Meet the team
Tobias Janowitz
Associate Professor
M.D., Ph.D., University of Cambridge, UK, 2007
Tobias is a biochemist and medical oncologist. He builds and leads a laboratory and clinical research program focused on the host response to disease. He enjoys working with colleagues who share an interest in rigorous and creative science.
Hassal Lee
Clinical Fellow
M.D., Ph.D., University of Cambridge, UK
During her PhD, Hassal worked to develop novel engineered rabies viruses for the long-term targeting of neural circuits for gene therapy. As a medical doctor she is also working in expanding the diversity of clinical trials by incorporating remote digital methods.
Alumni
Breanna Demestichas
Research Technician
B.S., Molecular Biology, Binghamton University, USA
Breanna investigated the interaction of antibodies with host organisms. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Ya Gao
Research Technician
Míriam Ferrer Gonzalez
Postdoctoral Researcher
Ph.D., University of Cambridge, UK
Míriam is a biologist interested in the effects of cancer on nutrient processing and the consequences of altered nutritional handling on the entire body. She investigates how dietary modifications and changes in nutrient supply can effect tumor growth, body weight, and ultimately cancer outcome.
Sam Kleeman
Graduate Student
M.D., University of Oxford, UK
Sam is a medical doctor and scientist who combines bioinformatics with experimental science. He uses large data set from humans to search for molecular pathways that influence anti-cancer immunity.
Emma Courtney
Graduate Student
B.S. Natural Sciences, B.S. Social Sciences, Minerva University, USA
Emma is interested in combining bioinformatic and experimental approaches to study disease progression.
Rohini Guin
Graduate Student, Rotating
B.S., Biology, Emory University, USA
Rohini is an M.D.-Ph.D. student in Stony Brook’s Medical Scientist Training Program. She will explore the oscillatory nature of molecular mediators underpinning immunosuppression and autoimmunity
Ethan Ertel
Research Technician
B.E. Biomedical Engineering, B.S. Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, USA
Ethan is currently investigating the potential implications of immune activation during pregnancy.
Michael Chan
Volunteer
Columbia University, New York, USA
Xiang Zhao
Postdoctoral Researcher
Ph.D., Tsinghua University, China
Xiang is interested in the immune response during health and disease. He investigates the rules that determine activation and suppression of immune responses with the aim to understand how these rules protect health.
Alice Wang
Graduate Student
B.S, Allied Health Science, Minor in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, USA
Alice is enrolled in the M.D.-Ph.D. physician scientist training program at Stony Brook University. She is studying recovery in cancer cachexia using novel pre-clinical models.
Caryn Koza
Scientific Administrator
B.A., St. Joseph’s College, USA
Caryn supports our laboratory in all matters that relate to administration, technology, funding applications, recruitment, team building, and organization.
Mathew Chvasta
Research Technician
B.S., Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, USA
Matt investigated a genetic approach to determine immune pathways.
Eva Von Gablenz
Visiting Student, Universität Heidelberg
Alessandra Inguscio
Postdoctoral Scientist, University of Salento, Italy.
Alessandra is a translational scientist in the field of immuno-oncology. While at CSHL her research aimed to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. She is currently studying the interplay of diabetes and Parkinson's disease using organ on-a-chip model for novel drug therapeutics.
Tuba Thakir
Graduate Student
M.S., Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Stony Brook University, USA
Tuba is focusing her research on immune regulation mechanisms in cardiac dysfunction in cancer cachexia to discover potential therapeutic targets.
Emma Davidson
Research Technician
B.S., Neurobiology, The College of Wooster, USA
Emma will be further investigating how cancer contributes to systemic alterations of the host organism and continuing the development of an inducible model system of cancer cachexia.
Claire Connell
Lecturer, Medical Oncology
M.D., Ph.D., Imperial College, UK
Claire studies the relevance of cancer associated fibroblasts to anti-cancer immunity. She also co-leads a clinical study for patients with cancer associated cachexia.
Nicholas Mourikis
Research Technician
B.S., Neurobiology, University of Maryland, USA
Nick explored the systemic effects of cancer on the host and worked towards developing an inducible model system of cancer cachexia. He is currently a medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Amanda Decker-Farrell
Postdoctoral Researcher
Ph.D., Columbia University, USA
Amanda is interested in the causes and effects of systemic decline experienced in end-stage disease. She investigates the mechanisms of how conditions such as cachexia and sepsis develop during disease progression, with the aim to diagnose, mitigate, and potentially reverse these factors of patient decline.