Meet the Tewari Lab Team

Muneesh Tewari, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Muneesh Tewari is an attending oncologist at the VA Ann Arbor Medical Center and a Professor of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Engineering. He received his bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Case Western University and completed both his MD and PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Tewari’s postdoctoral work includes a postdoctoral fellowship in Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and a fellowship in systems biology and genetics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. 

Before his current faculty appointment at the University of Michigan, Dr. Tewari began a research program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA on miRNAs, establishing himself as a leader of the field through the discovery of stable extracellular miRNA in circulation, which can be used as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and treatment. 
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Dr. Tewari’s current interests focus on a holistic and interdisciplinary outlook on healthcare. In addition to continuing research on cancer biomarkers through multi-omics approaches to better understand CRS in CAR-T cell therapy and the development of a liquid urine biopsy for HPV detection, he is also interested in the intersection between mental and physical health and patient outcomes, as well as the possibilities for improved patient outcomes and unlocking human potential brought by AI and the emerging field of wearable biotechnology. Within all his work, he seeks to emphasize the importance of sharing expertise, human connection, and taking a proactive approach.

Erin Sandford, Ph.D

Erin received her B.S. in Animal Science from MSU and her Ph.D. in Genetics from ISU. She joined UM in 2012 and the Tewari lab in 2016, where she is currently serving as lab manager and staff scientist, roles that let her wear many hats within the lab. She enjoys that there is always something new going on in the Tewari lab, from new collaborators and trainees, to different research directions.  In her free time, she loves being outside, playing games with family, and hanging out with her husband, their 2 cats, and 2 dogs.

Chandan Bhambhani, Ph.D.

Chandan joined the Tewari lab as a postdoctoral fellow in 2019 transitioning into a staff position in 2021. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, where his research focused on transcriptional regulation of Wnt signaling targets. Chandan brings diverse academic and industry experience to the lab, including six years leading various recombinant antibody development programs (ABfinity and Superclonals) at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
 
His research focuses on:
Developing non-invasive cancer detection (liquid biopsies) using plasma and urine
  - Addressing key questions about cell-free DNA and circulating tumor DNA properties in biofluids (size, fragmentation, degradation)
  - Optimizing cell-free DNA extraction from urine
  - Developing biomarker assays for circulating tumor DNA detection in HPV-associated head and neck cancers
 
Improving CAR T-cell therapy outcomes
  - Identifying biomarkers predicting adverse side-effects (cytokine release syndrome or CRS, and neurotoxicity) post-CAR T infusions
  - Establishing cell-based assays to study neutrophil behavior and NETosis from B-cell lymphoma patient samples
  - Engineering CAR T-cells which can be used to establish mouse models for testing of compounds which can inhibit CRS
 
Chandan also enjoys tennis, table tennis, and chess.

Seungwoo Lee, M.S.

I’m a data scientist working on analyzing temperature data collected from digital wearable devices. My current project focuses on identifying distinct fever signatures caused by different etiologies — particularly distinguishing infection-related fevers to help clinicians make better antibiotic decisions.
 
What I enjoy most about this lab is that we’re always pursuing new and novel ideas to improve patient care, and we keep pushing to find better solutions.
 
Outside of work, I enjoy going to the gym, playing basketball, and trying out new recipes I find on YouTube!

Rashmi Madhukar, M.B.B.S., M.Sc.

I am a first-year PhD student in Bioinformatics in the Tewari Lab at the University of Michigan. I completed my medical degree at Manipal University in India and a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the UK.

My current research focuses on identifying early multi-omics biomarkers—integrating proteomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics—to predict cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and other clinical outcomes following CAR-T cell therapy. Through this work, we aim to uncover dynamic biological signatures that can anticipate life-threatening toxicities before they manifest clinically, ultimately informing safer and more precise immunotherapies.

I am also deeply passionate about education and student wellbeing. In parallel, I am working on a project that examines how the psychological construct of hope—relates to subsequent measures of mental and physical wellbeing in college students.
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Outside of research, I enjoy yoga, meditation, and musicals, and can often be found reading by the water at Gallup Park.

Aditya Jalin

I am a PhD student in the Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics at the University of Michigan, where I combine mathematical biology, computer science, and behavioral physiology to study how complex systems — from human physiology to human–AI interactions — adapt and co-evolve. My research spans dynamical systems modeling, reinforcement learning, and digital biomarkers, with applications in stress physiology, mental resilience, and biological harmony.

​What excites me most about my work is uncovering structure within complexity — finding the hidden symmetries between life, computation, and cognition. I enjoy building models that are both rigorous and humane: systems that learn from people while helping people learn about themselves. The interdisciplinary nature of this work means I’m constantly moving between theory, data, and design — a balance that keeps both sides of my brain happily occupied.

