2024
Rory Geyer
“The effect of the sympathetic nervous system signaling on the circadian trafficking of natural killer cells”
Friday, April 12, 2024
2:30 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Dr. Pramod Srivastava
Committee Members:
Dr. Robert Clark, Dr. Stefan Brocke, Dr. Kepeng Wang, Dr. Kimberly Dodge- Kafka
Andrew Harrison
“Characterization of UBXNs in Antiviral Immunity”
Monday, April 8, 2024
3:00 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Dr. Penghua Wang
Committee Members:
Dr. Sivapriya Kailasan Vanaja, Dr. Vijay Rathinam
Skylar Wright
“Bacterial and Vesicular Regulation of Pyroptosis”
Friday, April 5, 2024
2:00 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Dr. Vijay Rathinam
Committee Members:
Dr. Sivapriya Kailasan Vanaja, Dr. Carol Pilbeam, Dr. Jianbin Ruan, Dr. Beiyan Zhou
Dominique Martin
“The Effects of Metformin on Influenza Vaccination and Infection Responses”
Friday, April 3, 2024
2:00 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Dr. Jenna Bartley
Committee Members:
Dr. Evan Jellison, Dr. Laura Haynes, Dr. George Kuchel
Timofey Karginov
“RNA binding proteins determine T cell fate”
Friday, March 15, 2024
10:00 a.m.
Massey Auditorium
Major Advisor:
Dr. Anthony Vella
Committee Members:
Dr. Beiyan Zhou, Dr. Patrick Murphy, Dr. Zhichao Fan, Dr. Kimberly Dodge-Kafka
Summit Singhaviron
“Low Avidity T cells Drive Endogenous Tumor Immunity in Mice and Humans”
Thursday, February 29, 2024
2:00 p.m.
Massey Auditorium
Major Advisor:
Dr. Pramod Srivastava
Committee Members:
Dr. Robert Clark, Dr. Kimberly Dodge-Kafka
2023
Blake Torrance
“The Rolse of Cellular Senescence in Shaping the Aged Immune Response to Influenza Infection”
Friday, May 5, 2023
2:00 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Dr. Laura Haynes
Committee Members:
Dr. Jenna Bartley, Dr. Evan Jellison, Dr. Ming Xu
Swathy Ollikara Vasudevan
“A TLR4-Independent Critical Role for CD14 in Intracellular LPS Sensing”
Friday, March 31, 2023
2:00 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Dr. Vijay Rathinam
Committee Members:
Dr. Sivapriya Kailasan Vanaja, Dr. Penghua Wang, Dr. Zhichao Fan
2022
Elise Santorella
“Proteomic Analysis of Murine Meninges to Determine Cellular and Extracellular Structure”
Friday, December 9, 2022
12:30 p.m.
Low Learning Center and Webex
Major Advisor:
Dr. Joel Pachter
Committee Members:
Dr. Corey Acker
Dr. Robert Clark
2021
James Nevin
“The Effect of Sympathetic Nervous Tone of Myeloid Development and Tumor Immunity”
Friday, November 5, 2021
3 p.m.
Low Learning Center (by invitation only) and remotely
Major Advisor:
Dr. Pramod Srivastava
Committee Members:
Dr. Kepeng Wang
Dr. Robert Clark
For link, email anderson@uchc.edu and/or nevin@uchc.edu.
Marc Gilling
“Defining CD8 Epitopes of Mouse Carcinomas”
Friday, April 16, 2021
2 p.m.
Remotely
Major Advisor:
Dr. Pramod Srivastava
Committee Members:
Dr. Kepeng Wang
Dr. Robert Clark
For link, email anderson@uchc.edu and/or gilling@uchc.edu.
2020
Mariam Mathew George
“Defining the Phenotypes of Tumor-Infiltrating CD8+ T Lymphocytes in Mice Immunized with Neoepitopes”
Friday, October 23, 2020
3 p.m.
Remotely
Major Advisor:
Dr. Pramod Srivastava
Committee Members:
Dr. Linda Cauley
Dr. Robert Clark
For link, email anderson@uchc.edu and/or mgeorge@uchc.edu.
