T32 Past Trainees

Recent T32 Alumni

Penn Derm T32 Alumni Directory Listing

Jordan Harris, BS

• Appointment: 2020-2022, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Taku Kambayashi, Elizabeth Grice, PhD
• Project: The Trigger and Homeostatic Function of a Novel Immune-Sebum Circuit
• Current Position: PhD Candidate, University of Pennsylvania.
  • Jordan defended his thesis in the May 2023 and has returned to medical school to continue hid clinical training.

Ellen White, BS

• Appointment: 2021-2022, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Elizabeth Grice, PhD
• Project: Skin-microbial based mechanisms of accelerated wound healing
• Current Position: PhD Candidate, University of Pennsylvania.
  • Ellen is set to defend her thesis in the Summer 2023 and will return to medical school in the fall to continue her clinical training.

Alex Maldonado Lopez, BS

• Appointment: 2020-2022, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Brian Capell, MD, PhD
• Project: Characterizing the METTL3-m6A epitranscriptome in epidermal homeostasis and carcinogenesis
• Current Position: PhD Candidate, University of Pennsylvania.
  • Alex is set to defend her thesis in the Summer 2023 and has accepted a postdoc position in industry.  

Matthew Hedberg, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2020-2022 Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: John Seykora, MD, PhD
• Project: Interrogation of immune editing and immunosurveillance in the carcinogenesis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
• Current Position: Clinical Instructor, Dept of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania.

Emily Baumrin, MD

• Appointment: 2020-2022 Postdoctoral, MSCE Program
• Mentor: Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE
• Project: Chronic cutaneous graft versus host disease: development and validation of a skin-specific patient-reported outcome measure
• Current Position: Clinical Instructor, Dept of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania.

Anna Kersh, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2019-2021, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: Thomas Leung, MD, PhD
• Project: Elucidating Genes Involved in the Pathogenesis of Lichen Planus and Lichenoid Dermatoses
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, Dept of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania.
  • Dr. Kersh was recently promoted to the clinical faculty at Penn Dermatology!

Christina Go, PhD

• Appointment: 2020-2022 Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Phillip Scott, PhD
• Project: Inflammasome activation in cutaneous leishmaniasis
• Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania.

Christoph T. Ellebrecht, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2019-2020, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: Aimee Payne, MD, PhD
• Project: Development and Characterization of Chimeric Antigen Receptor for the Treatment of GD T cell Diseases
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, Dept of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania.
  • Dr. Ellebrecht is now a tenure-track research faculty in Penn Dermatology and is training the next generation of skin researchers!

John Barbieri, MD, MBA

• Appointment: 2019, Postdoctoral with Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology
• Mentor: David Margolis, MD, PhD, MSCE
• Project: Providing high-value care in Dermatology.
• Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Further Training)

Amelia McCready-Vangi, PhD

• Appointment: 2019, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Elizabeth Grice, PhD
• Project: A study to Determine the Role of Staphylococcus aureus in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Clinical Outcome
• Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Further Training)

Shaun Egolf

• Appointment: 2019, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Brian Capell, MD, PhD
• Project: Interrogating the KMT2D-LSD1 Enhancer Axis During Epidermal Homeostasis and Disease
• Current Position: Predoctoral Trainee, Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Further Training)
  • Shaun Egolf was recently awarded F99/K00 from the NIH – Congratulations Shaun!

Yoko Suzuki-Horiuchi, PhD

• Appointment: 2018, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: John Seykora, MD, PhD
• Project: How UV irradiation induces skin cancer
• Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Further Training)

Laurice Flowers, PhD

• Appointment: 2017, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Elizabeth Grice, PhD
• Project: Investigating the mechanisms by which the skin microbiota provides colonization resistance to staphylococcus
• Current Position: Fellow Medical and Public Health, Microbiology, Indiana School of Medicine (Further-training)

Mackenzie Wehner, MD

• Appointment: 2017, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: David Margolis, MD, PhD, MSCE
• Project: Skin cancer epidemiology and geriatric dermatology
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Texas, MD Anderson Caner Center (Primarily research)

