Notarangelo Research Group

Luigi D. Notarangelo, M.D.

Chief, Immune Deficiency Genetics Section
Deputy Chief, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology
NIH Distinguished Investigator

Specialty(s): Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics
Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center

Education:

M.D., University of Pavia, Italy

Luigi D. Notarangelo received his M.D. from the University of Pavia, Italy. After completing training in pediatrics, subspecialty training in allergy/immunology, and human genetics at the University of Pavia and a postdoctoral internship with David Nelson, M.D., at the Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, he was appointed associate professor and subsequently full professor of pediatrics...

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Zixiao (Annie) An, B.A.

Postbaccalaureate IRTA fellow

Education:

B.A., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Annie obtained her bachelor’s degrees in human biology and biostatistics from the University of Virginia. Her work in IDGS investigates atypical B cells and immune dysregulation in immunodeficient patients with STAT1GOF and STAT3DN disease in the context of autoimmunity.

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Marita Bosticardo, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., University of Torino, Italy

Dr. Bosticardo obtained her master’s degree in biology and her Ph.D. in Immunology both at University of Torino in Italy. At IDGS, her research aims at studying the pathophysiology of primary immunodeficiencies (PID), with a special focus on the characterization of defects of T-cell development and thymic abnormalities. In particular, one of her main goals is to characterize how defects in...

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Ottavia Maria Delmonte, MD, Ph.D.

Assistant Research Physician, Staff Clinician

Specialty(s): Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics
Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center

Education:

M.D., Ph.D., University of Turin, Italy

She received her M.D., Ph.D. degree from the University of Turin, Italy. She completed a pediatric residency followed by a fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University, USA. She speaks Italian and English.

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Portrait of Ottavia Delmonte, M.D., Ph.D.

Esther Kang, B.S.N., R.N.

Research Nurse

Education:

B.S.N., R.N., Eastern Mennonite University

Esther obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Eastern Mennonite University. Her nursing experience includes Med/ Surg, ICU, Pre and Post Anesthesia Care. She joined the Immune Deficiency Genetics Section in 2023 and provides support for the PID natural history studies.

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Heather Kenney, B.S., M.S.

Biologist

Education:

M.S., Thomas Jefferson University
B.S., University of Maryland

Heather Kenney obtained her bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular genetics from the University of Maryland and her master’s degree in Biomedical Science concentrating in Developmental Biology from Thomas Jefferson University. Heather has worked at NIH in the Laboratory of Infectious Disease for over 10 years as a biologist and lab manager prior to joining IDGS. Her research focuses on COVID...

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Gloria Magro, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., University of Padova, Italy

Dr. Magro obtained her master’s degree in medical biotechnologies from the University of Padova, Italy. She then obtained her Ph.D. in molecular medicine from the same university, with a period as a visiting student at Imperial College London, focusing on gene editing approaches against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1). Her work at IDGS focuses on the gene mutations underlying RAG...

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Diana Marangu-Boore, M.D., Ph.D.

Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

MBChB, MMed, Ph.D., University of Nairobi, Kenya
M.P.H., University of Washington, USA
M.Phil Paed Pulm., University of Cape Town, South Africa

Diana Marangu-Boore received her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (M.D. equivalent), Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health, and Doctor of Philosophy in Tropical and Infectious Diseases degrees from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. She obtained her Master of Public Health in Global Health degree at the University of Washington. Diana completed her paediatric pulmonology fellowship at...

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Katherine (Kathy) Myint-Hpu, CRNP

Nurse Practitioner

Education:

MSN-MPH, Yale University
B.A., Vassar College

Ms. Myint-Hpu received joint master’s degree in nursing and public health from Yale University, specializing in pediatrics and international health. Prior to coming to the NIH, she worked in the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant at Georgetown University Hospital. Ms. Myint-Hpu was with the Pediatric Consult Service of the NIH Clinical Center before joining LCIM...

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Francesca Pala, Ph.D.

Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Pasteur Institute, Paris

Dr. Pala obtained her bachelor's degree and master's degree in cellular, molecular and medical biotechnologies from the San Raffaele University in Milan, Italy. She did her Ph.D. at Pasteur Institute in Paris, where she studied the metabolic pathways controlling skeletal muscle stem cells’ behavior in muscle homeostasis and regeneration. After that, she joined the IDGS, where her research focuses...

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Giuseppe Sangiorgio, M.D.

Predoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

M.D., University of Catania, Italy

Giuseppe Sangiorgio obtained his M.D. degree from the University of Catania, Italy. He started his Ph.D. at the University of Catania, and he is currently serving as a visiting fellow in the Immune Deficiency Genetics Section.

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Pooi Meng Truong, B.S.N, R.N.

Research Nurse Specialist

Education:

A.S., Marymount University
B.S.N., University of Maryland

Meng Truong obtained her Associate of Science Degree in Nursing from Marymount University, Virginia, in 1997 and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from University of Maryland, Baltimore, in 2000. She worked as a Registered Nurse at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Rockville, since 1998 and joined NIH Clinical Center Intensive Care Unit/Critical Care Department in 2002. She also worked in...

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Former Research Group Members

Bello, Ezekiel, B.S. – Ph.D. student at University of Louisville, KY

Calzoni, Enrica, M.D., Ph.D. – Post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University, NYC

Castagnoli, Riccardo, M.D., Ph.D. – Staff Clinician, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia (Italy)

Dobbs, Kerry A, B.S. – Research Scientist, JURA Bio, Somerville, MA

Gardner, Cameron Lee, Ph.D. – Vice President of Research, JURA Bio, Somerville, MA

Kawai Tomoki, M.D., Ph.D. – Staff Clinician, Shizuoka Children’s Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan

Keles, Sevgi, M.D. – Staff Clinician, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey

Palterer, Boaz, M.D., Ph.D. – Staff Clinician, University Hospital Careggi, Florence, Italy

Sacchetti Nicolo’, Ph.D. – Business Developer, Anemocyte, Gerenzano (VA), Italy

Sacco Keith, M.D. – Staff Physician, Phoenix Children’s Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ

Schuetz, Catharina, M.D., MSc – Associate Professor, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany

Stack, Michael Austin, B.S. – President and Executive Director, XLA Life

Vakkilainen, Svetlana, M.D. – Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital Helsinki, Finland

Villa, Anna, M.D. – Group Leader, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, Milan, Italy

Yamazaki Yasuhiro, M.D. – Senior Scientist, Lyell Immunopharma, Burlingame, CA

Yu, Hsin-Hui, M.D. – Staff Clinician, Assistant Professor, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan

Kayla Amini, B.S. – University of Massachusetts Medical School

Debbie Draper, B.S.N., R.N. – Retired

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March 05, 2025

Nutman Research Group

Read more about Nutman Research Group

The focus of the Helminth Immunology Section is the study of host resistance and immune regulation in parasitic helminth infections of global importance. The ultimate goal of this work is prevention of infection and disease. Our work focuses on both the host response to helminth infection and the molecular basis for parasitism in helminths and the prototypical responses they induce.

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Nutman Research Group

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Learn more about Thomas Nutman, M.D.

Thomas Nutman, M.D.

Lab Chief, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases
Chief, Helminth Immunology Section

Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center

Education:

A.B., Brown University, Providence, RI

M.D., University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH

Dr. Nutman received his A.B. from Brown University and his M.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He did an internal medicine residency at New York University (Bellevue) and postdoctoral training in the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases (LPD). He is board certified in internal medicine and allergy and immunology. He also holds a diploma/certificate in tropical medicine and...

Sasisekhar Bennuru, Ph.D.

Associate Scientist, Helminth Immunology Section

Education:

Ph.D., 2005, Anna University, India

Dr. Bennuru received his Ph.D in 2005 from the Center for Biotechnology, Anna University in Chennai, India. He joined NIH in 2005 as a post-doctoral research fellow with Dr. Thomas Nutman in the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, primarily working on cellular and molecular aspects of human filarial infections and has been a staff scientist since 2013.