Ashley Russo
“Alarming outcomes of noncanonical inflammasome activation by cytosolic LPS”
Thursday, October 22, 2020
4 p.m.
Remotely
Major Advisor:
Dr. Vijay Rathinam
Committee Members:
Dr. Sivapriya Kailasan Vanaja
Dr. Juan Salazar
For link, email rathinam@uchc.edu and/or arusso@uchc.edu.
Xin (Cindy) Chen
“Role of Glucose Metabolism in Human T Cell Activation and Functions”
Monday, May 4, 2020
12 p.m.
Remotely
Major Advisor:
Derya Unutmaz, M.D.
Committee Members:
Pramod Srivastava, Ph.D., M.D.
Evan Jellison, Ph.D.
For link, email derya.unutmax@jax.org and/or xinchen@uchc.edu.
Spencer Keilich
“Influenza-induced muscle degradation: mechanisms of flu-induced disability with aging”
Monday, April 6, 2020
2 p.m.
Remotely
Major Advisor:
Laura Haynes, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Jenna Bartley, Ph.D.
Robert Clark, M.D.
George Kuchel, M.D.
Lynn Puddington, Ph.D.
Erica Lorenzo
“Examining the aged immune system: Elucidating the underlying mechanisms that promote more effective influenza response and regulate CD4 T cell subsets”
Monday, April 13, 2020
4 p.m.
Remotely
Major Advisor:
Laura Haynes, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Adam Adler, Ph.D.
Evan Jellison, Ph.D.
George Kuchel, M.D.
2019
Nicholas Wasko
“Systemic TLR2 Tolerance Enhances Central Nervous System Remyelination”
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
3 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Robert Clark, M.D.
Committee Members:
Joel Pachter, Ph.D.
Vijay Rathinam Ph.D.
Kepeng Wang Ph.D.
Richard Mains, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Lauren Sansing, M.D.
Yale University
Maria Xu
“Costimulation of CD8 T Cells promotes retention and innate-like function within nascent atherogenic foci”
Friday, April 26, 2019
3 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Anthony T. Vella, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Patrick A. Murphy Ph.D.
Carol Pilbeam, Ph.D., M.D.
Vijay A.K. Rathinam D.V.M, Ph.D.
Beiyan Zhou, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Eric J. Sundbery, Ph.D.
Institute of Human Virology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Bharat Behl
“Intracellular Host Defense in Microbial Infections”
Friday, May 3, 2019
3 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Vijay A.K. Rathinam, D.V.M, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Sivapriya Kailasan Vanaja, Ph.D.
Robert Clark, M.D.
Outside Reader:
Saumendra Sarkar, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
Sarah Benjamin
“Understanding MyD88-dependent and independent mechanisms of phagosomal signaling and inflammation elicited by Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete”
Thursday, January 17, 2019
3 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Juan Salazar, M.D., M.P.H.
Committee Members:
Justin Radolf, M.D.
Melissa Caimano, Ph.D.
Lynn Puddington, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
NYU School of Medicine
2018
Ishita Banerjee
“Cross-talk Between Different DNA Sensing Pathways in the Cytosol”
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
3 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Vijay Rathinam, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Saumendra Sarkar, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
Cory Brennick
“Defining Neoepitopes that Contribute to Tumor Immunity”
Friday, September 28, 2018
3 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Pramod Srivastava, Ph.D., M.D.
Committee Members:
Adam Adler, Ph.D.
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Andrea Schietinger, Ph.D.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Joseph Ryan
“Improving Combination Cancer Immunotherapy with a Novel, Dual-Specific Immunotherapeutic Platform that Links T Cell Costimulatory Pathways”
Friday, April 27, 2018
3 p.m.
Low Learning Center
Major Advisors:
Adam Adler, Ph.D.
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Robert Clark, M.D.
Carol Pilbeam, Ph.D., M.D.
Outside Reader:
Stephen Beers, Ph.D.
University of Southampton, UK
2017
Basak Ural
“Discovery of a yolk sac derived lung resident macrophage with distinct localization and polarization”
Monday, December 18, 2017
3 p.m.
