Mohammad Rashidian Principal Investigator, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School Dr. Rashidian's research focuses on leveraging protein engineering to create novel imaging probes and immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. These imaging probes have the potential to aid in the diagnosis of challenging conditions like myocarditis or unexplained fevers. A specific area of interest is the development of immunotherapies aimed at guiding cellular therapies, such as CAR T or NK cells, toward the formation of enduring memory cells. Mohammad's multidisciplinary interests encompass immunology, imaging, protein engineering, and chemical biology. He initiated the lab at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the summer of 2019.
Taha Rakhshandehroo ACS Postdoctoral Fellow Taha is an American Cancer Society (ACS) postdoctoral research fellow that started on October 2019. He completed his Ph.D. at UC San Diego in the lab of Dr. David Cheresh. His previous work involved understanding the paracrine effects of the secretome of cancer stem cells. Taha is utilizing his molecular biology background in concert with our labs chemical biology and immunology specialty to develop novel immunotherapeutics and imaging agents.
Shreya Mantri Harvard BBS PhD student Shreya is a PhD student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences PhD program at Harvard Medical School. She obtained her BSc in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles where she also worked as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Utpal Banerjee studying hematopoiesis in the Drosophila Melanogaster model system. After an internship experience in Ira Mellman's lab in the Cancer Immunology department at Genentech, she developed a keen interest in the field of cancer immunotherapy and hopes to devote her PhD to discoveries that will ultimately improve the lives of cancer patients.
Jenny Rowley Harvard Medical Student Jenny is a medical student at Harvard Medical School who is completing a research year focused on studying novel immuno-PET imaging markers through an HMS Research Fellowship. She obtained her BA from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master’s in Reproductive Science at Northwestern University, where she completed thesis work studying inflammatory changes in the aging ovary. In the future, she aspires to bring together her passion for research, women’s health and imaging as a radiologist with a focus on molecular imaging of women’s cancers. Outside the lab, she is a proud mom of a dog and over 100 plants (and counting!).
Ukjae Lee Postdoctoral Fellow Ukjae is a Sejong Fellowship postdoctoral research fellow who joined our lab in August 2023. He earned his Ph.D. from Seoul National University under the mentorship of Prof. Byung-Gee Kim. His prior research focused on the rational design of tyrosinase and its biomedical applications, including the development of photoactivatable tyrosinase and tyrosinase immobilization. In our lab, Ukjae leverages his expertise in protein engineering to develop innovative immunotherapies.
Soheil Tavakolpour PhD Student Soheil is a PhD student in Molecular Genetics. His primary research interest is in immunology, especially autoimmune disease. He has finished his MSc in IAU-Science and Research Branch, Tehran, and is currently a PhD student there. In the past few years, Soheil has published several papers mostly focusing on “pemphigus”, a devastating autoimmune disease. He is now working on developing novel treatments for autoimmune diseases.
Benjamin Louis Research Technician Benjamin started his journey in our lab during his master's thesis at EPFL, where he excelled and achieved the highest score. Impressed by his dedication and skills, he chose to continue contributing to our lab as a research technician before starting his Ph.D. studies. Prior to joining Dana-Farber, he dedicated six months to research in Joerg Huelsken’s lab, focusing on innovative drug cocktails targeting colorectal cancer subpopulations. Currently, Benjamin's research is centered on studying the behaviour of CAR T cells in vivo.
Léa Berland MD PhD Student Léa is a student from the MD PhD French program INSERM. She finished her third year of medicine in Nice Sophia Antipolis Medical School and her Master in Immunology at La Sorbonne, University of Paris. She's currently doing her PhD in Dr Rashidian's lab. She previously completed a research internship to study the response of lung cancer patients to immunotherapy in Nice, France, before completing another internship in Dr. Calin's team at MD Anderson, Houston. To be at the heart of scientific discovery and at the cutting edge of medicine would be her dearest wish; with research, it is possible to excel in medical practice in order to provide the best care to patients.
