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Cell Biology Research Affinity Group Members
Faculty by Area of Interest
Aime T. Franco, PhD - Dr. Franco researches the molecular basis of the differences between pediatric and adult onset thyroid cancer. She aims to understand how the tumor microenvironment impacts disease progression and response to therapy.
Guilherme Nader, PhD - Dr. Nader is an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at CHOP. His research is focused on the nuclear mechano-sensing of cells that grow and move within compact microenvironments such as the tumor microenvironment, interstitial space, or densely packed tissue.
Robert Lee, PhD - Dr. Lee studies how G-protein coupled receptors regulate airway epithelial innate immunity through calcium and cAMP signaling. A specific interest is how bitter taste receptors detect bacteria and regulate cell physiology in both normal epithelia and cancer. His team primarily uses live cell imaging of fluorescent indicator dyes and biosensors to track signal transduction in real time.
Naiara Akizu, PhD - Dr. Akizu’s research focuses on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders and pediatric neurodegeneration. She aims to uncover particularities mechanisms that provide diversity to the human brain, as well as novel disease mechanisms and therapeutic options.
Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, MD, PhD - Dr. Ahrens-Nicklas works to understand why patients with inherited biochemical disorders often suffer severe, untreatable neurologic and cardiac symptoms. She strives to elucidate the link between biochemistry and network excitability in order to drive new approaches to therapy.
Stewart Anderson, MD - Dr. Anderson’s research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the development of the mammalian forebrain. In his research on the development of the cerebral cortex, he is particularly interested in understanding the molecular underpinnings behind the fate determination and axon targeting of subclasses of GABAergic interneurons implicated in the neuropathology of schizophrenia.
Natali Chanaday, PhD- Dr. Chanaday investigates the molecular mechanisms by which internal organelles modulate synaptic transmission and neuron function. Her lab focuses on two major pathways: how calcium from the stores tunes the properties of synapses, and how transport/secretion pathways determine the organization and function of axons and dendrites. They use a combination of microscopy and electrophysiology approaches to understand how neurons function in healthy controls and neurodegeneration conditions.
Cagla Akay-Espinoza, MD - Dr. Akay-Espinoza's main scientific interest is understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving neurodegenerative processes, specifically those involving neuroinflammation and the integrated stress response, in HIV-associated central nervous system (CNS) disease. She has more than 20 years of experience in understanding the mechanisms of cell death and more than 18 years of expertise in HIV-associated CNS damage, with special focus on the adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the modulation of the integrated stress response, and genetic factors contributing to the HIV- and ART-associated CNS damage.
Judith Grinspan, PhD - Dr. Grinspan's research program focuses on oligodendrocytes, cells of the central nervous system that synthesize the myelin sheath required for transmission of nervous impulses. Her research seeks to understand the signaling pathways that regulate oligodendrocyte maturation and how they are perturbed in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, HIV, and perinatal white matter injury.
Erika Holzbaur, PhD- Dr. Holzbaur is interested in the mechanisms that drive organelle trafficking in neurons, studying the dynamics of mitochondria, autophagosomes, lysosomes, and synaptic vesicle precursors. Her team is also interested in deciphering the mechanisms by which mutations in motors lead to neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disease.
Harry Ischiropoulos, PhD - Dr. Ischiropoulos's research objectives are to develop and test novel therapeutics for long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders, a collection of inherited metabolic diseases that affect the heart, liver and muscle. A second area of interest is the resolution of the nitric oxide signaling pathways at the proteome level in the cardiovascular and neuronal systems.
Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, PhD - Dr. Jordan-Sciutto investigates the intra- and intercellular signaling that occurs during neuroinflammation in the central nervous system, with a particular focus on changes in people with HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Her lab examines the impact of microglial and astrocyte activation on cell signaling and organellar stress in neurons and oligodendrocytes in response to stimuli associated with these chronic degenerative disorders. They are also interested in therapeutic approaches to regulate these interactions including those that target lysosomal and endoplasmic reticulum function and inflammation.
