Brian Feeley, MD is the Chief of the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, and is currently a Professor in Residence. Dr. Feeley performs research on common shoulder and knee problems. In the shoulder, he is studying the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the development of muscle atrophy after rotator cuff tears. His lab studies how muscle stem cells result in changes to the muscle tissue, and how to stimulate these cells to differentiate in ways to improve muscle function. In the knee, he is evaluating techniques to use low cost motion analysis to improve lower extremity kinematics and decrease injury and re-injury risk after injuries and surgical proc

Xuhui Liu, MD is a research scientist in the field of orthopedic surgery. He obtained his MD degree from Peking Union Medical College in China in 2001. After that, he moved to USA and received his postdoctoral research training in Orthopedic Biochemistry and Biomechanics in Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Liu joined the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UCSF in 2006 as a Research Biologist. He was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2008 and Associate Professor in 2015. Majority of his research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanism of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. The cellular and molecular mechanism of muscle atrophy and fatty degeneration is within his central research interests. He is also interested in the role of central and peripheral nerve system in regulating musculoskeletal pathophysiology. His work has been supported by NIH, VA and private charities. 

Michael Davies, MD is currently in the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery residency program. Originally from San Diego, he majored in Biology at Stanford University and graduated with distinction and departmental honors before attending medical school. In medical school, he completed a yearlong fellowship in the VA Orthopaedic Translational Research Laboratory at UCSF studying the molecular mechanisms and cellular progenitors involved in rotator cuff tears. He is particularly interested in therapeutic approaches to reduce muscle degeneration following rotator cuff injury with a focus on characterizing the resident muscle stem cell populations that play a role in the response to injury. He was the recipient of the 2020 AOSSM Young Investigator Grant in Basic Science, and the 2021 AOSSM Excellence in Research Award. He plans to continue his basic-translational research focus as a clinician-scientist in the field. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking, cooking, and playing piano. 

Steven Garcia, MD is currently a resident at UCSF in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is from Riverside, California where he went to UCR to obtain BS and MS degrees in Biological Engineering. From there he transitioned to medical school at UCSF where he completed a two-year research fellowship studying the cellular mechanisms of muscle regeneration through muscle stem cells called satellite cells. Now as a resident in Orthopaedic Surgery he is particularly interested in cellular heterogeneity of muscle specific stem/progenitor cell populations in both acute and chronic muscle degeneration. His goal is continue his research as a clinician scientist after residency and fellowship. In his free time he enjoys climbing, skiing, hiking, golf, cooking, and reading.

 Agustin Diaz, BA is a medical student at UCSF. He grew up in East Palo Alto, CA, and spent his undergraduate years at UCSB before moving back home to the Bay Area. A shoulder injury originally sparked his interest in studying skeletal muscle pathology in the setting of rotator cuff tears. Beyond his benchwork, he has enjoyed mentoring and sharing his love for science with new lab members. Outside of the lab, Agustin enjoys meditating, reading, cooking, running, surfing, and supporting the Golden State Warriors. 

Cristhian Montenegro, Ph.D. is a post-doctoral research scholar in the Feeley-Liu lab. Originally from Perú and Sunnyvale, CA, he attended and conducted research at UC Davis, where he primarily focused on exercise physiology and metabolism. Following a stint working on adipose tissue graft retention at the Hagey Lab at Stanford School of Medicine, he earned his Ph.D. in Human Bioenergetics at Ball State University, where his research focused on the myocellular changes with age and exercise in humans. Currently, his research at UCSF focuses on skeletal muscle cell biology, including horizontal mitochondrial transfer, satellite cell and FAP heterogeneity, and muscle 
regeneration. Outside of the lab, Cristhian enjoys eating, cycling, dancing salsa, playing basketball and soccer, and playing music.