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Jiana L. Blaha, MHS

NIH/NIAID Postbac IRTA

Education:

MHS., 2021, Johns Hopkins University
B.S., 2020, American University

Languages Spoken: Spanish

Jiana research interests include infectious diseases, tropical diseases, preventive medicine, and environmental health. Under Dr. Elise O'Connell, Jiana conducts research related to invasive cestode infections, specifically neurocysticercosis. Some of her research projects include further optimizing a unique antigen detection assays for T. Solium, qPCR and antigen testing for T. Solium, and...

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Pablo Efrain Bara-Garcia, M.S.

Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Education:

M.S in Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University,
B.S in Biology, The Catholic University of America

Languages Spoken: Spanish

Premed student interested in the host immune response to infectious diseases. My main project focuses on the role of interleukin-11 in the host immune response to helminth infection.

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Portrait of Pablo Efrain Bara-Garcia, M.S.

Pedro H. Gazzinelli Guimaraes, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist, Helminth Immunology Section

Education:

Ph.D., 2014, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

M.S., 2010, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Dr. Gazzinelli Guimaraes received his master’s degree in Parasitology in 2010 from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and received his Ph.D. in 2014 from the same university. This was followed by a consulting training at the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) based at Imperial College - London, UK in 2015, where he then became the supervisor of the Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and Evaluation (SCORE) project in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, managed by the University of Georgia–USA. He joined NIH in 2016 as a post-doctoral research fellow with Dr. Thomas Nutman in the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases (LPD), NIAID. He is currently a Staff Scientist in LPD.

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Janitzio Guzman, M.D.

Infectious Diseases Fellow

Education:

Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, OK
Doctor of Medicine, University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Bachelor of Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Languages Spoken: Spanish

Janitzio is a combined adult/pediatric infectious diseases fellow with an interest in the immunopathogenesis of helminthic infections. He is working in Elise O’Connell’s group to study the immune response to subarachnoid neurocysticercosis, including the role of autoantibody formation in disease. His clinical interests include parasitic infection, neglected tropical diseases, and infections...

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Joseph Kubofcik, B.S.

Biologist

Education:

Bucknell University, B.S.

I run and maintain the reference laboratory test for the detection of filarial-specific antibodies in serum in the laboratory. I am interested in further improving our laboratory capabilities to improve the diagnosis of filarial and related helminth infections.

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Elise M. O’Connell, M.D.

Chief, Clinical Parasitology Unit
Associate Research Physician

Specialty(s): Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine
Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center

Education:

M.D., Loyola University Chicago

Dr. O’Connell received her medical degree from Loyola University of Chicago. She is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and completed residency at Indiana University and fellowship at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID/NIH).

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Gayatri Sanku, MPH

GU-NIH Microbiology and Immunology, Ph.D. Candidate

Education:

Ph.D. candidate, Georgetown University
MPH Epidemiology, BS Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago

Within my thesis project, I focus on parasite-viral coinfections. I am interested in characterizing immune responses to common viral infections (cytomegalovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and SARS-CoV-2) and mechanisms by which filarial helminth co-infection may impact T-cell function and dendritic cell activity.

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William J. Sears, M.D., MHS

Infectious Disease Fellow

Education:

Med/Peds Residency, Indiana University
M.D., University of Louisville School of Medicine
MHS, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Languages Spoken: Spanish

I am a physician scientist interested in applying genomics and molecular biology to improve our understanding of parasitological phenomena and their clinical manifestations.

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Robert Thompson, M.S.

Biologist

Education:

MS., 1995, John Hopkins University

Languages Spoken: Spanish

I am studying the initial contact of Brugia malayi whole worm antigen preps with human lymphatic endothelial cells and examining the effects of this contact on signalling molecules on these cells to understand what initial contacts do that make the changes that end up resulting in inflammation and pathology in lymphatic filariasis.

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October 05, 2022

Alves Research Group

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The IDPS conducts comprehensive postmortem examination (i.e., necropsy) and tissue collection training on laboratory animal species; and provides complete microscopic tissue evaluation utilizing a wide array of diagnostic, molecular, and special studies to support spontaneous and experimental disease pathogenesis research primarily involving significant and/or emerging public health threats.

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Alves Research Group

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Derron A. Alves, D.V.M., Diplomate ACVP

Chief, Infectious Disease Pathogenesis Section

Specialty(s): Infectious Disease

Education:

D.V.M., North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

B.S., Tuskegee University

Dr. Derron A.(“Tony”) Alves joined the IDPS in 2022 after 23 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Army, culminating his career as the U.S. Army Surgeon General’s Consultant for Veterinary Pathology and Deputy Director, Veterinary Services and Public Health Sanitation Directorate, Army Public Health Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

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Kevin Bock, M.S.

Histotechnologist

Through routine and specialized histotechnology techniques to include, but not limited to, immunohistochemistry and molecular (DNA/RNA) support, Mr. Bock’s recent research collaborations have studied SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, influenza, malaria, chlamydia, coccidioidomycosis, enterovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, tuberculosis, and sickle cell disease. Consequently, Mr. Bock’s contributions have been...

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Mahnaz Minai, M.S.

Histotechnologist

Languages Spoken: Farsi

Ms. Minai lends her broad expertise in gross tissue pathology and microanatomy in support of cutting-edge advances. Skilled in routine tissue sectioning in addition to histochemical and immunohistochemical staining techniques involving traditional laboratory animal models, Ms. Minai has become a technical expert in arthropod tissue processing supporting malaria, leishmaniasis, and tickborne...

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Bianca Nagata, M.S., HTL(ASCP)

Histotechnologist

Education:

M.S., 2015, Johns Hopkins University Advanced Academic Programs, Washington, DC

B.A., 2014, Willamette University, Salem, OR

Languages Spoken: Japanese

Since 2016, Ms. Nagata has provided critical technical support to research studies requiring development, troubleshooting, and optimization of routine and special stains for immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and in-situ hybridization on a wide host of animal tissues.

Learn more about Bianca Nagata, M.S., HTL(ASCP)

Former Research Group Members

Ian Moore, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVP (Emory University, Atlanta, GA)

Marlene Orandle, D.V.M., Ph.D. (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA)

Lily Cheng, D.V.M., DACVP, DABT (AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD)

Jerrold Ward, D.V.M., Ph.D, DACVP (National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD); established the Infectious Disease Pathogenesis Section in 2003

Section

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Infectious Disease Pathogenesis Section Group Image

November 18, 2022

Mayer-Barber Research Group

Read more about Mayer-Barber Research Group

We are a group of dedicated scientists who work in a highly collaborative, team-oriented, and supportive environment. Together, we tackle difficult questions of chronic inflammation and innate immunity in lung diseases. Our experimental approach to query the immune system is to use animal models of pulmonary pathogens that affect thousands of Americans and millions of people worldwide.

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Mayer-Barber Research Group

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Katrin D. Mayer-Barber, Dr. rer. nat. (Ph.D.)

Chief, Inflammation and Innate Immunity Unit

Education:

Ph.D., 2006, University of Würzburg, Germany

Katrin (Kat) Mayer-Barber received her diploma in biology from the University of Würzburg, Germany, in 2002. In 2003, she came to the United States for her Ph.D. thesis work in the laboratory of Dr. Markus Mohrs at the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, New York.

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Fatema Alrashed, Ph.D.

Visiting Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., Biomedical Science, University of Nottingham, UK
MRes, Biomedical Science, University of Glasgow, UK
B.Sc., Microbiology with Immunology, University of Leeds, UK

Languages Spoken: Arabic

I am visiting from the immunology and microbiology department at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait, where my research centers on bioactive lipids and their role in diabetes and obesity. At NIH, I will leverage my background in lipid metabolism to establish techniques such as MALDI imaging to investigate the impact of key metabolic pathways on infectious diseases, particularly Mycobacterium...

