Skip to main content
Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Gastroenterology & Hepatology
  1. HOME
  2. Research
  3. Faculty Labs
  4. Yadlapati Lab
  5. Team Members

Team Members

  • Alex Gonsalves, MS, BS

    Alex Gonsalves, MS, BS

    Alexander Gonsalves, MS, BS is currently a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Center for Esophageal Diseases at the University of California, San Diego. Alex completed his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at San Diego State University where he was first exposed to human subjects' research. He then went on to complete his master's degree in Exercise Physiology at San Diego State University where he further developed his passion for research. He has since gained experience in multiple research specialties, now focusing on esophageal research as a member of the Yadlapati Research team. In his free time, he enjoys going to church, playing badminton, and spending time with family and friends. 
  • Lori Robles, BS

    Lori Robles, BS

    Lorijane Robles, BS, is currently a Clinical Research Coordinator at the UC San Diego Center for Esophageal Diseases. She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Biology with a minor in Psychology from UCSD, where she had her research start as a first-year studying protein localization using flourescent knockin transgenes (C. Elegans) . She has since gained experience in multiple specialties, but developed a passion for clinical research. Lori was co-mentored by Dr. Yadlapati through the GEODE Program, where she researched chromosomal CNAs in gastric precursor lesions as predictive biomarkers for adenocarcinoma progression. Inspired by modern medicine, she aspires to one day pursue a career in both clinical practice and research. 
  • Eric Low, MD MPH

    Eric Low, MD MPH

    Eric Low, MD MPH completed his NIH T32 gastroenterology fellowship at UCSD with a clinical and scientific career interest in esophageal disorders. His long-term career goals include improving epidemiologic research of esophageal diseases and discovering novel diagnostic and treatment paradigms of esophageal conditions. He joined the Yadlapati research lab in 2020.
  • Kelli Liu, MD

    Kelli Liu, MD

    Kelli Liu, MD, is currently a GI clinical fellow. She studied Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and went on to earn her medical degree from Wake Forest School of Medicine. She completed her residency training at UC San Diego. Kelli’s research focuses on esophageal disease, particularly the role of gut-brain interactions in shaping disease burden and how patients perceive their symptoms.
  • Francesca Forattini, MD

    Francesca Forattini, MD

    Francesca Forattini, MD, is a fourth-year General Surgery resident at the University of Padua, Italy, and a Visiting Research Scholar at the UC San Diego Center for Esophageal Diseases under the mentorship of Dr. Yadlapati. She earned her medical degree from the University of Padua, where she first developed an interest in esophageal surgery and functional disorders. During her residency, she cultivated a passion for research, focusing on achalasia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and esophageal motility disorders. She received a grant to join Dr. Yadlapati Research Team at UCSD, where she is further expanding her research and clinical experience. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing sports, and spending time with family and friends.
  • Erin Walsh

    Erin Walsh

    Erin Walsh, MA, CCC-SLP, IBCLC, BCS-S, is a senior clinician and speech-language pathologist at UC San Diego Health’s Center for Airway, Voice and Swallowing in the Department of Otolaryngology. She specializes in complex disorders across the lifespan, with expertise ranging from professional voice to neonatal dysphagia. Her dual certification as a lactation consultant provides a nuanced perspective on infant feeding care. Walsh collaborates with Dr. Yadlapati’s lab on research exploring innovative, mechanism-guided treatments for laryngopharyngeal symptoms. In parallel, she leads research on the objective quantification of infant suckling patterns to advance breastfeeding interventions and has co-founded a medtech startup bringing a machine learning–enabled oral-motor diagnostic system to market. Drawing on her background in singing, she also brings specialized expertise in caring for professional voice users.
  • Amanda Krause, MD

    Amanda Krause, MD

    Amanda Krause, MD completed her Gastroenterology fellowship and advanced esophageal preceptorship at the University of California San Diego, where she was mentored by Dr. Yadlapati. Dr. Krause completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine where she became very interested in esophageal diseases and clinical research. Dr. Krause currently works as a Gastroenterologist at the University of California, Los Angeles.