Nesa Milan, MD is a post-doctoral research scholar in the Feeley-Liu lab. Originally from Iran, she obtained her MD degree from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in 2022, after which she completed a medical internship at the same institution. Before joining Feeley-Liu Lab, she served as a Research Assistant at the Center for Orthopedic Trans-disciplinary Applied Research (COTAR) at TUMS for 3 years. Her research background is in the differentiation of stem cells to osteoblasts and regenerative medicine in orthopedic surgery.
Nesa considers herself an “ortho maniac” who finds great excitement in exploring any area of study related to this field. She plans to continue her research focus as a physician-scientist in the orthopedic surgery field. She enjoys cooking, kickboxing, working out, and adventure in her free time.

Hiroyori Fusagawa, MD is a visiting research scholar in the Feeley-Liu lab. Originally from Japan, he received his MD degree from Sapporo Medical University, Hokkaido, Japan in 2013, after which he completed a medical internship at Uji Tokushukai Hospital, in Kyoto, Japan. Dr. Fusagawa joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Sapporo Medical University in 2015. Before joining the Feeley-Liu lab, he served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Cell Physiology and Signal Transduction at Sapporo Medical University for 2 years. His research background is in muscle physiology and mitochondrial metabolism. Sarcopenia, muscle strain, overuse syndrome, and muscle dystrophy are among his central research topics. In the Feeley-Liu lab, he is interested in working on exciting translational therapeutic projects related to FAP and mitochondria in skeletal muscle injury and investigating the role of central and peripheral nerve systems in regulating musculoskeletal pathophysiology. He plans to continue his research as a clinician-scientist in orthopedic surgery. In his free time, he enjoys playing baseball and basketball, running, weightlifting, and watching Warriors games.

Hannah Chi, BA is a first year medical student in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program. She grew up in Southern California but came to the Bay Area for college, where she attended UC Berkeley and earned her degree with high distinction and honors in Molecular and Cell Biology. Her research background is in the molecular mechanisms of aging, and she spent a year conducting research in analytical chemistry in the biotechnology industry. In the Feeley-Liu lab, she is interested in investigating the cellular differentiation pathways of promyogenic progenitor cells as well as exploring the various and exciting translational therapeutic projects in musculoskeletal injury. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and exploring the natural beauty of the Bay Area. 

 Aboubacar Wague, BA is a medical student at UCSF in the Feeley-Liu Lab. Originally from the Bronx, he spent his undergraduate years at Cornell University where he earned dual degrees with high distinctions in Chemistry and Biological Sciences. Before starting medical school, he served as a Research Assistant for the Rigelhaupt Lab studying the regulation and anesthetic modulation of K2P channels. Now as a member of the Feeley-Liu Lab, his goal is to pursue a career as a clinician scientist in Orthopaedic Surgery. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting, cooking and biking around the Bay Area.

Luke Sang, BS is a medical student at UCSF. He grew up in Austin, Texas and attended Duke University for undergrad where he studied Biochemistry and Psychology. His research background is in structural biology and he completed a research fellowship at the NIH. In the Feeley-Liu lab, his research focuses on studying the mechanisms of mitochondrial transfer and muscle regeneration. In his free time, he loves playing basketball, lifting, and trying new restaurants.

Alex Youn, BA is a medical student at UCSF. He was born in Pasadena, CA but grew up in the Bay Area. He completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard College, where he majored in Cognitive Neuroscience & Evolutionary Psychology with a minor in Integrative Biology. In the Feeley-Liu Lab, his research focuses on FAP muscle regeneration and injury models. In his free time, he enjoys exploring the outdoors, watching/playing sports, taking photos, playing guitar, and relaxing with his friends and family, especially his dog, Blaise.

Miguel Lizarraga, BS is a medical student at UCSF School of Medicine. He grew up in El Centro, CA, a small farming town next to the Mexico Border, and spent his undergraduate years at community college in Palm Desert and UCLA. During his gap years, he worked for the UCLA AIDS Institute conducting biomedical research revolving around hematopoietic stem cells. He became interested in orthopedics while shadowing trauma surgeries at UCLA and his research background in stem cells has carried over into orthopedics. In the Feeley-Liu Lab, his research focuses on muscle-specific stem cells’ ability to differentiate into different cell types. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting, playing basketball, reading, and exploring the Bay Area.

