Lab Members

Milka Koupenova, PhD, FAHA

Principal Investigator

Dr. Koupenova graduated with a BS in Biochemistry from the University of California Los Angeles and obtained her PhD in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine. She started her lab at UMass Chan Medical School in 2020 where she is currently a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. At UMass Chan, Dr. Koupenova is affiliated with the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, programs in Immunology and Microbiology and in Translational Science. Dr. Koupenova is currently an associate editor for the American Heart Association (AHA) journal, Circulation Research, and serves on various committees for the AHA Council on Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

Heather Corkrey, MS

Research Associate

Heather received her MS in Animal Science from the University

of California, Davis, and her BS in Animal Science from Cornell University.

Heather Learnard, BS

PhD Candidate, Translational Science Program

Heather received her BS in Biomedical and Molecular Sciences from Bridgewater State University in 2015 and her MS in Neuroscience from UMass Chan Medical School in 2023. She joined the Koupenova Lab in 2023 as a PhD candidate. Her thesis work focuses on the antiviral response of megakaryocytes during infection.

Anthony Sciaudone, BA

PhD Candidate, Immunology and Microbiology Program

Anthony received his BA in Biology from Boston University in 2018. He joined the Koupenova Lab in 2021. His thesis work focuses on the contributions of megakaryocytes and platelets to the immune response during viral infection.