Seminar Series
MCBG/Cancer Bio Graduate Programs Seminar Series Spring 2025
- Every Thursday at 1 p.m. (unless noted)
- Some external speakers with be Zoom only, all others hybrid (Zoom or in person if working in NCB)
- In person seminars will be held in New College Building, Geary A Auditorium
- All students must attend seminar. Only allowed to miss three seminars per year.
- Contact Eishi Noguchi, PhD at en34@drexel.edu for meeting ID and password.
River Larson-Pollock, MCBG student (Vaidya Lab)
Kathryn E. Wellen, PhD, Professor of Cancer Biology, Vice Chair of the Department of Cancer Biology, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Student Host: Olivia El Naggar
Dana Silverbush, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Student Host: Riley Young
Shabnam Pirestani, MCBG student (Golemis Lab)
Riley Young, MCBG student (Reginato Lab)
Beka Raya Abagero, MCBG student (Lo Lab)
Flaviane Silva, MCBG student (Golemis Lab)
Alyssa Sanders, MCBG student (Hartsough Lab)
Sarah Woodson, PhD, T.C. Jenkins Professor, Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University
Student Host: Mihyun Oh
Olivia El Naggar, MCBG student (Romano Lab)
Teddy Nguyen, MCBG student (Golemis Lab)
Luisa Maria Abadia, MCBG student (Sell Lab)
Chloe Azadegan, MCBG student (Whetstine Lab)
Lucia Borriello, PhD, Assistant Professor, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Student Host: Flaviane Silva
Kalisse Horne, MCBG student (Noguchi Lab)
Chelsea Gunderson, MCBG student (Wigdhal Lab)
Rotation Talks: Merzy, Brown, Wolff, Knox, Hughley, Shringarpure
Rotation Talks: Jiang, Bradley, Azimi, Ganguly, Jadhav, Shah, Urturi Ortiz
Rotation Talks: Haglund, Adegbenro, Lalarizo Rakoto, Coutu, Kontor, Miranda, Williams
Student-Organized Seminar Series Committee:
Riley Young, Olivia El Naggar, Kalisse Horne, Flaviane Silva, Mihyun Oh, Jason DaCunza
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mauricio Reginato
Email: mjr53@drexel.edu
Fall 2024 Seminar Series
August 29, 2024
Skandha Ramakrishnan, MCGB Student (Qiang Lab)
September 5, 2024
Steve Bonilla, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemical Biology, and Structural Biology, the Rockefeller University
Student Host: Mihyun Oh
September 12, 2024
Alison Carey, MD, associate professor, Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine
Student Host: Riley Young
September 19, 2024
Courtney Wallace, MCBG student (Klase Lab)
September 26, 2024
Drexel University-Universidad Andres Bello Co-seminar
Focus: biochemistry — long non-coding RNAs
October 3, 2024
Jacqueline Smiler, MS, and 10X Genomics team
“10x Genomics: Mind Blowing Science Enabled by Industry-Leading Single Cell and Spatial Technologies”
Student Host: Riley Young
October 10, 2024
Beka Raya Abagero, MCBG student (Lo Lab)
October 17, 2024
David Joyner, MCBG student (Haddad Lab)
October 24, 2024
Drexel University-Universidad Andres Bello Co-seminar
Focus: neuroscience
October 31, 2024
Ronny Drapkin, MD, PhD, director, Ovarian Cancer Research Center; director, Gynecologic Cancer Research, Basser Center for BRCA; Franklin Payne Associate Professor of Pathology in Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania
Student Host: Olivia El Naggar
November 7, 2024
No Seminar (Discovery Day)
November 14, 2024
Maureen E. Murphy, PhD, Ira Brind Endowed Professor and program leader, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program; deputy director, Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center, the Wistar Institute
Student Host: Riley Young
November 21, 2024
Drexel University-Universidad Andres Bello Co-seminar
Focus: pharmacology
November 28, 2024
No Seminar (Thanksgiving)
December 5, 2024
Rotation Talks A: Haglund, Adegbenro, Wolff, Coutu, Kontor, Miranda, Williams
December 12, 2024
Rotation Talks B: Jiang, Bradley, Azimi, Ganguly, Jadhav, Shah, Urturi Ortiz
December 19, 2024
Rotation Talks C: Merzy, Brown, Lalarizo Rakoto, Knox, Hughley, Shringarpure
Student-Organized Seminar Series Committee:
