People
Join us!
We are recruiting talented scientists with an interest in molecular cell biology, tissue engineering, quantitative microscopy, skin biology, and related fields. Please email the PI with any inquiries. Find out more about our uniquely interdisciplinary lab environment in the Green Center for Systems Biology at UT Southwestern.
Meet the PI
Benjamin Nanes, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Dermatology
Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics
Dr. Nanes grew up in Atlanta and received his BA in chemistry from Washington University in St Louis. He then joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at Emory University, where he received his MD and PhD in cell biology. He completed internship in internal medicine and residency in dermatology at UT Southwestern, as well as postdoctoral research training in systems biology.
Since 2023, Dr. Nanes has been appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology and the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, where his lab studies the molecular basis of skin architecture and epidermal remodeling during wound healing. Specific areas of interest include the signaling function of keratin intermediate filaments and the balance between epidermal stability and plasticity. His research is supported by the Dermatology Foundation.
Dr. Nanes practices general dermatology and has an interest in inherited disorders affecting structural components of the epidermis. He is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology.
Meet the lab
Allen Li, MS
Graduate Student
Allen Li grew up in the Bay Area and received his BA in Biochemistry from Occidental College, where he worked with the Navarro Group in synthesizing an anti-hepatotoxic natural product. He then joined the Kohli Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed his MS in Chemistry. Allen is a member of the Cell and Molecular Biology PhD program and the Perot Family Scholars Medical Scientist Training Program. His interests span epidermal biology, biochemistry, and structural biology. His work will focus on the mechanistic basis of keratin isoforms in epithelial differentiation.
Sabahat Munawar
Research Assistant
Sabahat received her BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She joined the Center for Systems Biology in 2022 and in 2023 was the first scientist to join the Nanes Lab. Sabahat specializes in keratinocyte culture and skin organoid models.