College
College of Life Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Campus
Center City
Format
On Campus
Duration
4 - 5 Years
Contact Information
Program Director
Program Coordinator
1020 Locust Street
M-46 JAH
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
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Current Students
Oghenerukevwe Akpoghiran
Oghenerukevwe.Apoghiran@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Laboratory: TBD
Project: TBD
William Auerbacher
William.Auerbacher@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2022
Laboratory: TBD
Project: TBD
Jenna Aumiller
Jenna.Aumiller@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Laboratory: Philip Wedegaertner, PhD
Project: TBD
Sarah Barndt
Sarah.Barndt@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Laboratory: TBD
Project: TBD
Candice Bizzaro
Candice.Bizzaro@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Laboratory: Matthew Schiewer, PhD
Project: TBD
Gina Buchel
Gina.Buchel@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Laboratory: Dmitry Temiakov, PhD
Project: Studying the molecular mechanisms underlying human mitochondrial transcription and replication using biochemical and structural approaches.
Jenny Carey
Jenny.Carey@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Laboratory: Lin Guo, PhD
Project: My project focuses on studying protein phase separation of ALS-associated protein FUS and developing RNAs to reverse aberrant phase transition.
Adi Caspi
Adi.Caspi@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Laboratory: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Project: I study the guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) signaling axis in the context of colorectal cancer.
Jacquelyn DePierro
Jacquelyn.DePierro@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Laboratory: TBD
Project: TBD
Morgan Dwyer
Casey.Durso@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Laboratory: TBD
Project: TBD
Morgan Dwyer
Morgan.Dwyer@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Laboratory: Philip Wedegaertner, PhD
Project: TBD
Victoria Frisbie
Victoria.Frisbie@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Laboratory: Erik Debler, PhD
Project: My project focuses on two methyltransferases essential to T. brucei’s survival and their recognition of Tb canonical and variant nucleosomes as substrates. To define this interaction, I use structural biochemistry techniques, such as enzymatic assays, x-ray footprinting, x-ray crystallography, and cryo-electron microscopy.
Melanie Goetz
Melanie.Goetz@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Laboratory: Sara Meyer, PhD
Project: Studying the role of p300 in epigenetic mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Justin Gumas
Justin.Gumas@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Laboratory: Yohei Kirino, PhD
Project: Identification and functional characterization of angiogenin-induced 2’,3’-cyclic phosphate-containing RNAs in the context of ALS
Karl Herbine
Karl.Herbine@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2019
Laboratory: Dmitry Temiakov, PhD
Project: The purpose of my thesis project is to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of transcription initiation and processive elongation in human mitochondria using structural methods.
Eden Hornung
Eden.Hornung@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Laboratory: Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, PhD
Project: TBD
Stephano Iglesias
Stephano.Iglesias@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Laboratory: Gino Cingolani, PhD
Project: TBD
Andrew Isopi
Andrew.Isopi@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Laboratory: Gino Cingolani, PhD
Project: TBD
Emily Kurtyan
Emily.Kurtyan@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2022
Laboratory: TBD
Project: TBD
Natalie Laspata
Natalie.Warner@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Laboratory: Elise Fouquerel, PhD
Project: I study the role of DNA repair proteins in the maintenance of telomere integrity and genome stability.
Genevieve Lewis (MD/PhD)
Genevieve.Lewis@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Laboratory: Emad Alnermi, PhD
Project: My project aims to elucidate the role of WNK1 signaling in macrophage inflammasome activation and how deregulation of this pathway leads to various inflammation-mediated pathologies.
Allison Lisberg
Allison.Lisberg@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2016
Laboratory: Diane Merry, PhD
Project: TBD
Annie Londregan
Anne.Londregan@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Laboratory: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Brittany Mahon
Brittany.Mahon@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Laboratory: Christine Eischen, PhD
Project: TBD
Elizabeth McDuffie
Elizabeth.McDuffie@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Laboratory: Charles Scott, PhD
Project: TBD
Henri McGuigan
Henri.McGuigan@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Laboratory: Ya-Ming Hou, PhD
Project: TBD
Anthony Monte Carlo
Anthony.MonteCarlo@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Laboratory: TBD
Project: TBD
Hailey Shankle
Hailey.Shankle@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Laboratory: Steven McMahon, PhD
Project: TBD
Viktoriia Sokolova
Viktoriia.Sokolova@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Laboratory: Dmitry Temiakov, PhD
Project: TBD
Lily Thompson
Lily.Thompson@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Laboratory: Elise Fouquerel, PhD
Project: My project involves investigating the effect of oxidative stress at the centromere and how this contributes to chromosomal instability.
