In the Miller Lab, we thrive on the synergy created by bringing together diverse experts and perspectives to push the boundaries of science. We are committed to educating and mentoring the next generation of leaders in science and medicine by fostering a collaborative workspace that bridges research with clinical practice. Our team, comprising scientists and clinicians from diverse backgrounds, is dedicated to creating effective immunotherapies for brain tumors. We cultivate a supportive, dynamic, and fun atmosphere where creativity and innovation can flourish. If you are passionate about making a difference and eager to contribute to pioneering research, join us in our mission to revolutionize the treatment for brain tumor patients!
Principal Investigator
Ty Miller, MD, PhD | Principal Investigator
Residency in Clinical Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
MD, PhD in Cancer Biology, Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
BS in Biomedical Science, The Ohio State University
- Paul and Betsy Shiverick Professor of Immuno-Oncology
- Assistant Professor of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- Pathologist, Division of Genomic & Molecular Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
- Member, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Affiliate Member, Institute for Glial Sciences
Experimental Lab Staff
Shawn Ho | Research Assistant
BA in Neuroscience and Biochemistry, Oberlin College and Conservatory
Shawn is a postbac research assistant and aspiring physician-scientist, with a broad interest in neuroimmunology and cancer biology. Hailing from Vietnam and Singapore, Shawn completed his BA in Neuroscience and Biochemistry at Oberlin College and Conservatory, where he studied pesticide toxicity in neurodegenerative diseases with Dr. Gunnar Kwakye. Shawn is also an active emergency medical technician in Lorain and Cuyahoga counties. His other interests include sports, classical music, and all things food.
Tempestt Nwachukwu | Research Assistant
BS in Psychology and Biology, Georgia Southwestern State University and Georgia Gwinnett College
Tempestt received her first BS in Psychology from Georgia Southwestern State University in 2014, and her second BS in Biology from Georgia Gwinnett College in 2018. Prior to joining the Miller Lab, Tempestt worked in Dr. Gunnar Poplawski’s neuroscience lab at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute studying how myelin may present chemoattractant molecules to glioblastoma (GBM) cancer stem cells. Tempestt also works part-time at University Hospitals Core Lab as a medical laboratory technologist. Tempestt is looking forward to culturing glioblastoma (GBM) organoids and the translational research in the Miller Lab, in addition to starting her graduate coursework in pathology at Case Western Reserve University.
Postdocs/Residents/Fellows
Adel Azghadi, MD | Neurosurgery Resident, University Hospitals
MD, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
BS in Neuroscience, University of California Los Angeles
Adel is a 4th year neurosurgery resident at Case Western Reserve/ University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from UCLA, he spent 2 years conducting basic science research to understand the molecular biology of RNA editing in autism spectrum disorder. He then moved to Virginia and obtained his medical doctorate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. During this time, he found his passion for neurosurgery. In 2021, Adel moved to Cleveland for his neurosurgery residency. He is interested in treating patients with brain tumors and is looking forward to furthering his training by pursuing a fellowship in neurosurgical oncology. He is joining the Miller lab as a resident researcher and is planning to study the effect of steroids on the peripheral blood monocytes as well as its immunosuppressive effect on the microenvironment of the primary brain tumors. Outside of the hospital he enjoys spending time with friends, biking and traveling to new places!
Computational Staff
Hyunmin Kim, PhD | Senior Research Associate with specialized technical skills
Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
M.S. in Computer Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
Hyunmin is a senior computational scientist in the lab with deep experience in single-cell genomics, epigenomics, and cancer bioinformatics data. After his PhD, Hyunmin was a Research Instructor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and then Science Staff at Cleveland Clinic before joining Case Western with Dr. Berkley Gryder in 2021. Hyunmin now splits his time between the Gryder and Miller labs studying the dysregulation of cell states in cancer and disease
Edward Estrada | Research Associate
MSc in Mathematics, Texas A&M | BS in Physics and Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder
Edward is a computational research associate with a background in physics and mathematics. After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Colorado Boulder with research interests in differential geometry and supersymmetric particle physics simulation, Edward completed a Master’s in Science in Mathematics with a focus on topological set theory. After completing premedical coursework at Northeastern University in Boston, Edward now pursues bioinformatics techniques towards the study of gliomas. Outside of the lab, Edward is an avid rock climber, snowboarder, and enjoys spending time in the mountains.
Vrishab Sathish Kumar | Research Assistant
BS in Computer Science, Washington University, Seattle
Vrishab is an aspiring physician-scientist motivated by the intersection of machine learning and genomics. After completing his BS in Computer Science at the University of Washington, where he built software to elucidate non-model prokaryotic transcriptomes, Vrishab supported computational drug discovery efforts along the gut-brain axis at a biotech startup in New York City. His aim is to connect advances in computing to tangible clinical endpoints for patients suffering from rare, hard-to-treat diseases. Outside of research, Vrishab works on digital interventions for community health, enjoys reading/watching science fiction, and bouldering!
Graduate Students
Alex Wang | CWRU Medical Student
BS in Neuroscience, University of California Los Angeles
Alex is a first-year medical student at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine with a specific interest in immunotherapy for malignant gliomas. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from UCLA, where he was awarded the Arnold Scheibel Scholarship for neuroscience research. Outside of the lab, he enjoys a nice round of golf and playing pickup basketball.