Nakoa Webber, MS
August 18, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Todd Strochlic (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Project Title: Sigma Receptors: Biology and Implications for Disease and Drug Targeting
Current: PhD Student, Rowan University College of Science and Mathematics

Zahra Charania, MS
August 8, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Srinivas Somarowthu (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis Title: Identifying conserved regions in lncRNA SChLAP1

Tara Fortino, PhD
July 26, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Michael Lane (Department of Microbiology & Anatomy)
Thesis Title: Spinal Interneuron Transplantation to Repair the Injured Cervical Spinal Cord

David Joyner, MS
July 24, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Elias El Haddad (Department of Medicine)
Thesis Title: Improved HIV-Specific T Cell Immunity Following Adenosine Deaminase-1 Co-Delivery in Preclinical Models of Vaccination
Current: PhD Student, MCBG Program, Drexel University College of Medicine

Kelvin Koser, MS
July 18, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Joshua Chang Mell (Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
Thesis Title: Using Accessory Gene Content to Predict the Clinical Isolation Source of Haemophilus influenza Genome
Currently: Computational Scientist, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Skandha Ramakrishnan, MS
May 1, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Liang Oscar Qiang (Department of Microbiology & Anatomy)
Literature Review Title: Isoform specific implications of spastin in spg4
Current: PhD Student, MCBG Program, Drexel University College of Medicine

Alexa Cannon, PhD
April 11, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Chernoff
Thesis Title: Investigation of Novel Therapeutic Targets in RAC1-mutant Melanoma

Allison Yankey, PhD
April 6, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Srinivas Somarowthu (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis Title: A novel interaction between long noncoding RNA lncTCF7 and SND1 modulates the gene regulation activity of the SWI/SNF complex
Current: Scientific Communications Manager, Red Nucleus

Rebecca Holton, PhD
March 30, 2023
Mentor: Dr. Karen Berkowitz (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis Title: CHTF18 safeguards the quantity and quality of the ovarian reserve and mediates meiotic cohesion
Subsequent Position: IVF ART Laboratory Specialist, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Lorela Ciraku, PhD
June 10, 2022
Mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis Title: OGT/CDK5/ACSS2 Axis Regulates Metabolic Adaptation of Tumors in the Brain
Subsequent Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Lausanne University, Switzerland

Lisa Stukenborg, MS
June 22, 2022
Mentor: Christian Sell, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis Title: Enhancing Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapeutic Potential Through mTOR Inhibition
Subsequent Position: Research Associate, Vesalius Therapeutics

Jessie Nagle, MS
June 17, 2022
Mentor: Eishi Noguchi, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis Title: The Role of Maf1 in Age-Associated Phenotypes
Subsequent Position: Scientist, Absorption Systems

Gabrielle Tramonte, MS
July 25, 2022
Mentor: Garth Ehrlich, PhD and Joshua Chang Mell, PhD (Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
Thesis Title: Functional investigation of Haemophilus influenzae genes of unknown function implicated in pathogenesis
Subsequent Position: Scientist, Eurofins

Sarah Nicolson, MS
July 14, 2022
Mentor: Todd Strochlic, PhD, VMD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis Title: Exploring Copper-Mediated Regulation of CK2 Activity in D. melanogaster
Subsequent Position: Veterinary nurse technician at Philadelphia Animal Specialty and Emergency (PASE) Clinic

Manali Potnis, PhD
July 27, 2022
Mentor: Christian Sell, PhD, (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis Title: lncRNA H19/let7b/EZH2 axis regulates cellular senescence
Subsequent Position: Senior Scientist, West Pharmaceutical Services

Diehl De Souza, MS
December 2, 2021
Mentor: Dr. Michael Nonnemacher (Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
Thesis Title: Assessment of genes in defective integrated HIV-1 provirus within the PBMC compartment of individuals with neuroHIV
Subsequent Position: Laboratory Technician at National Institutes of Health (NIH-NINDS)

Kristopher Raghavan, PhD
November 22, 2021
Mentor: Dr. Edna Cukierman (Fox Chase Cancer Center)
Thesis Title: The Role of NetrinG1 in Stroma-derived Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Survival of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma under Nutrient-deprivation
Subsequent Position: Scientist, Integral Molecular

Danielle Piazza, PhD
November 19, 2021
Mentors: Dr. Joshua Chang Mell and Dr. Ming Xiao (Department of Microbiology & Immunology) Thesis Title: Testing the Limits of Natural Transformation: Effects of Donor DNA Size and Genomic Structural Variation on Haemophilus influenzae Recombination
Subsequent Position: Senior Scientist, Frontage Laboratories, Inc.