Ryan Sadjadi, MPhil is a medical student at UCSF who grew up in San Jose, CA. He attended UCSB for his undergraduate studies, majoring in Biology, and the University of Cambridge for his Master of Philosophy in Public Health. In the Feeley-Liu Lab, his research focuses on the mechanisms of post-injury muscle regeneration and capturing real-time functional data in injury models. In his free time, he enjoys learning new languages, playing soccer, basketball, and tennis, singing, and spending time with friends and family.

Justin Lau, BS is a postgraduate SRA at the Feeley-Liu Lab. He grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from Boston College with a degree in Biology and conducted research on osteosarcomas at MGH. He developed an interest in orthopedics and studying muscle regeneration and repair following some sport-related injuries and after working with athletes rehabbing from ACL reconstruction in his high school's athletic training room. In the Feeley-Liu Lab, his research focuses on FAP heterogeneity and gender differences in single-cell transcriptomes. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, photography, working out, golfing, reading, cooking, and supporting the local Bay Area sports teams.  

Sankalp Sharma, BS is a postgraduate SRA at the Feeley-Liu Lab. He grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in bioengineering. Due to being introduced to sports at a very young age and focusing on the underlying techniques, he grew to have a significant interest in both biomechanics and orthopedics. Before joining the Feeley-Liu Lab he completed a summer research program at the Adolphe Merkle Institute in Fribourg, Switzerland studying how to stimulate cellular endocytosis for enhanced nanoparticle delivery. At the Feeley-Liu Lab, his research focuses on studying muscular dystrophy, kinematic tests with mice, and isolating various cell populations. Outside of the lab, Sankalp enjoys spending his free time playing tennis, biking, watching movies, visiting restaurants, and watching Bay Area sports teams.

Isha Pema, BA is a postgraduate SRA at the Feeley-Liu Lab. She grew up in Southern California and graduated from UC Berkeley with majors in Molecular & Cell Biology and Public Health. Her current research interests involve studying the role of FAPs in ALS, specifically regarding muscle regeneration and neuromuscular junction stability. Outside of the lab, she enjoys dancing, running, exploring SF, and spending time with her dogs.

 Yusef Samimi is a current undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Public Health and he intends to go to medical school. Due to exposure to his brother's sport-related injuries and muscle repair treatments at a very young age, he developed an interest in the field of orthopedics. He now wants to pursue his interests through research at the Feeley-Liu lab and study muscle regeneration. He is currently building experience by supporting the other lab members with their projects. Yusef spends his free time supporting Bay Area sports teams, reading, playing tennis and basketball, and cooking. 

 Angelina Heminway is a current undergrad student attending Swarthmore College in PA where she studies neuroscience and plays collegiate volleyball. Angelina grew up in the Bay Area and attended Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in SF. She developed an interest in injury prevention and post-injury recovery tactics from her career as a student-athlete and became interested in research from an early age. In her free time, Angelina enjoys working out, reading, trying new cooking recipes, and spending time with her family. 

 Jeffrey Huang is a recent high school graduate from the Branson School. He grew up in the Bay Area, and will be attending Duke University majoring in biology in the fall. An avid tennis player from a young age, he developed an interest in sports medicine after rehabbing from several injuries playing the sport. Beyond tennis, Jeffrey also enjoys videography, reading, and cooking.

 Arnav Rao is a current undergraduate student studying biology at Case Western Reserve University. He intends to pursue a degree in medicine and is part of Case Western’s 8-year combined BS/MD program. Playing sports his whole life and suffering numerous knee injuries in the process has helped spark Arnav’s passion for orthopedics. Arnav has been involved with research since high school and is enthusiastic about research regarding muscle degeneration and injury repair. During his free time, Arnav enjoys playing soccer, weightlifting, spending time with family, and traveling.