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Eduardo Pinheiro Amaral, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Languages Spoken: Portuguese

The focus of my research is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of type I IFN induction upon Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in conditions of IL1R-signaling deficiency. We aim to elucidate how type I IFNs and limiting the IL-1 pathway regulate pathology, tissue necrosis, and cell death pathways.

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Andrea Christine Bohrer, Ph.D.

Biologist/Immunologist
Senior Immunologist

Education:

Ph.D., Immunology, University of Pennsylvania
B.A., Molecular Biology, Bryn Mawr College

Dr. Bohrer is interested in cytokine and lipid-mediator driven control of cellular dynamics during chronic inflammation. She studies how lipid mediators modulate T-cell responses during tuberculosis.

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Edmee Nadia Eyraud, Ph.D.

Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

Languages Spoken: French

I am working on determining mechanisms of fibrosis and tissue remodeling in the lung following Mtb infection. More precisely, my aim is to decipher how the inflammatory cytokines related to Mtb infection, such as IL-1, can trigger or regulate these processes and who are the main actors of them.

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Maryonne Anastatia-Chaztity Snow-Smith, M.S.

Predoctoral IRTA Fellow (Graduate Student)

Education:

Ph.D., George Mason University, Biosciences (currently pending)
M.S., Biology, North Carolina Central University
B.S., Biology, North Carolina Central University

Maryonne is currently a Ph.D. biosciences student at George Mason University. Her project as a NIAID Predoctoral IRTA Fellow focuses on the role of eosinophils during Type I respiratory infections. She is using animal models and human in vitro systems to investigate the role of eosinophils during M.tuberculosis infection and SARS-CoV-2.

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Ehydel Castro Sotolongo

Biologist/Animal Specialist

Education:

Master in Health Services Administration, Strayer University
Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana Medical School (6 years), Cuba

Languages Spoken: Spanish

After moving to USA, Ehydel worked at the Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, NCI as a technician. In 2018 he moved to NIAID as a Biologist in the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Inflammation and Innate Immunity Unit. He is interested in the role of inflammation and innate immune cells in host defense against M.tuberculosis (Mtb) infection.

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Flor de Maria Torres Juarez, Ph.D.

Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Unidad de Investigacion Biomedica de Zacatecas, Mexico

Languages Spoken: Spanish

During her Ph.D., Dr. Torres Juarez studies the role of platelets during M.tuberculosis infection. She has a special focus on elucidating the role and function of understudied lipid mediators in host resistance to tuberculosis and an interest in developing tools to study foamy macrophages in vivo.

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Former Research Group Members

Bo Yan, Ph.D. (visiting postdoc 2015-2017)
Claire Tocheny (postbac 2016-2018)
Maike Assman, Ph.D. (visiting postdoc 2018-2020)
Paul J. Baker, Ph.D. (visiting postdoc 2018-2023)
Cassandra Jordan (postbac 2020-2021)

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March 04, 2025

Duffy Pathogenesis & Immunity Research Group

Read more about Duffy Pathogenesis & Immunity Research Group

The Pathogenesis and Immunity Section of LMIV conducts human and animal studies of malaria pathogenesis and host immunity, including population-based studies in communities exposed to Plasmodium falciparum. Our research emphasizes pregnant women and children, the populations most susceptible to malaria morbidity and mortality, with collaborative cohort studies ongoing in Mali, Liberia and Guinea. We employ a suite of tools including transcriptomics, antibody repertoire analysis, and multiparameter flow cytometry to interrogate host responses involved in disease and protective immunity.

Our over-arching goal is to conceive novel malaria vaccine concepts and to discover target antigens of protective immunity. Our group first described the distinct P. falciparum phenotype that causes placental malaria, and the findings have guided the design of a vaccine being developed at LMIV to protect pregnant women from malaria. Together with the Kurtis group at Brown University, we have identified target antigens of blood stage malaria antibodies that mediate protection from severe malaria through novel mechanisms, such as parasite programmed cell death. In addition to our studies of blood-stage parasites, we have a collaborative program to study liver-stage malaria parasites, which are the target for vaccines that can completely prevent human infection. Using transcriptomic approaches, we have identified novel liver stage parasite antigens that enhance sterile immunity when used in combination vaccines and tested in preclinical models of malaria.

Scientists from our section collaborate closely with the LMIV Vaccine Development Unit to characterize the molecular immune response to vaccine candidates tested in humans, and to understand mechanisms of protective immunity conferred by whole malaria organism vaccines. As part of these studies, we recently generated the first human monoclonal antibodies against P. falciparum gametes and revealed the corresponding parasite epitopes that mediate transmission blocking vaccine activity. We have also identified a novel role for Vδ2 T cells in the induction of protective CD8 resident memory T cells that kill parasites during liver stage development.

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Duffy Pathogenesis & Immunity Research Group

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Learn more about Patrick E. Duffy, M.D.

Patrick E. Duffy, M.D.

Chief, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology
Chief, Vaccine Development Unit
Chief, Pathogenesis and Immunity Section

Contact: duffype@niaid.nih.gov

Education:

M.D., Duke University, Durham, NC

Dr. Duffy completed medical school at Duke University, internal medicine training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and postdoctoral research training in molecular vaccine development at NIAID. He now leads research teams that focus on malaria pathogenesis, immunity, and vaccine development. He has extensive experience leading human observational and interventional studies of malaria, as well as...

Anne D. Berhe

Post-baccalaureate IRTA

Education:

Bachelors, Molecular Biology, Pomona College

Anne Berhe is an aspiring physician-scientist interested in the impact of pregnancy malaria on maternal-fetal health.

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Henrietta Esi Mensah-Brown, M.Phil., Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Molecular Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana

M.Phil., Biochemistry, University of Ghana

B.Sc., Biochemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Languages Spoken: Fante

My research is focused on identifying parasite proteins involved in the pathogenesis of severe malaria and characterizing their role in malaria severity in children.

Learn more about Henrietta Esi Mensah-Brown, M.Phil., Ph.D.

Robert D. Morrison, M.S.

Senior Bioinformatician

Education:

M.S., Computer Science, University of Washington
B.S., Computer Science, U of California, Riverside

Author of computer applications for biological sciences, including functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and multi-dimensional optimization. Author of R packages for dual organism host + pathogen next generation sequencing data analysis.

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Isha Pandey, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Biological Sciences (Major Malaria parasitology), Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India

Master’s, Biotechnology, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, India

Bachelor’s, Biotechnology, H.N.B Garhwal University, India

Languages Spoken: Hindi

I joined LMIV as a Postdoctoral visiting fellow and worked on a severe malaria anemia project explicitly looking at the role of CD8 T cells contributing to severe malaria anemia during P. coatneyi infection in rhesus macaques. My research interest is to find out the mechanism or plausible immunological and parasitic factors that could cause severe malaria.

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Mohammed Yaro, Ph.D., M.Phil.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences (Immunogenetics), Curtin University, Australia

M.Phil., Animal Science (Microbiology), University of Ghana

B.Sc., Animal Science (Microbiology), University of Ghana

Languages Spoken: Hausa, Ga, Akan

My research is focused on the immunogenetics of severe malaria anemia (SMA) in children and non-human primate models, specifically, of the contributions of the MHC and KIR genomic regions. So far, studies of host genetic factors in SMA have not been exhaustive and do not fully explain the observed variation in the risk of the disease. To provide better understanding of the characteristic...

Learn more about Mohammed Yaro, Ph.D., M.Phil.

