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Current Lab Members

  • Prajakta Ambegaokar

    Prajakta Ambegaokar

    Education:

    BS: Pharmacy, Charotar University of Science and Technology, India
    MS: Pharmacology, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University, Worecester, MA
    PhD: UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 


    I will be working on engineering an AAV capsid specifically for efficient genomic editing of human T cells.

  • Motahareh Arjomandnejad

    Motahareh Arjomandnejad

    Academic Role: PhD candidate

    Education:

    BSc: Cellular and Molecular Biology, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran
    MS: Biotechnology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran 
    PhD: Medical Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran (2014-)
    PhD: Immunology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA (2019-)


    A limiting factor in widespread application of gene therapy is the induction of an immune response. In systemic Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) gene therapy, there is an immune response to both the AAV vehicle and the introduced transgene. My project focuses on generation of chimeric antigen receptor regulatory T cells (CAR-Tregs) to suppress an immune response against AAV gene therapy and the introduced transgene.

  • Meghan Blackwood

    Meghan Blackwood

    Academic Role: Research Associate IV

    Education: BS - Biology, UMass Dartmouth

  • Travis & Elisa

    Travis & Elisa

    Academic Role: Lab Mascot

  • Ashley Harkins

    Ashley Harkins

    Academic Role: PhD candidate

    Education:

    BS - Drexel University
    PhD - UMass Chan Medical School (2021-) 

    Co-mentored by Dr. Robert Brown, MD, DPhil. Working on CAR Treg therapies for neurodegenerative disorders, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Focusing on alleviating pathological inflammation in the central nervous system. 

  • Acadia Kopec

    Acadia Kopec

    Academic Role: Research Associate I

    Education: BS - Biochemistry, Stonehill College

  • Katelyn Sylvia

    Katelyn Sylvia

    Academic Role: Lab Manager

    Education: BA - Biology, College of the Holy Cross

  • Amanda Tutto

    Amanda Tutto

    Academic Role: Research Associate IV

    Education: 

    BS - Animal Science, UCONN

    MS - Animal Science, growth and physiology, UCONN