Jessica Wagner, DPT  is a first year PhD student in the Rehabilitation Science program. Originally from San Diego, she completed her B.S. in Sports Medicine at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. Shortly after, she returned to Southern California to earn her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from San Diego State University. While working as a Physical Therapist at the VA Medical Center San Diego, she realized her passion lies in research with a goal to expand her knowledge of biomechanics and musculoskeletal disease. Outside of the career pursuit, she loves biking, traveling, and baking.

Austin Lee, BS is currently a medical student at Case Western Reserve University SOM. Born and raised in Southern California, he moved north and graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular Environmental Biology and a minor in Nutritional Science. Playing football and running track launched his interest in the biological mechanisms driving muscle function and injury. His current research interests involve characterizing the role of FAPs in ALS as well as studying the therapeutic abilities of FAP-derived exosomes. Outside of the lab, Austin enjoys eating all the food that San Francisco has to offer, fitness, and supporting the world-champion Dodgers and Lakers. 

Mengyao Liu, BA/BS is a graduate of UC Berkeley.  She has been with the Feeley-Liu Lab for 3 years and excels in tissue engineering, tissue culture, and genetic analysis.  She runs the basic science and cell culture group, and serves as a mentor for the junior investigators in the lab. 

Prashant Nuthalapati is a current undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas studying biology. Playing sports and working out sparked his interest in orthopedics. His research interests involve the effects of biomechanics on cell transdifferentiation and the role of myofibroblasts in fibrotic degeneration of muscle. During his free time, Prashant likes to go on walks, play sports, and sculpt. He is an aspiring physician-scientist and hopes to attend medical school in the future. 

Daniel Hu, BS is currently a 4th year medical student at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He grew up in South San Francisco and attended college at Stanford University where he studied bioengineering and graduated with distinction and departmental honors. His previous research background is in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, wearable sensor technology, patient reported outcomes, and global health. His other academic interests include medical education and mentoring younger students. In the Feeley-Liu lab, he is utilizing machine learning to develop a new model for analyzing rotator cuff function in various mouse injury models and investigating new therapeutics that could reduce muscle degeneration and promote muscle regeneration. During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, dancing, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with his family and friends. Daniel is headed to UPenn for his PM&R residency.

Francisco Gomez Alvarado, BS is currently a medical student at UCSF. He grew up in Fresno, CA and earned a bachelor’s degree in Biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is interested in learning about the translation of bench science into novel therapies that can benefit patients. During his training, Francisco hopes to improve his skills as a researcher and work to become a competent physician. Francisco was a teacher in China before starting medical school and is excited about continuing to be involved in education and mentorship. In his free time, Francisco enjoys trying new foods, playing basketball, and traveling. 

Anthony Nguyen, BS is currently a medical student at UCSF. Coming from a first-generation immigrant family who had to leave everything they knew behind in Vietnam as they immigrated to the United States in search of opportunity, family values and education became the biggest values throughout Anthony's life. He grew up in Stockton, CA. Out of 57,000 applicants, he was one of 1,000 to win the coveted Gates Millenium Scholarship—which awarded him a 5-year full-ride scholarship to any American undergraduate university. Seeking to stay close to home, he attended UC Davis for undergrad and additionally dived deep into the joys of research through the American Chemical Society and biochemistry laboratories at the University of the Pacific. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jerry Tsai, he worked to help map tertiary protein structure and design proteins from amino-acid building blocks using Knob-Socket Theory. Today, he holds paramount interest in utilizing the skills he's learned in pursuit of translational and clinical research that can improve human health. In addition to being a medical student, Anthony is an avid powerlifter, cardio kickboxing instructor, advocate for AAPI health, mentor for disadvantaged applicants, and peer-to-peer teacher.  He also loves Karoke.

