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NameEmailPhD ProgramResearch InterestPublications
Johnson, Jaycee

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Translational Medicine

“I am broadly interested in exploring mechanisms of drug resistance and immune dysregulation in cancers, especially as it pertains to changes in mRNA and lncRNA expression. I’m also interested in potentially identifying new treatment targets that may circumvent resistant phenotypes. While I am interested in all cancer types and understand that many biological principles may be applied to various disease groups, I am most passionate about aggressive breast cancers.”

Coker, Katherine

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Translational Medicine

“I am incredibly interested in unraveling the intricate molecular mechanisms and proteins that drive diseases, with a particular focus on neurodegenerative diseases, chronic stress, and intestinal disorders influenced by the gut microbiome. I am eager to contribute to collaborative and interdisciplinary research environments, fostering a comprehensive approach to address the complexities of these health challenges and translating our findings into impactful solutions for society.”

Law, Karissa

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cell-Based Therapy, Gene Therapy, Molecular Medicine, Pathology, Translational Medicine

“I am interested in the pathology behind genetic disorders as well as the development of new treatment methods such as gene/cell therapies, stem cell therapies, and immunotherapy. I am also interested in researching novel therapeutic delivery systems with a goal of translating discovery into clinical settings.”

Berger, Harrison

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cell Engineering, Cell Signaling, Cell-Based Therapy, Immunology, Translational Medicine

“My scientific interest lies in the application of cell engineering to develop novel cell therapies. Synthetic receptors can be rationally designed to elicit novel functionality in cells, enabling improvements upon current cell-based platforms and therapies. Similar research generally involves the re-purposing of receptor domains or the involvement of synthetic gene circuits to facilitate cellular phenotype, stimuli responses, and other behaviors. The relevance of this research to a variety of indications, including cancers and autoimmune disorders, cannot be understated.”

Andersen, Sawyer

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Drug Delivery, Translational Medicine

“I am interested in translation research that can impact patient’s lives directly. I plan to work in the field of RNA biology to bring new genomic medicines to the clinic. I am interested in RNA structure, noncoding RNAs and how RNA can be used as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool.”

Schrank, Travis

EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Pathobiology & Translational Science

RESEARCH INTEREST
Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Translational Medicine, Virology

I am a surgeon-scientist specialized in head and neck cancers. My goal is to address translationalquestions with genomic data and bioinformatic methods, as well as benchtop experimentation. My clinical practice as a head and neck cancer surgeon also influences my research by helping me seek solutions to problems that will directly inform gaps in the current treatment protocols.

I have developed a strong interest in HPV genomics as well as HPV/host genome integrations, as these factors are intrinsically related to transcriptional diversity and patient outcomes in HPV-associated head and neck cancers. Our work has helped to demonstrate that a novel mechanism of HPV-mediated oncogenesis requiring NF-kB activation is present in nearly 50% of oropharyngeal tumors. In this vein, we are aggressively investigating the cellular interplay between the NF-kB pathway and persistent HPV infection, tumor radiation response, NRF2 signaling, and more.

Another outgrowth of this work has been investigating APOBEC3B and its non-canonical roles in regulating transcription. Our preliminary work has demonstrated that APOBEC3B has surprisingly strong transcriptional effects in HPV+ HNSCC cells and may promote oncogenesis and tumor maintenance by suppressing the innate immune response and influencing the HPV viral lifecycle.

Our group also have a strong interest in translational genomic studies. Our group is working to develop methods that will make gene expression-based biomarkers more successful in the clinic, as well as studying many aspects of genomic alterations that contribute to the development of squamous cell carcinomas.

Chung, Kay
WEBSITE
EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Cell Biology & Physiology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Bioinformatics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Immunology, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology, Gene Therapy, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Signal Transduction, Systems Biology, Translational Medicine, Virology

The Chung lab is engineering immune cells, particularly T cells, to achieve maximum therapeutic efficacy at the right place and timing. We explore the crossroads of synthetic biology, immunology, and cancer biology. Particularly, we are employing protein engineering, next-gen sequencing, CRISPR screening, and bioinformatics to achieve our objectives:

(1) Combinatorial recipes of transcription factors for T cell programming.

(2) Technologies for temporal regulation and/or rewiring of tumor and immune signal activation (chemokine, nuclear, inhibitor receptors).

(3) Synthetic oncolytic virus for engineering tumor-T cell crosstalk.

Corteselli, Elizabeth

EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Toxicology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Pulmonary Research, Toxicology, Translational Medicine

Dr. Corteselli’s research aims to uncover the mechanisms by which exposure to air pollutants causes lung injury. Her lab uses advanced in vitro models, including lung organoids and precision cut lung slices, to investigate the effects of inhaled toxicants on airway epithelial cell function, with a focus on redox homeostasis and signaling.

Yates, Melinda

EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Pathobiology & Translational Science

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cancer Biology, Cancer Genomics, Cancer Preclinical Models, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Translational Medicine

Our translational research lab is focused on the earliest changes that occur in the uterus (endometrium) during cancer development related to obesity and hereditary DNA repair defects. We use preclinical tools (rodents, organoids, and cell lines) to probe mechanisms of endometrial cancer pathogenesis, in parallel with human tissue studies. Our overall goal is to understand how environmental factors, including obesity, hormones, and other exposures, influence endometrial cancer development and disparities so that we can use pharmacologic agents to prevent or reverse cancer development.

van Duin, David
WEBSITE
EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM
Microbiology & Immunology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Antibiotics/Antivirals, Bacteriology, Disease, Pathogenesis & Infection, Translational Medicine

I am a clinical/translational researcher in Infectious Diseases. I am the Director of the Immunocompromised Host Program – which provides ID care to patients with transplants, malignancies, and burns. My primary research interests are antibacterial resistance in gram-negative bacilli, and infections in vulnerable patients. I am the PI for the Carbapenem Resistance Consortium for Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae (CRACKLE) and PI for the Multi-Drug Resistant Organism (MDRO) Network. I am also supported by NIAID to evaluate community origins of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales.