Kendall Lab Staff

Genevieve Kendall, PhD
Principal Investigator

Genevieve Kendall, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Center for Childhood Cancer and an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Kendall received her bachelor’s degree in cell and molecular biology at Texas Tech University where she was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute undergraduate research fellow. She obtained her doctorate in molecular biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), before performing her postdoctoral studies focused on pediatric oncology with Dr. James Amatruda at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Matthew Kent, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher

Matthew Kent, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Childhood Cancer. Dr. Kent received his bachelor’s degree in genetics at the University of Georgia. He then obtained his doctorate in biological sciences at Vanderbilt University. He is currently investigating the mechanisms of PAX3-FOXO1 and HES3 cooperation in rhabdomyosarcoma, using zebrafish as a model organism. 

Chinmay Sankhe, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher

Chinmay Sankhe, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Childhood Cancer. Dr. Sankhe received his bachelor’s degree in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in India. During his bachelor’s education, he performed research internships in Singapore and England. He then obtained his doctorate in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Penn State University, where he studied the bio-mechanical regulation of cellular signaling associated with diseased conditions of fibrosis and cancer. His current research is focused on elucidating the functional mechanisms driving tumorigenesis in fusion-positive infantile rhabdomyosarcoma using cell culture and Zebrafish model systems.

Cenny Taslim, PhD
Senior Bioinformatics Scientist

Cenny Taslim, PhD, is a senior bioinformatics scientist in the Center for Childhood Cancer. Dr. Taslim received her bachelor's degree in industrial engineering at The Ohio State University. She furthered her education at the same institution, obtaining a doctorate in industrial engineering and master of science in computer science. She then underwent a postdoctoral training in the Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Statistics as a postdoctoral researcher. Dr. Taslim’s expertise lies in applying machine learning and statistical methods to next- and third-generation sequencing, with a focus on analyzing of fusion oncoprotein.

Katherine Silvius
Research Assistant/Kendall Lab Manager

Katie received her bachelor’s degree in biology and mathematics from Indiana Wesleyan University in December 2019. Her current research focuses on leveraging complementary cell culture and zebrafish systems to define the developmental and cellular contexts which are susceptible to fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma.

Jack Kucinski
Graduate Research Associate

Jack Kucinski graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in molecular genetics. Jack has long been interested in chromatin and gene regulation. As an undergraduate, he received a Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellowship for cancer research and investigated the role of histone variant H2A.z. In the Kendall Lab, Jack is investigating the chromatin context and accessibility surrounding the fusion transcription factor PAX3-FOXO1 in rhabdomyosarcoma.

Delia Calderon
Graduate Research Associate

Delia Calderon received her bachelor’s degree in biology and biochemistry from California State University Channel Islands. Delia is currently focusing on developing models and therapies for infantile rhabdomyosarcoma, and generating new zebrafish models of novel rhabdomyosarcoma fusion-oncogenes.

Emma Harrison
Research Assistant

Emma received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts. Her current research utilizes cell culture and zebrafish systems to identify the tissue of origin and developmental pathways co-opted in rhabdomyosarcoma.

Amanda Jay
Research Intern

Amanda Jay is currently enrolled in the honors college at The Ohio State University. She is in the dual-degree program with a goal to earn a bachelor's degree in both biology and molecular genetics. Her work in the Kendall Lab primarily involves establishing an fgfr4 knockout zebrafish line. In the future, she plans to complete an undergraduate thesis and refine her research interests to join a doctorate program.