Post Doc Researcher
Research
​
I study how cells process information and adapt their behavior in response to external cues. I earned my bachelor's degree from UC Davis, where I investigated how cell contact density influences ERK signaling dynamics in the Albeck Lab. Next, I worked in cell line development at Bayer Pharmaceuticals before pursuing my PhD at UCLA in the Coller lab. There, I discovered that H4K20me3 regulates cell state transitions by modulating CTCF binding at TAD boundaries. In the Dillin lab, my research focuses on understanding how aging influences cellular states, particularly senescence, and how the accumulation of senescent cells drives age-related tissue dysfunction.
Publications
Atai, K., Mitra, M., Bohn, E., Hu, R., Corvalan, A., Jelinek, D., Voisin, L., Ambrus, A., Sarathy, K., Sparks, W.M., Bonitto, K., Dunkwu, A., Coller, H.A., 2026. H4K20me3 and CTCF act reciprocally at TAD boundaries to regulate cell state transitions. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.29.702647
​
Gee, M., Atai, K., Coller, H.A., Yeates, T.O., Castells-Graells, R., 2024. Designed fluorescent protein cages as fiducial markers for targeted cell imaging. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.28.582585.
Bonitto, K., Sarathy, K., Atai, K., Mitra, M., Coller, H.A., 2021. Is There a Histone Code for Cellular Quiescence? Front. Cell Dev. Biol. 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.739780
​
Jelinek, D., Zhang, E.R., Ambrus, A., Haley, E., Guinn, E., Vo, A., Le, P., Kesaf, A.E., Nguyen, J., Guo, L., Frederick, D., Sun, Z., Guo, N., Sevier, P., Bilotta, E., Atai, K., Voisin, L., Coller, H.A., 2020. A Mouse Model to Investigate the Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Growth. J. Vis. Exp. JoVE e61883. https://doi.org/10.3791/61883
​
​
​
​
​