Current Trainees

Training Program in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology (CMDB)

07/01/2026 – 06/30/2027

DeNittis, Vivianna
Mentor: Erik Roberson, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Sortilin inhibitors to enhance progranulin gene therapy

Folmar, Jonathan (Institutional Support)
Mentor: Sasanka Ramanadham, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Inhibition of Select Inflammatory Lipid Signaling Modulates Macrophage Polarization and Prevents Autoimmune β-Cell Destruction in Type 1 Diabetes

Freeman, McKay
Mentor: Brittany Lasseigne, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Targeting transcriptomic heterogeneity to advance ADPKD therapeutic strategies

Hall, Ellie
Mentor: Ksenia Matlawska, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Mechanosensing via Piezo1 in T-ALL Survival and Microenvironmental Adaptation

Marlow, Katherine
Mentor: Zhangli Su, Ph.D.
Title of Project: tRNA metabolism in Proteostasis and Aging

Prince, Gabrielle
Mentor: HaoSheng Sun, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Examining the role of neuropeptide communication in healthy and stress-exposed postembryonic nervous system maturation

Ring, Caroline
Mentor: Robby Van Sciver, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Defining ARL13B Interaction Specificity Across ARF/ARL Family Member

Smith, Woodland (Owen)
Mentor: Cheng (Jack) Song, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Role of Atypical Protein Kinase C Iota in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Vickers, Serah
Mentor: Coral Willie, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Global Epigenetic Control of Transcription in Wilms Tumor

Zakakhosravi, Saeed
Mentor: Erin Ahn, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Defining the Role of SON Haploinsufficiency in Regulating RNA Processing, Chromatin Accessibility and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Lineage Commitment

Training Program in Brain Tumor Biology

07/01/2026 – 06/30/2027

Beierle, Andee (Institutional Support)
Mentor: Christopher Willey, M.D., Ph.D.
Title of Project: Preclinical Assessment of Tumor Treating Fields as a Therapeutic Strategy for Pediatric High-Grade Glioma: Subtype-Specific Efficacy and Combinatorial Treatment in H3K27-Altered Diffuse Midline Glioma

Hashemi, Melika
Mentor: Andrea Comba, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Investigating the Role of Collagen I in Modulating Astrocyte Reactivity Within the Glioblastoma Microenvironment

Iwaloye, Opeyemi
Mentor: Satoru Osuka
Title of Project: Tumor-Collagen Binding IL-12 Immunotherapy for Recurrent Glioblastoma Following Irradiation Therapy

Lee, Benjamin (Benji)
Mentor: Anna Sorace, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Immune PET imaging to evaluate the effects of radiation and immune checkpoint blockade on IL-12-expressing oncolytic virotherapy for high-grade glioma

Training Program in Immunologic Diseases and Basic Immunology

08/01/2026 – 07/32/2027

PreDocs:

Barr, Lewis
Mentor: Satoru Osuka, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Developing matrix binding immunotherapy to alter the immune suppressive tumor microenvironment of therapy-resistant glioblastoma

Liu, Kevin
Mentor: Masakazu Kamata, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Investigating the Impact of CD151 on mediating immunological tumor control within the lung environment

Morgan, Elizabeth Leighann
Mentor: Qing Zhao, Ph.D.
Title of Project: How Anti-Flagellin Antibodies Modulate Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to Commensal Bacteria.

Nwokafor, Chibuzo
Mentor: Todd Green, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Not in Application

Thames, Ajasha
Mentor: Laurie Harrington, Ph.D.
Title of Project: ST6Gal-I modulates CD4 Treg induction and phenotype

Postdocs:

Arroyo Diaz, Nicole (1/1/2026 – 12/31/2026)
Mentor: Sixto Leal, Ph.D.
Title of Project: The immunomodulatory effects of kynurenine-carboxyketoalkene (Kyn-CKA)

Graves, Keonte
Mentor: Christina Muzny, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Determining host immune responses in persistent T. vaginalis infections to elucidate the relationship to treatment failure

Risley, Christopher
Mentor: Frances Lund, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Multi-omic analysis of long COVID patients reveals obesity-associated metabolic dysfunction and inflammation in adipose-residing immune cells.