Mason Tracewell
Mason.Tracewell@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Laboratory: Steven McMahon, PhD
Project: Investigating the mechanism behind USP22's impact on activator-driven transcription
Ivana Vukovic
Ivana.Vukovic@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2016
Laboratory: Steven McMahon, PhD
Project: TBD
Ruoyu Yang
Ruoyu.Yang@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculaton Term: Summer 2019
Laboratory: Gino Cingolani, PhD
Project: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a prevalent pathogen, but how it enters the nucleus remains unknown. My project is to test if HBV capsid shuttles through nuclear pore via classical nucleo-cytoplasmic transport.
Recent Graduates
2022/2023
Benjamin Barnhart
Advisor: Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, PhD
Thesis Title: Partial hepatectomy as a model of liver regeneration: Network-based profiles
Qingqing Cao
Advisor: Andrew South, PhD
Thesis Title: The Role of Type VII Collagen in Mediating Extracellular Matrix Protein Secretion in Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa
Current Position: TBD
Steven Doll
Advisor: Gino Cingolani, PhD
Thesis Title: Recognition of the TDP-43 Nuclear Localization Signal by importin α1/β
Current Position: TBD
Clinita Randolph
Advisor: Philip Wedegaertner, PhD
Thesis Title: Dissecting how interactions at the apex of HIV-1 Env modulate epitope exposure at the distant base of the glycoprotein
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Drexel University
Abhimannyu Rimal
Advisor: Edward Winter, PhD
Thesis Title: ISC10, A Developmentally Regulated Inhibitor Of Non-Canonical MAPK Signaling
Current Position: Genomic Developmental Specialist, University of Pennsylvania Health System
Hannah Schapiro
Advisor: Michael Root, MD, PhD
Thesis Title: Dissecting how interactions at the apex of HIV-1 Env modulate epitope exposure at the distant base of the glycoprotein
Current Position: Teaching Assistant Professor, Thomas Jefferson University, College of Life Sciences
Matthew Varney
Advisor: Jeffrey Benovic, PhD
Thesis Title: G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 6 (GRK6) Regulation of Insulin Processing and Secretion
2021/2022
Marina Farkas
Advisor: Steven McMahon, PhD
Thesis Title: Elucidating Mechanisms Mediating Genome Recognition and Cell Fate Determination by P53
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
Tyler J. Florio
Advisor: Gino Cingolani, PhD
Thesis Title: Mechanisms and Regulation of NF-kB Nuclear Import through Importin Isoforms
Current Position: Scientist II, Abzyme Therapeutic, Bristol, PA
Michael Joseph Ippolito
Advisor: Jeffrey Benovic, PhD
Thesis Title: Selective Activation of G Protein Signaling through the B2AR via Novel and Redefined Small Molecule Ligands
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Emanuela Dylgjeri-Kruser
Advisor: Karen Knudsen, PhD
Thesis Title: DNA-PK: Novel Roles in Metabolism and Therapeutic Targeting in Prostate Cancer
Dominic J. Lapadula
Advisor: Jeffrey Benovic, PhD
Thesis Title: Direct Inhibition of Oncogenic Gg/11 in Uveal Melanoma
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Amy Catherine Mandigo
Advisor: Karen Knudsen, PhD
Thesis Title: E2F1 and Androgen Receptor Dysregulation Drives RB-deficient Cancer Progression
Lindsey Gail Mayes-Hopfinger
Advisor: Emad Alnemri, PhD
Thesis Title: Identifying WNK1 as a Negative Regulator of NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Pyroptosis
Alison Rachel Moss
Advisor: Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, PhD
Thesis Title: Central and Peripheral Transcriptomic Networks Driving Cardiovascular Control
Austin David Parrish
Advisor: Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, PhD
Thesis Title: Systems-Level Analysis of Regulatory Networks Involved in Alcoholic Liver Disease
Azadeh Sarfallah
Advisor: Dmitry Temiakov, PhD
Thesis Title: Mechanism of Transcription Initiation and Primer Generation at the Mitochondrial Origin of Replication OriL
Sarah Sulon
Advisor: Jeffery Benovic, PhD
Thesis Title: Regulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 5 by Calmodulin
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Penn Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Nicholas Anthony Swanson
Advisor: Gino Cingolani, PhD
Thesis Title: Structure of the Prototypical Podophage T7 DNA Ejectosome
Halley Rebecca Washburn
Advisor: Matthew Dalva, PhD
Thesis Title: Molecular Mechanisms of the EphB-NMDA Receptor Extracellular Interaction
2020/2021
Samantha Brown
Advisor: Jonathan Brody, PhD
Thesis Title: Beyond transcription: studying Human Antigen R (HuR/ELAVL1) and its role in post-transcriptionally regulating the pancreatic cancer-driver, Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1)
Mai Nguyen
Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Thesis Title: Optimizing MEK inhibitors in NRAS mutant melanoma - overcoming resistance and combination strategies
Sheera Rosenbaum
Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Thesis Title: The Role of Lineage-Specific Transcription Factors in Regulating Anti-Tumor Immune Responses in Melanoma