The Present: Current members of the Lab at the
Biopond, University of Pennsylvania, Standing (L to
R) Sasha Bogdanovich, Caroline Ketterer, Murat T. Budak,
Utpal Basu, Ulrike Zeiger, Santhosh Baby and Sitting
(L to R) Eugenia C. Pacheco-Pinedo, Tejvir S. Khurana,
Olga Lozynska, Neal A. Rubinstein, Martin H.J. Wiesen
& Gabriel Willmann (2005). Caroline & Murat work with
our collaborator on EOMs, Prof.
Neal Rubinstein.
The Past: The lab started functioning in 1997-98
at the Dept. of Clinical Biochemistry and Experimental
Medicine, Glostrup Hospital, Denmark. Glostrup Hospital
is one of the main teaching hospitals of the University
of Copenhagen. During this time the lab consisted of
the P.I. along with Lisbeth Sorensen & Lene Jensen (technicians),
Carsten Niemann (medical student), Mads Gyrd-Hansen
& Thomas O.B. Krag (graduate students).
In 2000 the lab relocated to the University of Pennsylvania.
Pix from lab @ Penn c. 2003: L to R. Thomas O.B. Krag,
Sasha Bogdanovich, Kelly J. Perkins, Tejvir S. Khurana. |
|
|
|
Thomas joined the lab as a Copenhagen University graduate
student, having obtained his masters (in protein biochemistry)
from Odense University, Denmark where he trained with
Dr. Peter Hojrup. His Ph. D. thesis concerned Utrophin
promoter regulation and was undertaken both in Denmark
and at Penn. Thesis Title: Amelioration of the dystrophic
mdx phenotype mediated by pharmacological compounds.
He is currently a post-doc at the Copenhagen Muscle
Research Center, National Hospital (Rigshospitalet),
University of Copenhagen. Thomas
Publications.
E-mail: thomas_krag@hotmail.com
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Carsten joined the lab while he was a medical student
at University of Copenhagen. His thesis undertaken as
part of the OSVAL II track research elective for University
of Copenhagen medical students, concerned the identification
of genes expressed in the extraocular muscles. Thesis
Title: Analysis of differences in gene expression between
extraocular muscle and limb muscle by means of differential
display: Implications for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Carsten did his residency in Hematology/Medicine at
the National Hospital (Rigshospitalet), University of
Copenhagen, where he is working towards his Ph. D. Carsten
Publications.
Email: niemann@dadlnet.dk
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Mads joined the lab as a graduate student at University
of Copenhagen. His M.Sc. thesis concerned co-operability
in the regulation of the utrophin promoter. Thesis
Title: Identification and characterization of regulatory
mechanisms controlling transcription of utrophin.
Mads is currently in the lab of Dr. Marja Jäätellä at
the Danish Cancer Society, University of Copenhagen,
from where he obtained his PhD. Mads
Publications.
E-mail: mgh@gyrd.dk
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Dominik joined the lab for a research elective as a
first year medical student at University of Witten/Herdecke,
Germany. His research concerned GeneChip based expression
profiling of extraocular muscles. He is currently finishing
his medical studies in Germany. Dominik
Publications.
E-mail: m.d.fischer@web.de
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Sasha joined the lab as a post-doc after completing
his medical degree and training from the University
of Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro. He also got his
masters degree (in physiology) from University of Novi
Sad. He is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at the Faculty
of Medicine University of Novi Sad. Thesis Title:
Myostatin blockade for functional improvement of Duchenne's
dystrophic phenotype. His project concerns understanding
the molecular mechanisms of myostatin's actions on muscle
and the development of myostatin blockade strategies
for muscular dystrophy therapy. Sasha has been awarded
a career developmental grant from the Muscular Dystrophy
Association, USA for his research. Sasha
Publications.
E-mail: sashab@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Kelly joined the lab as a post-doc after receiving her
D. Phil. at Oxford University, England, where she trained
with Dr. Kay Davies. Thesis Title: Molecular and
functional analysis of the transcriptional regulation
of utrophin. Kelly got her B. Sc. (Hon) degree
in Molecular Genetics at The Women's and Children's
Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, where she trained with
Dr. John Hopwood. She is currently back at Oxford doing
a post-doc with Dr. Nick Proudfoot. Kelly
Publications.
E-mail: perkinsk@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
: Olga obtained her masters degree
in biochemistry at Kiev State University, Ukraine. Prior
to joining the lab she worked for Prof. Charles Emerson
Jr. at Penn, characterizing the expression pattern and
localization of the quail sulphatase gene. Her current
projects focus on cloning and expression of therapeutic
myostatin pro-peptide molecules. She is also performing
laser capture microdissection to identify and characterize
the transcriptome in extraocular muscle and other tissues.
Olga
Publications. Email: lozynska@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
: Murat joined the lab as a post-doc
after completing his medical degree at Hacettepe University,
Turkey and Ph. D. degree at Gazi University, Turkey. Thesis
Title: EGF effect on ocular surface wound healing. He
did a post-doc with Dr. J. Mario Wolosin at Mt. Sinai
School of Medicine, New York on ocular surface stem cell
isolation/characterization. His current project (in the
Khurana & Rubinstein labs) concerns characterizing
extraocular muscle transcriptome and stem cells. Murat
Publications. Email: mtbudak@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Ulrike joined the lab after receiving her masters degree
in molecular medicine at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg,
Germany. Her projects concern the characterization of
extraocular muscles, including their calcium homeostasis,
miRNA expression patterns and expression of satellite
cell markers on single muscle fibers. Ulrike
publications.
E-mail: ulrikez@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Martin joined the lab for a research elective as a final
year medical student at University of Witten/Herdecke,
Germany. His research concerns characterization of M-lines
and M-line containing fibers in extraocular muscles.