Riley Young, Olivia El Naggar, Kalisse Horne,
Flaviane Silva, Mihyun Oh, Jason DaCunza
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mauricio Reginato
Email: mjr53@drexel.edu
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Spring 2024 Seminar Series
January 11, 2024
Sun Hur, PhD, Oscar M. Schloss, MD Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School
Student host: Mihyun Oh
January 18, 2024
Emily Esquea, MCBG student (Reginato Lab)
January 25, 2024
Yong Xiong, PhD, Professor, Department of Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine
Student host: Mihyun Oh
February 1, 2024
Anna Lilly, MCBG student (Golemis/Astaturov Lab)
February 8, 2024
Mihyun Oh, MCBG student (Somarowthu lab)
February 15, 2024
Rachel Berman, MCBG student (Wigdhal/Nonnemacher Lab)
February 22, 2024
Celeste Simon, PhD, Arthur H. Rubenstein Professor, Scientific Director, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Student host: Nima Sarfaraz
February 29, 2024
Flaviane Silva, MCBG student (Golemis Lab)
March 7, 2024
Christina Ferrer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland
Student host: Emily Esquea
March 14, 2024
Kayla Schardien, MCBG student (Lane Lab)
March 21, 2024
Brianna Trankle, MCBG student (Font-Burgada Lab)
March 28, 2024
Teddy Nguyen, MCBG student (Golemis Lab)
April 4, 2024
Christine Mayr, MD, PhD, Member, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Student host: Mihyun Oh
April 11, 2024
Olivia El Naggar-Romano, MCBG Student (Romano Lab)
April 18, 2024
River Larson-Pollock, MCBG Student (Vaidya Lab)
April 25, 2024
Costas Koumenis, PhD, Richard Chamberlain Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania
Student host: Emily Esquea
May 2, 2024
Alyssa Sanders, MCBG student (Hartsough Lab)
May 9, 2024
Courtney Wallace, MCBG student (Klase Lab)
May 16, 2024
Rotation Talks: Hu, Patel, Schubert, Sidaway, Pochet, Clark, Ruiz, Sheta, Williams
Student-Organized Seminar Series Committee:
Emily Esquea, Victoria Mischley, Shih-Chun Shen, Kayla Schardien, Nima Sarfaraz, Mihyun Oh
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mauricio Reginato
Email: mjr53@drexel.edu
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Fall 2023 Seminar Series
August 31, 2023
Camille Cunanan, MCBG student (Hartsough Lab)
September 7, 2023
Kyle Yeakle, MCBG student (Bouchard Lab)
September 14, 2023
Carly DeAntoneo, MCBG student (Balachandran Lab)
September 21, 2023
Victoria Mischley, MCBG student (Karanicolas Lab)
September 28, 2023
Insoo Hyun, PhD, Director, Center for Life Sciences and Public Learning, Museum of Science, Boston; Senior Lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Student host: Nima Sarfaraz
October 5, 2023
Jennifer Guerriero, PhD, Assistant Professor, Director, Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Women’s Cancer Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School
Student host: Shih-Chun Shen
October 12, 2023
Nima Sarfaraz, MCBG student (Bouchard Lab)
October 19, 2023
Paula Bos, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
Student host: Emily Esquea
October 26, 2023
Shih-Chun Shen, MCBG student (Muller Lab)
November 2, 2023
No Seminar: Discovery Day
November 9, 2023
Arne Elofsson, PhD, Professor in Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University
Student host: Victoria Mischley
November 16, 2023
Ridhdhi Desai, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine
Student host: Emily Esquea
November 23, 2023
No Seminar: Thanksgiving
November 30, 2023
Rotation Talks A: Clark, Ruiz, Sidaway
December 7, 2023
Rotation Talks B: Cherry, Hu, Patel, Schubert
December 14, 2023
Rotation Talks C: Williams, Pochet, Raqueeb
Student-Organized Seminar Series Committee:
Emily Esquea, Victoria Mischley, Shih-Chun Shen, Kayla Schardien, Nima Sarfaraz, Mihyun Oh
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mauricio Reginato
Email: mjr53@drexel.edu
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Spring 2023 Seminar Series
January 5, 2023
