Jonathan Tedesco
Lab Manager & Research Lab Specialist I
Bachelors in Biology at Seton Hall University
I am the lab manager of the Vella Lab within the department of infectious diseases at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Before coming to the world of research, I was part of a clinical laboratory that performed diagnostic testing at an industry level. I learned translatable skills such as sample management, communication, and organization. In the Vella lab, I have discovered a passion for immunology. I value honest communication, friendliness, and put an emphasis on laboratory safety. It has been truly fulfilling to be with the lab since we were only three members and watch our team flourish into a team of over ten. In the lab, I assist in day-to-day operations, but have specialized in spectral flow cytometry. Ask me about traveling, soccer, or Philly’s food scene.
Kingsley Kumashie
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D. at Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany
MSc in Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
BSc in Biochemistry, University of Ghana
I obtained a PhD from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany. I joined the lab in 2022 as a postdoctoral fellow at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. My interest is in understanding the landscape of the adaptive immune cell reconstitution post adult hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with the goal of helping patients. I am an ardent football (soccer, according American) fan, but I have also developed interest in basketball since arriving in the U.S.
Leena Babiker
UPenn Immunology Graduate Student
Bachelors in Molecular Genetics and Genomics at Michigan State
I am PhD candidate in Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania with a research project focused on immune reconstitution in the context of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). My research focuses on understanding how alloreactivity influences the immune landscape as well as the structural and functional integrity of lymph nodes post-HCT. Under the joint mentorship of Drs. Ivan Maillard and Laura Vella, I combine and integrate mouse models with human data to investigate the impact of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) on immune cell reconstitution within lymph nodes. Specifically, I aim to elucidate the fate of naïve cells post-production in allo-HCT and explore how dendritic cells influence the maintenance and function of specialized lymph node fibroblastic reticular cells following transplantation.
Yi Qi
UPenn Bioengineering Graduate Student
William & Mary, B.S. in Computational & Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Mathematical Biology Track
I am a PhD candidate in Bioengineering at Penn. I graduated from William & Mary with a Bachelor of Science degree in computational biology. Since joining the Vella Lab in summer 2023, I’ve been applying single cell technology to study HIV-1 reservoir persistence. My research focuses on developing a platform capable of detecting virological features in infected cells, such as proviral integration sites and viral transcripts, and investigating how the cellular phenotypes are affected by those features. Outside of the lab, I am a board member of the Penn Biotech Group and a junior fellow at Penn Center for Innovation. I enjoy cooking Chinese and European cuisines (LET’S POTLUCK!!!), playing tennis, watching soccer and Formula 1 races, and praying for the revitalization of the biotech industry.
Ben Philipson
CHOP Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow
Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology at University of Penn, MD, Perelman School of Medicine, B.A in Chemical and Physical Biology at Harvard University
I am a physician-scientist and pediatric hematology/oncology fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia interested in developing, deploying, and improving upon novel curative cell and gene therapies for sickle cell disease and other bone marrow transplant indications. I conducted my PhD research on CAR T cell therapies to treat human cancers.
Katie PRemo
UPenn Immunology Graduate Student
Bachelors in Biology at Loyola University Chicago
I am a second year PhD candidate in the Immunology Graduate Group. I grew up in the Bay Area, but have fully assimilated into east coast culture. I am currently studying how G protein y subunits may be contributing to T follicular helper biology. Outside of the lab, I enjoy film photography and reading. My loyalties lie forever with the San Francisco Giants. I am a staunch supporter of the Phanatic.
Hunter Courtney
UPenn Undergraduate Researcher
Candidate for B.A in Biochemistry and Chemistry, Class of 2024
I joined the Vella Lab as an undergraduate student in April 2022 before transitioning to being a research technician upon graduating in May 2024. I received my B.A. in Biochemistry and Chemistry as a Roy and Diana Vagelos Molecular Life Sciences Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. I am co-mentored in the labs of Laura Vella, MD, PhD and Katharine Bar, MD whose lab is situated adjacently at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. My scientific interests lie in the maturation of anti-HIV-1 neutralizing antibody responses and the collaboration of CD4+ T and B lymphocytes to iteratively refine these antibodies for neutralization breadth and potency. In the coming year, I will start the path toward training as a physician-scientist through a Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) in human immunology to continue my passion for HIV-1 research and care for people with HIV.
Tianyu Lu
Bioinformatician
MS- Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Bachelors in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Illinois Urbana
I am a bioinformatician from the Viral Molecular High-Density Sequencing Core at the Perelman School of Medicine. Before joining Penn, I studied mammalian evolutionary patterns using machine learning models. In collaboration with the Vella Lab, I assist with computational tasks, including multi-modality single-cell sequencing analysis, viral integration site identification, and the development of reproducible pipelines for biologists. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring coffee shops, playing guitar, and watching movies at the Philly Film Society.
Sam Barnett Dubensky
UPenn MD-PhD Student
Bachelors in Biological Sciences at University of Chicago
I am a Penn MD/PhD candidate in the Immunology Graduate Group co-mentored by Derek Oldridge and Laura Vella at CHOP. Our collaborative project aims to delineate gene regulatory programs that control Tfh activation and function within human lymphoid tissues. We employ single-cell multiomics, spatial transcriptomics, and spectral flow cytometry among other fun high-dimensional approaches that will melt your computer to directly study human immunity. Outside of lab I enjoy baking bread, eating bread, loud local live music, and the punishing pastime of watching Phillies baseball.
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