Adna Curukovic, M.S., Ed.D.
Research Associate
Lab Manager
Adna received her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Northwestern State University. In 2015, she completed her M.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. During her master’s studies, Adna worked in the laboratory of Dr. Tara Williams-Hart, whose research was focused on finding the potential molecular targets of a putative anti-cancer drug, fusarochromanone (FC101). In 2019, Adna received her doctoral degree in Healthcare Leadership from LSU Shreveport. A former number 1 ranked tennis player in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Adna also holds a USPTA certification and teaches tennis in her free time.
Shweta Tiwary, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Shweta received a B.S. degree in Biotechnology from Banasthali University in 2011. In 2013, she completed her M.S. degree from Banasthali University. During her Master dissertation she worked on the role of Ayurvedic drugs on apoptosis in Drosophila at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). She obtained her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in New Delhi, India in 2020. During her graduate studies, she focused on studying the role of Mitochondria-associated membrane (MAM) proteins in islet cell apoptosis in diabetes. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and painting. She also loves gardening and has a small garden of her own.
Cristina Guerena, B.S.
CMB PhD Student
Cristina earned her B.S. degree in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 2022. During her time at UTEP, she participated in the esteemed research program known as BUILDing Scholars, which is designed to engage students more deeply in the STEM field. During her sophomore year at UTEP she joined a lab under Dr. Renato Aguilera and studied the cytotoxicity of various compounds against cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines. In her free time she enjoys spending time outdoors either playing tennis or walking her dogs.
Pablo Santos Molina, B.S.
CMB PhD Student
Pablo earned his B.S. in Microbiology from Arizona State University in 2022. As an undergraduate, he conducted research as a Barrett College Fellow under Dr. Miyeko Mana, studying how the gut microbiome influences intestinal stem cell properties under a high-fat diet. After graduating, he joined the Sloan Kettering Institute through the MSK Bridge Program, where he studied mycobacterial proteostasis and DNA repair under Dr. Michael Glickman. He joined the Jewell Lab in April 2025 and is currently working on mTORC1 regulation by glutamine and asparagine. Outside the lab, he enjoys exploring new food spots in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Maddie Poole, B.S.
SURF Student
Maddie is an undergraduate student from Arp, Texas. She is part of the class of 2028 at Harvard College and is studying integrative biology. She has joined Jewell lab as a member of UT Southwestern's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. After college, Maddie plans on pursuing a PhD in the field of cancer research and hopes to continue researching in this field afterward. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, listening to music, playing with her cat Angel, and recently, quilting!
Anica Ayala, B.S.
SURISKD Student
Anica is pursuing a Biology Honors degree through the Health Science Honors Scholars program at the University of Texas at Austin, with plans to pursue an MD or MD/PhD. Her research background spans drug discovery for infectious diseases in UT Austin's Virtual Cures FRI stream, using computational and wet-laboratory techniques to identify novel drug leads, and, most recently, the Chook Lab at UT Southwestern, where she studied USP7's role in stabilizing the cancer-relevant nuclear export receptor XPO1/CRM1. This summer, she joins the Jewell Lab through the SURISKD Kidney Disease Program! Outside the lab, she enjoys singing with her church choir and volunteering at nursing homes and pediatric oncology hospitals.