Will S. Chen, MD
Principal Investigator

Will is a radiation oncologist who specializes in the treatment of prostate cancer. Will received his BS in Computer Science from Stanford University and his MD from the Yale School of Medicine. He completed his clinical residency in Radiation Oncology at UCSF. He is a recipient of the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program Physician Research Award and Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award. He is also a Core faculty member of the UCSF Biological and Medical Informatics (BMI) program. His lab is focused on developing novel computational methods for analyzing next-generation tumor profiling approaches and validating single-cell and spatially-resolved cancer biomarkers using genomics and AI. In addition to being a physician scientist, he is proud to be a plant dad and live music fan.
 

Mikhail Dias, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
 

Mik completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne in the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where he studied evolutionary mechanisms driving tumour progression. He then pursued a postdoctoral fellowship under the supervision of Dr. Will Chen and the late Dr. Felix Feng. His research in the Chen Lab focuses on using highly multiplexed imaging technologies to map the proteomic landscape of prostate cancer to identify more effective therapeutic strategies and improve clinical outcomes. Outside of the lab, he can usually be found cycling, hiking the many steep Bay Area trails or climbing a new crag.
 

Zachary R. Chalmers, MD, PhD 
Postdoctoral Scholar
Resident Physician 
UCSF Radiation Oncology
 

Zach is a Radiation Oncology resident at UCSF whose research sits at the intersection of cancer genomics and radiation oncology. He completed his undergraduate degree in mathematics at the University of Oregon and then spent several years in industry at Foundation Medicine, where he worked on the R&D team to develop and refine novel genomic profiling methods before pursuing his MD and PhD at Northwestern University. His doctoral work focused on genomic analyses of prostate cancer, further solidifying his interest in translating large-scale molecular data into clinically actionable insights. The unifying theme of his research is leveraging computational methods and novel molecular tools to better understand which patients will respond to specific therapies—and which may benefit from treatment intensification or de-escalation. He is now focused on integrating genomic and imaging-derived biomarkers with advanced radiation techniques to refine precision treatment strategies. Outside of the lab and clinic, Zach gravitates toward “type II fun” and human-powered adventures. Think long mountain days, sufferfests, and endurance challenges that are more rewarding in retrospect than in the moment. He is a retired competitive rock climber, a lazy distance runner, and a committed foodie who enjoys planning travel around memorable meals as much as memorable landscapes.
 

Aish Subramanian
MD candidate (’29)
Research Fellow
 

Aish is a medical student with experience as a clinical research coordinator and computational scientist focused on genitourinary cancers. Her translational interests are centered on integrating clinical trial data with molecular and epigenomic analyses to identify biomarkers of treatment response and resistance. She is particularly passionate about bridging patient-centered clinical questions with data-driven approaches to improve equity and access to cancer care.
 

J. Carlos Gomez, BS
PhD candidate
Biomedical Informatics (BMI) PhD Rotation ‘26
 

Carlos is a PhD student in the Biological and Medical Informatics program at UCSF. He received his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from San Francisco State University and completed a post-baccalaureate in the PROPEL program at UCSF, during which he also worked as a Junior Specialist in Dr. Susan Lynch’s lab, applying computational methods to study the human microbiome. Carlos is interested in how machine learning, AI, and data-driven approaches can help answer questions in human health. Outside of research, he enjoys cooking, working out, and exploring new places.
 

Cornelia Ding, MD, PhD
GU Pathologist
Clinical Researcher
 

Cornelia is a surgical pathologist who specializes in genitourinary (GU) cancers. Her research is focused on advancing modern-day diagnosis and management of GU cancers by integrating traditional clinical pathology approaches with functional genomics, spatial transcriptomics, and artificial intelligence-based digital pathology information.