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October 03, 2022

Germain Research Group

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The Lymphocyte Biology Section (LBS) has made numerous contributions to the understanding of the cell biology of antigen processing and presentation by MHC class I and especially class II molecules. It also has examined recognition of these ligands by T cells with a focus on the signaling mechanisms involved in ligand discrimination. Since the early 2000’s, the LBS has conducted analysis of immune cell behavior in vivo using methods of intravital 2-photon imaging that it helped pioneer, providing real-time, high-resolution visualization of immune-cell dynamics in situ. More recently, the LBS has developed novel, highly multiplex section and volume imaging methods (Histo-cytometry, IBEX, and Ce3D) that allow an unprecedented analysis of cell phenotype, signaling, function, and location in complex tissue settings. These various imaging technologies are being used with more conventional molecular and cellular immunological methods to 1) describe the dynamics of innate and adaptive immune cell movement in lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissue; 2) localize the sites and duration of the cell-cell interactions involved in the development of adaptive immune responses; 3) analyze how differences in these aspects of cell migration and interaction affect differentiation events and functional immunity; and 4) investigate the dynamic behavior and effector activities of innate and adaptive immune cells in non-lymphoid sites including cancers.

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Germain Research Group

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Ronald N. Germain, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief, Laboratory of Immune System Biology
Chief, Lymphocyte Biology Section
Director, Center for Advanced Tissue Imaging (CAT-I)

Education:

M.D., Ph.D., 1976, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University

Sc.B., Sc.M., 1970, Brown University

Dr. Germain received his Sc.B. and Sc.M. from Brown University in 1970 and his M.D. and Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School and Harvard University in 1976. From 1976 to 1982, he served as an instructor, assistant professor, and associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. From 1982 to 1987, he worked as a senior investigator in the Laboratory of Immunology (LI).

Learn more about Ronald N. Germain, M.D., Ph.D.

Leanne J. Arakkal, B.Sc.

IRTA Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Education:

B.Sc., Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Languages Spoken: Malayalam

My project utilizes multiplex imaging, single cell RNA sequencing, and spatial temporal analysis to understand the early innate response to negative sense RNA viruses.

Learn more about Leanne J. Arakkal, B.Sc.

Waipan Chan, Ph.D.

Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

B.S, Binghamton University, SUNY

Languages Spoken: Cantonese, Mandarin

Dr. Waipan Chan’s Ph.D. thesis research aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms of oncogenic CARD11 mutant signaling to NFκB in human Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. His postdoctoral research in the LBS utilized fluorescent live cell multiplex imaging to reveal how TCR ligand potency influences the effects of PD-1 engagement on diverse intracellular signaling pathways.

Learn more about Waipan Chan, Ph.D.

Spencer Michael Grant, B.A.

IRTA Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Education:

B.A., Macalester College

I am particularly interested in developing computational methods that may be used to enhance our understanding of immunity. In particular, I am working on developing RAPID – a multifaceted image analysis software package with novel segmentation and phenotyping capabilities – as well as DeePlexing – a machine learning algorithm designed to expand tissue imaging multiplexity.

Learn more about Spencer Michael Grant, B.A.

Jyh Liang Hor, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Immunology, University of Melbourne

Languages Spoken: Chinese, Malay

Exploring complex interplay of immune cell interactions through combined intravital and highly multiplexed 3D tissue microscopy, currently focusing on the regulatory mechanisms of lymphocyte differentiation and function within tissue microenvironment.

Learn more about Jyh Liang Hor, Ph.D.

Hiroshi Ichise, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Immunology, Kyoto University

Languages Spoken: Japanese

Hiroshi received his Master's degree and completed his Ph.D. at Kyoto University, where he studied the missing-self recognition of NK cells. He continued his post-doctoral training at Kyoto University, during which period he studied the immune response to metastatic cancer cells using intravital two-photon imaging. His current research focuses on developing multiplex 3D imaging and understanding...

Learn more about Hiroshi Ichise, Ph.D.

Qiaoshi Lian, Ph.D.

Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Cell Biology, 2018, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Qiao joined Ron’s group in early 2019 for his postdoctoral training. His major interest is to use advanced 2D/3D imaging techniques to study tumor immunology. Now he is working on understanding how intra-tumoral T cells respond to local antigens and checkpoint blockades to reach successful and also highly-efficient tumor therapy.

Learn more about Qiaoshi Lian, Ph.D.

Vivien Ileana Maltez, Ph.D.

NIGMS PRAT fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
B.A., Molecular Biology, Scripps College

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive and therapeutically difficult cancer to treat. Mouse models of pancreatic cancer are therefore paramount to our mechanistic understanding of tumor microenvironment dynamics and immunomodulatory interventions. The overall goal of her research is to leverage cutting edge microscopy techniques to mechanistically understand the fine grain cellular interactions that...

Learn more about Vivien Ileana Maltez, Ph.D.

Armando J. Arroyo Mejías, B.Sc.

Intramural Research Opportunities Research (INRO) Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Education:

B.Sc., Clinical Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo

Languages Spoken: Spanish

Armando works with the development of 3D-IBEX, a leading-edge 3D microscopic imaging technique to study the immune system biology. 3D-IBEX allows multiplex image acquisition of whole organs while attaining high cell resolution information.

Learn more about Armando J. Arroyo Mejías, B.Sc.

Kartika Padhan, Ph.D.

Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., Virology, 2008, International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India

M.Sc., Life Sciences, 2003, Sambalpur University, Odisha, India

B.Sc., Botany (Honors), Chemistry, Zoology, 1999, Sambalpur University, Odisha, India

Languages Spoken: Hindi, Odia

After finishing Ph.D. in virology, Dr. Padhan pursued postdoctoral research at the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, NIAID, NIH to study ligand discrimination by the T cell receptor in mouse model. Since joining CATI/LBS in 2019, his current research focus is to understand the role of T follicular helper cells (TFH) in B cell mediated immune response. He is also developing multiplex...

Learn more about Kartika Padhan, Ph.D.

Andrea J. Radtke, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist/Associate Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Radtke specializes in advanced microscopy and led development of IBEX, an iterative immunolabeling and chemical bleaching method that enables highly multiplexed imaging in diverse tissues. Andrea is an Associate Member of the Human Biomolecular Atlas Program and Trans-NIH Lymphatic Coordinating Committee. Dr. Radtke is passionate about team science, open science, and mentoring.

Learn more about Andrea J. Radtke, Ph.D.

Edward C. Schrom II, Ph.D.

IRTA Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University
M.S., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University
B.S., Biology, University of Virginia
B.A., Mathematics, University of Virginia

I study how immunity at the tissue and organism scales emerges from the local interactions of individual autonomous cells. This includes building detailed quantitative models to pinpoint the key processes in specific immune contexts, as well as developing generalized computational tools to maximize inference from large data sets.

Learn more about Edward C. Schrom II, Ph.D.

Wanjing Shang, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., ShanghaiTech University & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Languages Spoken: Chinese

Wanjing previously studied T cell signaling transduction upon anti-TCR stimulation. Her current work focuses on studying the function of candidate genes in immune cells for cancer immunotherapy.

Learn more about Wanjing Shang, Ph.D.

Emily Speranza, Ph.D.

Independent Research Scholar

Education:

Ph.D., Bioinformatics, Boston University
B.A., Mathematics and Biology, Carroll College

I work as an Independent Research Scholar in the Lymphocyte Biology Section. My work is focused on the study of early immune responses to acute viral infections at barrier tissue sties including the liver, lymph node, and lung. I utilize a multi-omics approach to understand how individual cells are responding and preventing dissemination of the pathogens.

Learn more about Emily Speranza, Ph.D.

Nishant Thakur, Ph.D., M.Sc.

Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Genomics and Bioinformatics, Aix Marseille University, France

M.Sc., Bioinformatics, Jamia Millia Islamia University, India

Languages Spoken: Hindi

I am interested in innovating and developing new computational algorithms for understanding complex biological data. During my postdoc, I created multiple machine learning algorithms to generate and analyze multiplex image data to unleash different aspects of the immune system.

Learn more about Nishant Thakur, Ph.D., M.Sc.

