New Member Mini-Bios

I am Hosu Kim, MD. I always make a point of listening to others and learning their perspectives and habits as much as I can. At present, I am conducting translational medicine research as a full-time graduate student at the Seoul National University College of Medicine. Leveraging my research experience [READ MORE]

I am Biljana Riemelmoser, a PhD student at the University of Geneva. My research focuses on skin immunology and the function of Interleukin-38, an understudied cytokine involved in immune barrier regulation. More broadly, I am interested in how host–microbiota interactions regulate skin homeostasis and shape barrier function. I am excited [READ MORE]

I am Briana Mercado, a Brown University PhD candidate in my third year in the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry graduate program, conducting research in the lab of George Lisi. Her work explores how redox-sensitive cysteine and methionine residues shape the structure, dynamics, and allosteric regulation of the cytokines [READ MORE]

I am Juliana de Oliveira Ribeiro, a PhD student in Microbiology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil. My research focuses on mucosal immunology and the gut-lung axis, investigating how TAM receptors regulate intestinal homeostasis during chronic exposure to cigarette smoke. I am interested in how cytokine [READ MORE]

I am Lucas Mendes-Monteiro, a PhD student in virology based in Hannover, Germany. My research focuses on varicella-zoster virus (VZV) pathogenesis, particularly on how the viral glycoprotein C binds IFN-γ and shapes downstream gene expression. More broadly, I am interested in how viruses rewire cytokine signaling to promote infection and [READ MORE]

Dr. María M Caffarel is an Ikerbasque Researcher at the Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute (formerly known as Biodonostia) in San Sebastian (Spain) where she leads the Breast Cancer group within the Oncology Area. Her team’s main focus is the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in breast cancer progression, with [READ MORE]

Immunology is a field that gives you a very systems-level view of your body, meaning it’s not restricted to one location,” says Labarta-Bajo. “Your immune system moves around your body, visiting your skin, your brain, your intestines. It’s constantly circulating, surveying, making sure everything is in place. So I felt [READ MORE]

Mr. Suraj Gupta is a fourth-year PhD Research Scholar at the Department of Pharmacy, BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, India, working under the supervision of Professor Sajeli Begum. His research involves the development of novel small-molecule cytokine inhibitors. A passionate medicinal chemistry enthusiast, his journey began during his B.Pharm and M.Pharm [READ MORE]

Dominic Ritacco is a graduate student in the Gaudet lab at Columbia University’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Dominic received his B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has previously conducted infectious disease research in the Moormann lab at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and cell [READ MORE]

Dr. Chen Yao is an assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Having earned her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Kaplan, Dr. Yao furthered her expertise through postdoctoral training in the systems immunology laboratory led by Dr. John [READ MORE]