Cai Lab
Location and Contact Information
Principal Investigator
As one of the few academic sleep surgeons in the nation with active grant funding for sleep apnea research, Dr. Yi Cai focuses her research on the health outcomes of patients undergoing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatments and optimizing care delivery for these patients.
Currently, Dr. Cai’s research on the cardiometabolic outcomes of OSA surgery is funded by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation, Triological Society (a national otolaryngology society), and the American Heart Association. In addition, ongoing projects in her lab investigate cardiometabolic health among patients with OSA and the use of wearable technologies to enhance care in OSA.
Dr. Cai has mentored several medical trainees on prior research projects and is accepting applications for summer and research year fellowships at otosleepresearch@cumc.columbia.edu
Lab Members
Allison Lin
- Medical Student and Research Fellow
Allison Lin is a third-year medical student at Columbia VP&S and a Research Fellow (2025-26) in the Cai Lab. She graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 2021 with an Sc.B. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Her research on lipid metabolism in polyploid ovarian cancer cells received the Leallyn B. Clapp Prize in Biochemistry for Outstanding Honors Thesis. Prior to medical school, she was a Visiting Scholar at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Cohen Children's Medical Center in the Division of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. She has been involved in research spanning otolaryngology, endocrine surgery, and cardiology since then. Outside of medicine, she enjoys Broadway and Formula 1.
Cindy Wang
- Medical Student
Cindy Wang is a medical student at Columbia VP&S. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2024 with an A.B. in Statistics. Her research interests are largely at the intersection of informatics and medicine, investigating applications in otolaryngology, neurology, psychiatry, and neonatology. Beyond medicine, she loves walking, photography, crafting, and watching TV shows and movies with friends.
Sara Liszeski
- Medical Student
Sara Liszeski is a medical student at Columbia VP&S. She graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Chemistry and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She spent her gap years working as a software engineer and is excited to apply her computational background to the field of otolaryngology. Outside of medicine, Sara enjoys running, hiking, skiing, baking, and turning her apartment into a jungle.
Sara Modiano
- Medical Student
Sara Modiano is a first-year medical student at Columbia VP&S. She earned her B.S. in Biological Engineering from MIT in 2024, where she was inducted into Tau Beta Pi. During her gap year, she engineered protein probes for fMRI. She is most interested in the intersection of neuromodulation, the brain, and otolaryngology. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, making art, exploring all five boroughs, and spending time with family and friends.
Dana Guggenheim
- Medical Student
Dana Guggenheim is a medical student at Columbia VP&S. She graduated from Duke University in 2023 with a B.A. in Neuroscience and Public Policy and received the Highest Level of Distinction for her Honors Thesis. Prior to medical school, she spent two gap years as a healthcare consultant at McKinsey & Company. Her research interests are at the intersection of otolaryngology, aging, digital health technology, and healthcare policy. Outside of medicine, Dana enjoys running, exploring NYC, and experimenting with new recipes.
Julia Bauer
- Medical Student
Julia Bauer is a first-year medical student at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. She graduated from Columbia College in 2025 with a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior. Prior to medical school she was involved in nuclear cardiology research, and is a published co-author in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and in American Heart Association Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. In her free time she enjoys reading fiction and gardening.
Research Coordinators
Jesus Lopez-Peña
Jesus Lopez-Peña is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Otolaryngology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in Systems Physiology from San Jose State University. Jesus is passionate about improving healthcare outcomes for under-resourced communities, both locally and globally, with a focus on ensuring high-quality care. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and exploring various cuisines and cultures.
Adam Connor
- Research Coordinator
Nurshath Kalam
- Research Coordinator
Lab Alumni
Rachel Kutler
- Medical Student and Research Fellow
Rachel Kutler is a fourth-year medical student at Columbia VP&S and Research Fellow (2024-25). She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. Her research interests include cardiometabolic health among patients with obstructive sleep apnea and the surgical outcomes of hypoglossal nerve stimulation. In her free time, she enjoys running, baking, skiing, and watching reality TV.
Lisa Schulmeyer
- Medical Student
Lisa Schulmeyer is a medical student at Columbia VP&S and 2025 Summer Research Fellow. She earned her ScB in Chemistry from Brown, where she received the Clapp Prize for Outstanding Honors Thesis for her research in DNA repair mechanisms. Prior to medical school, Lisa’s professional background was in biopharma operations consulting with Boston Consulting Group, where she specialized in novel-modality treatments like cell and gene therapies. Outside of medicine, she enjoys hiking, visiting museums, and exploring new restaurants.
Paul Trackey
- Medical Student
Paul Trackey is a medical student at Columbia VP&S and 2025 Summer Research Fellow in the Cai Lab. He graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Life Science from West Point and will pursue a career in Army medicine following graduation. Some of his hobbies include rock climbing, hunting, and getting lost in the woods.
Lauren Zhang
- Medical Student
Lauren Zhang is a medical student at Columbia VP&S. She graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in Chemistry and a secondary in Applied Mathematics and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She is interested in otolaryngology and epidemiology and their intersection. In particular, she is curious to investigate associations between ENT conditions and developmental and environmental factors. Lauren plays the piano and regularly gives concerts in the UK and Europe, such as at the BBC Proms, Kissinger KlavierOlymp, and Klavier-Festival Ruhr.
Andrea Rivera
- Medical Student
Andrea Rivera is a medical student at Columbia VP&S. She holds a BA in Statistics and Molecular and Cellular Biology from Harvard College and a master’s degree in mathematical Modeling for Global Health from Oxford University. Andrea is excited to leverage her statistics background to explore the interdisciplinary field of otolaryngology.