Tibor Z. Veres, M.D., Ph.D.

Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., 2008, Hannover Medical School

M.D., 2007, University of Freiburg

M.D., 2003, Semmelweis University

Languages Spoken: Hungarian, German, Finnish

Tibor earned his Ph.D. studying neuro-immune interactions of the airway mucosa in allergic disease via 3D confocal microscopy in Hannover, Germany. He continued his post-doctoral training in Turku, Finland, during which period he also visited the NIAID for a 1-year fellowship. As a post-doc and later as a Junior PI in Turku, he studied the immunological basis of the allergic airway response using...

Learn more about Tibor Z. Veres, M.D., Ph.D.

Luke F. Vistain, Ph.D.

IRTA Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Biology, Northwestern University
B.A., Biochemistry, New York University

Dr. Vistain develops technology to measure how cells process information from their environment. Currently, these tools are being applied to better understand cell signaling in T and CAR T cells.

Learn more about Luke F. Vistain, Ph.D.

Weiming Yu, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich

He is interested in optical microscopy and applying ultrafast microscopic techniques for tissue imaging. His research projects include spectral and lifetime based super-multiplex imaging of tissues, metabolic imaging and imaging studies of tumor microenvironment changes under immunotherapies. He is a staff member of Center for Advanced Tissue Imaging (CAT-I).

Learn more about Weiming Yu, Ph.D.

Chen Zhao, M.D.

Assistant Clinical Investigator (NCI)

Education:

M.D., Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Dr. Chen Zhao is a thoracic oncologist, immunologist, and physician-scientist focusing on tumor immunology and immunotherapy in lung cancer and thymic malignancies. He specializes in developing novel immunotherapeutics and using advanced tissue imaging techniques to understand the three-way interactions among tumor cells, the immune system, and the microbiota in the tumor microenvironment over the...

Learn more about Chen Zhao, M.D.

Former Research Group Members

Pierres, Michel Postdoc (Harvard) 1976-1978 deceased

Zubler, Rudolf Postdoc (Harvard) 1978-1980 retired

Dietz, Michael Postdoc (Harvard) 1977-1980 physician

Letvin, Norman Postdoc (Harvard) 1979-1981 deceased

Nepom, Gerald Postdoc (Harvard) 1980-1981 Member, Benaroya Research Institute, Director, ITN

Rock, Kenneth Postdoc (Harvard) 1980-1981 Chair, Pathology UMass Medical School Internationally recognized investigator of adjuvant signals

Norcross, Michael Postdoc 1982-1985 Investigator, FDA (retired)

Lechler, (Sir) Robert Postdoc 1984-1986 Past Dean and Senior Vice-President, Kings College, London, UK One of my first fellows at NIH. Well known in human immunology and a leader in UK academic medicine, including head of the equivalent of the National Academy of Medicine in the US; knighted

Miller, James Postdoc 1983-1987 Professor, Univ. of Rochester

Sant, Andrea Postdoc 1985-1987 Professor, Univ. of Rochester Highly successful investigator, leader at Univ. Rochester; strong AAI involvement

Braunstein, Ned Postdoc 1985-1987 Senior VP, Regeneron

Ronchese, Franca Postdoc 1984-1988 Immunology Cell Biology Program Leader, Malaghan Inst. New Zealand Helps direct major New Zealand research institute; well known for her basic immunology research, especially on dendritic cells

Saito, Takashi Postdoc 1985-1988 Team leader, Laboratory for Cell Signaling, RIKEN, Japan World recognized investigator in the field of TCR signaling and molecular imaging

Boehnke, Wolf-Henning Postdoc 1990-1993 Professor, Univ. of Geneva

Layet, Corrine Postdoc 1989-1991 deceased

Otten, Gib Postdoc 1989-1991 retired

Sadegh-Nasseri, Scheherazade Postdoc/Staff Scientist 1989-1992 Professor, Johns Hopkins Univ.

Racioppi, Luigi Postdoc 1989-1992 Assoc. Professor, Medicine, Duke Univ.

Koenig, Rolf Postdoc 1990-1995 Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch

Romagnoli, Paola Postdoc 1991-1995 deceased

Van Meerwijk, Joost Postdoc 1991-1995 Professor, Toulouse Univ. France

Castellino, Flora Postdoc 1992-1996 Scientist, BARDA

Madrenas, Joaquin Postdoc 1993-1996 Professor and Dean, UCLA

Reis e Sousa, Caetano Postdoc 1993-1998 Senior Group Leader, Crick Institute, UK Fellow of the Royal Society, recipient of numerous European and international awards for his outstanding contributions to innate immune sensing and dendritic cell biology

Lucas, Bruno Postdoc 1995-2000 Team Leader Institut Cochin and scientific deputy director of the Institute for biological Sciences of the CNRS, France

Zhong, Guangming Postdoc 1995-1998 Professor, UT San Antonio Leading investigator in the field of chlamydia research

Fleury, Sylvain Postdoc 1993-1996 Chief Scientific Officer at Mymetics Corporation

Porgador, Angel Postdoc 1995-1998 Professor and Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel Numerous leadership roles in Israeli immunology, including as head of the equivalent of the AAI

Eichelberg, Katrin Postdoc 1998-2001 Program Officer, Immunology and Vaccines, NIAID, NIH

Stefanova, Irena Staff Scientist 1997-2004 unknown

Itoh, Yasushi Postdoc 1996-2000 Professor, Shiga University, Japan

Yasutomo, Koji Visiting Scientist 1997-2000 Professor, Tokushima University, Japan

Delon , Jerome Postdoc 1999-2002 Investigator, Institut Cochin, France

Scheinecker, Clemens Postdoc 2001-2004 Professor, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Dorfman, Jeffrey Postdoc 1998-2003 Assoc. Professor, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Mackay, Matthew Postdoc 2001-2003 teacher

Stoll, Sabine Postdoc 1999-2003 unknown

Huang, Alex Postdoc 2003-2006 Professor, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine

Altan-Bonnet, Gregoire Postdoc 2000-2005 Investigator, NCI, NIH International leader in computational immunology and systems biology

Meier-Schellersheim, Martin Postdoc/Staff scientist 2001-2007 Senior investigator, Lab. of Immune System Biology, NIAID, NIH Developer of the most widely accepted algorithm (SBML3 multi) for spatially resolved modeling of cellular biochemistry; initial report of this technology came while a fellow with Germain

Qi, Hai Postdoc 2003-2009 Professor and Dean, Tsinghua University, China Internationally recognized investigator, major contributor to understanding germinal center regulation, international HHMI investigator, Dean, Tsinghua University

Chieppa, Marcello Postdoc 2003-2008 Principal Investigator, IRCCS “de Bellis” Castellana Grotte (BA), Italy

Egen, Jackson Postdoc/Staff scientist 2004-2010 Director, Oncology Research, Amgen

Bajenoff, Marc Postdoc 2004-2006 Laboratory Head, Immunobiology of Stromal Cells, CIML, France Internationally recognized for his work on stromal cells in lymphoid tissues and for developing methods for tracking clonal cell development in the immune system

Ishii, Masaru Postdoc 2006-2008 Professor, Osaka University, Dept. Immunology and IFREC, Japan Widely known for his intravital imaging studies, technology development, and especially analysis of osteoclastogenesis

Hammad, Hamid Visiting scientist 2007 Professor, Ghent University and Group Leader, VIB, Belgium

Mueller, Scott Postdoc 2008 Professorial Fellow Microbiology and Immunology, Univ. Melbourne Well recognized expert on tissue resident T cells and their dynamics

Vrisekoop, Ninke Postdoc 2008-2013 Assistant professor, Utrecht Univ., Netherlands

Mandl, Judith Postdoc 2008-2014 Asst. professor, Department of Physiology McGill University, Canada

Kastenmuller, Wolfgang Postdoc 2008-2012 Director, Max Planck Systems Immunology program, Wurzburg, Germany

