Trainees

Current Trainees

Tommy Destefanis

Tommy DeStefanis
2024 - 2025
Mentor: Rebecca Lynch, Ph.D.
Research Interests:  Studying HIV escape pathways from broadly neutralizing antibodies. 
Background: B.S in Biochemistry and B.A in Art History from Villanova University, Honors Program, Graduation Summa Cum Laude

Email: tommy.destefanis@gwu.edu
Amber Douglass

Amber Douglass
2024 - 2025
Mentor: Sanjay Maggirwar, Ph.D. 
Research Interests:  Understanding the effector functions of γδ T cells and their interactions with other immune effector cells to improve the efficacy of γδ T cells against HIV and associated malignancies.
Background: B.S. in Biochemistry and Biology from St. Mary's College of Maryland, Graduation with distinction. Post-baccalaureate at the National Institutes of Health.

Email: amber.douglass@gwu.edu
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Gabriel Galeotos
2023-2024
Mentor: Rebecca Lynch, PhD
Research Interests: The effect of autologous antibodies on HIV escape from broadly neutralizing antibodies.
Background: BS in Biology from University of New Haven, Honors program, Graduation with Distinction

Email: ggale1@gwu.edu
Jonathan Lochner

Jonathan Lochner
2024 - 2025
Mentor: Alberto Bosque-Pardos, Ph.D. 
Research Interests: Investigating the effect of latency reversal agents on MHC-I expression on CD4+ T cells.\
Background: B.S. in Chemical Biomolecular Engineering and Biochemistry from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Research Assistant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Email: jonathan.lochner@gwu.edu
Past Trainees
​​​​​​​Joshua Ghofrani

Joshua Ghofrani
2022-2024
Mentor: Rohan Fernandes, PhD
Research Interests: Studying Nanomaterials-based immuno-engineering approaches to combat HIV. Background: B.S in Biology from Boston College, Research Assistant at the Center for Virology & Vaccine Research (CVVR), Harvard Medical School.

Email: jghofrani@gwu.edu

 

Claudia Melo headshot

Claudia Melo
2023-2024
Mentor: Alberto Bosque, PhD
Research Interests: Studying the role of bnabs and signaling pathways on NK cells to understand the immunological implications for HIV cure strategies. Background: B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Chemistry from Brooklyn College, CUNY. Research intern at the Center for Biomedical Research at Population Council at Rockefeller University. MARC and C-STEP scholar, PHI THETA KAPPA member, Graduation Cum laude.

Email: cmelo34@gwu.edu

 

Teresa Murphy headshot

Teresa Murphy
2021-2023
Mentor: Rebecca Lynch, PhD
Research Interests: Studying viral escape of HIV from broadly neutralizing antibodies. Background: BS in Biology from Penn State University, Research Assistant at the Hepatitis B Foundation, Dean’s List for three consecutive years.

Email: tmurphy14@gwu.edu

 

​​​​​​Brita Ostermeier

Brita Ostermeier
2022-2024
Mentor: Sanjay Maggirwar, PhD
Research Interests: Studying HIV infection and latency in microglia and interactions with immune effector cells. Background: BS in Biochemistry and BS in Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Biochemistry Scholars Program, Graduation with Distinction

Email: bostermeier@gwu.edu

 

Carissa Stover

Carissa Stover
2021-2023
Mentor: Alberto Bosque, PhD, MBA
Research Interests: Role of sex hormones in HIV latency.
Background: BS in Biology from Wichita State University, Emory Lindquist Honors Scholar, Postbac at NIH.

Email: cjstover@gwu.edu