Research news
Mentor Spotlight: Neil Ganem, PhD and Katrina Traber, MD/PhD – the New Co-Directors of the MD/PhD Program
For October, we would like to spotlight the newly appointed co-directors of the MD/PhD Program: Neil Ganem, PhD and Katrina Traber, MD/PhD. Drs. Ganem and Traber also joined the medical student research advisory committee.
Dr. Neil Ganem is an associate Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, and Medicine. Dr. Ganem’s lab seeks to define the tumor suppression mechanisms that limit the proliferation of highly abnormal aneuploid cells, as well as to identify the common genetic adaptations made by cancer cells to overcome these growth barriers. Dr. Ganem received his PhD in biochemistry from Dartmouth Medical School in 2007 studying the mechanisms underlying mitosis (cell division). After receiving my PhD at Dartmouth, he moved to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where his postdoctoral work was focused on understanding the causes of consequences of aneuploidy. Aneuploidy describes cells that have an abnormal number of chromosomes, and it’s important to understand aneuploidy because nearly all cancer cells are aneuploid, and aneuploidy is actually known to fuel tumor development and growth. In 2011, Dr. Ganem was promoted to instructor at Harvard Medical School before joining Boston University Medical School in 2013.
Dr. Ganem's lab is highly focused on identifying “ploidy-specific lethal” proteins. These are proteins that are not essential for normal cells (which are not aneuploid and have a normal number of chromosomes) but are essential for aneuploid cancer cells (which have an abnormal number of chromosomes). They recently identified once such protein, called KIF18a. It is now known that drugs that inhibit KIF18A are able to kill aneuploid cancer cells while not harming normal, healthy cells. Phase I and II clinical trials for KIF18A inhibitors are now underway, and early data show tumor shrinkage with no harmful side effects to patients.
Dr. Ganem has graduated three MD/PhD students from his lab, all working on different cancer cell biology projects. All three are now in Physician Scientist Training Programs (Sanghee Lim at Mayo Clinic, Ryan Quinton at Stanford Medical School, and Marc Vittoria at Yale School of Medicine), as well as published fist-authors. He is currently mentoring another MD/PhD student, Rose Zhao, who is in her fourth year in the lab and who also wants to pursue a career in oncology.
Dr. Ganem on Mentorship: "Mentorship is the most important part of my job. I try to give my students the freedom to develop and pursue their own independent ideas and then support them in their endeavors as much as possible. The vast majority of experiments will end up giving unexpected data, or may fail to work altogether." His advice to his mentees and students "is to learn to accept that failed experiments and rejected hypotheses are a big part of science, and it is critical to stay motivated, not get discouraged, and constantly think of new ideas to explain the unexpected data."
Dr. Katrina Traber, MD, PhD, is a board-certified pulmonologist at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. After receiving her medical degree from New York University, Dr. Traber completed a pulmonary disease and critical care medicine fellowship at BMC.
The long-term goal of the Traber Lab is to identify and develop new strategies to treat severe neutrophil-based sequelae of pneumonia such as ARDS and sepsis. To achieve this goal, we use in vivo and in vitro models of pneumonia to investigate mechanisms of neutrophil dysfunction in acute lung infections. Currently, we have been using two broad approaches to understand neutrophil biology. First, we are examining modulation of the neutrophil transcriptome during neutrophil migration from circulation to the alveolar space. Second, we are investigating how Oncostatin M (OSM), an IL-6 family cytokine produced by neutrophils in many acute and chronic inflammatory settings, including pneumonia, ARDS and sepsis potentiate neutrophil migration to the alveoli during pneumonia.
