focuses on microbial immune effects on tumor biology and its therapeutic manipulation. Although my hometown is in India, I have warmed up to Houston now. I love to read fiction, volunteer for shelter animals, watch Netflix and hibernate on the weekend.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: VChandra@MDAnderson.org
Thais Bartelli
I joined the McAllister Lab in October 2022 as a research investigator. My main goal is to focus on studies involving the role of the microbiome in pancreatic cancer screening and progression.?I have a bachelor¡¯s degree in biomedical sciences and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the Federal University of Sao Paulo - Brazil with a background in microbiology, molecular evolution and genomics/metagenomics.??
Research?Scientist
Email: TFBartelli@MDAnderson.org
Erika Faraoni
Since I was a little girl I always stopped at every library I could find to read and bring home new books. Soon I found I loved research. Years later, I studied pituitary tumors during my Ph.D. in Argentina and ended up moving to Houston to pursue a postdoc in pancreatic cancer. I joined the McAllister Lab in March 2023 as a research scientist, and my main focus is to study the role of the microbiome in tumor development and cancer prevention.
Research Scientist
Email: EYFaraoni@MDAnderson.org
Rian Morgan Howell
I am a third-year Ph.D. student in the Cancer Biology program, and my project focuses on the possible role of molecular mimicry in mediating survival of PDAC patients. One fun fact about me is that I lost my sense of smell in high school, and it¡¯s very slowly (but surely) coming back! For a few years, all I could smell was gasoline and popcorn.
Graduate Research Assistant
Email: RJMorgan@MDAnderson.org
Mostafa Hussein
I joined the McAllister Lab in 2025. I was previously a lecturer of Human Anatomy and Embryology at Benha University in Egypt, where I spent most of my time preparing for study sections for first- and second-year students and seeking to make it easy for my students and colleagues. Since my very first years in medical school, I had a lot of passion and interest in science and research, and I want to dedicate some time to fulfilling research achievements in the McAllister Lab. During leisure time, I like to go bicycling, takes photographs and cook. I also love arranging social events.
Research Assistant I
Email: MMHussein@MDAnderson.org
Fernando Jimenez-Arancon
I joined the McAllister Lab in 2025. I hold a degree in biotechnology engineering from Tecnol¨®gico de Monterrey in Mexico, and my current work focuses on research experiments related to pancreatic cancer. In my free time, I enjoy long-distance running and training for races. I also love discovering new music, watching movies and exploring nature.
Research Assistant I
Email: FJimenez3@MDAnderson.org
Olivereen (Olivia) Le Roux
I joined the McAllister Lab in January 2019 as a research assistant. I help lab members with experiments, maintain our mouse colony (I am a proud mouse mother) and perform general administrative tasks. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, I graduated from Lamar University after four years as a competitive Division I collegiate golfer. Free time activities include browsing online forums, reading and weightlifting.
Senior Research Assistant
Email: OLe3@MDAnderson.org
Le Li
I am a pancreatic surgeon from China. I joined the McAllister Lab in 2019, and my research focuses on how different diets and FMT affects immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. I have two adorable cats, Donut and Snake Li.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email:?LLi29@MDAnderson.org
Min Li
I joined the lab in 2025 my work focuses on management and providing transgenic and knockout mouse models for pancreatic cancer research. I received my M.S. degree in China in the year of 2000. In my free time I enjoy planting various flowers and plants, especially succulents and climbing roses.
Senior Research Assistant
Email: MLi15@MDAnderson.org
Haoyue Liu
I joined the McAllister Lab as a Ph.D. student in May 2022. I received my bachelor¡¯s degree from Nankai University in China in 2021. My project focuses on the effects of microbiome¡ªespecially fungi¡ªon tumorigenesis and metastasis. One fun fact about me is that my ears can move under my control. I can let them move together or individually¡ªbut only the right one individually!
Graduate Research Assistant
Email: HLiu17@MDAnderson.org
Justina Ortiz, M.D.
I have joined the McAllister Lab in 2025. I recently graduated from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina with an M.D. In my free time I enjoy hiking and reading.
Observer
David Romanin
I joined the McAllister Lab in September 2022 as a research scientist.
I obtained my degree in biotechnology and molecular biology in 2007 and my Ph.D. in biological sciences (immunology and microbiology) in 2013, both from the National University of La Plata, in Argentina, where I¡¯m from. My focus is to understand the role of microorganisms and inflammation in the development of tumors.
I love?cats, to travel and to learn languages.
Research Scientist
Email: DERomanin@MDAnderson.org
Virginia Tahan
I joined the McAllister Lab in February 2022 as a research assistant II. I have a degree in genetics from University of Moron, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since I was 7 years old, I knew I wanted to do research and discover potential treatments for cancer. When I am not in the lab, I love spending time with my two boys playing sports, exploring the outdoors, visiting beaches or just having fun as a family.
Research Assistant II
Email: VTahan@MDAnderson.org
Alumni
Amirhossein Mohseni - Instructor at University of Detroit- Henry Ford Cancer Cancer Center
Sedigheh (Mona) Taghinezhadsaroukalaei - Instructor at University of Detroit- Henry Ford Cancer Cancer Center
Ivania Valdes Araya ¡ª After her research internship, she has returned to her Ph.D. program at Universidad Mayor, Huechuraba, Chile
Pompeyo Rafael Quesada ¡ª Currently attending medical school in El Paso, TX
Erick Riquelme ¡ª Assistant Professor, Universidad Mayor, Chile
Michelle Zoltan ¡ª Field Clinical Application Specialist at Veran Medical Technologies, Houston, TX
Yu Zhang ¡ª Director of Cancer Informatics at Hangzhou Cosmos Wisdom Biotechnology Co., China
Maria Fernanda Montiel ¡ª Resident at Driscoll Children's Hospital, Corpus Christi, TX
Pinar Kanlikilicer ¡ª Clinical Scientist at Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA
Sedigheh (Mona) Taghinezhadsaroukalaei - Instructor at University of Detroit- Henry Ford Cancer Cancer Center
Saumya Kasliwal ¡ª Medical Student at Stony Brook, Washington, DC
Qianfei Zhang ¡ª Senior Scientist at AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD
Jeong-Hoon Jang ¡ª Tenure Track Professor, Daegu Catholic University, South Korea
Susana Castro-Pando