Theodore Gurrola, MCBG student (Nonnemacher Lab)
January 12, 2023
Tara Fortino, MCBG student (Lane Lab)
January 19, 2023
Eric Witze, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania
Student Host: Dorothy Benton
January 26, 2023
Lisa Sevenich, PhD, Institute for Tumor Biology & Experimental Therapy, Georg Speyer Haus
Student Host: Emily Esquea
February 2, 2023
Neta Erez, PhD, Professor & Chair, Department of Pathology, Tel Aviv University
Student Host: Emily Esquea
February 9, 2023
Anna Lilly, MCBG student (Golemis/Astaturov Lab)
February 16, 2023
Shane Liddelow, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Health
Student Host: Jill Lawrence
February 23, 2023
Shih-Chun Shen, MCBG student (Muller Lab)
March 2, 2023
Emily Esquea, MCBG student (Reginato Lab)
March 9, 2023
Mihyun Oh, MCBG student (Somarowthu Lab)
March 16, 2023
Hassen Wollebo, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation, Temple University
Student Host: Jill Lawrence
March 23, 2023
Mark Witmer, Senior Director, Bristol Myers Squibb
March 30, 2023
Rachel Berman, MCBG student (Wigdhal/Nonnemacher Lab)
April 6, 2023
Brianna Trankle, MCBG student (Font-Burgada Lab)
April 13, 2023
Kayla Schardien, MCBG student (Lane Lab)
April 20, 2023
Flaviane Silva, MCBG student (Golemis Lab)
April 27, 2023
Teddy Nguyen, MCBG student (Golemis Lab)
May 4, 2023
Rotation Talks A: Gunderson, Azadegan, Majnoon, Black, Desai, Bamb, Shah
May 11, 2023
Rotation Talks B: Abadia, Capriotti, Nagarajan, Criswell, Hausman, Sarath, Jana
May 18, 2023
Rotation Talks C: Young, Horne, Markgraf, Rutledge, DaCunza, Kadam, Kaur
MCBG Student-Organized Seminar Series Committee:
Jill Lawrence, Emily Esquea, Tara Fortino, Alexa Cannon, Dorothy Benton, Anna Lilly
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mauricio Reginato
Email: mjr53@drexel.edu
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Spring 2022 Seminar Series
January 6, 2022
Konstantin Budagyan, MCBG student (Chernoff Lab)
January 13, 2022
Rebecca Holton, MCBG student (Berkowitz Lab)
January 20, 2022
Alexa Cannon, MCBG student (Chernoff Lab)
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 (Note day change)
Priscilla K. Brastianos, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Mass General Cancer Center
Student host: Lorela Ciraku
February 3, 2022
Allison Yankey, MCBG student (Somarowthu Lab)
February 10, 2022
Harry Taylor, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Upstate Medical University
Student host: Jill Lawrence
February 17, 2022
Martin McMahon, PhD, Cumming-Presidential Chair of Cancer Biology, Co-Leader of the Experimental Therapeutics Program, University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute
Student host: Alexa Cannon
February 24, 2022
Manali Potnis, MCBG student (Sell Lab)
March 3, 2022
Francesca Duncan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University
Student host: Rebecca Holton
March 10, 2022
Theodore Gurrola, MCBG student (Nonnemacher Lab)
March 17, 2022
Tara Fortino, MCBG student (Lane Lab)
March 24, 2022
Johanna Joyce, PhD, Professor, University of Lausanne, Member, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Student host: Lorela Ciraku
March 31, 2022
Andrea Rosenkranz, MCBG student (Bouchard Lab)
April 7, 2022
Ping Wang, PhD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Student host: Allison Hess
April 14, 2022
Anna Lilly, MCBG student (Golemis/Astaturov Lab)
April 21, 2022
Shih-Chun Shen, MCBG student (Muller Lab)
April 28, 2022
Emily Esquea, MCBG student (Reginato Lab)
May 5, 2022
Rotation Talks A: Bulhassan, Hyatt, Lynch, Wallace, Charania, Ramakrishnan
May 12, 2022
Rotation Talks B: Do, Joyner, Webber, Sanders, McUmber, White
May 19, 2022
Rotation Talks C: Koser, DAngelis, Torres, Brinckman, Larson-Pollock, El Naggar
MCBG Student-Organized Seminar Series Committee:
Jill Lawrence, Rebecca Holton, Lorela Ciraku, Alexa Cannon, Allison Yankey, Mitchell Parker
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mauricio Reginato; Email: mjr53@drexel.edu
