Winifred Mak
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor
OBGYN
Long School of Medicine
Dr. Mak is the Principal Investigator of the Mak lab. Dr. Mak is a native of the UK and obtained her medical degree from the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas (UMDS), London and her PhD from Imperial College, London. Dr. Mak is a physician-scientist with long-standing research interests in placental development, epigenetics, birth outcomes of infants born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and more recently sperm and recurrent pregnancy loss. Clinically, Dr. Mak is a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) subspecialist and nationally recognized recurrent pregnancy loss expert. When she is not doing research and taking care of patients, she also educates the next generation of REI doctors and is the Program Director of the REI fellowship. Outside the lab, she is an avid traveler and enjoys playing escape rooms around the world with her husband and three kids.
Kris Yang
Senior Embryologist
OBGYN
MAR
Kris is a Senior Embryologist at UT Health San Antonio and a PhD student in Reproductive Clinical Science at Old Dominion University (ODU). With a background in clinical embryology and assisted reproductive technology, she is passionate about understanding the molecular mechanisms that influence reproductive health and embryo development to improve IVF outcomes. Her research interests focus on translational reproductive biology, particularly genomic stability, male fertility, and the molecular factors that influence reproductive outcomes. Through her clinical work in the IVF laboratory, Kris brings a unique perspective to her research by integrating clinical experience with basic science. Her experience working directly with patients, gametes, and embryos motivates her to pursue research with potential clinical applications in reproductive medicine and assisted reproduction. Outside of the lab, Kris enjoys traveling, working out, exploring new places, and spending time with her cats.
Stefany Vicente
REI Fellow
OBGYN
Long School of Medicine
Amariss Rendon
Research Assistant
OBGYN
Long School of Medicine
Amariss is a Research Assistant in Dr. Mak’s lab at UT Health San Antonio, studying recurrent pregnancy loss and human reproductive health. She earned her M.S. in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2025, where she conducted research on antifungal resistance in Mucorales fungi. She is excited to continue growing her experience in biomedical research and contribute to work that may improve our understanding of reproductive health. Outside of the lab, Amariss enjoys crocheting, trying new coffee shops, and spending time with family and friends. When she’s not at the bench, you can usually find her with a crochet project in hand or enjoying time with the people she loves and her cat, Luna. Her faith in Jesus is an important part of her life.
Elango Kamaraj
Postdoctoral Researcher
OBGYN
Long School of Medicine
Elango is a veterinarian with a BVSc (equivalent to DVM) from India. He earned his MVSc and PhD in Veterinary Gynecology and Obstetrics (Animal Reproduction) from the National Dairy Research Institute, India. He later worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland. His research interest includes sperm biology, male fertility, idiopathic infertility, and the role of sperm in miscarriage. While he started out working on animal reproduction, he’s now actively involved in human reproduction research. Outside of work, Elango enjoys playing table tennis, basketball and loves traveling whenever he gets the chance!
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