Dr. Sato obtained his bachelor's degree in Japan and completed his Ph.D. in New Zealand. He arrived in the United States for postdoctoral training in 2011 to study hepatology and was promoted to Assistant Research Professor in 2019 at Indiana University School of Medicine. He joined the Kumar Lab in 2025 to study pediatric brain tumors. His research spans the liver–brain axis, cellular heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment, and microglia replacement therapies for pediatric glioma, with extensive laboratory experience and strong expertise in bioinformatics and computation, including scRNA-seq and deconvolution analysis. His computational studies demonstrated that cell populations in liver tissue are altered by cell type and phenotype during chronic liver injury. His goal is to establish novel diagnostic and treatment strategies for human disease.

Isabel graduated from Texas A&M University in 2025 as an Undergraduate Research Scholar with a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and a minor in Dance Performance. She began research in the Grau lab at Texas A&M, studying spinal cord injury and pain; her undergraduate thesis explored the impact of norepinephrine on locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury. She is a first-year PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at UT Austin, and her dissertation work in the Kumar Lab centers on developing and optimizing novel therapeutic strategies for pediatric brain tumors.

Cayley graduated from UT Austin in May 2026 with a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, with a minor in Business and a certificate in Pre-Health Professions. She graduated with High Honors and Special Departmental Honors from the Department of Molecular Biosciences, and with Distinction in Research. Her honors thesis, completed in the Kumar Lab, was entitled "Glioma cells activate microglia into a pro-inflammatory and pro-tumoral phenotype." She was awarded the 2025 College of Natural Sciences Summer Experiential Learning Fellowship, the 2025–26 UT Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and the UT Undergraduate Research Travel Grant. She now studies the glioma tumor microenvironment full time while applying to MD/PhD programs.

Curtis earned his B.S. in molecular biology at Brigham Young University. Before graduating he served a two-year church mission to Melbourne, Australia, and studied Vietnamese language and culture during his service. During his undergraduate education he worked in the BYU Autism Behavior lab investigating parent–child relationships in families with children affected by neurodevelopmental disabilities. He was awarded the 2025 Department of Pediatrics Research Grant. His research interests include clinical outcomes of patients undergoing treatment for brain tumors. In his free time he enjoys running, biking, and spending time with his wife and son.

Cheyenne received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Cellular and Biomolecular Engineering and a Pre-Health Professions certificate from UT Austin in May 2023. As an undergraduate she conducted sono-optogenetic research with applications to Parkinson's disease in the Wang Lab at UT Austin. In her gap year she worked as a research assistant in the Dunsmoor Lab at Dell Medical School, conducting behavioral and fMRI studies of how emotion shapes memory and learning, particularly in relation to PTSD. She is now an MS3 at Dell Medical School and is interested in novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders in pediatric populations.

Pierrick "Rick" Millet was born in France and spent several years in Lodz, Poland, where he obtained his medical doctorate. He previously earned a Bachelor's in Biology at Northeastern University in Boston. He has since worked for AstraZeneca as an external consultant and applied his knowledge of regulatory affairs as a research coordinator at Texas State University. He currently manages the Neurosurgery Department's biobank and is interested in gene therapy for stroke research.

Emma is a junior at UT Austin pursuing dual degrees in Neuroscience and Plan II Honors, with a certificate in Patients, Practitioners, and Cultures of Care. Her involvement in research began with the Freshman Research Initiative's Vertebrate Interactome Mapping lab, where she focused on cancer biology. She was awarded the 2026–27 UT Undergraduate Research Fellowship for her work on microglia replacement as a potential therapeutic strategy in mouse models of pediatric glioma. After graduation she plans to pursue MD/PhD training with a focus on neurosurgery.

Bella is a senior at UT Austin pursuing a degree in Biology with a concentration in Organismal Biology & Physiology, a minor in Health Communications, and a pre-health professions certificate. Her involvement in research began in the Freshman Research Initiative's Biodiversity Discovery stream, where she gained computational and laboratory background. She is also involved in Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-health professions honors society. Bella was awarded the 2025–26 UT Undergraduate Research Fellowship for her work on the impact of sleep patterns on cognitive recovery in pediatric brain tumor patients. She plans to attend medical school with a focus in pediatrics.

Ananya is a junior at UT Austin pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering Honors with a minor in Business and a certificate in Humanitarian Engineering. Her involvement in research began in the Nanobiosensors and Molecular Tracking Lab, where she worked on nanosensing and a universal biosensor for low-cost diagnostics. She is also involved with the Health Leadership Apprentice Program at Dell Medical School. After graduation she plans to apply to MD or MD/PhD programs, with interests in pediatrics, oncology, and translational neuroscience.