Lab Members
Christina Glytsou, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest School of Pharmacy
Department of Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
TRAINEES
Sofia La Vecchia, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Sofia was born in Sicily, Italy. She earned her Master’s degree in Molecular Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Complex Systems for Life Science from the University of Turin. She has explored the fields of cancer metabolism in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer, developing novel target therapeutics. In our lab, she aims to uncover the mechanistic details of mitochondrial morphology and dynamic’s role in the progression of acute leukemia and the gain of drug resistance. Aside from research, she enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, Latin dances, hanging out with friends, and volunteering.
Marta Romo-Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Marta studied Pharmacy at the University of Salamanca, Spain. Driven by her passion for science and healthcare, she pursued a Master’s in Physiopathology and Pharmacology, followed by a Ph.D., both at the University of Salamanca. During her doctoral research, under the supervision of Dr. Angel Hernandez Hernandez, Marta delved into the role of oxidative stress in controlling the metabolic adaptations of blood cancer cells. Her studies demonstrated the existence of a functional axis NOX2-NOX4 that controls mitochondrial metabolism in leukemic cells. In the Glytsou lab, Marta is focusing on the impact of mitochondrial metabolism on leukemia progression. In her free time, Marta enjoys traveling, trying different traditional foods, hiking, reading books, and watching movies or TV series.
Saurav Doshi
Graduate Student
Saurav has completed a five-year Integrated Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology at the Savitribai Phule Pune University in India. He has explored the fields of breast cancer, melanoma, drug development, and vaccine manufacturing through research projects and is keen to work on developing novel therapeutics against AML in his doctoral studies. Aside from research, he enjoys singing and listening to Indian classical music.
George Ye, MD
Medical Resident
George was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. As a child, he spent time in Canada, China, and the US, but he has been a New Jersey resident since the age of six! George earned his BS at Pennsylvania State University and his MD at Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Thomas Jefferson University) in Philadelphia. He is currently a second-year pediatrics resident physician at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He has career interests in both pediatric hematology-oncology and genetics. In his free time, George enjoys traveling around the world, cooking, playing and listening to music, running, hiking, biking, watching sports with friends, community volunteerism, bar trivia nights, and singing loudly to the car radio.
STAFF
Tanima Kundu, Ph.D.
Laboratory Researcher
Tanima has completed her Ph.D. in Cancer Immunology from Jadavpur University at Kolkata in India. She completed her Post Doctoral Research at Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology at Kolkata. At Rutgers, she has worked as a Research Associate in Blaser & Liu Lab at CABM exploring the role of probiotics in a mouse model of triple-negative breast cancer. Her most recent experience includes work on FMT treatment in a gnotobiotic mouse model for Chen Lab. Tanima has extensive animal (mouse) handling experience and is adept at a number of animal-work related techniques.
Petros Antonoglou
Researcher Manager
Petros has graduated from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Democritus University of Thrace and completed his Master’s in Molecular Biomedicine from the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His initial steps in exploring the field of cancer, particularly in the context of breast and cervical cancer, in combination with the acquired knowledge in cancer immunology led him to the choice of joining the team of Dr. Glytsou. Besides his passion for research, Petros also enjoys going to the gym, watching TV series and going out with friends.
UNDERGRADUATES
Meghna Pithani
Undergraduate Student
Meghna is currently pursuing a Pharm.D degree at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers. Their research interests include immunology, cellular mechanisms, and virology as novel methods for anticancer treatment. She plans to work in research and drug development post-graduation.
Diya Patel
Undergraduate Student
Diya is an undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science. Her research interest lies in the biology of cancer and the possible treatments to cure this disease. Additionally, she have volunteered in many hospitals such as Morristown Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, and Bristol Myer Squibb Children’s Hospital in order to get valuable knowledge regarding the field of medicine. She plans to get into medical school to advance her career in the medical field.
Khushi Shah
Undergraduate Student
Khushi is an undergraduate student, majoring in Cell Biology and Neuroscience. She is interested in the medical field and helping patients improve their health and live happily. In the future she wishes to become a specialist of neurology and also wants to contribute to the cure of cancer disease.