Description of Research Expertise

Research Overview

I am an analytical chemist and toxicologist, and a leader of mass spectrometry shared resources, whose work is defined by analytical rigor, attention to detail, and oversing quality assurance. As Director of the Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Core (BMSC), I lead the operation, quality control, method validation, and staff training of the high resolution and triple quadrupole LC-MS platforms that serve investigators across oncology, environmental health, and neurodegeneration, and I am accountable for the standards and reproducibility that make those measurements reliable. As Associate Director for Shared Resources at the Abramson Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, I provide strategic oversight and coordination of the center's portfolio of CCSG-supported shared resource core facilities, spanning laboratory science, biostatistics and bioinformatics, and clinical research, which serve more than 300 cancer center members. My scientific expertise lies in quantitative lipidomics, metabolomics, and stable isotope tracing, applied with disciplined method validation and quality control, and my independent program centers on lipid and mitochondrial dysfunction in Friedreich's ataxia.

Friedreich's ataxia and mitochondrial lipid metabolism

My independent research program seeks a quantitative and targetable understanding of how lipid and energy metabolism are disrupted as a consequence of mitochondrial dysfunction in Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA). Using untargeted and targeted LC-MS, we have identified dysregulated ceramides, acylcarnitines, and fatty acid oxidation intermediates in patient-derived fibroblasts and their correlation with disease severity, and we are extending these findings toward circulating biomarkers and the lipid changes that drive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in FRDA.

Cancer metabolism and lipidomics

I lead and collaborate on programs that define metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer. Recent work includes the mevalonate pathway and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate dependency that drives chemoresistance in TP53-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (Leukemia, 2025), the role of ATP-citrate lyase and acetyl-CoA in lipid synthesis across skin and pancreatic models, cholesterol and neutral-lipid dependencies in clear cell renal carcinoma. These studies pair untargeted discovery with absolute quantification to nominate and test therapeutic targets.

Environmental and tobacco exposure biomarkers

Within the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, I develop and apply biomarkers of exposure and exposure-response to major pollutants. This work spans polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism and 1-hydroxypyrene (Chem Res Toxicol, 2014, 2017), the quantification of nicotine and its fifteen urinary metabolites, cotinine, and the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNAL (Bioanalysis, 2011; Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 2011), oxidative stress markers of tobacco smoking (Free Radic Biol Med, 2012), and the effects of menthol and pharmacotherapy on smoking behavior and biomarkers (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2013; J Psychopharmacol, 2012). I am a co-author on the consensus framework for biomarkers of exposure to new and emerging tobacco delivery products (Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, 2017).

Mass spectrometry methodology and shared-resource science

As Director of the BMSC, I build the analytical methods that enable the programs above. My methodological contributions span stable isotope dilution LC-MS/MS for low-abundance analytes, untargeted lipidomics and metabolomics by high resolution mass spectrometry, stable isotope tracing and flux analysis, acyl-CoA and coenzyme A thioester profiling by stable isotope labeling of essential nutrients (Anal Chem, 2011; The Analyst, 2017), chiral eicosanoid quantification and steroid and estrogen analysis (Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 2010; Steroids, 2015; J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, 2017), and an emerging DNA adductomics platform.

Description of Other Expertise

A central part of my work is mentoring the next generation of rigorous analytical thinkers. My independent research and my Core Director role both depend on maintaining a fleet of LC-MS, ICP-MS, and high-resolution mass spectrometry instruments and on training and supervising support staff, undergraduates, graduate students, and postgraduate scientists.

Mesaros Group Members:
Dr. Qingqing Wang, Projects Manager
Dr. Jimmy Xu, Research Specialist
Dr. Gabriel Gugiu, Data Analyst

Postdoctoral Fellows:
Dr. Hennrique Taborda Riba

Graduate Students:
Ms. Kyndall Nicholas- Neuroscience Graduate Group - PhD Candidate
Co-mentored with Dr. Cullen

Undergraduate Students:
Ms. Niyati Bhandari (Upenn SAS, Class of 2026)
Ms. Emma Rockoff (Upenn SAS, Class of 2028)
Mr. Alex Ji (Upenn SAS, Class of 2029)

Summer students 2025:
Mr. Noah Weiss (Florida State University, Class of 2027)
Ms. Natalie Huo (Case Western Reserve University, Class of 2029)


High-school program: BioChem Quest: Exploring Molecules, Immunity & Mass Spectrometry - Summer 2025:

Alek Lee - Charter School, Wilmington, DE
Daniel Said - Central Bucks West High School, Doylestown
Ellie Haines - Priors Field School, Surrey, UK
Isaac Cheng - North Penn High School, Lansdale
Koushik Swarna - Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, Philadelphia
Kristine Wang - Princeton Day School, Princeton
Omar Hefnawi - Archmere Academy, Claymont, DE
Paul Caywood - Strath Haven High School, Wallingford
Rohan Patel - Somerset County Vocational and Technical School, Bridgewater, NJ

NEWS:

2026 March:
Kyndall’s first first-author paper has been published! She put in an incredible amount of work, and we are so proud of what she accomplished.
Shout-out to Henrique and Jimmy for their help! this was truly a team effort!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41865307/

2024 September:
We just got awarded an NIH S10 grant to acquire a new state-of-the-art LC-HRMS! Read more here:
https://reporter.nih.gov/search/4CLYEOdFpEyK9JFOhgLL-w/project-details/10854283

2024 August:
So proud of Niyati! She won the Best Poster Presentation Award by an undergraduate student at the ACS Fall meeting, in Denver, CO, for her work on chlorine exposure using a lung-on-a-chip model. Collaboration with Dr. Huh's Lab (UPENN). Read more here:
https://ceet.upenn.edu/2024/08/26/three-ceet-trainees-receive-awards-at-acs-fall-2024/

2024 August:
Excited to work with the labs of Drs. Baur and Ravinder (UPENN) on a new UO1 from NIA: Validation of NAD+ measurements for human clinical studies: multi-method inter-laboratory standardization! Read more here:
https://reporter.nih.gov/search/4CLYEOdFpEyK9JFOhgLL-w/project-details/10978752