Donna Brennan-Crispi, PhD

• Appointment: 2016, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: Wnt signaling and histone deacetylase functions in the development and regeneration of the epidermis and its appendages
• Current Position: Senior Research Investigator & Associate Director of Basic Research, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Research-related)

Casey Bartow-McKenney, PhD

• Appointment: 2016, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Elizabeth Grice, PhD
• Project: Interactions of the skin microbiome with mammalian hosts and implications for human health
• Current Position: Data Scientist, Aetna (Primarily research)

Deborah J. Moran, PhD

• Appointment: 2016, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: Transcription factor-mediated recruitment of HDAC3
• Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Further Training)

Cory L. Simpson, MD, PhD, FAAD

• Appointment: 2015, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: Erika Holzbaur, PhD
• Project: Role of autophagy in epidermal differentiation and homeostasis
• Current Position: Assistant Professor of Dermatology, University of Washington (Research-intensive)
  • Dr. Simpson continues his career as a physician-scientist with his appointment as Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Washington in Fall 2021 – Congratulations, Cory!

Joy Wan, MD, MSCE

• Appointment: 2015, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program, with Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology
• Mentor: David Margolis, MD, PhD, MSCE
• Project: Investigating early and late onset atopic dermatitis
• Current Position: Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University (Research-intensive)
  • Dr. Wan will be continuing her career as a physician-scientist with her appointment as Assistant Professor of Dermatology at John Hopkins University in Fall 2021 –  Congratulations, Joy!

Xiaoling Zhang, PhD

• Appointment: 2015, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: The functions of Wnt signaling and chromatin regulators in development and homeostasis of the epidermis and its appendages
• Current Position: Toxicologist, Procter & Gamble (Research-related)

Christopher Natale, PhD

• Appointment: 2015, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Todd Ridky, MD, PhD
• Project: Sex steroid regulation of melanocyte homeostasis
• Current Position: Vice President of Research Linnaeus Therapeutics, LLC (Primarily Research)

Megan Farrell, PhD

• Appointment: 2014, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Dongeun (Dan) Huh, PhD & George Cotsarelis, MD, PhD
• Project: Establish techniques and methods to fabricate a micropattemed hair follicle for use as an in vitro assay
• Current Position: Research Scientist, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania (Further training)

Michael Tejada Cho, PhD

• Appointment: 2014, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Aimee Payne, MD, PhD
• Project: Shared autoantibody VH gene usage in pemphigus vulgaris
• Current Position: Senior Manager, Glaxosmithkline (Research-related)

Michael A. Loesche, PhD

• Appointment: 2014, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Elizabeth Grice, PhD
• Project: Determining the prognostic value of the skin microbiome in diseases of the skin
• Current Position: Resident, Massachusetts General Hospital (Further training)

Katrina Elaine Abuabara, MD, MSCE

• Appointment: 2013, Postdoctoral, with Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology
• Mentor: Joel Geldand, MD, MSCE
• Project: Patient oriented research epidemiology, clinical trials
• Current Position: Associate Professor, UCSF (Research-intensive)

Jing Chen, PhD

• Appointment: 2013, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: John Stanley, MD, PhD
• Project: Antigen-spedific B cell repertoire of bullous pemphigoid patients
• Current Position: Principal Scientist, Spirovant (Research-related)

Brendan Hodkinson, PhD

• Appointment: 2013, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Elizabeth Grice, PhD
• Project: Computational analysis of host-microbe interactions at the skin surface
• Current Position: Scientist, Computational Biology, Oncology Translational Research, Janssen R&D (Research-intensive)

Christine Lynn Monteleon, PhD

• Appointment: 2013, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Todd Ridky, MD, PhD
• Project: Mechanisms underlying human skin cancers using organotypic/xenografting models
• Current Position: Research Scientist, Emerald Therapeutics (Research-intensive)

Elizabeth Kennedy Duperret, PhD

• Appointment: 2013, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Todd Ridky, MD, PhD
• Project: Role of Integrins in Skin Homeostatis and Neoplasia
• Current Position: Research Scientist, Bristol Laboratories (Primarily research)

