Students
Learn more about the PhD students who have chosen Brown to continue their studies.
Students
Learn more about the PhD students who have chosen Brown to continue their studies.
2026-2027 Therapeutic Sciences PhD Students
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Alan Ardito
Kurtis LabI am working in the Kurtis lab with the mission to combat P. falciparum malaria. Malaria continues to be a leading global infectious disease, claiming the lives of over 1,000 children daily. Our research is focused on developing vaccines, small-molecule drugs, and monoclonal antibodies designed with novel targets in mind, such as PIGARP.
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Aidan Biondi
Kurtis Lab -
Anna-Nicole Bosco
On Rotation -
Olivya Caballero
Plavicki Lab -
Jennifer Casey
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Saadi El-Saadi
On Rotation -
Dennis Frazer
Raimondo Lab -
Lillianna Hammons
Kurtis LabMalaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains a major global health threat with children bearing the heaviest burden of disease and mortality. Prior work from our lab demonstrated that antibodies targeting the parasite antigen PfGARP significantly reduce parasite density and severe disease. While antibody specificity and quantity are known critical drivers of efficacy, the impact of Fc-region post-translational modifications remains less understood. My goal is to evaluate how antibody afucosylation influences anti-PfGARP-mediated parasite clearance to inform future vaccine design.
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Jean Jerome
Desai LabHigh-aspect-ratio nanoparticles (HARPs) exhibit an extraordinary ability to stimulate activation, proliferation, and death in various cell types. We aim to use this platform to fabricate functionalized poly(caprolactone) (PCL) nanowires to target and influence immune cell activity. In the Desai Lab, my research focuses on evaluating the versatility of this platform in conjunction with novel antibody therapies in an effort to impact the treatment of immune-related morbidities.
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Lillian Kidd
Kizer LabCarbohydrates (glycans) are central to many biological processes, yet investigations into them have lagged behind those of other macromolecules. In the Kizer lab, we focus on the development of glycan-based tools to understand the role that complex carbohydrates play in human health and disease. My research specifically focuses on the rational design of heparan sulfate mimetics (HSMs) and studying their immunomodulatory effects. -
Samantha Maguire
Kurtis LabP. falciparum malaria is a leading cause of childhood mortality worldwide, yet the factors driving why some children develop severe disease while others do not remain poorly understood. Our lab integrates in vitro and in vivo infection models with observational field studies to uncover novel targets for malaria drug and vaccine discovery. My research focuses on a specific chemokine, previously identified as a biomarker of severe malaria, to probe how it drives host immunity to regulate parasite growth and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target. -
Katelyn Newton
Fawzi LabA hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases is the accumulation of pathological aggregates, or proteinopathies, in the central nervous system. Intrinsically disordered proteins are capable of converting from dispersed or liquid-like phases into these solid inclusions, but the structure and assembly of these dynamic systems are difficult to capture. I am interested in using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in combination with other biochemical/biophysical techniques to probe the molecular interactions within the disordered region of RNA-binding proteins that form pathological inclusions in ALS and dementia. This work can inform protein engineering efforts to inhibit aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases for future therapeutics. -
Carmelissa Norbrun
Zhou LabVascular remodeling is a prominent phenotype of Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), a deadly condition with unknown causes and no known treatment. Using in vivo models of pulmonary vascular disease, our lab has identified CHI3L1 and its receptors as major contributors of PH responses. My goal is to study the mechanisms that underlie vascular remodeling in PH and develop nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems against CHI3L1 and its receptors to treat vascular remodeling in PH.
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Ege Onal
Accornero Lab -
Tyler Owens
Taylor LabI am a MD, PhD, student in the Therapeutic Sciences Graduate Program at Brown University. My research focuses on developing new cancer immunotherapies targeting tumor-associated proteins derived from transposable elements, with a particular emphasis on LINE-1 ORF1p. My work combines cancer biology, immunology, protein engineering, and drug development to explore new therapeutic strategies and tools for studying ORF1p. Before beginning graduate training, I conducted research in nanomedicine and drug delivery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and MD Anderson Cancer Center and am currently in my 7th year of studying translational cancer biology. -
Jacqueline Real
Yang LabRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by persistent synovial inflammation and progressive cartilage and bone destruction. Using genetic mouse models and human RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes, our lab has identified SHP2, encoded by PTPN11, as an important regulator of pathogenic synovial signaling and joint destruction. My research investigates the cell-specific roles of SHP2 in FLS and myeloid-lineage cells and evaluates the SHP2-targeting PROTAC, D26 in mouse models of inflammatory arthritis. My goal is to define how genetic and pharmacologic SHP2 depletion regulates inflammation, osteoclastogenesis, and bone erosion and evaluate targeted SHP2 degradation as a therapeutic strategy for RA. -
Oluwanifemi Shola
Cheung Lab -
Michelle Shub
Lawler Lab -
Brooke Skinner
On Rotation -
Shira Strongin
Frost LabTauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the phosphorylation of tau, Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form affecting 7.4 million people over the age of 65 in America. The Frost laboratory studies the role of retrotransposons in tauopathies using multiple model systems ranging from human brain tissue to drosophila to iPSCs. Retrotransposons, also known as "jumping genes," can copy and paste themselves into new genomic locations in a process closely mirroring retroviruses. My research focuses on developing new therapeutic approaches to targeting retrotransposon activation in tauopathies.
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Esra Taner
Larschan Lab & Ma LabMy work focuses on investigating how sex differences in gene expression contribute to the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disease. I use single-nucleus RNA-seq datasets from both Drosophila and mouse models of tauopathy, to build and refine customized pipelines to identify sex-specific transcriptional changes across time and genotype.
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Iz Varghese
Lisi Lab & Rubenstein Lab -
Dominique Walker
Cuomo LabThe Cuomo lab aims to identify mechanisms of virulence and drug resistance in human fungal pathogens by utilizing a variety of genomic approaches. My research focuses on understanding mechanisms of resistance in the multi drug resistant fungal pathogen, Candida auris. -
Laura Wu
Taylor LabI am working in Marty Taylor's lab focusing on molecular biology, biochemistry, and cancer biology. My research centers on the mechanistic biology of LINE-1 retrotransposons and how retroelements can be leveraged as a therapeutic tool.