Damaris Lorenzo, PhD - The longstanding interest of Dr. Lorenzo's research is to understand how membrane and cytoskeleton adaptors modulate cellular processes to maintain homeostasis and how their dysregulation leads to disease. Her research team is particularly interested in the role of these adaptors in brain development and bioenergetic regulation.
Sandy Maday, PhD - Dr. Maday works at the interface between the fields of cell biology and neuroscience. Her team investigates the mechanisms, roles, and regulation of autophagy and lysosomal pathways in neurons and astrocytes in physiology and in models of neurodegenerative disease. They elucidate cell-type-specific pathways and how neuron-astrocyte communication influences these pathways. Their team aims to understand how these differences between neurons and astrocytes confer cell-type-specific vulnerabilities to neurodegeneration.
Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez, MD, PhD - Dr. Ortiz-Gonzalez is a physician-scientist specializing in pediatric neurogenetics. Her clinical work focuses on finding a unifying genetic diagnosis for children with rare neurodevelopmental disorders. Her patient-informed research focuses on understanding how genetic changes, particularly those affecting mitochondrial function, cause disease to develop better treatments for these children in the future.
Ophir Shalem, PhD - Dr. Shalem’s research focuses on translational target discovery for a range of neurodegenerative diseases. He combines technology development of large-scale CRISPR-based perturbation screens with application of such technology together with additional genomic approaches.
Yuanquan Song, PhD - Dr. Song works to elucidate the cellular and molecular basis governing the formation, maintenance, and function of neural circuits under physiological and pathological conditions, using both Drosophila and mammalian models.
Yair Argon, PhD - Dr. Argon investigates the unfolded protein response (UPR) , an essential signaling network that determines life or death of stressed cells and tissues. The IRE1 sensor of UPR responds to metabolic stress through four distinct activities. Dr. Argon focuses on determining which stress condition induces each activity and how they are integrated to enable the cells to cope with stress.
Will Bailis, PhD - Dr. Bailis aims to understand how metabolism underlies immunology and disease by controlling the biochemistry of cells and tissues. His lab uses in vitro and in vivo CRISPR engineering of primary immune cells in his work to develop diet and metabolite-based therapies.
Erfei Bi, PhD- Dr. Bi's research aims to understand the mechanisms of cytokinesis and septin assembly and function using yeast and mammalian cells as the experimental systems. He takes an integrative approach involving genetics, cutting-edge imaging technologies, and biochemistry. Dr. Bi’s cytokinesis projects focus on dissecting the architecture and regulation of the actomyosin ring as well as the mechanisms of targeted vesicle fusion and extracellular matrix remodeling at the division site.
Natali Chanaday, PhD- Dr. Chanaday investigates the molecular mechanisms by which internal organelles modulate synaptic transmission and neuron function. Her lab focuses on two major pathways: how calcium from the stores tunes the properties of synapses, and how transport/secretion pathways determine the organization and function of axons and dendrites. They use a combination of microscopy and electrophysiology approaches to understand how neurons function in healthy controls and neurodegeneration conditions.
Aime T. Franco, PhD - Dr. Franco researches the molecular basis of the differences between pediatric and adult onset thyroid cancer. She aims to understand how the tumor microenvironment impacts disease progression and response to therapy.
Harry Ischiropoulos, PhD - Dr. Ischiropoulos's research objectives are to develop and test novel therapeutics for long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders, a collection of inherited metabolic diseases that affect the heart, liver and muscle. A second area of interest is the resolution of the nitric oxide signaling pathways at the proteome level in the cardiovascular and neuronal systems.
Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, PhD - Dr. Jordan-Sciutto investigates the intra- and intercellular signaling that occurs during neuroinflammation in the central nervous system, with a particular focus on changes in people with HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Her lab examines the impact of microglial and astrocyte activation on cell signaling and organellar stress in neurons and oligodendrocytes in response to stimuli associated with these chronic degenerative disorders. They are also interested in therapeutic approaches to regulate these interactions including those that target lysosomal and endoplasmic reticulum function and inflammation.
Karla Leavens, MD, PhD - Dr. Leavens uses stem cell-derived beta cells to model pediatric beta cell disease, including monogenic diabetes and congenital hyperinsulinism. The goal of her studies is to better understand and develop novel therapeutics to treat these diseases.
