Graduate Students

Trip (John) Anderson 
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology/ Biogen
Advisor: Ellen Cahir-McFarland, Ph.D., Director-Neuroimmunology/ Biogen
Research Summary: Trip is interested in identifying a specific inhibitor that will inhibit the production of replication-competent JC virus by targeting the binding of VP2/VP3 to the VP1 pentamer. He is interested in cell biology, virology, drug discovery and imaging.

 

 

 

Jacob Beierle
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Camron Bryant, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry
Research Summary: Jacob is interested in developing a mechanistic understanding of addiction and using that understanding to create interventions that abate drug seeking behaviors.

 

 

Amanda Bolgioni
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Neil J. Ganem, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine
Research Summary: Amanda is currently examining how the Hippo pathway acts to maintain genome stability. In particular, she is examining the regulation of YAP/TAZ during mitosis.

 

 

Kristyn Borrelli
Program: Ph.D. Neuroscience/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Camron Bryant, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry
Research Summary: Kristyn is interested in studying epigenetic factors in addiction.

 

 

 

 

Jeremy Burns 
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology/ Biogen
Advisor:Michaël Mingueneau, Ph.D., Senior Scientist and Group Leader/Biogen

Research Summary: Jeremy is researching transcriptional pathways modulated by GPR65 in microglia and how the expression is modulated.

 

 

 

Kevin Clayton 
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Tsuneya Ikezu, M.D./Ph.D., Professor Pharmacology and Neurology
Research Summary: Kevin looks to research novel therapeutics to treat Alzheimer’s Disease as well as other neurological disorders

 

 

Jim (James) Conley
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: David Farb, Chair and Professor of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
Research Summary: Jim is interested in studying the molecular mechanisms of gene expression and pathogenesis in cancer to develop innovative therapeutics for the disease.

 

 

Justin English
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Valentina Perissi, Associate Professor of Molecular Pathology
Research Summary: Justin is interested in the pathogenesis of cancer development, as well as discovering novel therapeutic methods for treatment of the disease.

 

 

 

 

 

Alissa Frame
Program: M.D./Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Richard Wainford, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine 
Research Summary: Alissa’s research focuses on the integrated central neural and renal mechanisms regulating blood pressure with the goal of identifying potential targets in hypertension.

 

Christina Gallo
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Angela Ho, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology
Research Summary: Christina is interested in understanding the mechanisms of cellular dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases and their role in pathology. 

 

 

Jonique George
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Richard Wainford, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine 
Research Summary: Jonique is interested in diabetes and cardiovascular research.

 

 

Veronica Go
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Doug Rosene, Ph.D., Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Tara Moore, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Research Summary: Veronica’s interests consist of neurobiology/neuropharmacology and drug discovery.

 

 

Christopher Gromisch
Program: M.D./Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: : Mark Grinstaff, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry
Research Summary: Chris is interested in developing new in vitro and in vivo models of cancer and developing new techniques of drug delivery for the treatment of cancer.

 

 

Julia Guzova
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology/ Pfizer
Advisor: J. Perry Hall, Ph.D., Director, Inflammation & Immunology Research, Pfizer
Research Summary: Research focus will be on understanding the mechanism of action and identifying the pathway(s) responsible for skin rash caused by a broad spectrum of marketed kinase inhibitors in a non-target tissue/cell type such as primary human keratonocytes. The goal will be development of a predictive in vitro cutaneous cytotoxicity model for characterizing future kinase inhibitors.

 

 

 

Xuan (Anita) He
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Shannon Fisher, M.D./Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology
Research Summary: Anita is interested in understanding the molecular biology underlying metabolic diseases, particularly diabetes, as well as cancer diseases and using that knowledge toward drug discovery and development.

 

 

Kate Henry
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology/ Biogen
Advisor: Linda Burkly, Ph.D., Sr. Distinguished Investigator, Biogen Idec
Research Summary: Research focus will be on determining the effects of dysregulated type I IFN signaling in the CNS, as well as to determine the validity of type I IFN signaling as a therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases.

 

 

 

 

Shawn Herron
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor:Tsuneya Ikezu, M.D./Ph.D., Professor Pharmacology and Neurology
Research Summary: Shawn is interested in  studying the neuroimmune cell-mediated regulations of neuronal function as a novel area for developing disease therapeutics.

 

 

 

Kathryn Hixson
Program: Ph.D. Neuroscience/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Shelley J. Russek, Professor of Pharmacology
Research Summary: Kathryn’s research is focused on understanding the dynamic gene regulation of inhibitory neurotransmission and how it is altered in neurological diseases, such as epilepsy.  Her current focus includes looking at the results of permanently increased BDNF levels in the brain after seizures and how it affects the GABA-A recepto

 

 

Kevin Hua
Program: M.D./Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Anurag Singh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine
Research Summary: Characterization of the KRAS-miRNA signaling network of KRAS dependent cancers and its functional role in modulating cancer cell plasticity and drug resistance.

 

 

Yoonjoo Lee
Program: M.D./Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Vickery Trinkaus-Randall, Ph.D., Professor of  Medicine and Biochemistry
Research Summary: Yoonjoo’s research focuses on characterizing the SDE2 protein and its possible role in telomere maintenance pathways.

 

 

Sanghee Lim
Program: M.D./Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Neil J. Ganem, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine
Research Summary: Sanghee’s research currently focuses on elucidating the mechanisms underlying genomic instability as a downstream effect of oncogene expression through non-canonical pathways in models of melanoma.

 

Ying (Jane) Lock
Program:  M.D./Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Rachel Flynn, Ph.D.,Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology
Research Summary: Jane is interested in doing cancer genomics research with the goal of developing potential therapeutic interventions.