Daniel Kantner, MS
July 29, 2021
Mentor: Joris Beld, PhD (Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
Thesis title: Activity and substrate specificity of cobinamide/cobamide amidohydrolase CbiZ in diverse bacteria
Subsequent position: PhD student, Biomedical Sciences Program, Temple University

Matthew Ritts, MS
July 28, 2021
Mentor: Sandhya Kortagere, PhD (Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
Project title: Inflammation in Parkinson’s Disease
Subsequent position: Associate Scientist, Proclinical Staffing

Michelle Swift, PhD
July 26, 2021
Mentor: Jane Clifford, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis title: Investigating the role of cell cycle-dependent regulation of Sp1 in double strand break repair
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Rongrong Li, MS
July 12, 2021
Mentor: Todd Strochlic, VMD, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis title: Cell-Based Readouts of Copper-Modulated CK2 Kinase Activity
Subsequent position: Research Technician, Rutgers University

Tylor Brewster, MS
July 9, 2021
Mentor: Eishi Noguchi, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis title: Roles of Timeless in DNA Repair and Carcinogenesis
Subsequent position: Scientist, Absorption Aystems, LLC

Tejsi Dhameliya, MS
July 6, 2020
Mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis title: The role of KLF8 in breast cancer stem cells
Subsequent position: Associate Scientist, Cell line development, Sana Biotechnology, Inc.

Nima Sarfaraz, MS
June 30, 2021
Mentor: Michael Bouchard, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Project title: The Interplay of Long Non-Coding RNAs and Hepatitis B Virus
Subsequent position: PhD Student, MCBG Program, Drexel University College of Medicine

Sydney Wilson, MS
June 28, 2021
Mentor: Pooja Jain, PhD (Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
Project title: Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma: The Role of Genetic Variation on Clinical Disparities and Disease Progression between ATLL Patient Populations

Emily Esquea, MS
June 21, 2021
Mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Project title: Understanding the role of the OGT/CDK5/ACSS2 signaling axis on breast cancer brain metastatic growth
Subsequent position, PhD Student, MCBG Program, Drexel University College of Medicine

Julia Oleksak, MS
June 2, 2021
Mentor: Edward Hartsough, PhD (Department of Pharmacology & Physiology)
Project title: Role of CADM1 in Reducing Viability of Melanoma Circulating Tumor Cells
Subsequent position: Scientist, Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc.

Katherine Innamorati, PhD
April 23, 2021
Mentor: Garth Ehrlich, PhD (Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
Title: Comparative genomics of the keystone mucosal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis and Gardnerella vaginalis reveal associations between virulence phenotypes and phylogenetic structure
Subsequent position, Postdoctoral Fellow, Drexel University College of Medicine

Daniel Slusaw, MS
April 14, 2021
Mentor: Srinivas Somarowthu, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Thesis title: HOTAIR domains can independently regulate gene expression in breast cancer
Subsequent position: PhD Student, Biological Sciences Program, University of Delaware

Theodore Gurrola, MS
December 18, 2020
Mentor: Brian Wigdahl, PhD (Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
Project title: Delivering CRISPR to the HIV-1 reservoirs
Subsequent position, PhD Student, MCBG Program, Drexel University College of Medicine

Alexandra Guffey, MS
December 4, 2020
Mentor: Patrick Loll, PhD
Project title: Regulation of Vancomycin Resistance Expression in Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci by the VanRS Two-component System
Subsequent position: Medical Writer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals

Samuel Flashner, PhD
September 3, 2020
Mentor: Jane Clifford, PhD
Project title: The Transcription Factor Specificity Protein 1 Regulates Chromosome Assembly and Segregation During Mitosis
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University

Jacob Yo, MS
August 12, 2020
Mentor: Edward Hartsough, PhD
Project title: Efficacy of Next-Generation BRAF Inhibitors in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinomas
Subsequent position: Associate Scientist, Quest Diagnostics

Namitha Gobbi, MS
July 31, 2020
Mentor: Karen Berkowitz, MD
Project title: Investigating a Role for CHTF18 in Meiotic Crossover Formation
Subsequent position: Molecular Biologist, Biomeme, Inc.

Stephano Iglesias, MS
July 29, 2020
Mentor: Shae Padrick, PhD
Project title: Development of a Fluorescent Assay of Septin Filament Assembly
Subsequent position: PhD student at Thomas Jefferson University, Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology Program

Lindsay Steele, PhD
July 21, 2020
Mentor: Boris Polyak, PhD
Project title: Magnetically Actuated Alginate Scaffolds: Effects on Macrophage Function and Regenerative Outcomes
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

Kritika Hanamshet, PhD
July 16, 2020
Mentor: Alexander Mazin, PhD
Project title: The essential role of RAD52 in BRCA-deficient cells
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Scientist, EMD Serono, In.

Jasmine Peake, PhD
June 19, 2020
Mentor: Dr. Eishi Noguchi (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Project title: "Characterization of acetaldehyde-induced genomic instability during DNA replication in esophageal keratinocytes"
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Eric Brown at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (PennPORT Program)

Jean Marc Maurancy, MS
June 18, 2020
Project title: "An investigation into the binding mode of novel small molecule HIV-1 capsid (CA) protein inhibitors"
Subsequent position: Senior Laboratory Technologist at Opentrons Labworks Inc.

Margaret O’Connor, MD, PhD
April 21, 2020
Mentor: Elias El Haddad, PhD (Department of Medicine)
Thesis Title: Innate and Adaptive Lymphocytes instruct Immune Responses and Regulate Germinal Center Interactions in Humans