Gerner, Michael Postdoc 2009-2015 Asst. professor, Dept. Immunology, Univ. of Washington Recognized for his contributions to multiplex imaging technology and its application to spatial analysis of lymphoid tissues

Laemmermann, Tim Postdoc 2010-2014 Group leader, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany Widely known for his pioneering studies of myeloid cell motility, including neutrophil dynamics and the mechanistic dissection of 3D guidance in tissues

Subramanian, Naeha Postdoc 2009-2014 Assistant Member, Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle

Monteiro, Joao Postdoc 2009-2013 Editor in Chief, Nature Medicine

Gottschalk, Rachel Postdoc 2012-2017 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Immunology, Univ. Pittsburgh

Brandes, Marlene Postdoc 2008-2012 cardiologist

Van Panhuys, Nicholas Postdoc 2009-2015 Investigator, Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Honda, Tetsuya Postdoc 2012-2014 Professor, Department of Dermatology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan

Clatworthy, Menna Fellow 2010-2011 Professor, Cambridge University Plays a major role in the Human Cell Atlas community; leads the UK side of the NIH Ox-Cam Ph.D. program; world leader in the immunology of the kidney Aronin, Caren Postdoc Patent attorney

Radtke, Andrea Postdoc 2013-2018 Staff Scientist, NIAID, NIH

Liu, Zhidou Postdoc 2010-2016 Principal Investigator, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, China

Veres, Tibor Postdoc 2013 Contractor, NIAID, NIH

Wong, Harikesh Postdoc 2015-present Asst. professor, Ragon Institute and MIT (as of Dec. 2021)

Huang, Yuefeng Postdoc 2016-2018 Asst. professor, Micro and Immunology, Columbia University

Mao, Kairui Postdoc 2014-2019 Asst. Professor, Xiamen University, China

Gola, Anita Ph.D. student/ Postdoc 2015-2020 Postdoc with Elaine Fuchs, Rockefeller

Uderhardt, Stefan Postdoc 2014-2019 Research group leader, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Germany

Baptista, Antonio Postdoc 2014-2019 Fellow, VIB, Ghent, Belgium

Milanez-Almeida, Pedro Postdoc 2014-2019 Computationalist, Astra-Zeneca

Chan, Waipan Postdoc/contractor 2014-2018; 2018-present Contractor, NIAID, NIH

Section

Content Manager

Content Coordinator

Lymphocyte Biology Section research group

September 30, 2022

Kong Research Group

Read more about Kong Research Group

The Virology Core is committed to developing new vaccine candidates and new vaccine vector systems for antigen delivery against human pathogens. The Virology Core also applies and develops new molecular biology technology to evaluate vaccine candidates to facilitate vaccine development.

Short Title

Kong Research Group

Person List Page Type

Learn more about Wing-Pui Kong, Ph.D.

Wing-Pui Kong, Ph.D.

Chief, Virology Core

Contact: wkong@mail.nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., 1993, The University of Chicago, IL

Dr. Kong received his Ph.D. in 1993 in virology at the University of Chicago, where he studied the molecular pathogenesis of picornaviruses, a class of viruses that contribute to the development of central nervous system disease. He made significant contributions to the elucidation of the mechanism by which these viruses induce disease. Dr. Kong then completed a postdoctoral fellowship and...

Audrey Carson, B.A.

Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Contact: audrey.carson@nih.gov

Education:

B.A., Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Audrey is a postbaccalaureate fellow on the animal studies team, where her research assesses HIV-1 vaccine candidates through the elicited humoral response in animal models. She also contributes to the development and evaluation of novel HIV-1 immunogens.

Learn more about Audrey Carson, B.A.

Xuejun Chen, Ph.D.

Lab Manager, Staff Scientist

Contact: xuejun.chen@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Rutgers University

M.S., John Hopkins University

B.S., Peking University

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Dr. Chen’s research focuses on development of HIV vaccines targeting the vulnerable epitopes of the HIV envelope to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), especially VRC-01 class bnAbs. He tests candidate vaccine regimens in various animal models for their ability to elicit bnAbs and isolates and characterizes the elicited antibodies to guide further vaccine design. As the lab manager, he...

Learn more about Xuejun Chen, Ph.D.

Cheng Cheng, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Contact: chcheng@mail.nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Nagoya University

Languages Spoken: Chinese, Japanese

As leader of the HIV-1 Vaccine Group, Dr. Cheng is responsible for developing HIV-1 vaccine candidates that elicit neutralizing antibodies. The group focuses on structure-based design of immunogens to target vulnerable sites of the native spike of HIV-1. The vaccine candidates are evaluated in animal models and in human clinical trials.

Learn more about Cheng Cheng, Ph.D.

Misook Choe, M.S.

Biologist

Contact: misook.choe@nih.gov

Education:

M.S., Gyeongsang National University

B.S., Gyeongsang National University

Languages Spoken: Korean

Misook Choe has skills in recombinant protein production and characterization to produce immunogens, monoclonal antibody reagents, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, HIV, and Ebola. She has more than 16 years of experience in molecular cloning, cell biology, performing PCR, DNA and RNA preparation, mammalian cell transfection, using CHO cells for scale up production in a bioreactor, ELISA, and...

Learn more about Misook Choe, M.S.

Arik Cooper, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Contact: arikarie.cooper@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science
B.S., Tel Aviv University

Dr. Cooper's research interests are the mechanisms of HIV-1 replication, pathogenesis, and persistence. His work focuses on virus-host cell interactions with the aim of discovering novel therapeutic strategies for HIV-1 cure and prevention.

Learn more about Arik Cooper, Ph.D.

Hongying Duan (Holdsworth), M.D., Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Contact: hongying.duan@nih.gov

Education:

M.D., Shandong University, China

Ph.D., Saitama Medical University, Japan

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Dr. Duan received her M.D. degree from Shandong University, China, and received her Ph.D. degree from Saitama Medical University, Japan in Biomedical Research/Microbiology. She worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in U.S. Food and Drug Administration, (CBER), Laboratory of Hepatitis Viruses between 2008-2014. She joined Vaccine Research Center in 2014.

Learn more about Hongying Duan (Holdsworth), M.D., Ph.D.

Portrait of Hongying Duan (Holdsworth), Ph.D.

Cuiping Liu, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Contact: cuiping.liu@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Dr. Liu conducts research and development on nanoparticle vaccine candidates and therapeutic antibodies against coronaviruses and other infections pathogens. She is also responsible for standardizing assays and assay development, including but not limited to ELISA, autoreactivity assays of monoclonal antibodies, and binding assays. In addition, she also oversees protein production with low...

Learn more about Cuiping Liu, Ph.D.

Krisha McKee, M.S.

Biologist

Contact: mckeek@mail.nih.gov

Education:

M.S., Johns Hopkins University

Part of the Neutralization Team within the Virology Core, Krisha McKee runs cell-based HIV-1 neutralization assays to measure neutralization responses from novel HIV immunization animal studies and from improved HIV antibodies for clinical use. She also coordinates and analyzes data from a high-throughput 208-virus panel, which are used in publications and to evaluate products for clinical...

Learn more about Krisha McKee, M.S.

Katelyn T. Nguyen, M.S.

Postbaccalaureate IRTA Fellow

Contact: katelyn.nguyen@nih.gov

Education:

M.S., University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
B.S., University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA

Languages Spoken: Vietnamese

Katelyn’s work involves isolating and characterizing antibodies elicited by various vaccination regimens in animal models. Her goal is to identify bnAbs in efforts to evaluate the efficacy of pre-clinical vaccine candidates against HIV and other infectious pathogens.

Learn more about Katelyn T. Nguyen, M.S.

Qi Qiu, Ph.D.