Obiajulu Agha, MD  is currently in the residency program at the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He was born in Sacramento, CA. I attended Harvard University where he studied Human Evolutionary Biology as well as the required pre medical courses. Playing college soccer and shadowing orthopedic surgeons raised my interest in a career as an orthopedic surgeon, and his two years of experience working as a research technician in a microbiology lab at Massachusetts General Hospital after college pushed him to participate in orthopedic basic science research while at UCSF School of Medicine. He enjoys basic science/translation research because it allows him the opportunity to investigate and discover molecular and cellular mechanisms in an effort to expand scientific knowledge more generally while also pursuing the next generation of novel treatments for a variety of diseases.

Carlin Lee is currently a medical student at UC Irvine. Originally from San Francisco, he majored in Biology at UC Irvine. He has extensive experience conducting research in microbiology, oncology and musculoskeletal basic science research. He most recently completed a year long fellowship in the lab studying the effect of FAP cell transplantation in rotator cuff injury and delayed rotator cuff repair. He will be applying for residency in orthopedic surgery.

He Zhang is a PhD candidate in Beijing Sport University, China, majoring in exercise physiology. She has been working on the prevention and treatment of skeletal muscle atrophy induced by weightlessness. Years of research experience has given her a strong interest and passion in skeletal muscle, especially the therapeutic approaches to reduce muscle atrophy and fibrosis. She is now studying the molecular mechanisms after massive rotator cuff tears in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCSF. She hopes to expand the knowledge of stem cell populations following rotator cuff injury and seek clinically relevant treatment strategies for improving RC muscle function via stem cell transplantation.

Jenny Jin, MD grew up in San Jose, Calif. and she attended Harvard University, at which she completed her undergraduate education. Jenny came to UCSF for medical school, during which she spent time in the Feeley Lab from 2009 to 2012; she worked as full-time lab member from 2010 to 2011. After graduating UCSF, she continued her training in the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency Program, and she is currently an arthroplasty fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Jenny will be joining the Joint Reconstruction practice at Saint Alphonsus Hospital in Boise, Idaho in August of 2018.

Niko Laron, MD  originally hails from the East Bay. He completed his undergraduate education at UCLA and came to USCF for his medical school training. Niko did full time research in 2010-2011 focusing on rotator cuff pathology and has done ongoing work as an orthopaedic surgery resident at UCSF. Niko is currently a pediatric orthopaedic fellow at Cincinnati Children’s.

Andrew Gomez, UCSF Medical Student

Andrew received a B.S. in Biology from San Diego State University. Andrew is currently a medical student at the UCSF School of Medicine. Andrew is currently a medical student at the UCSF School of Medicine. He was born and raised in San Diego, California. He received a B.S. in Biology at San Diego State University and then worked in a metabolic disease research lab at UC San Diego. Currently, he is pursuing his medical degree at UC San Francisco. As a member of the Feeley lab, he is investigating fatty degeneration of muscle after traumatic/chronic injuries.His hope is that his work will enhance the regenerative potential of muscle and improve outcomes in his future patients.

Andrew Liu, Miramonte High School, Orinda, Calif.

Andrew Liu previously attended Miramonte High School. He coaches swimming in his local swim club. He is interested in the application of computer science for medical research. In his free time, he likes to write songs, bake, play guitar and piano, sing, and take photos. Andrew is currently studying at Purdue University.

Sonali Feeley, St. Ignatius College Prep

Sonali attended high school at St. Ignatius College Prep. She is interested in biological sciences, especially genetics.  In her free time, she enjoys art, medical illustrating, softball and surfing. Sonali is currently studying at UCLA.

Grace Liu, Mission San Jose High School

Grace is a rising senior in Mission San Jose High School. She was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in Fremont, CA. Throughout her childhood she engaged in many sports like swim, badminton, dance, and etc. Currently, she  enjoys playing badminton and hiking nature trails in her free time. From her own experience and those in the community around her, she have contacted different sports injuries numerous times. This raised her interest in sports medicine, which brought her to take up the chance for a summer intern in the Feeley-Liu Lab. 