Student Spotlight: Charles Chen ’28
Congratulations to Charles Chen '28, a current M2 student who recently presented at the Neurocritical Care Society Conference! Under the mentorship of Dr. Charlene Ong, Charles presented his research project, "Quantitative Pupillometry Signatures and Associations with Different Phenotypes of Traumatic Brain Injury" (first author). Charles notes "it is difficult to predict the prognosis of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), though estimates of prognosis are very important for clinical decision making in the neuro ICU setting. Quantitative pupillometry has shown promise for outcome stratification in TBI and as a predictor of neurologic deterioration in other acute brain injuries. However, because TBI can present with a variety of intracranial injuries." Charles and Dr. Ong's lab's aim is to determine which injury types and AI-determined lesion characteristics are associated with lower pupil reactivity and determine a set of clinical and objective characteristics that delineate various phenotypes of TBI, which will allow for better understanding of clinical presentations and outcomes.
Charles was interested in exploring an area where there are still many unclear answers. Also, as an engineer prior to medical school, Charles was interested in examining how he could use his prior skills to contribute to his lab and to the field. His interest in this study stems from the fact that there still remains a wide knowledge frontier in neurology. This is particularly true in the neuro ICU setting, as well as in certain conditions such as TBI. Charles' study is one small example of a larger pattern of the increased use of AI and other data analytics modalities to study and progress the field of neurocritical care.
When Charles attended the Neurocritical Care Society conference, he was struck by how there was a theme that came up time and time again with TBI research - a significant challenge of TBI research is that this is an incredibly heterogeneous condition. There is a broad swathe of injury mechanisms and injury types, as well as high variation in clinical presentations and outcomes in TBI, which makes studies difficult. He also learned that there have been huge strides in AI, big data and precision medicine techniques in neuro ICU research. One way to conceptualize his study is that it aims to use these strides in analytics techniques in order to take this very heterogenous population of patients with TBI, and to break it down into smaller, more homogeneous phenotypes.
Charles gives special thanks goes to his primary mentor, Dr. Ong (pictured on the right). From providing thoughts and background on the study, Dr. Ong pushed Charles to consider various grant applications and abstract submissions, or general professional and personal thoughts. He notes "she is a phenomenal mentor in every sense of the word, and in multiple dimensions."
He would also like to thank Allyson Reinert and Leigh Ann Mallinger, who are 2 incredible research assistants in the Ong Lab, and who have their hands in just about everything that runs in the lab. Dr. Samuel Snider (at Brigham) provided in-depth feedback on image segmentation techniques using AI. Dr. Shariq Mohammed from the biostatistics department had excellent insight into the statistical techniques, as well as thoughts on next steps with the imaging analysis. Dr. Mohamad Abdalkader is a phenomenal interventional neuroradiologist with great feedback into how to best interpret the imaging modalities and results.
More reflections from Charles he states, "I had never done any research prior to joining Dr. Ong’s lab last year. At that time, the idea of me ever being capable of presenting a poster at a national conference would have felt ludicrous. Medical training is a continual process of running into the limits of what you think is possible and expanding them. I’ve enjoyed being able to learn and to contribute to the team in a collaborative fashion, and I continually surprise myself at what I have learned and accomplished."
Student Spotlight: Macie Gettings ’26
Over the past three years, Macie Gettings, class of 2026, has been involved in a multi-institutional project examining access to social services among traumatically injured patients and the relationship between social needs and long-term physical and mental health outcomes. Through the FORTE project, telephone survey data are collected from patients at BMC, Brigham, and MGH at 6- and 12-months post-injury, creating a large longitudinal dataset. The current focus is on patients screening positive for food insecurity, unemployment, or functional disability, with the aim of identifying barriers to accessing services and assessing the long-term impact of that access.
Macie's mentor is Dr. Sabrina Sanchez, a trauma surgeon at BMC, who has been instrumental in advancing the project. Macie began working with Dr. Sanchez during her M1 year and has been guided through the development of the project plan, the intricacies of data analysis, and the process of finalizing a manuscript.
As research on social determinants of health continues to grow, Macie recognizes the importance of moving beyond identifying disparities toward implementing actionable solutions. The project seeks to determine which patients with social needs are successfully accessing services and to evaluate whether those services improve long-term outcomes. The ultimate goal is to inform targeted outreach and advocate for enhancements in post-trauma care, working to close gaps in service accessibility and effectiveness.
