College
College of Life Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Campus
Center City
Format
On Campus
Duration
4 - 5 Years
Contact Information
Program Director
- Co-Director, Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine PhD Program
- Associate Professor
Program Director
- Co-Director, Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine PhD Program
- Professor
Program Coordinator
1020 Locust Street
M-46 JAH
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
Current Students
Tanvi Abhang
Tanvi.Abhang@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
Ariele Baggett
Ariele.Baggett@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Advisor: Gyorgy Csordas, MD
Project: TBD
Usman Baqai (MD/PhD)
Usman.Baqai@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2017
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Thesis Title: TBA
Current Position: SKMC 3
Laurence Busque
Laurence.Busque@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
Signe Caksa (MD/PhD)
Signe.Caksa@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: TBD
Eirene Choi
Eirene.Choi@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
Alexandra Ciuciu
Alexandra.Ciuciu@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Advisor: Ryan Tomlinson, PhD
Project: TBD
Stanley Conaway
Stanley.Conaway@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Advisor: Deepak Deshpande, PhD
Project: My studies are focused on elucidating the mechanism of action within the bitter taste receptor signaling pathway and its effects on airway smooth muscle tone. Our goal is to study the potential for bitter-taste compounds as novel therapeutics for the treatment of obstructive airway disorders.
Moriah Cunningham
Moriah.Cunningham@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Matt Schiewer, PhD
Project: TBD
Eurico da Silva Serrano
Eurico.da-Silva-Serrano@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
JodiRae DeDreu
JodiRae.DeDreu@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Thesis Advisor: Sue Menko, PhD
Project: TBD
Kelli DeJesus-Michaels
Kelli.DeJesusMichaels@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Makarand V. Risbud, PhD
Project: My focus is on the contribution of senescence pathways in intervertebral disc degeneration with special interest in genotoxic stress.
Ariana Entezari
Ariana.Entezari@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Rifah Gheyas
Rifah.Gheyas@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Advisor: Sue Menko, PhD
Project: I am studying the mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the formation of the lens Organelle Free Zone, the region in the center of the lens where organelles and nuclei are removed in development.
Sarah Halawani
Sarah.Halawani@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Thesis Advisor: TBA
Project: TBD
Colleen Isabelle (MD/PhD)
Colleen.Isabelle@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2017
Thesis Advisor: Anjali Mishra, PhD
Project: TBD
Selin Isguven (MD/PhD)
Selin.Isguven@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2017
Thesis Title: TBA
Thesis Advisor: Noreen Hickok, PhD; Flemming Forsberg, PhD
Current Position: SKMC 3
Ranakul Islam
Ranakul.Islam@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2020
Thesis Advisor: TBA
Project: TBD
Lauren Israel
Lauren.Israel@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2022
Thesis Advisor: TBA
Project: TBD
Hattanas Kumchai, DMD
Hattanas.Kumchai@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Ryan Tomlinson, PhD
Project: NGF-TrkA Signaling in Dental Implant Osseointegration
Phuong Le (MD/PhD)
Phuong.Le@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2019
Thesis Advisor: Sue Menko, PhD
Project: TBD
Elizabeth Magno (MD/PhD)
Elizabeth.Magno@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2020
Thesis Advisor: Karen Bussard, PhD
Project: TBD
Alexandra Manchel
Alexandra.Manchel@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2019
Thesis Advisor: Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, PhD
Project: TBD
Matheus Moreira Perez
Matheus.Moreira-Perez@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBA
Project: TBD
Joshua Okletey
Joshua.Okletey@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBA
Project: TBD
Connor Ott
Connor.Ott@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: TBD
Olivia Ottone (they/them)
Olivia.Ottone@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Advisor: Makarand Risbud, PhD
Project: My work uses mouse models to better understand the role of senescence in and transcriptional basis of intervertebral disc degeneration.