Brian Capell, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2012, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: Shelly Berger, PhD
• Project: The role of the Nuclear lamina and large-scale change in the epigenetic landscape in skin aging and senescence
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Research-intensive)

Ana Maria Misic, PhD

• Appointment: 2012, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Elizabeth Grice, PhD
• Project: Microbial population dynamics in households with methicillin resistant staphylococcus
• Current Position: Scientist, Illumina Research-related

Tina Ho, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2012, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Michael Marks, PhD
• Project: Functional amyloid in melanosome biogenesis
• Current Position: Clinical Instructor, University of Cincinnati (Primarily Clinical)

Eric Mukherjee, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2012, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Aimee Payne, MD, PhD
• Project: The role of autoantibody isotype in pemphigus pathogenesis
• Current Position: Resident, Dermatology, Vanderbilt University (Further Training)

Michael Gober, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2011, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: John Seykora, MD, PhD
• Project: Fibroblast grown factor (FGF) gamma/delta T cell function in hair follicle neogenesis
• Current Position: Physician, Private Practice, Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists (Other)

Phillip David Holler, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2011, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: George Cotsarelis, MD, PhD
• Project: Fibroblast grown factor (FGF) gamma/delta T cell function in hair follicle neogenesis
• Current Position: Clinical Associate, University of Pennsylvania (Other)

Howa Yeng, MD

• Appointment: 2011, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE
• Project: Comparative Effectiveness of Commonly Used Treatments in Moderate to Severe Psoriasis
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, Emory University (Research-Related)

Brian Kim, MD, MTR

• Appointment: 2010, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: David Artis, PhD
• Project: The role of thymic stromal lumphopoietin interleukin-33 and basophils in atopic dermatitis
• Current Position: Associate Professor, Co-director, Center for the study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine (Research-intensive)

Fang Liu, PhD

• Appointment: 2010, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: Regulation of oral appendage and mammary gland development
• Current Position: Principal Scientist, Johnson & Johnson (Research-intensive)

Daniel Shin, PhD

• Appointment: 2010, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE
• Project: The risk of MI in patients with psoriasis
• Current Position: Research Associate, Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Research-related)

David Enis, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2009, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: Mark Kahn, MD
• Project: Role of Ccbe 1 in lymphangiogenesis
• Current Position: Physician, Abington Memorial Hospital (Primarily clinical)

Matthew R. LeBoeuf, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2009, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: Chromatin remodeling in epidermal and hair follicle development
• Current Position: Assistant Professor Surgery, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth (Research-Related)

Monica Teta-Bissett, PhD

• Appointment: 2009, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: Determining the roles of Dicer and microRNAs in the hair follicles of adult mice
• Current Position: Post-doctoral fellow, University of Pennsylvania (Further Training)

Leslie A. Castelo-Soccio, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2008, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: George Cotsarelis, MD, PhD
• Project: Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying formation of blue nevi
• Current Position: Assistant Professor Dept. of Pediatrics, Pediatric Dermatology University of Pennsylvania (Research-related)

John E. Harris, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2008, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: Laurence Turka, MD
• Project: Pathogenesis of vitiligo
• Current Position: Professor and Chair, Dermatology, University of Massachusetts (Research-related)

Amy C. Musiek, MD

• Appointment: 2008, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Alain Rook, MD H. and Ellen Kim, MD
• Project: Clinical Trials in advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
• Current Position: Associate Professor,Dermatology, Washington University in St. Louis (Research-related)

Erica D. Dommasch, MD

• Appointment: 2008, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE
• Project: Epidemiologic studies in psoriasis
• Current Position: Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Research-related)

Rachel S. Klein, MD

• Appointment: 2008, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Victoria Werth, MD
• Project: Development of the CLASI as a tool to measure disease severity and responsiveness to therapy in cutaneous lupus erythematosus
• Current Position: Private Practice, Accent Dermatology & Laser Center (Other)

Siamak Moghadam-Kia, MD

• Appointment: 2007, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Victoria Werth, MD
• Project: Epidemiologic studies of cutaneous lupus
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, Rheumatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Research-related)

