Meet the Principal Investigator
Jennifer Gill, MD PhD
Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Jennifer grew up in Tennessee and received her BS in Cellular Biology from the University of Georgia, where she was a Foundation Fellow and Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. She then joined the MSTP program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis where she obtained her MD and PhD (Immunology) degrees. Jennifer continued her training at UTSW, completing both a dermatology residency and post-doctoral laboratory training in cancer biology. She currently is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UTSW where she runs a research laboratory and sees patients in her melanoma and advanced cutaneous malignancies subspecialty clinic. As a physician-scientist, she is passionate about using basic science research to understand and better treat patients with melanoma.
When Jennifer is not in the lab or clinic, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.
Current Lab Members
Marelize Snyman, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher / Lab Manager
Marelize is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in Dr. Gill’s lab in the Dermatology Department at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She completed her PhD in Quantitative Biology at the University of Texas at Arlington in 2022 where her dissertation focused on investigating gene expression changes underlying novel phenotypes such as obligate parthenogenesis in the microcrustacean Daphnia. She is interested in studying the metabolic signatures of metastatic melanoma, particularly focusing on the relationship between pigment production and metastasis. Originally from sunny South Africa, Marelize enjoys spending time outdoors, travelling and learning about different cultures.
Rachel Walsdorf
Research Technician II
Rachel recently graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Biochemistry and Sociology and is the Gill Lab’s research technician. While at Notre Dame, she worked as an undergraduate researcher on altering visual genes in Aedes aegypti in order to reduce disease transmission. She is interested in metabolic pathways involved in melanoma and how they can contribute to disease outcome and potential treatment plans. In the future, she plans on applying to MD/PhD programs to continue her research career. Rachel enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and spends her free time crocheting and making hyper-specific Spotify playlists.
Sophie Wix, MPhil
MD Candidate and Research Fellow
Sophie is a medical student at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU and the Gill Lab’s first full-time research fellow. She graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Sciences. At USC, she studied circulating tumor cells of metastatic breast and prostate cancer patients with the Kuhn-Hicks Lab. She then completed a master’s degree (MPhil) studying treatment-resistant breast cancer with the Caldas Lab at the University of Cambridge in England as part of the US Fulbright Program. She is interested in metastatic melanoma and the cutaneous manifestations of anti-cancer therapies. As a native of Arizona, she loves hiking and exploring the outdoors. She also loves music and singing.
Ariel Brown
UTSW Medical Student
Ariel is a medical student in the class of 2025 at UT Southwestern. She graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science in 2018. Post-graduation, Ariel began working as a medical assistant for a dermatologist in her hometown of Houston, TX. Inspired by the dermatologist’s work, she determined that a degree in medicine would best suit her goals. She then attended Columbia University’s pre-medical post-baccalaureate program to finish her requisite courses for medical school. Outside of her studies, she loves trying new restaurants, watching stand-up comedy, and cheering on the Tar Heels.
Gabrielle Gard
UTSW Medical Student
Gabrielle is a medical student at the University of Texas Southwestern (class of 2026). She graduated in 2022 from Southern Methodist University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and minors in Mathematics and Spanish. Gabrielle started research as a high school student through the UT Southwestern STARS Summer Research Program, in which she researched with Dr. Rashmin Savani to elucidate inflammatory pathways in neonates suffering from bronchopulmonary dysplasia. At SMU, Gabrielle joined the lab of Dr. Pia Vogel and studied new therapeutics to combat multidrug resistant breast cancers through cell line models. Gabrielle has a true passion for research and medicine, and she was selected as a 2021 Goldwater Scholar for her commitment and work in research. In her free time, Gabrielle has been practicing taekwondo since she was 8 years old, and she is now a third-degree black belt.
Juliana Kim
UTSW Medical Student
Juliana Kim is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where she received both her B.S. in Biochemistry as a Dean’s Scholar and B.B.A. in Business Honors prior to joining UT Southwestern as a medical student. During her undergraduate years, she studied neural tube closure in frog embryos with the Wallingford Lab where she conducted time-series analyses of various proteins for their positions within cells and directional changes of motion observed through 750,000+ measurements. She is currently studying BRAF-mutant melanoma metabolism and is particularly motivated to improve therapeutic strategies for patients with treatment-resistant diseases. She enjoys volunteering at Agape Dermatology free clinic, performing with other musicians as a cellist, and exploring espresso desserts.
Joining the Team
Interested in joining the Gill Lab? We are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated physicians and scientists to join our team and support our mission. Email Jennifer Gill (jennifer.gill@utsouthwestern.edu) with a brief statement of interest and copy of your CV.
Lab Alumni
Lindsey West, MD
UTSW Dermatology Resident Physician
