The Team
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Daysha Ferrer Torres
Founder & PI
Dr. Daysha Ferrer Torres is a leading scientist specializing in molecular biology, organoid modeling, esophageal cancer, and development. She earned her B.S. from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez, receiving the Sloan Research Award.
At the University of Michigan, under Dr. David G. Beer, she focused on esophageal adenocarcinomas progression, earning the Rackham Merit Fellowship and the NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Cancer Institute. In 2017, she joined the Spence Lab, using single-cell RNA sequencing to study organoid technologies and esophageal cellular heterogeneity, recognized by the MICHR PTSP Fellowship and the Center for Organogenesis Training Fellowship.
Now leading the Ferrer Torres Lab at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, her research uses patient-derived organoids to study esophageal development and cancer. Dr. Ferrer Torres has received numerous accolades, including the Early Investigator Award at the 2021 Society of In Vitro Biology World Conference and the K99-R00 award from National Institute of Diabetes and Digestives and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). She is an accomplished public speaker and scientific communicator. In her spare time, she enjoys playing competitive volleyball and hanging out with her four dogs.
Noah Itai Etzioni
Lab Manager
Noah is the lab manager for the Ferrer Torres lab. Originially from Seattle, he completed his undergraduate degree at UC San Diego. He didn't major in biology, so prior to joining the lab, he spent over a year at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center and University of Washington interning in labs and taking foundational classes. He is very interested in mitochondria, cancer, and homeostatic biological mechanisms. Outside the lab, he loves to snowboard, surf, listen to music, hike, and play any sport.
Gabriela Rivera Gonzalez
Graduate Student
Gaby is a Cancer Biology/BSP PhD student at the CU Anschutz. She earned her undergraduate degree in Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, where she investigated the antibacterial properties of flowering plants. After graduation, she briefly worked at the pharmaceutical company Amgen to explore the industry side of science. Motivated to pursue more, she participated in the Developing Future Biologists program at the University of Michigan, where she studied the mechanisms involved in late spermatogenesis.
She later joined UM-PREP, focusing on the role of miR-181a in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. These experiences solidified her passion for cancer biology and research. In the Ferrer Torres Lab, Gaby studies the mechanistic drivers of esophageal adenocarcinoma progression. Her long-term goal is to contribute to innovative, patient-centered cancer research. Outside the lab, she enjoys caring for her plants, exploring Colorado, and staying active at the gym.