Genetics, Genomics & Cancer Biology

At a Glance

  • College

    College of Life Sciences

  • Degree

    Doctor of Philosophy

  • Campus

    Center City

  • Format

    On Campus

  • Duration

    4 - 5 Years

Program

Name: Lucia Languino, PhD
Position: Program Director

233 South 10th Street
Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Suite 506
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Contact Number(s):

Contact Admissions

Contact Number(s):

Program Coordinator

Name: Danielle Park
Position: Program Coordinator
Organization: Jefferson

1020 Locust Street
M-46 JAH
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Connect with Us

       

Current Students


Sarah Ahr
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Karen Bussard, PhD
Project: TBD


David Deming
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2016
Thesis Advisor: Alexander Mazo, PhD
Project: TBD


Kristen DeRosa
[email protected]

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
[email protected]

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
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Matthew Schiewer, PhD
Project: TBD


Erin Gallagher
[email protected]

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
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Christine Eischen, PhD
Project: TBD


Megan Keller
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Luis Sigal, DVM, PhD
Project: TBD


Jessica Kopenhaver
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Project: TBD


Michael Lawler
[email protected]

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
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Summer 2022
Thesis Advisor: Emad Alnemri, PhD
Project: TBD


Pyunghun Park
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Andrew South, PhD
Project: TBD


Douglas Ralph
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Richard Pomerantz, PhD
Project: TBA


Alexandra Redding
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Summer 2019
Thesis Advisor: Elda Grabocka, PhD
Project: Mechanisms regulating Stress Granule formation


Laura Reynolds 
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Hien Dang, PhD
Project: TBD


Solmaz Shirjang
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: Marja Nevalainen, MD, PhD
Project: TBD


Ross Staudt
[email protected]

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
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: 
Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Sara Meyer, PhD
Project: TBD


Francis Waltrich
[email protected]

Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Andrew Aplin, PhD
Project: Identifying new therapeutic strategies for melanomas harboring both GNAQ and GNA11 mutations. 


Haley Wilson
[email protected]

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

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

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

 

Stephanie Renna 
Matriculation Term:
Fall 2015
Thesis Title: 
"Guanylyl Cyclase C Vaccines for Secondary Prevention of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer"
Advisor: 
Steven McKenzie, MD, PhD

 

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

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