Dr. Nikki Lytle, PhD
Principal Investigator
Dr. Lytle is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology with appointments in the MCW Cancer Center and Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology. She serves as Co-Director of the MCW Surgical Oncology Tissue Bank. Dr. Lytle completed her graduate work at the University of California San Diego where she focused on identifying signals that are critical for therapy-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. She then went on to join the Salk Institute for her postdoctoral fellowship where she studied how tissue injury can contribute to tumor initiation or progression to metastasis. Dr. Lytle was named a HopeFunds for Cancer Research Fellow in 2019 for her work in pancreatic cancer. She established her lab at MCW in 2022, joining the LaBahn Pancreatic Cancer Program.​ In 2025, she was selected as the AGA-Bern Schwarz Family Fund Research Scholar in Pancreatic Cancer.
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Likes: Dogs, standup comedy, podcasts, goats, community outreach
Dislikes: Electric scooters
414-955-7589
Dr. Priyanga Jayakrishnan, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Jayakrishnan was born and raised in Tamil Nadu, India. She completed her bachelor’s degree at PSG College of Technology and master’s degree at Anna University. After graduating, she went on to earn her Ph.D. in cancer biology at the SASTRA University in the laboratory of Dr. Dipita Guha. While there, her work broadly focused on deciphering the molecular mechanisms that contributes to centrosomal dyshomeostasis in triple-negative breast cancer. In August 2023, Dr. Jayakrishnan joined the laboratory of Dr. Nikki Lytle at the Medical College of Wisconsin as a postdoctoral fellow. She is currently investigating how therapy-induced injury contributes to breast progression, and the contribution of liver-derived Midkine to pancreatic cancer liver metastasis.
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Recipient: Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Postdoctoral Seed Grant, 01/2025
Voted Best Poster: MCW Annual Research Poster Session, 11/2024
Voted Best Oral Presentation: MCW Annual Postdoc Symposium, 09/2024
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Likes: Filter coffee, spicy foods, antiques, mountains, forests, cooking, scary movies, chocolates, movie theaters
Dislikes: Vegetables, odd numbers
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Omar Cortez-Toledo
Graduate Student, IDP PhD Program
Omar graduated with a B.A. in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2012 from Occidental College in California. He went on to join the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as a Research Assistant studying nuclear receptor signaling in childhood muscle wasting and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. From 2017 to 2022, he researched and developed T cell-based cancer immunotherapies at T-Cure Bioscience, Inc. and CERo Therapeutics. Omar joined the Lytle laboratory in February 2023, and is currently studying the liver microenvironmental populations, signals, and interactions of the evolving metastatic liver niche of disseminated pancreatic cancer cells.
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Recipient: MCW Cancer Center Graduate Student Fellowship, 11/2023 - 10/2025
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Likes: Playing soccer, making art, traveling and emo-punk rock
Dislikes: Cloudy days, museums, and zoos
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Isabella Facchine
Graduate Student, IDP PhD Program
Isabella graduated with a B.A. in Biological Sciences and a teaching certificate in Secondary Education in Biology in 2020 from University of Maryland - Baltimore County. Isabella went on to teach middle school science for a few years before transitioning to a clinical research role assisting in the development of a liquid biopsy test to screen for cancerous biomarkers. In February 2024, Isabella joined the Lytle lab and is now researching the impact of the damaged mammary microenvironment on breast cancer risk and how primary pancreatic tumors impact the niche of disseminated tumor cells in the liver.
Voted Best Poster: Annual Graduate Student Association Symposium, 03/2025
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Likes: Running, emo music, creative expression with art, stickers, and hair
Dislikes: Being overly caffeinated and losing toenails
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Kai Liptow
Research Technician
Kai graduated from Ripon College with a B.A. in Chemistry and Biology in May 2023. She initially became interested in biomedical research through a 2022 summer internship at the Medical College of Wisconsin examining the contribution of splicing errors to congenital ophthalmic disorders. Kai joined in the Lytle Laboratory following completion of her B.A., where she specializes in mouse models of pancreatic and breast cancers and assists on projects ranging from epigenetic modulation of breast cancer risk to chemotherapeutic alteration of the liver pre-metastatic niche. In her free time, Kai enjoys singing in a community choir and spending time with her horse, Trixie.
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Likes: Rainbows, mac and cheese, choral music
Dislikes: Bugs, mint-flavored things, running
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Parnian Vakili
Undergraduate Student, UW Milwaukee
Parnian is an undergraduate student majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology with a pre-med focus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After receiving a summer fellowship through the MCW Cancer Center – UWM Undergraduate Research Experience Program, she is conducting research in the Lytle Lab to investigate the role of Midkine in liver metastasis. Outside of research, Parnian enjoys true crime podcasts, baking, and spending time with cats.
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Recipient: MCWCC-UWM Undergraduate Research Grant, 06/2024
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Likes: Tea, cats, baking, mystery books
Dislikes: Humidity, emojis, spiders
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Melissa Mena
Program Director, LaBahn Pancreatic Cancer Program
As the Pancreas Program Manager, Melissa oversees all aspects of our MCW Pancreatic Cancer Program's operations, from maintaining timelines to managing finances and ensuring research regulatory compliance. Her core responsibilities include developing and executing the annual program plans, budget management, contract execution, resource scheduling, and maintaining comprehensive databases. Melissa provides critical support to Dr. Lytle's laboratory as well as the MCW Surgical Oncology Tissue Bank. She also creates program materials, oversee event organization, and assist with stakeholder reporting. Through strategic planning, Melissa aims to drive the success and impact of our program.
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Likes: Coffee, fantasy/sci-fi books, snowboarding, creative outlets
Dislikes: Unloading the dishwasher, cloudy days
414-955-1835
Lytle Lab Alumni
Medical Students
Brett Mueller, MCW Medical Student, Winter 2023
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Currently general surgery resident, Corewell Health
Undergraduate Students
Mariah Williams, SPARCC scholar, Shaw University, Summer 2023
High School Students
Krisha Pakala, SUPREMES Brookfield Central High School participant, Summer 2024