Scientist

Contact: qi.qiu@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Nanjing University, China
M.D., Southeast University School of Medicine, China

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Dr. Qiu’s research focuses on evaluating neutralization activities of vaccinated human and animal sera and monoclonal antibodies against coronaviruses (CoV) and influenza.

Learn more about Qi Qiu, Ph.D.

George S. Sellers, B.S.

Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Contact: george.sellers@nih.gov

Education:

B.S., Biology University of Maryland

Languages Spoken: Chinese

George’s research focuses on structure-based design of immunogens for HIV vaccine development with the goal of eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies. He also works on evaluating on the effectiveness of vaccine candidates in ex-vivo and animal models.

Learn more about George S. Sellers, B.S.

Wei Shi, M.D., Ph.D.

Biologist

Contact: shiw@mail.nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Uppsala University, Sweden

M.D., TongJi Medical College of HUST, Wuhan, China

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Dr. Shi research focuses on the design and development of pan-coronavirus vaccines and broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against coronaviruses, a virus-like particle (VPL) vaccine for enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68), and protein probes for HIV, influenza, EV-D68, coronavirus, and for monoclonal antibodies discovery, such as SARS-CoV-2-S1, SARS-CoV-2 RBD and SARS-CoV-2 NTD, and hu-ACE2. He is...

Learn more about Wei Shi, M.D., Ph.D.

Kayla A. Stanczak, B.A.

Postbaccalaureate IRTA Fellow

Contact: kayla.stanczak@nih.gov

Education:

B.A., Washington & Jefferson College

As a member of the Virology Core, Kayla Stanczak evaluates promising clinical treatment options for HIV-1 infection in an ex vivo environment. Her research focuses on identifying genotypic and phenotypic HIV-1 escape mechanisms that enable viral growth in the presence of broadly neutralizing antibodies.

Learn more about Kayla A. Stanczak, B.A.

Emily A. Tourtellott, M.S.

Biologist

Contact: emily.tourtellott-fogt@nih.gov

Education:

M.S., University of Maryland Global Campus
B.S., Virginia Tech

As a biologist, Emily Tourtellott performs virus neutralization assays for the Virology Core lab to assess the efficacy of vaccine and monoclonal antibody therapy candidates against HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. She also works to develop new HIV panels to better characterize current globally circulating strains of HIV-1.

Learn more about Emily A. Tourtellott, M.S.

Lingshu Wang, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Contact: wangling@mail.nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Shanghai JiaoTong University, China

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Dr. Wang leads a team to assess neutralization activities of vaccinated animal sera and monoclonal antibodies against coronaviruses (CoV) and influenza. She designs and evaluates subunit and gene-based vaccines against CoV, flu, Enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68). Additionally, she isolates and identifies potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and other CoVs.

Learn more about Lingshu Wang, Ph.D.

Eun Sung Yang, M.A.

Biologist

Contact: eunsung.yang@nih.gov

Education:

M.A., Seoul National University

B.A., Seoul National University

Languages Spoken: Korean

Eun Sung Yang specializes in animal studies, including studying the pharmacokinetic and immunogenic properties of therapeutics and vaccine candidates. She also has expertise in pseudovirus production for infectious viruses such as HIV-1, influenza, and coronavirus and performing neutralization assays using them.

Learn more about Eun Sung Yang, M.A.

Qiong Zhou, M.S.

Research Scientist

Contact: qiong.zhou2@nih.gov

Education:

M.S.

In the lab, Qiong is working on CoV mAb discovery and vaccine development, as well as SARS-CoV-2, influenza, HIV, and neutralization assays.

Learn more about Qiong Zhou, M.S.

Former Research Group Members

Andrea Biju, B.S., Turnstone Biologics
Sam Charaf, B.S., University of Virginia School of Medicine
Man Chen, M.D., Retired
Sabrina Helmold Hait, Ph.D., The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Kwanyee Leung, Ph.D., Retired
Sarah E. Lovelace, B.S., Baylor College of Medicine
Jonah S. Merriam, B.S., The Scripps Research Institute
Danealle K. Parchment, B.S., University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Amarendra Pegu, Ph.D., Generate:Biomedicines
Hannah R. Shrader, B.S., B.A., University of Oxford
Chloe Adrienna G. Talana, B.S., University of Pennsylvania
Yi Zhang, B.S., AstraZeneca
Jeffrey Boyington, Ph.D., Retired
Keyun Wang, B.S., Des Moines University
Yen-Ting Lai, Ph.D., Moderna
Sung-Youl Ko, Ph.D., iLAB, Co., Ltd.
Gordon Joyce, Ph.D., Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Rebecca Rudicell, Ph.D., Sanofi
Kevin Saunders, Ph.D., Duke University
Daniel Lingwood, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Hadi Yassine, Ph.D., Qatar University
Guillaume Stewart-Jones, Ph.D., Moderna
Mangaiarkarasi Asokan, Ph.D., Christian Medical College Vellore
Tiffany Chan, M.S., GSK
Kurt Hill, B.S., Thomas Jefferson Medical School
Michelle Cully, B.S., University of Pennsylvania
Edward Sarfo, B.S., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Megan DeMouth, B.S., Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Angela Corrigan, B.S., University of Pennsylvania
Samhita Sengupta, B.S., Georgetown University
Cassandra Almasri, B.S., Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Harlan Pietz, B.S., The Rockefeller University
Angela Wu, B.S., University of Maryland
Alexander Jafari, B.S., Tulane University School of Medicine
Anna Maximova, B.S., University of Maryland
Zacchary Mankoff, B.S., Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Timothy Wanninger, B.S., University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Rita Chen, B.S., Washington University
Adam Bossert, B.S., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Paul Thomas, B.S.— University of California, San Francisco

Section

Content Manager

Content Coordinator

October 24, 2024

Zhu Research Group

Read more about Zhu Research Group

Our group (the Molecular and Cellular Immunoregulation Section) investigates the induction and functions of transcription factor complexes during the development, lineage commitment, and maintenance of immune cells, particularly CD4 T helper (Th) cell and innate lymphoid cell (ILC) subsets in steady state or under disease conditions including infection and inflammation.

Short Title

Zhu Research Group

Person List Page Type

Jinfang (Jeff) Zhu, Ph.D.

Chief, Molecular and Cellular Immunoregulation Section

Education:

Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Dr. Zhu received his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from the department of biology, NanKai University, Tianjin, China, and his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry (now known as Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology), Chinese Academy of Sciences. He joined the Laboratory of Immunology (LI) first as a visiting fellow and then as a staff scientist studying CD4 T-cell differentiation. He was appointed as an Earl Stadtman investigator in the LI in 2011 and received tenure in 2017.

Learn more about Jinfang (Jeff) Zhu, Ph.D.

Rosalene M. Carey, B.S.

Biologist

Education:

B.S., Biology, Bowie State University

I have responsibilities of a lab manager.

Learn more about Rosalene M. Carey, B.S.

Xi Chen, M.D.

Biologist

Education:

M.D., Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Languages Spoken: Chinese

I mastered the techniques of RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq library construction, in vitro T helper cell polarization, BAC recombineering and other cloning techniques etc.

Learn more about Xi Chen, M.D.

Hyunwoo Chung, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
M.Sc., Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
B.Sc., Seoul National University, Republic of Korea

Languages Spoken: Korean

During his doctoral course, Hyunwoo (Woo) Chung studied pancreatic islet biology, diabetes mellitus, and the immune responses that follow syngeneic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic pancreatic islet transplantation. After getting his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and joining Dr. Zhu’s lab in NIAID, Woo has been focusing on innate lymphoid cell biology with respect to adaptive lymphocytes using scRNA-seq...

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Difeng Fang, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Languages Spoken: Chinese

I have rich experience in studying CD4 T helper (Th) cell differentiation and innate lymphoid cell (ILC) development, and the induction fand functions of Th cell and ILC lineage-specific master transcription factors.

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Ayanna Healy, B.A.

