Nghiem Lab Undergrads Transition to Research Study Coordinators

UW Dermatology is pleased to announce two Nghiem Lab undergraduate research assistants, Alex Fu and Emily Huynh, will be transitioning to full-time Research Study Coordinators in the Nghiem Lab this summer. 

Alex transitioned to his new role as a Research Study Coordinator on June 27; Emily will transition on August 1. We are excited for Alex and Emily to take this next step in their careers and continue expanding their skills as they support the Nghiem Lab’s ongoing research in Merkel cell carcinoma and cell cycle biology.

Alex Fu

Pronouns: he/him/his
Hometown: Sammamish, WA

Alex Fu graduated with his BS in Biology-Physiology from the University of Washington in 2022. A strong community advocate, his previous work experience includes volunteering with Seattle Homeless Outreach, Virginia Mason Medical Center, and United Chinese Americans of Washington, for which he led the donation of hundreds of N95 masks to the Virginia Mason system at the height of the pandemic.

Alex first joined the Nghiem Lab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in March 2019. Over the past three years Alex has supported many Nghiem Lab research papers and has even led his own project, “Merkel Cell Carcinoma has Significant Chance of Recurrence beyond Pathologically Clear Margins: An Analysis of 926 cases,” which he presented at SID 2022 in Portland as a Concurrent Mini-Symposium. Alex has taken leadership roles such as leading the Tumor Block Collection project for Moffitt Cancer Center. Currently, he is helping manage the distribution of AMERK/ctDNA kits which are instrumental in monitoring patients for potential recurrences. Alex is also a grassroots organizer, having co-founded Earlybird Alliance, a non-profit organization advocating against teen drug use. In his free time, he enjoys playing soprano saxophone and exploring new areas of Seattle.

“Being a part of the Nghiem Lab has entirely changed my view on the impact of research. I have grown to lead my own projects, gained a vast understanding of dermatology and oncology, and impacted countless patients’ lives, all thanks to this wonderful Merkel team.”

Emily Huynh

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Hometown: Renton, WA

Emily Huynh graduated with her BS in Biology – Molecular Cellular Developmental from the University of Washington in 2022. She was also a member of UW’s Interdisciplinary Honors Program. Emily’s previous experience include working as a Medical Scribe for HealthPoint Kent where she supported a Family Medicine and OB/GYN physician and learned to deliver care to a diverse community of patients.

Emily joined the Nghiem Lab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in March 2020, at the very start of the COVID pandemic. Despite working remotely, she was able to support several research projects such as maintaining the Nghiem Lab’s extensive MCC database, developing new immunotherapy and radiotherapy database pages, coordinating Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) blood testing, and supporting studies around cardiac metastatic MCC, indolent MCC cases and single-fraction radiotherapy. In her free time, Emily enjoys traveling to warm places, exploring cafes and restaurants around the Seattle area, yoga (especially vinyasa and hot yoga), baking and cake decorating.

“My favorite aspect of the Nghiem Lab is the inspiring team of physicians, researchers, and students. In addition to mentorship, I've had the chance to collaborate with my role models. It is surreal to see how together, we are improving the care and experiences of people affected by Merkel cell carcinoma around the country and the world.”