Keller Auditorium
Major Advisor:
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Linda Cauley, Ph.D.
Robert Clark, M.D.
Laura Haynes, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Png Loke, Ph.D.
NYU Langone Health
April Masters
“Assessment of lymph node stromal cells as an underlying factor in age related immune impairment to influenza infection”
Friday, December 8, 2017
2 p.m.
Keller Auditorium
Major Advisor:
Laura Haynes, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Lynn Puddington Ph.D.
Kamal Khanna Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Marcia Blackman Ph.D.
Trudeau Institute
Sukrut Karandikar
“A study of MHC class I-restricted antigenicity of ovalbumin in pursuit of the definition of tumor specific epitopes involved in tumor rejection”
Thursday, August 17, 2017
2 p.m.
Keller Auditorium
Major Advisor:
Pramod K. Srivastava, Ph.D., M.D.
Committee Members:
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Margaret M. Callahan, M.D., Ph.D.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Julia Svedova
“Uncovering the Mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxin A-induced Systemic and Pulmonary Inflammation”
Thursday, June 22, 2017
3 p.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Hector Aguila, Ph.D.
Linda Cauley, Ph.D.
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Rance Berg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Cell Biology, Immunology and Microbiology
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Jeremy Grenier
“Modulating Antitumor T Cell Responses Using Cytomegalovirus-based Vaccines”
Monday, June 12, 2017
3 p.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Robert Clark, M.D.
Louise McCullough, M.D., Ph.D.
Lynn Puddington, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Mary Jo Turk, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Paurvi Shinde
“Investigating the role of adjuvants, Lipopolysaccharide and Polyionosinic:Polycytidilic acid in boosting CD4 T cell responses.”
Monday, February 27, 2017
3:30 p.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Andrei Medvedev, Ph.D.
Pramod Srivastava, Ph.D., M.D.
Outside Reader:
Steven Geary, Ph.D.
University of Connecticut
Mai Fujiwara
“Defective immune regulation in Multiple Sclerosis: E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b and TLR tolerance”
Friday, February 14, 2017
3 p.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Robert Clark, M.D.
Committee Members:
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Ulrike Lorenz, Ph.D.
University of Virginia
Oriana Perez
“Transcriptionally distinct splenic CD169+ macrophages orchestrate the innate immune response by regulating bacterial tropism and localization”
Friday, January 6, 2017
3:30 p.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Juan Salazar M.D., M.P.H.
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Thorsten Mempel, Ph.D., M.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard
2016
Roslyn Taylor
“Microglial Responses in Recovery After Intracerebral Hemorrhage”
Monday, April 25, 2016
3 p.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Lauren Sansing, M.D.
Committee Members:
Robert Clark, M.D.
Kamal Khanna, Ph.D.
Roger Thrall, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Jaroslaw Aronowski, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Texas
Yinghong Hu
“Smad4 and Transforming Growth Factor β Regulate the CD8 T Cell Response to Influenza Virus Infection”
Thursday, April 28, 2016
2 p.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Linda Cauley, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Stefan Brocke, M.D., Ph.D.
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Stokes Peebles, M.D.
Edward Usherwood, Ph.D.
Dartmouth College
Alex Adami
“The Role of the Microbiome in Regulating House Dust Mite Induced Asthma”
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
10 a.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Roger S. Thrall, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Joerg Graf, Ph.D.
Kamal M. Khanna, Ph.D.
Craig M. Schramm, M.D.
Outside Reader:
Julia Oh, Ph.D.
Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine
Emily Anstadt
“Mimicking the Microbiome: TLR Tolerance as a Treatment for CNS Autoimmunity”
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
2:30 p.m.
Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center
Major Advisor:
Robert B. Clark, M.D.
Committee Members:
Frank Nichols, D.M.D., Ph.D.
T.V. Rajan, M.D., Ph.D.
Lauren Sansing, M.D.
Anthony Vella, Ph.D.
Outside Reader:
Nancy H. Ruddle, Ph.D.
Yale University