Outside the lab, I recharge through video games, anime, soccer and conversations that meander between philosophy, technology, and the natural world. I’m especially interested in how science and art together can reimagine what it means to be healthy, curious, and alive in an age of intelligent machines.

Lin Yang

​Lin Yang is a research technician with the Tewari Lab. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS in Neuroscience. Lin is interested in the integration of wearable health technology into healthcare and research, and is looking to eventually pursue a dual J.D./PhD. In his free time, he enjoys making art, attending live music events, and hanging out in the woods with his dog.

Shihan Khan, M.D.

Shihan is a 3rd year clinical fellow in Hematology and Oncology. He completed his MD/PhD training at Yale before returning to his hometown Ann Arbor in 2019 to complete internal medicine residency and fellowship training. He has been a member of the Tewari group since 2020. His research interests focus on the integration of mobile health technologies and machine learning for toxicity monitoring in patients undergoing cancer treatment. 

Aadil Parvaz

Hello! My name is Aadil Parvaz, and I’m a pre-med and computer science student at the University of Michigan. In the lab, I focus on analyzing data collected from wearable technologies used in our research studies. Working in the lab has given me exciting opportunities to engage with these novel technologies and explore their potential to improve health. In my time outside of the lab, I enjoy playing tennis and building keyboards.

Durvi Bhati

I am a first-year Master’s student in Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics. My research focuses on analyzing multi-omics data to identify distinct biomarkers associated with CAR-T therapy; related toxicities, particularly ICANS and CRS. The goal is to improve patient stratification and predictive outcomes for those undergoing CAR-T treatment.
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What I enjoy most about our lab is the freedom to ask questions that go beyond data and protocols, questions that connect scientific exploration with human impact. Our work reminds me that science is not just about discovery, but about compassion, curiosity, and creating knowledge that serves people.
Outside the lab, I like dancing, eating ice cream, playing with cats, listening to music, and writing poems that turn rhymes into meaning.

Udayan Bhattacharya, Ph.D.

​I am a cancer researcher with more than 15 years of experience in molecular oncology, tumor immunology, and drug discovery. My background includes extensive work with patient-derived in vitro and in vivo cancer models, genetic engineering of cancer and immune cells, organoid development, and the use of high-throughput genomic technologies. I earned my Ph.D. in molecular biology from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India, in 2012.

In the Tewari Lab, my research centers on developing strategies to mitigate cytokine release syndrome (CRS)—a potentially life-threatening complication caused by excessive pro-inflammatory cytokine release following T-cell activation. CRS represents one of the most significant toxicities associated with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for blood cancers.
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Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors with friends and family, watching movies—especially thrillers—and exploring new foods and cultures to learn more about people and their experiences.

Priyan Weerappuli, Ph.D.

​Priyan is a multidisciplinary researcher specializing at the intersection of biomaterials, immunology, and oncology. With a background spanning Psychology (B.Sc.), Cell & Molecular Biology (M.Sc.), and Biomedical Engineering (PhD), he brings a unique systems-level perspective to complex clinical challenges.

His doctoral work at Wayne State University focused on the engineering of novel microfluidic systems, which transitioned into a decade-long investigation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and their role in tumor metastasis. Currently, within the Tewari Lab, Priyan is leveraging this expertise to identify therapeutic strategies that target neutrophils to mitigate Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) in patients undergoing CAR-T cell therapy.

Outside the Lab: Priyan is a polymath who enjoys composing music, pencil sketching, and woodworking. He spends his free time reading and with his wife and daughter.

Kirk Herman

Kirk is a Clinical Research Project Manager for the Tewari Lab. He received his B.S. in Healthcare Administration from Eastern Michigan University in 2011. In 2015, Kirk joined the lab to work with study design and as liaison between study participants, physicians, and principal investigators.

Kirsten Tuck

Kirsten is a Clinical Subjects Coordinator in the Tewari Lab. She assists in the managing the sample collection process and maintenance of our IRB protocols. She joined the Tewari Lab in 2017. She is excited by continued research into Cancer prevention and improved chemotherapy outcomes. In her free time she travels with her partner and children and enjoys blues dancing, volleyball, and aerial silks.

Michelle Rozwadowski

Michelle joined the research team in October of 2019. She works as the data manager for Dr. Choi and Dr. Tewari. She received her B.S. in Neuroscience from Michigan State University in 2018, and has previous research experience in neuropharmacology and in human cognition. In her free time, Michelle enjoys being outdoors, playing the saxophone, and spending time with her husband, friends, and family.