Macie has presented this work at several conferences, including the BU Medical Student Research Symposium, the Thriving Together Summit in Boston, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, and the Academic Surgical Congress in Washington, D.C.
Mentor Spotlight: Hui Feng, MD, PhD
Dr. Hui Feng, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biophysics
Dr. Hui Feng received her medical school training in Peking University, PhD training in Cellular Biology at the University of Georgia, and Postdoctoral training in Cancer Biology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 2011, Dr. Feng started her independent research program in the Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, Boston University Medical Campus. The research in her lab seeks to elucidate tumor-promoting mechanisms and identify therapeutic strategies to combat aggressive or metastatic cancers, through combined analyses of human cells (e.g., primary patient samples) and zebrafish models of cancer.
On mentorship: Dr. Feng feels proud and privileged to mentor such bright and driven students. It brings her deep satisfaction to help them formulate scientific hypothesis, perform experiments, analyze data, and write manuscripts. She believes it's important to pursue your passion and to never hesitate to reach out simply you do not feel that you have enough time. Where there is a will, there is a way!
Dr. Feng has mentored seven students with manuscripts, both published and in preparation, through various research projects including "The Role of S1P1 in Breast Cancer Pathogenesis," "Resistant mechanisms to TCA-cycle Targeting in T-cell Leukemia" to "Targeting Cancer by Germ Cell of Origin: an application in Head and Neck Cancer" from 2017 to 2024. Here's a list of some of her mentees and their current positions
- Soo Hwang, MD - current Family Medicine Resident Physician, Sutter Health
- Theodoros Karantanos, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor of Medical Oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine
- Gervase Spurlin, MD - House Office, Boston Medical Center
- Annalisa Okimoto, BS - MD candidate, Boston University Chobanian & Avidisian School of Medicine
- Boyuan (John) Xiao, BS - MD candidate, Boston University Chobanian & Avidisian School of Medicine
- Christopher Lietz, BS, MA - MD candidate, Boston University Chobanian & Avidisian School of Medicine
- Sienna Wang, BS - MD candidate, Boston University Chobanian & Avidisian School of Medicine
Mentor Spotlight: Michael Alosco, PhD
Dr. Michael Alosco, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Michael Alosco is a clinical neuropsychologist and Research Vice Chair and Associate Professor of Neurology. He completed my PhD in clinical neuropsychology at Kent State University with a focus on dementia care and clinical research. Dr. Alosco joined BU in 2015 for his neuropsychology and neuroscience post-doctoral fellowship at the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and BU CTE Center. He then joined faculty as Assistant Professor of Neurology in 2018 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2020.
His research program has a focus on: (1) the development of in vivo biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias including CTE; (2) the contribution of cerebrovascular disease to the clinical and neuropathological expression of CTE and other forms of dementias; and (3) the relationship between repetitive traumatic brain injuries with cognitive and neuropsychiatric decline, and neurodegenerative disease(s).
Dr. Alosco, the BU CTE Center’s codirector of clinical research, will help lead the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project-II, which was awarded $15 million by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study focuses on examining potential biomarkers using block and brain imagining, to help doctors accurately diagnose CTE in living patients. “This study will create unprecedented datasets needed to accurately diagnose CTE during life,” says Michael Alosco. “It will fill two missing links in the literature preventing us from developing definitive diagnostic criteria for CTE during life. First, we need longitudinal studies that include brain donation. Second, we need to better compare people at risk for CTE to other disease groups.”
Dr. Alosco On Mentorship: Mentorship is the most rewarding part of my career. It brings me such joy to celebrate trainee successes and to see their successes help them reach their career goals. I think that many students are hesitant to engage in research due to time commitment and bandwidth. This is very real, but I would also say that there is an opportunity for all - from those who want a first author publication (highest level of commitment) to those who just want to be around the lab to gain exposure. Both are equally important. Whether directly or indirectly, research will be part of your career as a healthcare provider and my goal as a mentor is to leave the trainee wanting more.