 

 

Emily Mason-Osann
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Rachel Flynn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology
Research Summary: Emily’s research focuses on telomere maintenance mechanisms that allow replicative immortality of cancer cells.  Currently her work aims to further characterize the lengthening of telomeres pathway with the goal of finding new therapeutic targets.

 

 

Brandon Maziuk
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Benjamin Wolozin, M.D./Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine
Research Summary: Brandon is interested in understanding the cellular and molecular biology underlying neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.

 

 

Cari Meisel
Program: Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Joyce Wong, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Research Summary: Cari’s work involves development and characterization of a targeted iron oxide nanoparticle capable of aiding in early detection of calcific aortic valve disease.

 

 

Kelly Miao
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Shannon Fisher, M.D./Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology
Research Summary: Kelly is interested in the role of the immune system in neurodegenerative disease and therapeutic interventions targeting neuroimmune interactions.

 

 

 

 

Jessica Min-Debartolo
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology/Pfizer
Advisor: Robert Martinez, Ph.D., Director, Tissue Fibrosis and NASH, Pfizer
Research Summary: Jessica examines innate immune signaling and its role in inflammatory pathogenesis of renal injury.

 

 

Cassie Moore
Program: Ph.D. Neuroscience/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Pietro Cottone, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry
Research Summary: Cassie is studying the neurobiological substrates of addiction and motivated behaviors, such as compulsive eating and palatable food dependence.

 

 

Christine Nykyforchyn
Program: Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: David Waxman, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Medicine
Research Summary: Christine uses lipid-based nanoparticles to deliver miRNAs to KRAS mutant cancers in order to modulate the cancer state and “chemosensitize” the tumor to therapeutics.

 

 

Kathrynann Odamah
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: David Farb, Chair and Professor of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
Research Summary: Kathrynann is interested in investigating treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

 

 

Keri Omuro
Program: Ph.D. Neuroscience/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Angela Ho, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology
Research Summary: Keri’s research is currently focused on the alternative splicing of the ApoER2 receptor and Reelin signaling in neurons.

 

 

Franco Puleo
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Richard Wainford, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine 
Research Summary: Franco’s research focuses on understanding the role of the kidney in salt sensitive hypertension.

 

 

 

Sema Quadir
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Valentina Sabino, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry
Research Summary: Sema is interested in researching the biological underpinnings of addiction.

 

 

Ryan Quinton
Program: M.D./Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Neil J. Ganem, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine
Research Summary: Ryan is interested in understanding how the Hippo pathway is involved in tumorigenesis.

 

 

Patricia Rein
Program:Ph.D. Neuroscience/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Tarik Haydar, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Anatomy & Neurobiology
Research Summary: Patricia is interested in looking at neural development, the role in different neural precursor cells in the developing brain and how oligodendrocyte maturation influences the formation of white matter tracks in both healthy and diseased brains.

 

 

Matthew Reiss
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor:Rachel Flynn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology
Research Summary:  Matt’s research focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of how telomeres work to maintain the ends of chromosomes and how defects in these mechanisms contribute to the progression of cancer. The hope is that mechanistic insight for these processes will help to define new therapeutic targets and/or strategies in the treatment of human disease.

 

 

Qiu Ruan
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Camron Bryant, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry
Research Summary: Qiu’s work is focused on understanding the neurobiological mechanism of the RNA binding protein hnRNP H1 underlying addictive drug behavior.

 

 

 

Angel Rubio
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Tyrone M. Porter, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering
Research Summary: Angel’s research is focused on utilizing temperature-sensitive liposomes for the development of novel cancer immunotherapies.

 

 

Samantha Shelton
Program:Ph.D. Neuroscience/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Tarik Haydar, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Anatomy & Neurobiology
Research Summary: Samantha is interested in neural stem cells and cortical development.

 

 

Jack Sherman
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: David Farb, Chair and Professor of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
Research Summary: Jack is focused on researching the cellular mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases to help guide the development of therapeutic agents.

 

 

 

 

 

Michael St. Andre
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology/Pfizer
Advisor: Sweta Girgenrath, Ph.D., Director/ Associate Research Fellow for Neuromuscular Diseases, Pfizer
Research Summary: Understanding SMAD regulation during muscle fibrosis formation in muscular dystrophy.

 

 

Margarita Tararina
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Karen Allen, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry
Research Summary: Margarita’s research is focused on studying atomic protein structure and function using x-ray diffraction and enzyme kinetics to aid in drug discovery and development.

 

 

Marc Vittoria
Program: M.D./Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Neil Ganem, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine
Research Summary: Marc’s research involves assessing possible novel regulators of the Hippo pathway while also exploring new research ideas.

 

 

Chelsea Webber
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: David Farb, Chair and Professor of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
Research Summary: Chelsea‘s research focus involves researching therapeutic targets, identifying novel biomarkers, and developing genetic therapies for neurological diseases.

 

 

Gregory Wirak
Program: Ph.D. Neuroscience/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Chris Gabel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Physiology and Biophysics
Research Summary: Greg’s research focuses on the C. elegans nervous system. In this context, he hopes to utilize optical techniques to expand his understanding of the molecular and cellular processes underlying nervous system function, dysfunction, and regeneration.

 

 

 Hana Yeh
Program:Ph.D. Neuroscience/Biomolecular Pharmacology
Advisor: Tsuneya Ikezu, M.D./Ph.D Professor Pharmacology and Neurology
Research Summary: Hana is interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopment disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder.

 

 

Melvin Zhang
Program: Ph.D. Biomolecular Pharmacology/Pfizer
Advisor: Marion Kasaian, Ph.D., Head of Epithelial Biology, Pfizer
Research Summary: Melvin’s research is focused on regulation of the inflammatory cytokine IL-33.