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Fall 2021 Seminar Series
September 2, 2021
Carly DeAntoneo, MCBG student (Balachandran Lab)
September 9, 2021
Priscila Sato, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine
Student Host: Lorela Ciraku
September 16, 2021
Dorothy Benton, MCBG student (Chernoff Lab)
September 23, 2021
James Shorter, PhD, Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania
Student Host: Jill Lawrence
September 30, 2021
Kevin Gardner, PhD, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The City College of NY
Student Host: Allison Hess
October 7, 2021
Ariel Gordon, MCBG student (Mell Lab)
October 14, 2021
Diana Cittelly, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Student Host: Lorela Ciraku
October 21, 2021
No Seminar: Discovery Day
October 28, 2021
John Chojnowski, MCBG student (Strochlic Lab)
November 4, 2021
John Schimenti, PhD, Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University
Student Host: Rebecca Holton
November 11, 2021
Mitchell Parker, MCBG student (Golemis Lab)
November 18, 2021
Jill Lawrence, MCBG student (Nonnemaker Lab)
November 25, 2021
No Seminar: Thanksgiving
December 2, 2021
Rotation Talks A: Do, Webber, McUmber, Joyner, Gestiada, Hyatt, Brinkman (First year PhD & MS students: TBA)
December 9, 2021
Rotation Talks B: White, El Naggar, Larson-Pollock, DeAngelis, Koser, Torres (First year PhD & MS students: TBA)
December 16, 2021
Rotation Talks C: Lynch, Sanders, Wallace, Charania, Ramakrishnan, Bulhassan (First year PhD & MS students: TBA)
Student-Organized Seminar Series Committee: Jill Lawrence; Rebecca Holton; Lorela Ciraku; Alexa Cannon; Allison Yankey; Mitchell Parker
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mauricio Reginato; Email: mjr53@drexel.edu
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Spring 2020 Seminars and Student Talks
Faculty Adviser
MCBG Student-Organized Seminar Series Committee
- Kris Raghavan
- Kritika Hanamshet
- Lorela Ciraku
- Sam Flashner
- Megan Meuser
- Margaret O’Connor
January 2020
January 9
Sam Flashner, MCBG student (Clifford Lab)
January 16
Diane Kambach, PhD, team leader,
Field Applications Scientists, BioTek Instruments, Inc.
Student host: Lorela Ciraku
January 23
Kritika Hanamshet, MCBG student (Mazin Lab)
Wednesday, January 29 (note change of day)
David Pellman, professor of cell biology, Harvard Medical School
Student host: Sam Flashner
February 2020
February 6
Joshua Jackson, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Pharmacology & Physiology,
Drexel University College of Medicine
Student host: Lorela Ciraku
February 13
Alessandro Gardini, PhD, assistant professor, Gene Expression & Regulation Program, The Wistar Institute
Student host: Lorela Ciraku
February 20
Lina Maciunas, Biochemistry student (Loll Lab)
February 27
Melody Smith, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Student host: Margaret O’Connor
March 2020
March 5
Margaret O’Connor, MCBG student (Haddad Lab)
March 12
Kristie Augustyn, Biochemistry student (Jorns Lab)
POSTPONED: March 19
Sharon Cantor, PhD, associate professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Student host: Kritika Hanamshet
POSTPONED: March 26
Danielle Piazza, MCBG student (Mell Lab)
April 2020
April 2
Sandra Ryeom, PhD, associate professor, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania
Student host: Lorela Ciraku
April 9
Lindsay Steele, MCBG student (Polyak Lab)
April 16
Priscila Sato, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Drexel University
Student host: Lorela Ciraku
April 23
, Jasmine Peake, MCBG student (Noguchi Lab)
April 30
Andrea Rosenkranz, MCBG student (Bouchard Lab)
May 2020
May 7
Rotation Talks A: First-year students: Shen, Cunanan, Al-Aloosi, De Souza,
Balkhair, Sarfaraz
May 14
Rotation Talks B: First-year students: DiDemenico, Yeakle, Karadsheh,
Dhameliya, Alruiwaili
May 21
Rotation Talks C: First-year students: Lilly, Ritts, Oleksak, Kantner, Shimpi,
Esquea