Radia Khan Graduate student Radia is a Life Science Engineering master’s student, specializing in cellular and molecular engineering, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). She is pursuing her master’s thesis in our lab. She developed an interest in cancer research during her internship at Helix in San Diego. She has also worked at the Suter lab at EPFL for a semester project, where she developed cell lines to quantitatively study transcription factors. After taking a few projects in immunology-related courses at EPFL, she discovered that oncology and immunotherapy are the fields of research where she would like to dedicate her future. Just before joining the lab, she completed her internship at HemostOD in Switzerland, where she worked on a very innovative project involving cancer and platelets. Her team engineered platelets to express CAR and deliver therapeutics to specific cancers. She is excited to work on CAR-T cell projects at the lab and make a valuable impact on patients' lives. Outside of the lab, she is a passionate hiker and traveler and loves to cook.
Harris Allen Research Technician Harris became a part of our lab during his second year at Harvard University in 2021. Following his graduation, he continued his journey with us as a research technician, with aspirations to attend medical school and specialize as a surgical oncologist. Beyond his academic pursuits, Harris holds the position of President at the Harvard Immunology Club, dedicates his time as an SAT tutor for the CHANCE organization, and actively participates in the Physician Mentoring Program. In his leisure moments, he finds joy in skiing, soccer, and lacrosse.
Leïla Munaretto Research Technician Leïla is a former graduate student who successfully completed her master's thesis in our lab. She holds a master's degree in life sciences engineering from EPFL University in Switzerland. Her journey with us began in April 2023 when she embarked on her master's thesis project. Her fascination with cancer biology and bioengineering was sparked during her undergraduate studies when she first encountered an oncology course. From that point forward, she has remained committed to developing innovative solutions in the fight against cancer. Following the completion of her master's degree, Leïla made the decision to continue her work in our lab as a research technician while preparing her application for a PhD program. Outside of the laboratory, she enjoys various activities, including swimming, scuba diving, and traveling with her friends.
ElisabethCodet Graduate Student Elisabeth is a graduate student at EPFL University in Switzerland currently pursuing her master's degree in life sciences engineering with a focus on Biomedical Engineering. Prior to joining our lab in September 2023, she gained experience working in Carlotta Guiducci's lab, where she contributed to a project involving neurodegenerative disease diagnostics using microfluidics devices. Her interest in immunoengineering, which grew during her studies at EPFL, led her to our lab. Elisabeth is motivated to apply engineering principles to the medical field, particularly in cancer research. Outside of her academic life, she enjoys activities like golfing, hiking, and cooking.
Zeina Gabr Graduate Student Zeina is a life sciences engineering master's student from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). She joined the Lab to pursue her master's project. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she developed a strong interest in cancer biology and the development of immunotherapies. This influenced her choice to focus on cellular and molecular engineering for her master's program. During her studies, Zeina joined EPFL's Oricchio lab for an internship project, where she explored the impact of whole genome doubling on chromatin structure and cancer development in Barrett's esophagus pre-cancerous cells. She is also enthusiastic about the application of data science and machine learning in bioengineering and medicine.
Simone Bionda Graduate Student
Simone, a dedicated EPFL master's student in life sciences engineering, is on a mission, embarking on his master's project at the Lab. His academic journey was inspired by a deep fascination with cancer biology and the potential of immunotherapies, cultivated during his undergraduate years. Additionally, Simone has hands-on experience in stem cell technologies and breast cancer, gained during his time at the Brisken lab and HemostOD Sa, further enriching his expertise.
Previous lab members:
Ester Simkova Graduate student (2023) LinkedIn profile Ester, a former Master's student in Life Sciences Engineering from EPFL University in Switzerland, conducted her master's thesis research in our lab, and achieved the highest score for her outstanding work. She has since continued her academic journey and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at EPFL.