Martin is currently doing his internship in Cologne,
Germany. Martin
Publications.
E-mail: wiesenm@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
: Utpal joined the lab as a post-doc
after completing his masters degree in Biochemistry at
the University of Calcutta, and his Ph.D. at Saha Institute
of Nuclear Physics, India, where he trained with Dr. Subrata
Banerjee. Thesis Title: Development of a novel viral vector
for gene therapy of hematological disorders. His project
concerns understanding the molecular mechanisms of utrophin
promoter regulation. Utpal
Publications Email: utpal@mail.med.upenn.edu |
| |
|
|
 |
|
: Eugenia joined the lab as a
post-doc after completing her medical degree, masters
degree (Immunology) and medical training from the University
of Antioquia , Colombia. Her project concerns characterizing
extraocular muscle stem cells and developing their therapeutic
potential. Eugenia
Publications. Email: pachecop@mail.med.upenn.edu |
| |
|
|
|
|
Santhosh joined the lab as a post-doc, after training
as a fellow in respiratory physiology, carotid body
and hypoxia with Prof. Sukhamay Lahiri at Penn. He received
his masters degree in general zoology at Mahatma Gandhi
University, India and his Ph.D. in neuroscience from
Nagpur University, India and Justus Leibig University,
Germany. Thesis title: Role of neuropeptides in the
regulation of reproduction in vertebrates. He is working
on expression pattern of utrophin in the brain. Santhosh
Publications.
E-mail: santhosh@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Gabriel had joined the lab for a research elective as
a final year medical student in 2005 and is now working
as a post-doc after completing his medical degree at
University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany. His research
concerns the effects of hypoxia/high altitude on skeletal
muscles and blood.
E-mail: gabriel.willmann@gmx.de
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Caroline is at the Rubinstein lab where she is doing
a research elective as a final year medical student
at University of Cologne, Germany. Her research in collaboration
with our lab, concerns regional transcriptome analysis
of synapses and M-line containing fibers in extraocular
muscles.
E-mail: carolineketterer@gmx.de
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Matias joined the lab as a post-doc in April 2007. His
PhD degree was obtained at Catholic University of Chile,
Santiago, studying the genomic and physiological effects
of hypoxia on carotid body. His current projects include:
characterization of the hypoxic ventilatory response on
mdx dystrophic mice (using whole-body plethysmograph in
non-anesthetic animals and phrenic nerve recording together
with intra-tracheal and ECG in anesthetic animals) and
expression profiling and miRNA profiling in Drosophila
dystrophic model exposed to hypoxia. Email: matiasm@mail.med.upenn.edu
Matias
Publications: |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Gopal P.
Patel, Ph.D.
(2007-Present)
Gopal received his Ph.D at the University of Guelph, Canada,
with Prof. Janankur Bag, where he worked on the translational
regulation of Poly(A)-binding protein expression. Prior
to joining the Khurana Lab he also worked as a postdoctoral
scholar at the University of Chicago Hospital with Dr.
Lucy Godley, where he focused on the role of truncated
DNA methyltransferase (DNMT3B) in DNA modification and
cancer. Currently his is working towards understanding
the role of Ets-2 Repressor Factor (ERF) in regulating
extrasynaptic Utrophin expression.
E-mail: gopatel@mail.med.upenn.edu |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Predrag Krajacic,
M.D.
(2007-Present)
Predrag joined the lab as a post-doc after completing
his medical degree and training at the University of Belgrade
School of Medicine, Serbia. Before joining the lab, as
a medical student he did a year’s research elective
in Dr Joshua Dunaief’s laboratory at the Penn Department
of Ophthalmology.
His current project, in collaboration with Dr Todd Lamitina,
focuses on introducing nematode C. Elegans as a possible
model system for LGMD2B and other muscular dystrophies.
Predrag
publications: Email: predrag@mail.med.upenn.edu |
| |
|
|
|
|
Emidio
Pistilli, Ph.D.
(2007-Present)
Ed joined the lab as a post-doc, after completing a
one-year post-doc experience at the Research Center
for Genetic Medicine at Children’s National Medical
Center. He completed his PhD at the West Virginia University
School of Medicine in muscle physiology, working in
the laboratory of Dr. Stephen Alway. Dissertation Title:
The extrinsic apoptotic pathway in aged skeletal muscle
– roles of IL-15 and TNF-a. His current projects
focus on myostatin inhibition as a means to treat dystrophic
muscle and researching IL-15 as a potential therapy
for muscle wasting diseases. Email: epist@mail.med.upenn.edu
Emidio
Publications:
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Neha Suri
(2007-Present)
Neha joined the lab as a graduate student studying Biotechnology
at
University of Pennsylvania. Her research concerns development
of
cellular High Throughput Screening assay for Duchenne's
Muscular
Dystrophy therapy.
Email: nehasuri@seas.upenn.edu |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Catherine joined the lab as a post-doc after receiving
her doctorate from the
University of Oxford, where she trained with Prof. Dame
Kay Davies. Thesis
title: Neuronal Characterisation of Syncoilin. Catherine's
research is
focused on developing novel strategies for the upregulation
of utrophin, as a
potential therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. moorwood@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Teji received his medical degree from Delhi University
and his medical training in India, Kenya and Europe.
He received his Ph.D. at Harvard University, where he
trained with Dr. Louis M. Kunkel. Thesis Title:
Identification and characterization of a chromosome
6 encoded dystrophin-related protein. After doing
his post-doc at Harvard, he started his own lab. Khurana
Publications.
E-mail: tsk@mail.med.upenn.edu
|
| |
|
|
|
< Back
|
University of Pennsylvania