There are three pillars to success in research: persistence, teamwork, and writing. Rejection is part of the game, making persistence essential for success. Research involves a team – I am quick to correct trainees when they use “I” or “me”. Having and maintaining collaborative relationships is necessary. Finally, writing, writing, writing, and more writing. You need to be able to clearly articulate your ideas and science, and this takes repetitive practice and mentorship focused on scientific writing.
Medical students are an important part of a thriving lab and they have made substantial contributions to my lab since I joined the faculty. We have a broad scope of data sets and research that medical students have leveraged. Here are a few students who I have worked with:
- Michelle Safransky was the first author of a study published in Neurology that examined the concordance between cerebrospinal fluid markers of amyloid and tau and Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39496102/).
- Ryan Conrad recently presented his work at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) that examined the relationship between loneliness and cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes in former American football players at risk for CTE.
- Madeline Morrison has worked with the BU ADRC and BU CTE Center for many years (before and now during medical school) and she led a first author publication that examined the association between plasma biomarkers of tau and Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35554506/).
- Some of the other medical students in the lab (Omar John, Jordan Broadnax, Sarah Chang) are conducting studies on risk factors and biomarkers for CTE.
2025 ASCO Award Recipients: Teresia Perkins and Mathew Krick
Congratulations to Teresia Perkins and Mathew Krick, this year’s 2025 ASCO Grant Award recipients! Teresia and Mathew received the Medical Student Rotation (MSR) which provides support for clinical or clinical research oncology rotations to medical students interested in pursuing oncology as a career. Learn more about their projects and inspiration behind them below.
Teresia Perkins’ Project
Project Title: Examining Depression and Anxiety Among Non-English-Speaking Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy
Teresia’s project explores how language barriers influence health outcomes, uncovering disparities beyond basic access to cancer treatment. Experiencing healthcare disparities firsthand—including losing her brother to inadequate care—ignited her passion for medicine and empathy for underserved patients. In this project, Teresia strives to address overlooked factors that significantly affect prostate cancer outcomes. This work is crucial, timely, and targets disparities exacerbated by language barriers and cultural stigma surrounding mental health. Revealing these hidden challenges will guide interventions to enhance care for vulnerable patient populations.
Teresia is profoundly grateful to her mentor Dr. Ariel Hirsch; her fellow BU students who have facilitated this study from inception; the entire BMC RadOnc team; the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine research community; and the American Society of Clinical Oncology for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this transformative research journey.
Mathew Krick's Project
Project Title: Treatment Delays and Ultrasonography Findings in Uveal Melanoma
Mathew's project examines how treatment delays impact uveal melanoma (ocular melanoma) tumor growth over time. It will take place at the University of California, Los Angeles’ department of ocular oncology. “Obstacles to prompt care and treatment delays are often impacted by social determinants of health and structural factors. My project will not only provide insight into the rate of uveal melanoma growth in a cohort of patients but will also shed light on how structural factors, such as insurance barriers, affect how quickly patients can be admitted for surgery and radiation therapy,” Krick explains.
Congratulations to Cameron Hill ’26 and Ward Alkatish ’27 on Their Recent Honors!
We’re proud to celebrate two of our outstanding medical students for their recent achievements in research and academic excellence.
Cameron Hill ’26 (pictured left) was selected as a 2025 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Medical Student Scholarship recipient. As part of this honor, Cameron had the opportunity to attend the AAN Annual Meeting and present their latest research findings. This recognition highlights Cameron’s commitment to advancing the field of neurology through scholarly work.
Ward Alkatish ’27 (pictured right) was awarded the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) 2025 Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship. This competitive fellowship provides $5,000 in support of independent student research and recognizes Ward’s dedication to scientific inquiry and innovation.
We applaud both Cameron and Ward for their achievements and look forward to the continued impact of their research!
