News
June 2024
2024 Faculty Awards
Several of our faculty members were selected for awards at Drexel’s annual Faculty Day event.
Dr. Kenny Simansky, senior vice dean for research, was awarded the Daniel V. Schidlow, MD, Transformational Leadership Award, which recognizes a senior faculty member who exhibits substantial leadership to transform and make change through example. The award particularly highlights Dr. Simansky’s role in partnering with Thomas Jefferson University to create the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Research Consortium, his ongoing efforts to champion the consortium and grow Drexel’s presence within it, and his efforts to help the consortium obtain comprehensive status from the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Edward Hartsough was selected to receive the Early Career Basic Science Investigator Award, which recognizes a promising and outstanding evolving investigator in the early stages of their career. The award recognizes Dr. Hartsough as the driver of an innovative and respected research program and a dedicated educator committed to serving Drexel across its missions.
Dr. Andréia Mortensen was selected to receive the Early Career Mentoring Award for Basic Science Faculty, which celebrates assistant or associate professors who demonstrate excellence in mentoring of graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and/or faculty colleagues. The award recognizes Dr. Mortensen as a sought-after mentor, trusted adviser, and role model for students in Drexel’s graduate programs.
Faculty Promotions
Congratulations to Dr. Joshua Jackson and Dr. Edward Hartsough, who were both promoted to associate professor. The promotions reflect their strong research programs, cutting-edge scientific collaborations and success in obtaining extramural funding from NIH and other sources.
May 2024
Dr. Namba Earns NIH F32 Fellowship
Dr. Mark Namba, postdoctoral fellow in the Barker lab, earned a new F32 fellowship from NIH-National Institute on Drug Abuse. The fellowship will support Dr. Namba’s innovative project: Corticolimbic circuit and neuroimmune mechanisms of comorbid HIV and cocaine use. Congratulations and well-deserved, Mark.
Faculty Earn New Funding from Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
Several department faculty members obtained funding from the Interconsortium Pilot Funding Opportunity for Cancer Research Programs from Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.
Dr. Gabriele Romano (PI) and Dr. Peter Gaskill (Co-I) were awarded a new pilot grant titled "Targeting myeloid-derived suppressor cells as an adjuvant strategy to treat melanoma in PLWH."
Dr. Gaskill also will also serve as a co-investigator on a grant with Dr. Irwin Chaiken (PI) from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, titled “Redox enzyme antagonism for simultaneous treatment of co-presenting cancer and viral infections.”
Lastly, Dr. Barker, Dr. Jackson and Dr. Romano will serve as co-investigators on a grant with Dr. Jenna Hope (PI) from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, titled “Development of a novel preclinical model to address mechanisms of HIV-mediated enhancement of pancreatic cancer incidence and severity.”
Ms. Curran-Alfaro Gives Keynote Talk
Christina Curran-Alfaro, a PhD student in the Barker lab, gave the invited keynote at the Rutgers-Camden Biology Day. Her talk "Adding Value Through Diversity: Expanding boundaries and innovating science" emphasized her nontraditional path to the PhD and how her experience strengthens the lab's research program and informs her ongoing PhD work.
Graduations and Awards
Our graduating trainees were honored at the College of Medicine Commencement Ceremony, held on May 9th at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Several department members were also honored with awards from the graduate school for excellence in teaching, mentoring, and educational programs.
Department Awardees
Outstanding Achievement Awards, Interdisciplinary and Career-Oriented Programs
Nicholas Wilson
MS, Drug Discovery & Development
* Johnson & Johnson 4D Fellow
Brianna Achenbach
MS, Drug Discovery & Development
Ariel Napoles
MS, Drug Discovery & Development
Best Professor, Division of Biomedical Sciences
Joanne Mathiasen, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology & Physiology
Co-Director, Drug Discovery & Development Program
Best Professor, Division of Interdisciplinary and Career-Oriented Programs
Paul McGonigle, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology & Physiology
Co-director, Interdisciplinary & Career-Oriented Programs
Director, Drug Discovery & Development Program
Best Mentor, Division of Biomedical Sciences
Seena Ajit, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology & Physiology
Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology & Physiology
Maria Cavallo
“Unveiling resistance mechanisms and improving therapeutic outcomes in mutant-BRAFV600E cancer models”
Advisor: Edward J. Hartsough, PhD
Chun-Ta Ho
“Effect of the chemokine CXCL12 on dendritic spine dynamics – turnover, maturation and clustering”
Advisor: Olimpia Meucci, MD, PhD
Xuan Luo
“Immune regulation by small extracellular vesicles in attenuating inflammatory pain”
Advisor: Seena Ajit, PhD
Qiaowei Xie
“The impact of EcoHIV on cocaine-related behaviors”
Advisor: Jacqueline Barker, PhD
Jieyi Zhang
“Phenotypic plasticity of CX3CR1 in prostate cancer metastasis”
Advisor: Alessandro Fatatis, MD, PhD
Master of Science in Pharmacology & Physiology
Johnson & Johnson 4D Fellows
Hieu Jeromy
“Characterization of shared immunogenic poly-epitope frameshift mutation in microsatellite-instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer”
Advisors: Patrick Wilkinson, PhD, Katelyn Miller, PhD, and Alessandro Fatatis, MD, PhD
Diego Eduardo Jiménez Trejo
“CRISPR/Cas9 mediated generation and characterization of a BCL-2 D103E KI acute myeloid leukemia cell line”
Advisors: Eva Christine Pietsch, PhD, and Alessandro Fatatis, MD, PhD
Rashmi Raveendra Tantri