Robert Lee, PhD - Dr. Lee studies how G-protein coupled receptors regulate airway epithelial innate immunity through calcium and cAMP signaling.A specific interest is how bitter taste receptors detect bacteria and regulate cell physiology in both normal epithelia and cancer. His team primarily uses live cell imaging of fluorescent indicator dyes and biosensors to track signal transduction in real time.
Damaris Lorenzo, PhD - The longstanding interest of Dr. Lorenzo's research is to understand how membrane and cytoskeleton adaptors modulate cellular processes to maintain homeostasis and how their dysregulation leads to disease. Her research team is particularly interested in the role of these adaptors in brain development and bioenergetic regulation.
Mustafa Mir, PhD - Dr. Mir develops and applies advanced fluorescence microscopy and single molecule imaging methods to study the dynamics of nuclear organization and transcriptional regulation during early embryonic development.
Neil Romberg, MD - Dr. Romberg investigates the regulatory mechanisms enabling our immune systems to fight infections without injuring ourselves. He is particularly interested in the immune system of patients with primary immunodeficiency who are susceptible to both life-threatening infections and autoimmune diseases. Greater insights into these rare diseases may enable rationale development of targeted therapies for more common diseases with an immunologic basis.
Wei Tong, PhD - Dr. Tong investigates cytokine receptor signaling in normal and neoplastic hematopoietic development. She applies integrated approaches encompassing biochemistry, molecular biology, animal models, and primary human samples to understand signaling events emanating from cytokine receptors that regulate the development of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.
Joseph Zackular, PhD - Dr. Zackular's research is focused on understanding how interactions between the host, gut microbiota, and pathogenic microbes impact human health and disease. His recent efforts center on understanding how the nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile interacts with resident gut microbiota during infection and how interspecies cross-talk impacts growth, behavior, and virulence of this pathogen.
Erfei Bi, PhD- Dr. Bi's research aims to understand the mechanisms of cytokinesis and septin assembly and function using yeast and mammalian cells as the experimental systems. He takes an integrative approach involving genetics, cutting-edge imaging technologies, and biochemistry. Dr. Bi’s cytokinesis projects focus on dissecting the architecture and regulation of the actomyosin ring as well as the mechanisms of targeted vesicle fusion and extracellular matrix remodeling at the division site.
Erika Holzbaur, PhD- Dr. Holzbaur is interested in the mechanisms that drive organelle trafficking in neurons, studying the dynamics of mitochondria, autophagosomes, lysosomes, and synaptic vesicle precursors. Her team is also interested in deciphering the mechanisms by which mutations in motor proteins lead to neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disease.
Melike Lakadamyali, PhD - Dr. Lakadamyali's main interest is to study biology at the level of its macromolecular machines and to gain a quantitative biophysical understanding of how these machines drive important cell biological processes. Since new tools enable new biology, she also develops advanced microscopy methods that aim to overcome the limitations of current methods and helps her research team visualize the macromolecular machineries of the cell in action with high spatiotemporal resolution.
Damaris Lorenzo, PhD - The longstanding interest of Dr. Lorenzo's research is to understand how membrane and cytoskeleton adaptors modulate cellular processes to maintain homeostasis and how their dysregulation leads to disease. Her research team is particularly interested in the role of these adaptors in brain development and bioenergetic regulation.
Guilherme Nader, PhD - Dr. Nader is an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at CHOP. His research is focused on the nuclear mechano-sensing of cells that grow and move within compact microenvironments such as the tumor microenvironment, interstitial space, or densely packed tissue.
Paul Gadue, PhD - Dr. Gadue studies cell fate decisions, focusing on endoderm and mesoderm specification using human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem.
Kathryn Hamilton, PhD - Dr. Hamilton studies intestinal epithelial cells and how they help maintain human health. Although there is a great deal understood about how these cells function, little is known about how they behave during disease. Dr. Hamilton focuses on defining new mechanisms in regenerative medicine, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.
Robert Heuckeroth, MD, PhD - Dr. Heuckeroth investigates mechanisms controlling bowel motility in order to find new ways to treat, diagnose, and prevent intestinal motility disorders. His research is focused on enteric nervous system and smooth muscle biology as he works to find new ways to improve the lives of children with bowel motility disorders.
