Current Members
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Michelle Kelliher, PhD |
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| Professor and Interim Chair | ||
| Faculty member since 1998 | ||
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BA(1981), Smith College, Northhampton, MA; MS(1985), Yale University, New Haven, CT; PhD(1991), Tufts Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA. Postdoctoral Training in the Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School in the laboratory of Dr. Philip Leder. Awards and Science: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Special Fellow Award (1998), Sidney Kimel Cancer Scholar Award (2000-2002), Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Award (2003-2008), and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Stohlman Scholar Award (2008). Dr. Kelliher is a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Career Development Review Panel, a member of the NIH Cancer Genetics Study Section (2008-2012) as well as a reviewer for the Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and the Hood Foundation Research Award. |
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Kelsey Wagner, BS |
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| Graduate Student | ||
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Lab member since 2021 |
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| Graduated from Duke University in 2017, where she received her B.S. in Biology. Prior to joining the Cancer Biology program at the Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, Kelsey studied the role of Ras pathway proteins in cancer under Christopher Counter at Duke University Medical School. She is interested in mechanisms of quiescence and disease maintenance in T-ALL. Outside of the lab, Kelsey enjoys weightlifting and going to the beach with her dogs. |
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Erica Scholl, BS, MS |
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| Graduate Student | ||
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Lab member since 2024 |
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| Graduated from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) in 2023, where she received her dual degree of B.S. Microbiology and M.S. In Molecular Biosciences. Prior to joining the Cancer Biology program at the Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, Erica studied the anti-inflammatory mechanism of minocycline and its impact on the NFkB pathway during infection under Dr. Nicole Shakerley at ACPHS. She is interested in identifying therapeutic targets and their underlying pathways to combat leukemogenesis. Outside of the lab, Erica enjoys running, hiking, and getting ice cream. | ||
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Apoorva Pradhan, PhD |
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| Post Doctoral Associate | ||
| Lab member since 2023 | ||
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Graduated from Mumbai University with a BS in Pharmacy in 2015. Apoorva received her MS in Medicinal Chemistry from MCPHS University in 2017 and PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University at Buffalo in 2023. She is interested in the role of TNF-mediated cell death in immuno-oncology. Outside of the lab, Apoorva enjoys gardening and watching anime. |
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Ewa Sroka, PhD |
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| Post Doctoral Associate | ||
| Lab member since 2024 | ||
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Graduated from Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland with a MSc in Biotechnology, followed with a MSc degree in Drug Discovery and Development from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Ewa did her PhD in 2022, in a joint program between the University of Gdansk, Poland and INSERM in Paris, France. She is interested in immuno-oncology and the role of programmed cell death pathways in cancer progression. In her free time Ewa enjoys singing, hiking, reading, and solving puzzles. |
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Keshab Karna, PhD |
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| Post Doctoral Associate | ||
| Lab member since 2022 | ||
| Keshab graduated from Dhaka University with a BS in Medical Laboratory Science in 2009. He received his MS in Biotechnology from North South University, Bangladesh, in 2011, and his PhD in Medicinal Science from Jeonbuk National University, South Korea, in 2020. Keshab's research interests focus on the role of ZBP1-mediated cell death in bone marrow failure models and the expression of ZBP1 ligands under inflammatory conditions. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing cricket and traveling to new places. | ||
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Pamela St. Louis, MS |
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| Senior Research Scientist | ||
| Lab member since 2024 | ||
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Graduated from Stonehill College with BS in Biology in 1992 and an MS in Animal Science in 1994 from the University of Rhode Island. I also have an Associates of Science in Health Information Technology from Rasmussen College in 2011. I received my LATG (laboratory animal technologist) certification in 2003. I have been at UMass for 15 years and have worked in the Molecular Medicine Dept and the Gene Therapy Center prior to the MCCB lab. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, photography, and spending time with my 3 cats. |
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Isabella Hirt, BA, MS |
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| Research Associate | ||
| Lab member since 2024 | ||
| Isabella graduated from Boston University in 2024, where she received a dual degree of B.A. Cell, Molecular Biology, and Genetics and M.S. in Biology. Prior to joining the MCCB department, Isabella studied the vertical transmission of varying strains of Wolbachia bacteria in Drosophila melanogaster under Dr. Frydman in BU. She is interested in identifying the genetic factors underlying certain cancers using bioinformatics, and how they can be targeted for therapeutics. Outside of the lab, Isabella enjoys all manner of fibre arts, writing fiction stories, and collecting enamel pins for her backpack. | ||