“Sex differences in dopamine transporter regulation in rats following acute cocaine response: exploring the role of map kinase phosphatase 3 (MKP3)”
Advisor: Ole Mortensen, PhD
Fuyu Yang
“Characterizing novel allosteric modulators for human dopamine transporter”
Advisor: Ole Mortensen, PhD
Erick V. O’Brien
Non-thesis MS
Advisor: Dr. Zachary Klase
Master of Science in Drug Discovery & Development
Johnson & Johnson 4D Fellows
Nicholas Wilson
“Interrogating the effect of cytokines on enhancing the efficacy of CD3 redirectors in solid tumors”
Advisors: Smruthi Vijayaraghavan, PhD, Alessandro Fatatis, MD, PhD
Zoila Moreano Villena
Non-thesis MS
Sopiko Darchiashvili
“Genetic basis of gender bias in neuroinflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis”
Advisor: Pooja Jain, PhD
Brianna Marie Achenbach
Sunday Akoji
Oneal Norman Campbell
Geraldine De Zayas Valdes
Michelle Graf
Isaac Michael Hutchinson
Nicole Shelby Lefebvre
Demis N. Lipe
Ariel Alejandro Napoles
Eric Hookuikainoa Smith
Jordan Stewart
Master of Science (other programs)
Jason Tyler DaCunza
“miRNA cargo in small extracellular vesicles from mouse primary macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells”
Advisor: Seena Ajit, PhD
MS in Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics
Zachary Capriotti
Advisor: Dr. Zachary Klase
MS in Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics
Steve Rutledge
Advisor: Dr. Joshua Jackson
MS in Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics
April 2024
The Department Hosts PCSfN Meeting
The department recently hosted this year’s meeting of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. During the meeting several of our graduate students were recognized for their excellent poster presentations. Geena John, PhD candidate in the Jackson lab and Courtney Wallace, PhD candidate in the Klase lab earned 1st and 2nd place respectively in the graduate student poster section. Additionally, Dr. Antonio Sanz-Clemente became the new president of the chapter. Thank you to everyone who participated and made the meeting a success.
Antonio Sanz-Clemente PhD, Courtney Wallace and Ellen Walker PhD
Antonio Sanz-Clemente PhD, Geena John and Ellen Walker PhD
Faculty Receive Pilot Grants from the CNHC
Two department members were selected to receive pilot grants from the Temple/Drexel Comprehensive NeuroHIV Center (CNHC) Developmental Research and Mentoring Core (DRMC). Dr. Laura Giacometti, postdoctoral fellow in the Barker lab, earned a grant to support her project “Top-down mechanisms of estrous cycle dysregulation in EcoHIV infection.” Dr. Gabriele Romano, assistant professor, earned another grant for his project “Immunologic functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer and HIV co-morbidity.”
Gaskill Lab Publication Honored by Drexel Libraries
The Drexel Libraries will designate a recent publication from the Gaskill lab as a highly cited, hot paper at its annual Celebrating Drexel Authors event. The manuscript, Dopamine, Immunity, and Disease was published last year in Pharmacological Reviews.
March 2024
Dr. Hartsough Receives First R01 Award
Congratulations to Dr. Ed Hartsough for earning his first R01 award as an independent investigator. The award is funded through the NIH National Cancer Institute and will provide Dr. Hartsough long-term grant support for his project: “Exploiting oxidative stress response in uveal melanoma liver metastasis.”
Deepa Reddy Earns Dean’s Graduate Student Travel Award
Deepa Reddy, graduate student in the Ajit lab, earned a Drexel Dean’s Graduate Student Travel Award for the spring 2024 cycle. The award will support her attendance at the International Association for the Study of Pain’s 2024 World Congress on Pain.
Dr. Van Duyne Earns Developmental Grant
Congrats to Dr. Rachel Van Duyne for earning a developmental grant from the Temple University Comprehensive NeuroHIV Center. The grant was awarded from the center’s Developmental Research and Mentorship Core and will fund Dr. Van Duyne’s project: “Recapitulation of myeloid models of HIV-1 infection in cerebral organoids.”
Barker Lab Student Awarded Research Mini-Grant
Julia Wiafe-Jackson, an undergraduate student in the Barker lab, was awarded a Research Mini-Grant from Drexel’s Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs. Julia will present her grant-supported research at Drexel’s 2024 Week of Undergraduate Excellence Virtual Poster Session.
February 2024
Dr. Horwitz Honored by DUCOM
Dr. Horwitz has been invited by the Drexel University College of Medicine Class of 2027 Society presidents to deliver the keynote speech at this year’s Golden Apple awards ceremony. He was also chosen to be the macebearer at this year’s commencement ceremony, who traditionally leads the platform party onto the commencement stage. These invitations honor Dr. Horwitz’s 30+ year legacy as a researcher and educator at Drexel and the previous Medical College of Pennsylvania and celebrates his contributions to medical student training over his career.
Dr. Romano Earns Rising Star Award from SKCC Consortium
Dr. Gabriele Romano was honored with an Up & Coming Rising Star Award from the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) Research Consortium. The award recognizes his excellent work and strong funding in the early years of his independent research career.
January 2024
Deepa Reddy Wins AWIS Travel Award
Congrats to Deepa Reddy, PhD student in the Ajit lab, for receiving the Robert E. Davies Travel Award from the Association of Women in Science (AWIS) Philadelphia chapter. The award supports attendance to national or international scientific meetings for female graduate students in the Philadelphia region.
Faculty Receive W.W. Smith Grants
Several faculty members successfully earned new research grants from the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust. Dr. Gabriele Romano earned a grant to support his project “Boosting the T-cell response against melanoma in people living with HIV.” Dr. Antonio Sanz-Clemente and Dr. Andréia Mortensen earned another grant for their project “Modulation of extrasynaptic NMDA receptor content as a novel therapeutic strategy in stroke.”
Back to Top