Jeremy Katzen, MD - Dr. Katzen's research is focused on defining and understanding the molecular mechanisms of lung injury repair and fibrotic lung remodeling. His team concentrates on deciphering how alveolar epithelial cells under extrinsic and intrinsic stress become deviant progenitor cells and contribute to aberrant repair and fibrosis. They aim to overcome these defects and prevent lung fibrogenesis through understanding the epithelial response to stress.
Damaris Lorenzo, PhD - The longstanding interest of Dr. Lorenzo's research is to understand how membrane and cytoskeleton adaptors modulate cellular processes to maintain homeostasis and how their dysregulation leads to disease. Her research team is particularly interested in the role of these adaptors in brain development and bioenergetic regulation.
Mustafa Mir, PhD - Dr. Mir develops and applies advanced fluorescence microscopy and single molecule imaging methods to study the dynamics of nuclear organization and transcriptional regulation during early embryonic development.
Yuanquan Song, PhD - Dr. Song works to elucidate the cellular and molecular basis governing the formation, maintenance, and function of neural circuits under physiological and pathological conditions, using both Drosophila and mammalian models.
Jarod Zepp, PhD - Dr. Zepp studies how cells in the lung integrate external cues during organ development and tissue repair after injury. Specifically, he is focused on identifying mechanisms regulating fibroblast activation and differentiation.
Laura Breda, PhD - Dr. Breda is developing safe, potentially curative genetic therapies for sickle cell disease and b-thalassemia.
Cagla Akay-Espinoza, MD - Dr. Akay-Espinoza's main scientific interest is understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving neurodegenerative processes, specifically those involving neuroinflammation and the integrated stress response, in HIV-associated central nervous system (CNS) disease. She has more than 20 years of experience in understanding the mechanisms of cell death and more than 18 years of expertise in HIV-associated CNS damage, with special focus on the adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the modulation of the integrated stress response, and genetic factors contributing to the HIV- and ART-associated CNS damage.
Deborah French, PhD - Dr. French is an internationally recognized researcher involved in multi-investigator teams that utilize pluripotent stem cells for modeling human disease to study mechanism and development and establish new therapeutic modalities. She joined CHOP in 2008 to establish the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Core in the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics.
Paul Gadue, PhD - Dr. Gadue studies cell fate decisions, focusing on endoderm and mesoderm specification using human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem.
Sriram Krishnaswamy, PhD - Dr. Krishnaswamy studies molecular mechanisms underlying the reactions of blood coagulation. His laboratory investigates how the proteins of blood coagulation interact with each other and with membranes to yield a regulated clotting response to vascular injury or an unregulated response in thrombotic or bleeding disease.
Mortimer Poncz, MD - Dr. Poncz investigates the megakaryocyte-platelet-thrombus axis. The process by which hematopoietic stem cells differentiate into megakaryocytes are the central foci of his laboratory work. Many of his studies focus on the biology and pathobiology of the platelet-specific proteins, chemokines platelet factor 4 /platelet basic protein and the integrin alphaIIb/beta3 receptor.
Stefano Rivella, PhD - Dr. Rivella is an expert in the pathophysiology of erythroid and iron disorders and in the generation of lentiviral vectors for the cure of hemoglobinopathies. He also investigates additional disorders such as anemia of inflammation and hemochromatosis.
Wei Tong, PhD - Dr. Tong investigates cytokine receptor signaling in normal and neoplastic hematopoietic development. She applies integrated approaches encompassing biochemistry, molecular biology, animal models, and primary human samples to understand signaling events emanating from cytokine receptors that regulate the development of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.
Scott Worthen, MD - Dr. Worthen's research program focuses on the mechanisms of acute inflammation in the lung. For more than 30 years he has worked to develop concepts, tools, and approaches to understand how neutrophils are mobilized from the bone marrow, retained within pulmonary capillaries, and migrate into the lung parenchyma and airspaces.