Audrey Lukawski , Brown University

Audrey  is currently an undergraduate student at Brown University, where she is majoring in Biology.  She is a native San Franciscan, and went to high school at Lick Wilmerding.  She is on the Varsity swim team at Brown, and her background in swimming sparked her interest in sports medicine. This year in lab, Audrey's research focused on human satellite cells from rotator cuff injuries, investigating if they were able to respond to regeneratie signal the same way as healthy cells. 

Andreas Mueller-Immergluck, Whitman College

Andreas was born and raised in San Francisco. He is a junior undergraduate student at Whitman College, where he is majoring in a combined major of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Playing varsity tennis in college, in addition to his curiosity of the musculoskeletal system, attracted him to the Feeley Lab because of their research in sports medicine, which he intends to pursue in graduate studies. He has a particular interest in rotator cuff injuries because of how common they are in tennis and how difficult they are to recover from. During his time in the Feeley Lab, he focused on researching the presence of FAPs, satellite cells and beige adipose tissue in paraspinal muscles.

Lawrence Lee worked as a Staff Research Associate in the Feeley Lab from 2013 - 2017 under Drs. Xuhui Liu, Brian Feeley, and Hubert Kim. During his time in the lab, Lawrence worked on projects involving ischemia-reperfusion injury, spinal cord injury, and rotator cuff tears. He is originally from the San Fernando Valley in Southern California and attended college at UC Berkeley. He graduated with a BA in Molecular-Cell Biology in 2012. He is currently a medical student at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in California (TUCOM).

Aniruddh Mandalapu, University of Rochester

Aniruddh is a senior majoring in biology, at the University of Rochester in the Rochester Early Medical Scholars program. He was born and raised in Union City, California. He is currently a senior, majoring in Biology, at the University of Rochester in the Rochester Early Medical Scholars program and am planning to attend medical school at the Rochester School of Medicine in 2020. Playing and watching basketball, tennis, and football contributed heavily to his interest in orthopedics and sports medicine. He further developed this interest researching tendon recovery mechanics at the University of Rochester. Overall, his interest in soft tissue injuries drove him to pursue basic science research on rotator cuff injuries and their healing mechanics at the Feeley lab.

Ava Eftekhari -Ava is a senior at Oakland Tech High School. After graduation, she plans to attend a college with a great pre-med program and study molecular and cellular biology. She is learning how to culture stem cells, run gene analysis tests, and is working on an experiment evaluating how the TGF-B protein functions in injured muscle.

Kyle Natsuhara, MD

Kyle Natsuhara, MD was born in Stockton, Calif. and he completed his undergraduate and medical school education at UCLA. He worked in Dr. Feeley's lab primarily between 2010-11. He is currently an orthopaedic surgery resident at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

Bharat Ravishankar

Originally from San Jose, Calif., Bharat Ravishankar completed his undergraduate education at UC Berkeley prior to working in the Feeley Lab from 2013-14. He is currently a medical student at St. George’s University, and he is applying for residency in Internal Medicine.

Zili Wang,  MD/PhD candidate--Zili is a post doctoral student who has worked for 2 years in the lab.  He is an outstanding microsurgeon and led to novel repair models and nerve reconstructions during his time the lab.  He was a finalist for the ORS NIRA award in 2019. 

Khalid Al-Rayess, BA, was born and raised in San Francisco, Calif. I attended the University of California Berkeley, at which I majored in Molecular Cell Biology with an emphasis in human physiology. My first exposure to research came as an undergraduate in the Eisen Lab at Cal, where I spent my time observing the effect of temperature on the early development of Drosopihlia melanogaster. From this experience, I grew a passion for finding answers to important questions in science. I sought out other projects particularly related to the medical field. I worked for a couple years at the UCSF Spine Center, where I was exposed to many spinal injuries, especially the complications that plagued patients in regards to motion and stability. As a member of the Feeley lab, I hope to contribute to limiting the complications that patients face by developing better repair models in different muscle injuries such as torn rotator cuffs. I am driven each day to continue to make this kind of impact as a doctor in the medical field.