Brittany Ruiz
Brittany.Ruiz@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Hien Dang, PhD
Project: TBD
Kimheak Sao
Kimheak.Sao@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2019
Thesis Advisor: Makarand Risbud, PhD
Project: TBD
Sarah Strock
Sarah.Strock@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBA
Project: TBD
Maria Tsingas
Maria.Tsingas@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Advisor: Makarand Risbud, PhD
Project: Investigating the role of pyruvate & lactate metabolism in the intervertebral disc
Yifang Wang
Yifang.Wang@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2020
Thesis Advisor: Jun He, PhD
Project: TBD
Yanki Yarman (MD/PhD)
Yanki.Yarman@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2019
Thesis Advisor: Peisong Ma, PhD
Project: TBD
Recent Graduates
2022/2023
Morgan Basta
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Title: "The role of post-replicative chromatin structure in the initiation and progression of fibrosis"
Advisor: Janice Walker, PhD
John Han
Matriculation Term: Fall 2017
Thesis Title: "Eye candy: Role of Lactate and Glucose Transporters in Supporting Visual Health and Function"
Advisor: Nancy Philp, PhD
Shira Johnston
Matriculation Term: Fall 2017
Thesis Title: "The Role of HIF-2α in the Intervertebral Disc"
Advisor: Makarand Risbud, PhD
Lauren Langbein
Thesis Title: "Regulation of the Type I Interferon Pathway by Cancer Genes in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma"
Advisor: Haifeng Yang, PhD
Megan Roche
Thesis Title: "Translocase of the Outer Mitochondrial Membrane 20 (TOMM20) and TP53 Inducible Glycolysis and Apoptosis Regulator (TIGAR) Drive Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer"
Advisor: Ubaldo Martinez-Outschoorn, MD
Michael Young
Matriculation Term: Fall 2015
Thesis Title: "IP3R knockout cell models: studies on structure/function and cell physiology"
Advisor: Suresh Joseph, PhD
Grace Tartaglia
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Title: "Anti-Virals as a Novel Fibrosis Preventative in Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa"
Advisor: Andrew South, PhD
2021/2022
Alexus (Kolb) Shirk
Thesis Title: "OSTEOCLASTOGENESIS AND FACTORS PRODUCED BY THE BONE EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX ARE ALTERED BY EDUCATED OSTEOBLASTS IN A BONE-TUMOR MIMETIC MICROENVIRONMENT"
Advisor: Karen Bussard, PhD
Noor Shaik (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: "The Role of Platelets in Remote Organ Injury and Infection After Stroke"
Advisor: Ulhas Naik, PhD
2020/2021
Deborah Gorth (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: "The Role of TNFα and IL-1β in Intervertebral Disc Disease and Health"
Advisor: Makarand Risbud, PhD
2019/2020
Sara Bisetto
Thesis Title: "New insights into the lactate shuttle: lesson learned from the MCT4 knock out mouse"
Advisor: Nancy Philp, PhD
Hyowon Choi (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: "The Role Of Autophagy And Primary Cilia In The Nucleus Pulposis"
Advisor: Makarand Risbud, PhD
Stephen Hurst
Thesis Title: "Calcium Regulation of the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore During Ischemia Reperfusion Injury of the Heart"
Advisor: Shey-Shing Sheu, PhD
Elham Javed
Thesis Title: "Intermediate filaments in bladder smooth muscle dysfunction"
Advisor: Boopathi Ettickan, PhD
Michael Vido (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: "Mechanisms Underlying RAF Inhibitor Resistance by BRAF Splice Variants in Melanoma"
Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Current Position: Resident @ Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
2018/2019
Frederick Arnold
Thesis Title: "ALTERED TRAFFICKING AND POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS OF THE POLYGLUTAMINE-EXPANDED ANDROGEN RECEPTOR CONTRIBUTE TO TOXICITY IN SPINAL AND BULBAR MUSCULAR ATROPHY"
Advisor: Diane Merry, PhD
Victoria Gennaro
Thesis Title: "Defining the MYC transcriptional regulatory network in human cancer"
Advisor: Steven McMahon, PhD
Maria Gubbiotti (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: "A Novel Role For Decorin In Autophagy And Metabolism"
Advisor: Renato Iozzo, MD
Current Position: Resident @ University of Pennsylvania
Caitlin Logan (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: "Impact of the Loss of N-cadherin or Microtubules on Lens Development and Immune Surveillance"
Advisor: Sue Menko, PhD
Current Position: Resident @ Standford University
Elizabeth Silagi
Thesis Title: "Insights into Glycolytic Metabolism and pH Homeostasis in the Hypoxic Intervertebral Disc"
Advisor: Makarand Risbud, PhD
Aditi Swarup
Thesis Title: "Deletion of GLUT1 from ocular epithelium leads to cataract formation and photoreceptor degeneration in mice"
Advisor: Nancy Philp, PhD