Will Bailis, PhD - Dr. Bailis aims to understand how metabolism underlies immunology and disease by controlling the biochemistry of cells and tissues. His lab uses in vitro and in vivo CRISPR engineering of primary immune cells in his work to develop diet and metabolite-based therapies.
Laurence Eisenlohr, PhD - Dr. Eisenlohr studies the fundamental aspects of host defense, primarily against virus infections such as influenza and HIV.
Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, PhD - Dr. Jordan-Sciutto investigates the intra- and intercellular signaling that occurs during neuroinflammation in the central nervous system, with a particular focus on changes in people with HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Her lab examines the impact of microglial and astrocyte activation on cell signaling and organellar stress in neurons and oligodendrocytes in response to stimuli associated with these chronic degenerative disorders. They are also interested in therapeutic approaches to regulate these interactions including those that target lysosomal and endoplasmic reticulum function and inflammation.
Robert Lee, PhD - Dr. Lee studies how G-protein coupled receptors regulate airway epithelial innate immunity through calcium and cAMP signaling. A specific interest is how bitter taste receptors detect bacteria and regulate cell physiology in both normal epithelia and cancer. His team primarily uses live cell imaging of fluorescent indicator dyes and biosensors to track signal transduction in real time.
Matt Weitzman, PhD - Dr. Weitzman's research program aims to understand host responses to virus infection, and the cellular environment encountered and manipulated by viruses. He studies multiple viruses in an integrated experimental approach that combines biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology.
Joseph Zackular, PhD - Dr. Zackular's research is focused on understanding how interactions between the host, gut microbiota, and pathogenic microbes impact human health and disease. His recent efforts center on understanding how the nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile interacts with resident gut microbiota during infection and how interspecies cross-talk impacts growth, behavior, and virulence of this pathogen.
Yair Argon, PhD - Dr. Argon investigates the unfolded protein response (UPR), an essential signaling network that determines life or death of stressed cells and tissues. The IRE1 sensor of UPR responds to metabolic stress through four distinct activities. Dr. Argon focuses on determining which stress condition induces each activity and how they are integrated to enable the cells to cope with stress.
Will Bailis, PhD - Dr. Bailis aims to understand how metabolism underlies immunology and disease by controlling the biochemistry of cells and tissues. His lab uses in vitro and in vivo CRISPR engineering of primary immune cells in his work to develop diet and metabolite-based therapies.
Edward Behrens, MD - Dr. Behrens' research focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of cytokine storm syndromes, including the hemophagocytic syndromes hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and macrophage activation syndrome.
Laurence Eisenlohr, PhD - Dr. Eisenlohr studies the fundamental aspects of host defense, primarily against virus infections such as influenza and HIV.
Cagla Akay-Espinoza, MD - Dr. Akay-Espinoza's main scientific interest is understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving neurodegenerative processes, specifically those involving neuroinflammation and the integrated stress response, in HIV-associated central nervous system (CNS) disease. She has more than 20 years of experience in understanding the mechanisms of cell death and more than 18 years of expertise in HIV-associated CNS damage, with special focus on the adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the modulation of the integrated stress response, and genetic factors contributing to the HIV- and ART-associated CNS damage.
Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, PhD - Dr. Jordan-Sciutto investigates the intra- and intercellular signaling that occurs during neuroinflammation in the central nervous system, with a particular focus on changes in people with HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Her lab examines the impact of microglial and astrocyte activation on cell signaling and organellar stress in neurons and oligodendrocytes in response to stimuli associated with these chronic degenerative disorders. They are also interested in therapeutic approaches to regulate these interactions including those that target lysosomal and endoplasmic reticulum function and inflammation.
Robert Lee, PhD - Dr. Lee studies how G-protein coupled receptors regulate airway epithelial innate immunity through calcium and cAMP signaling. A specific interest is how bitter taste receptors, initially discovered on the tongue but expressed all over the body, detect bacteria and regulate cell physiology in both normal epithelia and cancer. His team primarily uses live cell imaging of fluorescent indicator dyes and biosensors to track signal transduction in real time using primary human cells from clinical samples.