Student Spotlight: Ward Alktaish
As part of a larger study with Dr. Naomi Hamburg, Ward Alktaish, class of 2027, is investigating the effects of e-cigarette use on cardiovascular health in young adults and user perceptions in real-life settings. Building on previous lab-based findings in Dr. Naomi Hamburg's lab of acute harmful effects from vaping; such as, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, this project explores the impact of exclusive e-cigarette use of those same effects in real-life settings outside of the lab. Motivated by the rising popularity of vaping among his peers and the limited research in this area, Ward saw this as a timely opportunity to contribute meaningful data to the conversation specifically around youth vaping and address this epidemic from multiple angles. This project is particularly compelling because of its focus on individuals who exclusively vape, removing the confounding variable of cigarette smoking. His findings could inform stronger e-cigarette regulations and support interventions to help young adults quit. Through this experience and with Dr. Naomi Hamburg as his mentor, Ward has developed a passion for working with large datasets and deepened his interest in cardiovascular medicine. Ward presented early findings at the Medical Student Research Symposium in January 2025 and is currently preparing the results for publication.
Mentor Spotlight: Dr. Charlene Ong, MD, MPHS
Dr. Charlene Ong, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery
Dr. Charlene Ong joined Boston University/Boston Medical Center in 2018 as a clinical Neurointensivist and physician-scientist. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ong’s research focuses on developing and validating data-driven tools to guide clinical decision-making in patients with acute and catastrophic neurologic injuries, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and anoxic brain injury. Using machine learning, physiologic biomarkers, and multimodal risk prediction methods, her goal is to reduce morbidity and improve treatment outcomes in the neurocritical care setting. Her work is supported by the NIH, the American Heart Association, and other institutional and foundational awards. She recently received the award for the 2025 Excellence in Research Mentorship, MD Program.
Dr. Ong on Mentorship:
I believe that at nearly every level, there’s an opportunity to positively shape your immediate environment. For me, mentorship is one of the most meaningful ways to create that impact. I feel I can make an outsized difference in the lives of others by equipping them not just with support, but with the skills and confidence they need to navigate their own paths forward. I recognize that I would not have reached my current level without the investment of individuals who took the time to offer feedback, guidance, and advocacy on my behalf. Mentorship, then, serves two deeply personal purposes: it is both an expression of gratitude for the support I’ve received and a tangible way to shape the culture around me for the better.
My advice to mentees is to document your progress, challenges, and next steps. Taking time to reflect in writing helps clarify your thinking. I’ve found that this simple practice often leads me to answer many of my own questions and allows me to better identify the areas where I truly need guidance to keep moving forward.
For Dr. Ong, mentorship is not just about providing guidance—it’s about fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration in academic medicine. Through the Ong Lab, she has supported numerous students in making meaningful research contributions, which have led to multiple peer-reviewed publications and national presentations. Cameron Hill, Jonathon Song, and Charles Chen have co-authored peer-reviewed publications and presented at both national and departmental conferences. Additional students, including Aiman Altaf, Brian Tao, and Asritha Sure, are actively engaged in ongoing research projects. To learn more about student research and publications, visit Dr. Ong’s BUprofile.
My Research: NIH Medical Research Scholars Program
Minali Prasad, class of 2025, has participated in numerous research experiences. Minali starting working in Dr. Andrew Taylor’s ocular immunology lab where she learned several hands-on skills like mice eye dissections, gel electrophoresis, and Western blotting. After the COVID shutdown, Minali transitioned to conducting clinical research with Dr. Manju Subramanian, a surgical retina specialist at BMC. Minali has worked on a variety of projects evaluating retinal disease management, ocular manifestations of systemic disease, and ophthalmic health disparities.
Most recently Minali participated in a dedicated research year program at the NIH through the Medical Research Scholars Program. Surrounded by friends with a passion for the process of scientific discovery, Minali designed and conducted projects on retinal disease pathophysiology, multimodal retinal imaging, and vision-related quality of life with Dr. Emily Chew and Dr. Catherine Cukras. Learn more about these research papers through Minali’s BU Profile. If you are interested in the NIH Medical Research Scholars Program applications are currently open.