Lab Members
The Iozzo Lab (2016)
First Row (L to R): Carolyn Lee, Maria Gubbiotti, Claire Reynolds, Annabel Torres
Second Row (L to R): Arnold Tatsinkam, Simone Buraschi, Thomas Neill, Danielle Park, Dr. Renato V. Iozzo
Current Lab Members
Simone Buraschi, Ph.D.
Simone is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Dr.Iozzo's laboratory. He is mainly interested in the study of the biology of decorin and in its antitumorigenic role in the tumor microenvironment. Particularly, he is now focused on the ability of decorin to inhibit the growth of breast cancer. He says "Working under Dr. Iozzo has given me excellent exposure to his beneficial method of idea sharing and development on an international level". Always looking for new places to explore, Simone is a good travel organizer. He loves good movies, food and outdoor sports like skiing, although he misses the Italian Alps nearby his hometown.
Thomas Neill, Ph.D.
Tom is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Dr. Iozzo's laboratory. He received his Ph.D. from Thomas Jefferson University in May 2014 under the mentorship of Dr. Renato V. Iozzo. His primary project focuses on the role of decorin in the regulation of mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) in triple negative breast carcinoma.
Aastha Kapoor, Ph.D.
Aastha is a post doctoral fellow in Iozzo Lab. She completed her Ph.D. in 'cellular contractility in cancer cell invasion and drug resistance' from bioscience department, IIT Bombay. In Iozzo lab she is currently working on 'endorepellin induced stress response in endothelial cells'. She is studying the role of endorepellin in stress signaling pathways in endothelial cells, which seem to have implications in angiogenesis and cancer growth. While Aastha spends most her time with cells and mice, during her lazy hours she likes to watch movies, travel to unexplored destinations and walk along the Schuylkill river.
Carolyn Chen, M.D., Ph.D.
Carolyn is an MD/PhD student at Thomas Jefferson University pursuing her PhD in Dr. Iozzo's lab. She is currently studying the effects of endorepellin and autophagy in human endothelial cells. During her undergraduate years at Dartmouth College, she developed a strong interest in understanding physiological and pathological mechanisms at the cellular level. She is grateful to be under the mentorship of Dr. Iozzo for her PhD research and hopes to one day integrate her research skills with clinical knowledge as a physician scientist.
Dipon Mondal, Ph.D.
Dipon is a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Iozzo's lab. He completed his PhD in the pathogenesis of the disease leishmaniasis from the Dept. of Biological Sciences, IISER Kolkata. In Iozzo's lab, he is interested in the role of decorin in cancer metastasis and lymphangiogenic processes. Being a travel freak, Dipon always looks for new travel destinations on the weekends. He is crazy about sports like soccer, cricket, tennis, or whichever comes to your mind. In his free time, he loves to watch movies, listen to songs and cook delicious food.
Christopher Xie, B.S.
Chris is a post-bachelor research tech in Dr. Iozzo's lab. He completed a summer internship in the lab in 2019 and decided to join the lab after finishing his degree at Haverford College in the class of 2020. Chris is working on the decorin project in which he is investigating the effect of decorin on tumor growth, metastases, and protein signaling with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models. He is an aspiring M.D., Ph.D. student.