Current Lab Members
Stephanie L. Gaw, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
Maternal Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Dr. Gaw is a practicing Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician and scientist who studies the impact of infectious diseases on fetal growth and development, and particularly how this is mediated by the placenta. She has a long-standing interest in global health. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras in 1998-2001. She has over 20 years of experience studying malaria both in the laboratory and in the field. She has led collaboratorative research in malaria in Uganda, Zika virus in Brazil, and most recently COVID-19 in pregnancy. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Reproductive Scientist Development Program, the Foundation for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the CDC Foundation.
Sirirak Buarpung, DVM, PhD
Lab Manager
Dr. Buarpung earned her DVM from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. She completed her PhD in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Reproduction, focusing on male gamete preservation and assisted reproductive technologies, with the aim of developing techniques applicable to the conservation of endangered wild felids. After her postdoctoral training, Dr. Buarpung spent two years at a fertility clinic, where she helped establish a preimplantation genetic screening system and supported clinical workflows. Her experience has deepened her passion for the science of pregnancy. Since joining the Gaw Lab in 2018, Dr. Buarpung has played an active role in supporting all ongoing research projects.
Christine Blauvelt, MD
Assistant Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Genetics
Dr. Blauvelt joined the Gaw Lab in 2023. She is a maternal-fetal medicine physician at UCSF. She graduated from the UPenn Perelman School of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship training at UCSF. Her research and clinical interests include pregnancy-associated infections, sepsis, and placental disorders of pregnancy including fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, and preterm birth. Her research work within the Gaw Lab is focused on placental and immune responses to infections in pregnancy.
Stephanie Tsoi, MD
Assistant Adjunct Professor, Pediatric critical care specialist
Dr. Tsoi is a pediatric critical care intensivist at UCSF. She graduated from UCLA School of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship at UCSF. Her research and clinical interests include critically-ill patients with neonatal and pediatric pulmonary hypertension. Her research work within the Gaw Lab is specifically focused on using the placenta to investigate the fetal origins of pulmonary hypertension, aiming to better understand early insults and disease mechanisms that could change how we prevent, prognosticate, and treat pulmonary hypertension. She joined the Gaw Lab in 2025.
Audrey Chung, MD
Visiting Medical Student
Dr. Chung joined the Gaw Lab in 2023 as a visiting research volunteer from the Chinese University of Hong Kong while pursuing her medical studies. She earned her MD in July 2025 and continues to investigate the impacts of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on the neonatal intestinal microbiome. She aspires to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology.
Jeanine Esteban
UCSF M.D. Candidate
Jeanine graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology and Social Behavior. She joined the Gaw Lab in 2026 and is currently on a year-long research fellowship where she is helping investigate the impact of wildfire smoke exposure on maternal-fetal outcome. She aspires to pursue a career as an OBGYN.
Amayrani Morales
Clinical Research Coordinator
Amayrani graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Integrative Biology and a minor in Chicanx Studies. She joined the Gaw Lab in 2024. She has extensive experience in coordinating large projects and community engagement. Before joining the Gaw Lab, she contributed to projects exploring the impact of environmental factors on pregnancy and child development. She also served as a Health Advocate in the Alameda Health System, and as a team leader for tutors and mentors in the East Bay. Amayrani is interested in translating scientific research to inform policy decisions and amplify advocacy efforts.
Neela Rahseparian
Clinical Research Coordinator
Neela joined the Gaw Lab in 2025.
Sruthi Veeragandham, BS
Visiting Masters Student
Sruthi earned her bachelor's degree in Microbiology with a minor in Computer Science from UC Berkeley. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in English Literature at San Francisco State University and joined the Gaw Lab in 2025. In the lab, Sruthi contributes to data analysis for several ongoing research projects and supports manuscript preparation.
Caroline Holm
Undergraduate researcher
Caroline is a third-year student at UC Berkley studying Integrative Biology. She joined the Gaw Lab in 2026 as an undergraduate researcher, where she supports the Gaw Lab Perinatal Biobank.