Stephanie Alampi
Stephanie.Alampi@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2025
Thesis Advisor: Richard Pomerantz, PhD
Project: TBD
Genetics, Genomics & Cancer Biology
Program
Name:
Lucia Languino, PhD
Position:
Program Director
233 South 10th Street
Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Suite 506
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Email:
Lucia.Languino@jefferson.edu
Contact Number(s):
Program Coordinator
Name:
Danielle Park
Position:
Program Coordinator
Organization:
Jefferson
1020 Locust Street
M-46 JAH
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Email:
Danielle.Park@jefferson.edu
Current Students
Sarah Ahr
Sarah.Ahr@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Karen Bussard, PhD
Project: TBD
Hyun Hwan An (MD/PhD)
HyunHwan.An@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Spring 2022
Thesis Advisor: Christine Eischen, PhD
Project: TBD
Geethanjali Annamalai (MD/PhD)
Geethanjali.Annamalai@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Spring 2022
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: TBD
Noah Bales
Noah.Bales@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2025
Thesis Advisor: Jun He, PhD
Project: TBA
Gavin Bond (MD/PhD)
Gavin.Bond@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Spring 2021
Thesis Advisor: Christine Eischen, PhD
Project: TBD
Ishan Chaudhari
Isah.Chaudhari@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2025
Thesis Advisor: Lucia Languino, PhD
Project: TBD
Kristen DeRosa
Kristen.DeRosa@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: Identifying changes in the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) caused by TEAD inhibition in cutaneous melanoma
Victor Diaz-Barros
Victor.Diaz-Barros@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Ubaldo Martinez-Outschoorn, MD, PhD
Project: My research focuses on understanding the role of MCT4 in both cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment, specifically in head and neck cancer. I aim to uncover how MCT4 impacts immune cell metabolism and immune evasion, contributing to improved therapeutic strategies
Erin Gallagher
Erin.Gallagher@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Claudia Capparelli, PhD
Project: Studying the role of SOX10-deficient melanocytes in UV radiation-induced DNA damage and melanoma initiation
Shahrzad Ghane
Shahrzad.Ghane@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2025
Thesis Advisor: Elda Grabocka, PhD
Project: TBD
Erin Gray
Erin.Gray@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Christine Eischen, PhD
Project: TBD
Gabrielle Greco
Gabrielle.Greco@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2025
Thesis Advisor: Adam Snook, PhD
Project: TBD
Adam Hetzelson
Adam.Hetzelson@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2024
Thesis Advisor: Marja Nevalainen, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Kayla Hammond
Kayla.Hammonds@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2025
Thesis Advisor: Hien Dang, PhD
Project: TBD
Makenna Higgins
Makenna.Higgins@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2025
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: TBD
Megan Keller
Megan.Keller@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Luis Sigal, DVM, PhD
Project: TBD
Jessica Kopenhaver
Jessica.Kopenhaver@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Justin Myers
Justin.Myers@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2022
Thesis Advisor: Emad Alnemri, PhD
Project: TBD
Drithi Patel
Drithi.Patel@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2024
Thesis Advisor: Erik Blomain, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Francis Picone
Francis.Picone@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2024
Thesis Advisor: Sara Meyer, PhD
Project: TBD
Douglas Ralph
Douglas.Ralph@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Richard Pomerantz, PhD
Project: TBA
Samuel Sey
Samuel.Sey@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2024
Thesis Advisor: Jianping Li, MD
Project: TBD
Siddharth Shah
Siddharth.Shah@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2024
Thesis Advisor: Isidore Rigoutsos, PhD
Project: TBD
Solmaz Shirjang
Solmaz.Shirjang@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Marja Nevalainen, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Ross Staudt
Ross.Staudt@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Adam Snook, PhD
Project: Investigating the use of GUCY2C-directed CAR-T cells as a therapeutic for upper-GI cancers.
Bernadette Tiberi
Bernadette.Tiberi@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Sara Meyer, PhD
Project: TBD
Recent Graduates
Laura Reynolds
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Title: "Targeting NELFE Through Splice-Switching as a Therapeutic Strategy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma"
Advisor: Hien Dang, PhD
Francis Waltrich
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Title: "Targeting CDK7/9 and casein kinase 1 alpha as a therapeutic strategy in advanced-stage uveal melanoma"
Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Haley Wilson
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Title: "Intrapatient heterogeneity and targeting microenvironmental resistance in melanoma metastases"
Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Samantha Barnada
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Title: "Uncovering Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Human Developmental Gene Regulation"
Advisor: Steven McMahon, PhD
Robert Carlson
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Title: "Desmoglein 2 is a Safe and Universal CAR-T Cell Therapy Target for Solid Tumors"
Advisor: Adam Snook, PhD
Michael Lawler
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Title: "INTERROGATION OF TLR INFLAMMATORY SIGNALING IN AML"
Advisor: Sara Meyer, PhD
Tyler Fenstermaker
Matriculation Term: Fall 2014
Thesis Title: "Epigenetic Bookmarking During DNA Replication by the RNA Polymerase II Complex"
Advisor: Alexander Mazo, PhD
Pyung Hun Park
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Title: "Molecular Determinants of Invasion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Insights from 3D Organotypic Models"
Advisor: Andrew South, PhD
Alexandra Redding
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Title: "Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 determines Intercellular Heterogeneity of Stress Granules and Chemotherapy Response"
Advisor: Elda Grabocka, PhD
Brittiny Dhital
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Title: “Mechanisms of Gene Expression and Genomic Stability in Prostate Cancer: Cross-talk between Nuclear Pore Proteins and Mitotic Fidelity Genes”
Advisor: Veronica Bravo-Rodriguez, PhD
Current Position: University of Texas-Southwestern, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Brianna Hill
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Title: "Dsg2-Regulated miRNA and lncRNA Dynamics in Wound Healing and Tumor Development"
Advisor: Mỹ G. Mahoney, PhD
Nicole Naranjo
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Title: "PROSTATE CANCER CELL-DERIVED SMALL EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES MEDIATE MONOCYTE PHENOTYPIC AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES"
Advisor: Lucia Languino, PhD
Stephanie Renna
Matriculation Term: Fall 2015
Thesis Title: "Guanylyl Cyclase C Vaccines for Secondary Prevention of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer"
Advisor: Steven McKenzie, MD, PhD