Members
PI: Takako Araki, MD
Dr. Araki is an Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at University of Minnesota. Dr. Araki is dedicated to quality improvement of pituitary perioperative patient care, and any type of pituitary disorders.
Joel Pardo
MSTP program researcher
Joel received his B.S. from the University of Miami in Biology, after which he joined the University of Minnesota's Medical Scientist Training Program. Outside of research, Joel enjoys spending time with his dog, gardening, and watching movies.
Steven Sims, M.S
Research associate
Steven joined the Araki Lab in August 2022. He obtained his B.S. from The Florida State University and his M.S. from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the lab, Steven investigates post-COVID pituitary dysfunction.
Juman Alkhatib
Undergraduate student researcher
Juman joined the Araki Lab in May of 2026. She is a current undergraduate pre-med student studying biochemistry at the University of Minnesota. She is also pursuing an ensemble music minor. She enjoys spending time with friends, playing the clarinet, reading, and playing badminton.
Mayu Tsuzuki
Laboratory manager
Mayu is a study coordinator and lab manager. She is also a student at the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, Latin dancing, and spending time with her family.
Kyungwon Kim
MD, PhD, research fellow
Kyungwon is a research fellow in the Araki Lab. She is an endocrinologist trained in South Korea, with a particular interest in pituitary disorders. Her current research focuses on pituitary hormone regulation, metabolic responses, and the development of clinically useful biomarkers for neuroendocrine diseases.
Aleah Siddiqui
Undergraduate student researcher
Aleah joined the lab in June of 2026. She is an undergraduate studying Biochemistry at the University of Minnesota. In her free time, she enjoys playing and listening to music, as well as spending time with friends and family.
Alumni
Mari Koga, MD, research fellow
Justin Brathwaite, research fellow
Liam Cullen, research fellow
Ryan Lawrence
Gwyn Schmidt
Matthew Walters
Collaborators
Ryusaku Matsumoto, MD, PhD
Dr. Matsumoto is an assistant professor affiliated with Center for iPS Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University in Japan. His research interests include in vitro analysis of pituitary development and disorders using human iPS cells. In his free time, he enjoys DIY and houseplants.