Mortimer Poncz, MD - Dr. Poncz investigates the megakaryocyte-platelet-thrombus axis. The process by which hematopoietic stem cells differentiate into megakaryocytes are the central foci of his laboratory work. Many of his studies focus on the biology and pathobiology of the platelet-specific proteins, chemokines platelet factor 4 /platelet basic protein and the integrin alphaIIb/beta3 receptor.
Paula Oliver, PhD - Dr. Oliver investigates the mechanisms governing T cell activation and protective immunity. Her goal is to define mechanisms that, when dysregulated, result in autoimmunity or allergic disorders like asthma.
Neil Romberg, MD - Dr. Romberg investigates the regulatory mechanisms enabling our immune systems to fight infections without injuring ourselves. He is particularly interested in the immune system of patients with primary immunodeficiency who are susceptible to both life-threatening infections and autoimmune diseases. Greater insights into these rare diseases may enable rationale development of targeted therapies for more common diseases with an immunologic basis.
Nikolaos Sgourakis, PhD - Dr. Sgourakis’ research focuses on understanding the intricate molecular mechanisms that determine the vast repertoire of peptide antigens displayed by the proteins of the Major Histocompatibility Complex for immune surveillance by T cells and Natural Killer cells.
Joseph Zackular, PhD - Dr. Zackular's research is focused on understanding how interactions between the host, gut microbiota, and pathogenic microbes impact human health and disease. His recent efforts center on understanding how the nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile interacts with resident gut microbiota during infection and how interspecies cross-talk impacts growth, behavior, and virulence of this pathogen.
Naiara Akizu, PhD - Dr. Akizu’s research focuses on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders and pediatric neurodegeneration. She aims to uncover particularities mechanisms that provide diversity to the human brain, as well as novel disease mechanisms and therapeutic options.
Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, MD, PhD - Dr. Ahrens-Nicklas works to understand why patients with inherited biochemical disorders often suffer severe, untreatable neurologic and cardiac symptoms. She strives to elucidate the link between biochemistry and network excitability in order to drive new approaches to therapy.
Stewart Anderson, MD - Dr. Anderson’s research interests focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the development of the mammalian forebrain. In his research on the development of the cerebral cortex, he is particularly interested in understanding the molecular underpinnings behind the fate determination and axon targeting of subclasses of GABAergic interneurons implicated in the neuropathology of schizophrenia.
Yair Argon, PhD - Dr. Argon investigates the unfolded protein response (UPR) , an essential signaling network that determines life or death of stressed cells and tissues. The IRE1 sensor of UPR responds to metabolic stress through four distinct activities and he focuses on determining which stress condition induces each activity and how they are integrated to enable the cells to cope with stress.
Natali Chanaday, PhD- Dr. Chanaday investigates the molecular mechanisms by which internal organelles modulate synaptic transmission and neuron function. Her lab focuses on two major pathways: how calcium from the stores tunes the properties of synapses, and how transport/secretion pathways determine the organization and function of axons and dendrites. They use a combination of microscopy and electrophysiology approaches to understand how neurons function in healthy controls and neurodegenerative conditions.
Laurence Eisenlohr, PhD - Dr. Eisenlohr studies the fundamental aspects of host defense, primarily against virus infections such as influenza and HIV.
Judith Grinspan, PhD - Dr. Grinspan's research program focuses on oligodendrocytes, cells of the central nervous system that synthesize the myelin sheath required for transmission of nervous impulses. Her research seeks to understand the signaling pathways that regulate oligodendrocyte maturation and how they are perturbed in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, HIV, and perinatal white matter injury.
Kathryn Hamilton, PhD - Dr. Hamilton studies intestinal epithelial cells and how they help maintain human health. Although there is a great deal understood about how these cells function, little is known about how they behave during disease. Dr. Hamilton focuses on defining new mechanisms in regenerative medicine, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.
Erika Holzbaur, PhD- Dr. Holzbaur is interested in the mechanisms that drive organelle trafficking in neurons, studying the dynamics of mitochondria, autophagosomes, lysosomes, and synaptic vesicle precursors. Her team is also interested in deciphering the mechanisms by which mutations in motors lead to neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disease.
Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, PhD - Dr. Jordan-Sciutto investigates the intra- and intercellular signaling that occurs during neuroinflammation in the central nervous system, with a particular focus on changes in people with HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Her lab examines the impact of microglial and astrocyte activation on cell signaling and organellar stress in neurons and oligodendrocytes in response to stimuli associated with these chronic degenerative disorders. They are also interested in therapeutic approaches to regulate these interactions including those that target lysosomal and endoplasmic reticulum function and inflammation.
Melike Lakadamyali, PhD - Dr. Lakadamyali's main interest is to study biology at the level of its macromolecular machines and to gain a quantitative biophysical understanding of how these machines drive important cell biological processes. Since new tools enable new biology, she also develops advanced microscopy methods that aim to overcome the limitations of current methods and helps her research team visualize the macromolecular machineries of the cell in action with high spatiotemporal resolution.
Damaris Lorenzo, PhD - The longstanding interest of Dr. Lorenzo's research is to understand how membrane and cytoskeleton adaptors modulate cellular processes to maintain homeostasis and how their dysregulation leads to disease. Her research team is particularly interested in the role of these adaptors in brain development and bioenergetic regulation.
Sandy Maday, PhD - Dr. Maday works at the interface between the fields of cell biology and neuroscience. Her team investigates the mechanisms, roles and regulation of autophagy and lysosomal pathways in neurons and astrocytes in physiology and in models of neurodegenerative disease. They elucidate cell-type-specific pathways and how neuron-astrocyte communication influences these pathways. Their team aims to understand how these differences between neurons and astrocytes confer cell-type-specific vulnerabilities to neurodegeneration.
Michael Marks, PhD - Dr. Marks investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of cell type-specific lysosome-related organelles; the assembly, delivery and function of their contents; and how these processes are impacted by genetic diseases.
Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez, MD, PhD - Dr. Ortiz-Gonzalez is a physician-scientist specializing in pediatric neurogenetics. Her clinical work focuses on finding a unifying genetic diagnosis for children with rare neurodevelopmental disorders. Her patient-informed research focuses on understanding how genetic changes, particularly those affecting mitochondrial function, cause disease to develop better treatments for these children in the future.
Matt Weitzman, PhD - Dr. Weitzman's research program aims to understand host responses to virus infection, and the cellular environment encountered and manipulated by viruses. He studies multiple viruses in an integrated experimental approach that combines biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology.
Lisa Young, MD - Dr. Young’s translational research program aims to understand mechanisms underlying interstitial and rare lung diseases and develop new strategies to treat these disorders. Her laboratory focuses on the roles of epithelial cells in alveolar homeostasis, injury, and repair.
Erfei Bi, PhD- Dr. Bi's research aims to understand the mechanisms of cytokinesis and septin assembly and function using yeast and mammalian cells as the experimental systems. He takes an integrative approach involving genetics, cutting-edge imaging technologies, and biochemistry. Dr. Bi’s cytokinesis projects focus on dissecting the architecture and regulation of the actomyosin ring as well as the mechanisms of targeted vesicle fusion and extracellular matrix remodeling at the division site. .
Kathryn Hamilton, PhD - Dr. Hamilton studies intestinal epithelial cells and how they help maintain human health. Although there is a great deal understood about how these cells function, little is known about how they behave during disease. Dr. Hamilton focuses on defining new mechanisms in regenerative medicine, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.
Robert Heuckeroth, MD, PhD - Dr. Heuckeroth investigates mechanisms controlling bowel motility in order to find new ways to treat, diagnose, and prevent intestinal motility disorders. His research is focused on enteric nervous system and smooth muscle biology as he works to find new ways to improve the lives of children with bowel motility disorders.
Harry Ischiropoulos, PhD - Dr. Ischiropoulos's research objectives are to develop and test novel therapeutics for long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders, a collection of inherited metabolic diseases that affect the heart, liver and muscle. A second area of interest is the resolution of the nitric oxide signaling pathways at the proteome level in the cardiovascular and neuronal systems.