PostBac

Education:

B.A., Randolph-Macon College

Takeshi Kawabe, M.D., Ph.D.

Guest Researcher

Education:

M.D., Ph.D., Tohoku University, Japan

Languages Spoken: Japanese

Dr. Kawabe is studying CD4 T cell homeostasis. In particular, he is interested in the mechanisms governing generation, maintenance, differentiation, and immunological function of “memory-phenotype” CD4 T cells.

Learn more about Takeshi Kawabe, M.D., Ph.D.

Dingkang Peng, MBBS

Special Volunteer

Education:

MBBS, Central South University, China

Languages Spoken: Chinese

I mainly focus on studying a mutant of transcription factor FOXP3 found in human patients which results in uncontrolled Th2 responses. By creating a mouse model carrying this Foxp3 knock-in mutation, I am exploring the mechanisms of immune dysregulation caused by this mutation.

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Danping Wei, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Developmental Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
M.S., Cell Biology, Kunming University of Science and Technology
B.S., Biological Technology, Hainan University

Languages Spoken: Chinese

Dr. Wei focuses on understanding the role of important transcription factors, including GATA3 and its binding partners, in regulating the development and functions of type 2 innate lymphoid cells and T helper cells.

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Xiaoliang Zhu, Ph.D.

Postdoc

Education:

Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Science

Languages Spoken: Chinese

I am investigating adaptive immune responses focusing on Tfh cell-mediated humoral responses; I am also studying the role of ILC2s and ILC3s in host protection and inflammation.

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Former Research Group Members

Ryojo Yagi (Associate Professor, Chiba University, Japan)

Suveena Sharma (NIAID)

Fang Yu (Assistant Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar)

Chao Zhong (Professor, Peking University, China)

Rama Gurram (NHLBI)

Matthew Butcher (FDA)

Mingzhu Zheng (Professor, Southeast University, China)

Section

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September 29, 2022

Tissue Analysis Core Research Group

Read more about Tissue Analysis Core Research Group

Development and implementation of high resolution and high throughput imaging assays for the analysis of tissue immune dynamics in viral infections and vaccine settings.

Short Title

Tissue Analysis Core Research Group

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Learn more about Jeferson Valencia Davila, Ph.D.

Richard Koup, M.D.

Jeferson Valencia Davila, Ph.D.

Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Industrial University of Santander

B.S., Chemistry, Industrial University of Santander

Languages Spoken: Spanish, Portuguese

Jeferson obtained his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry in 2019 at the Industrial University of Santander, under the supervision of Profs. Marianny Y. Combariza and Cristian Blanco. He then joined the Federal University of Goias in Brazil as a postdoctoral researcher and worked, under the guidance of Prof. Boniek Gontijo Vaz, on the characterization of complex petroleum mixtures by high resolution...

Portrait of Jeferson Valencia Davila, Ph.D.

Giulia Fabozzi, Ph.D.

Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy

Residency (magna cum laude), School of Medicine, Microbiology and Virology, University of Rome “TorVergata”, Italy

B.S., M.Sc., Biological Science (Gene regulation) (magna cum laude), University of Rome “La Sapienza”

Languages Spoken: Italian

Dr. Fabozzi is a Ph.D. trained molecular biologist with expertise in gene regulation and specialization in microbiology and virology focused on host-pathogen models (Escherichia coli-phage; Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacteria, Ebolavirus and influenza virus). Ongoing research focuses on the characterization of the cellular dynamics in non-human primate (NHP) model tissues (lymph nodes, lung and...

Learn more about Giulia Fabozzi, Ph.D.

Kylie March

Adam Molyvdas, Ph.D.

IRTA Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Department of Immunology and Histocompatibility, University of Thessaly Medical School, Greece

M.Sc. by research, University of Edinburgh, UK

B.Sc. with Honors, Physiology, University of Edinburgh, UK

Languages Spoken: Greek

Dr. Molyvdas is working on germinal center activation after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Eirini Moysi, Ph.D.

Research Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Clinical Medicine (Human Immunology), University of Oxford, UK

M.Sc., Integrated Immunology, University of Oxford, UK

Languages Spoken: French, Spanish, Greek

Dr. Moysi is an immunologist and geneticist with experience in the study of immune responses in humans and non-human primates (NHP). Her research focuses on the study of lymphoid tissues and how their microanatomy and associated immune dynamics change during chronic infection or vaccination to produce specific outcomes such as the development of neutralizing antibodies. To dissect these dynamics...

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Benjamin L. Oyler, Ph.D.

Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., Toxicology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
B.S., Chemistry, minor Biology, Towson University

Dr. Oyler is a mass spectrometrist and analytical chemist with broad scientific exposure and perspective ranging from countermeasures against chemical warfare nerve agent poisoning to molecular host-pathogen interactions.

Learn more about Benjamin L. Oyler, Ph.D.

Former Research Group Members

Kartik Padhan, staff, Lymphocyte Biology Section, NIAID, NIH

Yiannis Dimopoulos, Pathology resident, Georgetown University

Kimberly Shankwitz, Ph.D. student, University of Miami

Kristy Fu, Ph.D. student, Rutgers University

Alex Chassiakos, Ph.D. student, City Of Hope, CA

Vasilios Papaioannou, M.Sc., Johns Hopkins University

Donato Amodio, Pediatrician, Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy.

Neggin Assadi, School for Physician Assistant, PA

Section

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September 29, 2022

Leto Research Group

Read more about Leto Research Group

The research staff of the Molecular Defenses Section (MDS) includes Howard E. Boudreau, Agnes Donko and Agnieszka Korzeniowska. The MDS explores various aspects of NADPH oxidase (NOX/DUOX) function in the contexts of infectious and inflammatory diseases and cancer progression.

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Leto Research Group

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Learn more about Thomas Leto, Ph.D.

Thomas Leto, Ph.D.

Chief, Molecular Defenses Section

Contact: tleto@niaid.nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Virginia

Dr. Leto received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Virginia for studies on mechanisms of cell membrane assembly. He followed this work with postdoctoral studies at Yale University on membrane cytoskeleton interactions. Dr. Leto joined NIAID in 1988 and became a senior investigator in the Laboratory of Host Defenses in 1996.

Agnes P. Donko, Ph.D.

Research Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., School of Molecular Medical Sciences, Semmelweis University

M.Sc., Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Languages Spoken: Hungarian

Agnes Donko obtained her master’s degree in bioengineering from Budapest University of Technology and Economics and her Ph.D. in biology at the Cellular and Molecular Physiology Program at Semmelweis University.

Learn more about Agnes P. Donko, Ph.D.

Agnieszka Korzeniowska, M.S.

Research Associate

Education:

M.S., Nicolaus Copernicus University

Languages Spoken: Polish

Agnieszka Korzeniowska obtained her M.S. degree in water microbiology and biotechnology.

Learn more about Agnieszka Korzeniowska, M.S.

Portrait of Agnieszka Korzeniowska, M.S.

Former Research Group Members

Balazs Rada, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Georgia

Ryuichi Sugamata, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Teikyo University

Devin J. Burke, M.D., Assistant Professor, State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center

Benjamin W. Casterline, M.D., Resident, University of Chicago

Omar Escobedo, B.S., Medical Student, University of California, Davis

Jaime E. Brito, B.S., Medical Student, University Southern California

Jawara Allen, B.S., MSTP, Johns Hopkins University

Jonathan J. Park, Ph.D., MSTP, Yale University

Stanislas Morand, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Senior Scientist, L’Oreal

Jaeyul Kwon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Chungnan National University

Meghan Jendrysik, Ph.D., Managing Editor, Elsevier

Takehiko Ueyama, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Kobe University

Miklos Geiszt, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Semmelweis University

Raya Dana, Ph.D., Director, Scientific Writing, AstraZeneca

Isabelle de Mendez, Ph.D., Director, Global Project Management, AstraZeneca

Section

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