The Guo Lab
Meet the Team
Theresa Guo
Principal Investigator
Theresa Guo, MD, is a board-certified head and neck surgeon who treats patients with head and neck tumors, including salivary gland, thyroid and parathyroid disorders, as well as cancer of the face, scalp, nose, mouth, tongue and throat. In addition to patient care, she is also engaged in research that seeks to deliver precision cancer care. and is interested in studying the complex post-transcriptional genomic changes that occur in head and neck tumors. Dr. Guo completed a fellowship in head and neck surgical oncology at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She completed her residency training in otolaryngology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Guo earned her medical degree at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, a program of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is a member of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and American Head and Neck Society. Dr. Guo's personal interests include running, hiking and painting.
Current Lab Members
Tara Hosseini
Lab Manager
Tara Hosseini completed her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. Her current research investigates the tumor kinetic and genetic differences seen in the treatment responses of HPV+ and HPV- head and neck cancers. Outside of her scientific endeavors, she enjoys painting, cooking Persian food, and playing soccer.
Joseph Bendik
Research Data Analyst
Joseph Bendik completed his B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine and then went on to get his M.S. degree in Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics at San Diego State University. His current research involves the development of software that can identify tumor specific splicing alterations as well as neoantigen immunotherapy targets. Outside of the lab some of his interests include reading and playing tennis.
Laura Ho
Undergraduate
Laura Ho is an undergraduate at UCSD studying medicine sciences, evolutionary biology, and computer science. Her research interests involve cancer biology, experimenting with cell culture, and computational biology. In her free time, Laura enjoys running, pilates, and visiting cafés with friends.
Sandhya Kalavacherla
Medical Student
Sandhya Kalavacherla is currently a medical student at UCSD and completed her B.S. at MIT. She plans to pursue head and neck oncology and is interested in using bioinformatics and other computational techniques to study novel tumor-specific splicing alterations and improve the clinical care of patients with unknown primary tumors. Outside of the lab, she enjoys traveling, hiking, woodworking, and exploring new cafes in San Diego.
Vivian Vo
Medical Student
Vivian Vo is currently a medical student at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. After graduating, Vivian completed two years of biomarker and immunology research. As a medical student, Vivian is particularly interested in evaluating the factors that influence head and neck cancer patients’ outcomes. Outside of school, she is writing a cookbook and enjoys oil pastel painting and taking long walks.
Tammy Pham
Surgical Resident
Tammy Pham, MD is a head and neck surgery resident at UC San Diego. She received her undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science from Yale University and completed her medical training at UC San Diego. Her research interests are in head and neck cancer outcomes, translational cancer research, and cisplatin-induced hearing loss. In her free time, Dr. Pham is an avid rock climber and enjoys hiking and camping.
Lab Alumni
Sophie Jang
Mitchell Victor