Peggy S. Myung, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2007, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: George Cotsarelis, MD, PhD
• Project: Hair follicle regeneration
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, Dermatology and Pathology, Yale School of Medicine (Research-intensive)

Roelke, Craig T

• Appointment: 2007, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: Molecular mechanisms underlying dermatofibroma
• Current Position: Physician, North Memorial Medical Center (Other)

Shanu K. Kurd, MD

• Appointment: 2007, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE
• Project: Risk of anxiety, depression and suicide in patients with psoriasis
• Current Position: Chief Medical Officer, HealthJoy (Other)

Cooper Wriston, MD

• Appointment: 2007, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Michael Ming, MD, MSCE
• Project: Elastosis and melanoma survival
• Current Position: Physician, Private Practice, Skin Care Doctors (Other)

Anokhi H. Jambusariia, MD, MSCE

• Appointment: 2006, Postdoctoral, with Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology
• Mentor: Chrysalyne Schmults, MD
• Project: Prediction of metastasis in patient with high risk SCC of the skin
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, UT Austin Dell School of Medicine (Research-related)

Elias E. Ayli, DO

• Appointment: 2006, Predoctoral
• Mentor: John Seykora, MD, PhD
• Project: Activation of Src-tyrosine kinases in cutanesous neoplasia; the role of Grb 2 in regulating Srcasm Function
• Current Position: Physician, Private Practice, Henghold Skin Health & Surgery Group (Other)

Elizabeth L. Gaines, MD

• Appointment: 2006, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Victoria Werth, MD
• Project: Epidemiology of cutaneous LE
• Current Position: Physician, Private Practice, Connecticut Dermatology Group (Other)

Andrea L. Neimann, MBBch, MSCE

• Appointment: 2005, Postdoctoral, with Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology
• Mentor: Joel Geldand, MD, MSCE
• Project: Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, Dermatology, NYU School of Medicine (Research-related)

Stephen K. Richardson, MD

• Appointment: 2005, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Alain Rook, MD H.
• Project: Immune dysregulation in cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
• Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor, Florida State College of Medicine (Research-related)

Anand Bansal, Do

• Appointment: 2005, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Steve Fakharzadeh, MD, PhD
• Project: Genetic basis of basal cell carcinoma
• Current Position: Physician, University of Pennsylvania (Other)

Jeremy A. Brauer, MD

• Appointment: 2005, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Michael Ming, MD, MSCE
• Project: A comparison of risk factors early and late melanoma metastases
• Current Position: Physician, Private Practice, Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York (Other)

Kenneth A. Katz, MD

• Appointment: 2004, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: David Margolis, MD, PhD, MSCE
• Project: Prevalence and Factors Associated with the use of placebo control groups in RCT in Psoriasis
• Current Position: Dermatologist and Chief, Outpatient Pharmacy and Therapeutics, SF Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente; Editorial Board member Jama Dermatology (Other)

Aimee S. Payne, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2004, Postdoctoral, 2+2 Program
• Mentor: John Stanley, MD, PhD
• Project: Cloning pemphigus antibodies by phage display
• Current Position: Professor, Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Research-intensive)

Natalie Gallant, MD

• Appointment: 2004, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: Wnt regulation of taste bud development
• Current Position: Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, UC Irvine (Research-related)

Joerg Albrecht, MD

• Appointment: 2003, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Victoria Werth, MD
• Project: Ethical and methodological problems in clinical research
• Current Position: Assistant Professor, Dermatology, Rush University Medical Center (Research-related)

Julie H. Lin, MD

• Appointment: 2003, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Victoria Werth, MD
• Project: Genetic polymorphisms in autoimmune skin disease
• Current Position: Associate Professor, Medicine, the University of Vermont Larner College school of medicine (Research-related)

Vu H. Nguyen, MD

• Appointment: 2003, Postdoctoral
• Mentor: Mary Mullins, PhD
• Project:
• Current Position: Private practice, Carlsbad Vista Dermatology (Other)

Emily Chu, MD, PhD

• Appointment: 2002, Predoctoral
• Mentor: Sarah Millar, PhD
• Project: Wnt signaling in epithelial and mammary gland development
• Current Position: Associate Professor, Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania (Research-related)