Jeremy Katzen, MD - Dr. Katzen's research is focused on defining and understanding the molecular mechanisms of lung injury repair and fibrotic lung remodeling. His team concentrates on deciphering how alveolar epithelial cells under extrinsic and intrinsic stress become deviant progenitor cells and contribute to aberrant repair and fibrosis. They aim to overcome these defects and prevent lung fibrogenesis through understanding the epithelial response to stress.
Karla Leavens, MD, PhD - Dr. Leavens uses stem cell-derived beta cells to model pediatric beta cell disease, including monogenic diabetes and congenital hyperinsulinism. The goal of her studies is to better understand and develop novel therapeutics to treat these diseases.
Robert Lee, PhD - Dr. Lee studies how G-protein coupled receptors regulate airway epithelial innate immunity through calcium and cAMP signaling. A specific interest is how bitter taste receptors detect bacteria and regulate cell physiology in both normal epithelia and cancer. His team primarily uses live cell imaging of fluorescent indicator dyes and biosensors to track signal transduction in real time.
Michael Marks, PhD - Dr. Marks investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of cell type-specific lysosome-related organelles; the assembly, delivery and function of their contents; and how these processes are impacted by genetic diseases.
Sharon McGrath-Morrow, MBA, MD - Dr. McGrath-Morrow is associate chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine and leader of the Post-preemie Lung Disease Clinic at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her research seeks to link early life events with adult lung health and biomarker discovery for future trials.
Lisa Young, MD - Dr. Young’s translational research program aims to understand mechanisms underlying interstitial and rare lung diseases and develop new strategies to treat these disorders. Her laboratory focuses on the roles of epithelial cells in alveolar homeostasis, injury, and repair.
Joseph Zackular, PhD - Dr. Zackular's research is focused on understanding how interactions between the host, gut microbiota, and pathogenic microbes impact human health and disease. His recent efforts center on understanding how the nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile interacts with resident gut microbiota during infection and how interspecies cross-talk impacts growth, behavior, and virulence of this pathogen.
Jarod Zepp, PhD - Dr. Zepp studies how cells in the lung integrate external cues during organ development and tissue repair after injury. Specifically, he is focused on identifying mechanisms regulating fibroblast activation and differentiation.
Laura Breda, PhD - Dr. Breda is developing safe, potentially curative genetic therapies for sickle cell disease and b-thalassemia.
Deborah French, PhD - Dr. French is an internationally recognized researcher involved in multi-investigator teams that utilize pluripotent stem cells for modeling human disease to study mechanism and development and establish new therapeutic modalities. She joined CHOP in 2008 to establish the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Core in the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics.
Harry Ischiropoulos, PhD - Dr. Ischiropoulos's research objectives are to develop and test novel therapeutics for long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders, a collection of inherited metabolic diseases that affect the heart, liver and muscle. A second area of interest is the resolution of the nitric oxide signaling pathways at the proteome level in the cardiovascular and neuronal systems.
Sriram Krishnaswamy, PhD - Dr. Krishnaswamy studies molecular mechanisms underlying the reactions of blood coagulation. His laboratory investigates how the proteins of blood coagulation interact with each other and with membranes to yield a regulated clotting response to vascular injury or an unregulated response in thrombotic or bleeding disease.
Melike Lakadamyali, PhD - Dr. Lakadamyali's main interest is to study biology at the level of its macromolecular machines and to gain a quantitative biophysical understanding of how these machines drive important cell biological processes. Since new tools enable new biology, she also develops advanced microscopy methods that aim to overcome the limitations of current methods and helps her research team visualize the macromolecular machineries of the cell in action with high spatiotemporal resolution.
Mustafa Mir, PhD - Dr. Mir develops and applies advanced fluorescence microscopy and single molecule imaging methods to study the dynamics of nuclear organization and transcriptional regulation during early embryonic development.
Stefano Rivella, PhD - Dr. Rivella is an expert in the pathophysiology of erythroid and iron disorders and in the generation of lentiviral vectors for the cure of hemoglobinopathies. He also investigates additional disorders such as anemia of inflammation and hemochromatosis.
Ophir Shalem, PhD - Dr. Shalem’s research focuses on translational target discovery for a range of neurodegenerative diseases. He combines technology development of large-scale CRISPR-based perturbation screens with application of such technology together with additional genomic approaches.