About our Team
The Singh Laboratory is a multidisciplinary research team dedicated to understanding the complex interactions between fungal pathogens and their hosts. Our members bring together expertise in fungal biology, immunology, microbiology, molecular genetics, and translational medicine to address fundamental questions in infectious disease research. Together, we are committed to advancing the frontiers of fungal pathogenesis, host immunity, and therapeutic development.
Team Leader

Shakti Singh, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, California
Assistant Professor-in-Residence
David Geffen School of Medicine,
University of California, Los Angeles, California
Dr. Singh is an Assistant Professor-in-Residence at The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and an Investigator at the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. His research is focused on Candida-host interaction, fungal virulence mechanisms, immunology, and vaccine / immunotherapeutic development for drug-resistant fungal infections.
Team Members

Kaustav Das Gupta
Postdoctoral Fellow
2024 - Current
Ph.D.
2013 - 2018: The University of Queensland, Australia

Derek Quintanilla
Ph.D. Student
2023 - Current
B.S. Biological Sciences
2015 - 2017 : University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

Kavya Kumar
Research Intern
June 2025 - Current
B.S. Neuroscience
2023 - 2026 : University of California, Los Angeles, California

Matin Gheysar
Research Intern
June 2025 - Current
High School
2025 - Current: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, CA

Sophia Zandpour
Research Intern
Aug 2026- Current
High School
2026- Current : Mira Costa High School, Manhatten Beach, CA

Ashley Plummer
Research Intern
June 2026- Current
High School
2026- Current: Mira Costa High School, Manhatten Beach, California

Ivon Gonzalez Perez
Master of Science in Biology (CSU, DH) Intern
Oct 2026 - Current
Bachelor of Arts in Biology
2020- 2024: California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, California
Alumni
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Eliciane C. Mattos
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
2023 - 2024
Ph.D. Biological Sciences
University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil

Haley Hautau
Research Assistant
2022 - 2024
B.S. Microbial Biology
University of California Berkeley, California

Kayleigh Fort
Research Trainee
June 1 -Aug 15, 2023
B.S. Molecular Environmental Biology
University of California Berkeley, California

Tatiana Liang
High School Summer Research Fellow
June 20 -Aug 4, 2023
High School
Temple City High School, Temple City, California

Dorna Dovani
Visiting Research Intern (Doctoral)
June 01 -July 31, 2026
Ph.D. Pharmaceutical Sciences (Student)
Chapman University, Irvine, California

Riya Natarajan
Visiting Research Intern (Undergraduate))
June 01 -July 31, 2026
B.A. Biological Sciences
Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Tyler Do
High School Summer Research Fellow
June 15 - Aug 4, 2026
High School
Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga, California

