College
College of Life Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Campus
Center City
Format
On Campus
Duration
4 - 5 Years
Contact Information
Program
233 South 10th Street
Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Suite 506
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Program Coordinator
1020 Locust Street
M-46 JAH
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Connect with Us
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Current Students
Sarah Ahr
Sarah.Ahr@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Karen Bussard, PhD
Project: TBD
David Deming
David.Deming@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2016
Thesis Advisor: Alexander Mazo, PhD
Project: TBD
Kristen DeRosa
Kristen.DeRosa@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: Identifying changes in the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) caused by TEAD inhibition in cutaneous melanoma
Victor Diaz-Barros
Victor.Diaz-Barros@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Ubaldo Martinez-Outschoorn, MD, PhD
Project: My research focuses on understanding the role of MCT4 in both cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment, specifically in head and neck cancer. I aim to uncover how MCT4 impacts immune cell metabolism and immune evasion, contributing to improved therapeutic strategies
Latese Evans
Latese.Evans@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Matthew Schiewer, PhD
Project: TBD
Erin Gallagher
Erin.Gallagher@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Claudia Capparelli, PhD
Project: Studying the role of SOX10-deficient melanocytes in UV radiation-induced DNA damage and melanoma initiation
Erin Gray
Erin.Gray@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Christine Eischen, PhD
Project: TBD
Megan Keller
Megan.Keller@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Luis Sigal, DVM, PhD
Project: TBD
Jessica Kopenhaver
Jessica.Kopenhaver@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Michael Lawler
Michael.Lawler@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Advisor: Sara Meyer, PhD
Project: I focus on the effects of innate immune signaling on differentiation in acute myeloid leukemia. My work will look to reveal the phenotypic and signaling consequences of TLR2 activation on DNMT3A-mutant AML and look to provide the first single cell map of innate immune signaling in AML cells, which will reveal genes and/or pathways that can be leveraged therapeutically for AML treatment.
Justin Myers
Justin.Myers@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2022
Thesis Advisor: Emad Alnemri, PhD
Project: TBD
Pyunghun Park
Pyunghun.Park@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Andrew South, PhD
Project: TBD
Douglas Ralph
Douglas.Ralph@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Richard Pomerantz, PhD
Project: TBA
Alexandra Redding
Alexandra.Redding@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2019
Thesis Advisor: Elda Grabocka, PhD
Project: Mechanisms regulating Stress Granule formation
Laura Reynolds
Laura.Reynolds@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Hien Dang, PhD
Project: TBD
Solmaz Shirjang
Solmaz.Shirjang@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Marja Nevalainen, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Ross Staudt
Ross.Staudt@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Adam Snook, PhD
Project: Investigating the use of GUCY2C-directed CAR-T cells as a therapeutic for upper-GI cancers.
Bernadette Tiberi
Bernadette.Tiberi@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Sara Meyer, PhD
Project: TBD
Francis Waltrich
Francis.Waltrich@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: Identifying new therapeutic strategies for melanomas harboring both GNAQ and GNA11 mutations.
Haley Wilson
Haley.Wilson@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: Utilize 3D culture to elucidate the mechanisms of drug tolerant persister cells in cutaneous melanoma
Recent Graduates
2024/2025
Samantha Barnada
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Title: "Uncovering Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Human Developmental Gene Regulation"
Advisor: Steven McMahon, PhD
Robert Carlson
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Title: "Desmoglein 2 is a Safe and Universal CAR-T Cell Therapy Target for Solid Tumors"
Advisor: Adam Snook, PhD
Tyler Fenstermaker
Matriculation Term: Fall 2014
Thesis Title: "Epigenetic Bookmarking During DNA Replication by the RNA Polymerase II Complex"
Advisor: Alexander Mazo, PhD
2023/2024
Brittiny Dhital
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Title: “Mechanisms of Gene Expression and Genomic Stability in Prostate Cancer: Cross-talk between Nuclear Pore Proteins and Mitotic Fidelity Genes”
Advisor: Veronica Bravo-Rodriguez, PhD
Current Position: University of Texas-Southwestern, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Brianna Hill
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Title: "Dsg2-Regulated miRNA and lncRNA Dynamics in Wound Healing and Tumor Development"
Advisor: Mỹ G. Mahoney, PhD
Current Position: University of Pennsylvania, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Nicole Naranjo
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Title: "PROSTATE CANCER CELL- DERIVED SMALL EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES MEDIATE MONOCYTE PHENOTYPIC AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES"
Advisor: Lucia Languino, PhD
2022/2023
Stephanie Renna
Matriculation Term: Fall 2015
Thesis Title: "Guanylyl Cyclase C Vaccines for Secondary Prevention of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer"
Advisor: Steven McKenzie, MD, PhD
2021/2022
Tess Cherlin
Matriculation Term: Fall 2015
Thesis Title: "Identifying, Characterizing, and Exploring Profiles of Ribosomal RNA Fragments (rRFs) and their Implications for Personalized Medicine Contexts"
Advisor: Isidore Rigoutsos, PhD
Marina Domingo Vidal
Matriculation Term: Fall 2017
Thesis Title: "Metabolic compartmentalization as a driver of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma aggressiveness"
Advisor: Ubaldo Martinez-Outschoorn, MD
Rachel Hodge
Matriculation Term: Fall 2012
Thesis Title: "Human Sex-Specific Synaptic Adhesion Proteins NLGN4X and NLGN4Y Regulate the Dual Innervation of Dendritic Spines"
Advisor: Matthew Dalva, PhD
Amir Hossein Saeidian
Matriculation Term: Fall 2017
Thesis Title: "Investigating the Molecular Genetics and Viral Repertoire of Patients with Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis"
Advisor: Jouni Uitto, MD, PhD
Alison Shupp
Matriculation Term: Fall 2016
Thesis Title: "The Role of “Educated” Osteoblast-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles in Regulating Breast Cancer Proliferation"
Advisor: Karen Bussard, PhD
2020/2021
Lebaron Agostini
Matriculation Term: Fall 2016
Thesis Title: “Targeting Poly (ADP) Ribose Glycohydrolase as a Combinatorial Strategy to Enhance DNA Damage in Gastrointestinal Cancers”
Advisor: Jonathan Brody, PhD
Alex Haber
Matriculation Term: Fall 2014
Thesis Title: "Pre-Clinical Investigations Of The Second-Generation Polymeric Fluoropyrimidine, AraC-FdUMP[10] (CF10), For The Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancers"
Advisor: Jonathan Brody, PhD
Amanda Pattison
Matriculation Term: Fall 2014
Thesis Title: "Reactivating the GUCY2C signaling axis for colorectal cancer chemoprevention"
Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD