Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Babushok Lab

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  • Research Team

Who We Are

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” (African Proverb)

We are always looking for talented individuals who are passionate about research and improving lives of patients with bone marrow failure and blood cancers. There are opportunities to contribute at every level, and we welcome inquiries from undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, medical students, residents, and fellows.

 

 

    


Faculty

Daria V. Babushok, MD PhD

Daria V. Babushok, MD PhD
Assistant Professor
 daria.babushok@uphs.upenn.edu
 (215) 614-1847

Dr Babushok is a physician-scientist and an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Babushok graduated from Bryn Mawr College and earned a medical degree and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed the internal medicine residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by the haematology-oncology fellowship and a postdoctoral fellowship in hematopoiesis at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Babushok’s research and clinical interests focus on the development of acquired and inherited bone marrow failure, disease progression and malignant transformation, and improving treatment in patients with bone marrow failure.



Postdoctoral Scholars

Deepanshu Maheshwari, PhD

Deepanshu Maheshwari, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar

Deepanshu Maheshwari received his PhD from the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. During his doctoral studies, Deepanshu investigated the relationship between liver injury and hematopoietic stem cells, contributing key insights into the metabolic basis of bone marrow failure in chronic liver injury. He has expertise in animal experiments and techniques such as Luminex multiplex assay, flow cytometry, and Seahorse extracellular flux analysis. In the Babushok Lab, Deepanshu's postdoctoral project focuses on understanding the autoimmune mechanisms of hematopoietic failure in aplastic anemia. Beyond the lab, Deepanshu is passionate about poetry, using writing as a means of introspection and creative expression. He also enjoys learning about new cultures, embracing diverse perspectives and experiences that enrich both his personal and professional growth.


Bolormaa Munkhbileg, MD, MMS

Bolormaa Munkhbileg, MD, MMS
Postdoctoral Scholar

Bolormaa received her MD degree from the Health Science University of Mongolia in 2014. During her undergraduate studies, she volunteered in the research lab studying colon cancer and its early detection method via immunohistochemical staining. Later in 2018, she received her MMS degree from Seoul National University, where she conducted research on ulcerative colitis new anti-inflammatory drug effects, and Innate immune responses against viral and bacterial infection during pulmonary fibrosis. Bolormaa is excited to contribute to translational research and investigate the mechanisms of immune-mediated marrow failure.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Awards:

  • 2023 AAMDSIF Scientific Meeting Travel Award
  • 2024 The 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Notch Signaling in Development, Regeneration and Disease junior investigator travel award


Postdoctoral Fellows/Hematology-Oncology

Gabriel Aleixo, MD

Gabriel Aleixo, MD
Hematology-Oncology Fellow

Dr Aleixo is a former baker and chef. Dr. Aleixo graduated in medicine from UNOESTE in Brazil, followed by a research fellowship in geriatric oncology at UNC Chapel hill. After completing internal medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Aleixo joined the hematology-oncology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is currently a 1st year fellow. Dr. Aleixo's research interests are in clinical research, and, particularly, in quality improvement and healthcare delivery.


Matthew Connor, MD

Matthew Connor, MD
Hematology-Oncology Fellow - Clinical Research

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Connor, M. et al. "Hypomethylating agents are associated with high rates of hematologic toxicity in patients with secondary myeloid neoplasms developing after acquired aplastic anemia", Haematologica 2024 Early View | Haematologica



Research Specialists

Ping Lin

Ping Lin
Research Specialist

Ping received her B.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences from China Agricultural University. Also she received her B.Sc. degree in Computer Sciences from Augusta State University. Ping has over 10 years of experience in cellular and molecular biology using different experimental systems, including work with Zebrafish and mammalian cells, nucleic acid biochemistry, protein purification and characterization, modeling of oral cancer in telomere biology disorders, and neurogenetics. Ping is involved in immune pathogenesis studies of acquired aplastic anemia and other bone marrow failure syndromes.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 



Post-Baccalaureate Researchers

Shannon Zheng

Shannon Zheng
Postbaccaulaureate Research Scholar

Shannon graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a major in biology. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research in the Babushok on how mutations in HLA alleles impact HLA molecule presentation in acquired aplastic anemia. Following graduation, Shannon is continuing her research project during the gap year before starting medical school.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Awards:

2022 Pincus-Magaziner Family Undergraduate Research and Travel Fund

Honors Award for Senior Thesis in Biology

Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation New Investigator Travel Grant



Medical Student Researchers

Aura Enache

Aura Enache
Medical Student Researcher

Aura Enache is a medical school student at Drexel University College of Medicine. During her undergraduate years, she conducted research on the regulation of the NLP3 inflammasome in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, where she received the Academic Achievement Award for her outstanding academic performance. After graduating with a B.S. in Biotechnology, she continued her research on pyroptosis as a research technician, presenting her findings at multiple conferences. She also co-authored a manuscript in Nature Communications on the role of chloride sensing by WNK1 in regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Aura's work then led her to Amicus Therapeutics, where she worked as an Associate Scientist. Here, she developed flow cytometry potency assays for novel therapies intended for use in clinical trials, with a focus on Batten disease, a lysosomal storage disorder. As member of the Babushok lab, Aura is investigating methods to analyze the T cell repertoire of Aplastic Anemia patients.

Awards and publications of work done in Babushok Lab


Sagar Gupta

Sagar Gupta
MD/PhD Student Researcher

Sagar is an MD/PhD student at the Perelman School of Medicine. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2024 with a BA in biochemistry, biology, and biophysics and an MS in Chemistry. During his undergraduate studies, Sagar conducted research in structural biology and immunology in Dr. Nik Sgourakis’ lab at CHOP. As part of the Babushok lab, he is interested in applying computational methods to investigate aplastic anemia.


Andrew Hu

Andrew Hu
Medical Student Researcher

Andrew is a first-year MD student at the Perelman School of Medicine. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021 with a BA in biophysics and biochemistry and an MS in Chemistry. Prior to medical school, Andrew conducted computational genomic research in rare diseases at CHOP. He is interested in further exploring immunogenetics in the Babushok lab, where he works on analysis of TCR repertoires in aplastic anemia patients.

  • Awards: 2023 American Society of Hematology Abstract Achievement Award Recipient


Undergraduate Student Researchers

Alexander Howe

Alexander Howe
Undergraduate Research Student (Roy and Diana Vagelos Scholars Program in the Molecular Life Sciences)



Lab Alumnae

Diana Abraham

Diana Abraham
MD PhD Student Researcher

Publications and awards from working in the Babushok Lab
 


Emmanuella Akomeah-Sirleaf

Emmanuella Akomeah-Sirleaf
American Physician Scientist Association, Virtual Summer Research Intern

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Penn Center for Global Genomics and Health Equity Summer Student Intern Funding Award


Jamie Atienza

Jamie Atienza
Research Specialist, Undergraduate Student

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Current position: pediatric residency at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles


Carine Cattier

Carine Cattier
Summer undergraduate research student

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Emergence of clonal hematopoiesis in the majority of patients with acquired aplastic anemia - PubMed (nih.gov)

Current position: Physician Assistant-C, Otolaryngology, Seattle Children's Hospital


Stone Chen

Stone Chen
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher

After growing up in Indiana, Stone graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021 with his B.A. in Biology and minors in Neuroscience and Chemistry. During his junior and senior years, Stone worked in the lab investigating the genetic drivers of clonal hematopoiesis in patients with telomere biology disorders, and was awarded Honors in Biology for his undergraduate research work. After graduation, Stone has stayed with the lab and continues to study the genetic drivers project while also working as a medical scribe. He is thrilled to contribute to translational research and to further our understanding of the mechanisms of bone marrow failure. 

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

  • University of Pennsylvania Jumpstart for Juniors Research Award
  • Biology Honors Thesis for work in the laboratory

Publications:

Current position: Medical Student at Indiana University School of Medicine


Jessie Cheng

Jessie Cheng
Medical Student Researcher

Publications and awards from working in the Babushok Lab
 


Melissa Colden

Melissa Colden
Research Specialist

Melissa focused on public health and nutrition throughout undergrad and spent her free time in the chemistry lab. After graduating in 2013, she volunteered in a research lab at the San Francisco VA Medical Center studying the roles of miRNAs in prostate cancer and developing her molecular biology skills. She later accepted a full-time research position in an immunology lab at Stanford studying viral responses in transplant patients and immune regulation. Melissa is excited to contribute to translational research and investigate bone marrow failure through the lens of the immune system.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Frontiers | Insights into the emergence of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria | Immunology (frontiersin.org)

Current position: Ph.D. Candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley


Rujul Deolikar

Rujul Deolikar
Masters Student

Publications and awards from working in the Babushok Lab
 


Colby Freeman

Colby Freeman
Haverford College Koshland Integrated Natural Sciences Center (KINSC) Summer Scholar

Colby Freeman is an undergraduate student at Haverford College, where he is pursuing a major in Biochemistry and a minor in Health Studies. Colby has a strong interest in a future career in medicine and has gained valuable experience by shadowing physicians in the Emergency Department. Recently, Colby has been working in a materials chemistry lab at Haverford, but he will be joining the Babushok lab over the summer. He is excited to delve into the biology of short telomere syndrome, focusing specifically on the role of ATM kinase. 

Publications and awards from working in the Babushok Lab
 


Ben Frost

Ben Frost
Medical Student

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Awards:

  • 2023 Rose Meadow Levinson Memorial Research Paper Prize

Current position: 

Internal medicine residency at the Brigham and Women's Hospital


Talia Gebhard

Talia Gebhard
Medical Student Researcher

Talia is a medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine. She graduated from Colby College in 2022, where she researched the role of CXCR2 in the p53 pathway of different mammalian species and within the human proteome. Prior to medical school, Talia conducted translational thyroid cancer research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In the Babushok lab, she is currently investigating the involvement of the ATM-dependent DNA damage response in the pathogenesis of telomere biology disorders. 

Publications from work in the Babushok Lab:


Kathy Guo

Kathy Guo
Research Specialist

Current position: Doctor of Dental Medicine, Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc.

Publications and awards from working in the Babushok Lab
 


Molly Hall

Molly Hall
High School Researcher

Molly is a senior in highschool interested in the biological sciences and oncology. She has a strong interest in pursuing medicine which has been supported by the insights and experiences she has gained from volunteering in hospitals. Through working at the Babushok Lab, she hopes to learn more about the pathogenicity of immune-mediated bone marrow failure and premalignant conditions. 


Hugh Huang

Hugh Huang
Research Specialist

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Current position: Software Engineer at JPMorgan


Karrington Johnson

Karrington Johnson
Undergraduate Researcher in the ITMAT Translational Research Immersion Program

Karrington is an undergraduate student at Spelman College, majoring in Biology on the Pre-Medicine Track.  She is passionate about health disparity research and strives to gain knowledge and experience in translational research while working with the Babushok Lab.  Karrington is also working on a project that aids in determining whether Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) cells have increased sensitivity to ER stress and unfolded protein response. 

Awards for research work done in the lab: 

Presentation Award in Cell Biology category, 2024 ABRCMS Conference, Pittsburgh, PA


Sushant Kumar, PhD

Sushant Kumar, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar

Sushant received his M. Tech degree in Biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in 2014. During Masters his work was focused on studying pathogenic endothelial cell-RBC interaction in context to the cerebral malaria pathophysiology.  Later, he earned a PhD in Immunology from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in April 2021. His work was focused on elucidating the role of Interleukin-9 and Th9 cells in T cell lymphoma and autoimmune inflammatory disease. Sushant joined the Babushok lab in August 2021, and he is excited to contribute to translational research and investigate the mechanism of autoimmunity in bone marrow failure.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Awards: 

  • 2022 Young Investigator Draft research grant (co-sponsored by Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation)
  • 2022 Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation Award
  • 2023 AAMDSIF Scientific Meeting Travel Award

Current:

  • Senior Scientist at ImmunoACT in Mumbai, India

Tristan Lim

Tristan Lim
Medical Student

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab:  

Germline POT1 variants can predispose to myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms - PubMed (nih.gov)

Awards:

  • Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship - Alpha Omega Alpha
  • ITMAT MS1 Summer Internship
  • Adolph J. Creskoff Prize

Current position: internal medicine residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital 


Taylor Linaburg

Taylor Linaburg
Medical Student

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Hodgkin lymphoma patients have an increased incidence of idiopathic acquired aplastic anemia - PubMed (nih.gov)

Awards:

  • ASH HONORS (Hematology Opportunities for the Next Generation of Research Scientists) Award 
  • Adolph J. Creskoff Prize

Current position: resident in ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System


Emily Liu

Emily Liu
Research Specialist, Summer

Current position: Associate Director, Global Medical Affairs, Immunology, Bristol Myers Squibb


Madeline Maier

Madeline Maier
Summer Undergraduate Researcher


Sally Nijim

Sally Nijim
ITMAT Medical Student Researcher

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Awards:

  • ITMAT MS1 Summer Internship

Joanna Papaioannou

Joanna Papaioannou
Vagelos Program Undergraduate and Masters Researcher

Shannon graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a major in biology. During her undergraduate studies at Penn, she conducted research in the Babushok Lab as a part of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Scholars Program in the Molecular Life Sciences, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Chemistry. She has previously worked in immunogenetics and cancer immunotherapy labs, and is currently exploring the mechanisms of immune-mediated bone marrow failure in the Babushok Lab. In particular, she is studying the functional significance of somatic missense HLA variants for patients with aplastic anemia. She is continuing her research studies during her gap year before starting medical school.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Phi Beta Kappa Award

2024 Hydra Prize from the Penn Biochemistry Department for academics and research


Negin Parnianfard, MD

Negin Parnianfard, MD
Clinical Researcher Scholar

Negin received her MD degree from Tabriz University of Medical Science in 2015, marking the beginning of her journey in the field of healthcare. She then spent four years, as a general physician, where she also participated in cancer research at the Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Negin is passionate about medical research. In the Babushok lab, Negin is investigating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobunuria cell expansion in the context of various immune hematologic disorders.


Neeharika Prathapa, MBBS

Neeharika Prathapa, MBBS
Clinical Research Scholar

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Connor, M., Prathapa N., et al. "Hypomethylating agents are associated with high rates of hematologic toxicity in patients with secondary myeloid neoplasms developing after acquired aplastic anemia", Haematologica 2024 Early View | Haematologica


Caitlin Ritz

Caitlin Ritz
Research Specialist

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Postvaccination graft dysfunction/aplastic anemia relapse with massive clonal expansion of autologous CD8+ lymphocytes - PubMed (nih.gov)

Current position: medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine


Christopher Sande, MD

Christopher Sande, MD
Postdoctoral Scholar/Resident, Combined Anatomic Pathology & Clinical Pathology Program

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Awards:

  • 2023 Uplifting Athletes Young Investigator Draft Award, co-sponsored by Team Telomere
  • 2023 American Society of Hematology Abstract Achievement Award Recipient

Current position: Assistant Professor, Seattle Children's Hospital


Yash Shah

Yash Shah
Medical Student (TJUH)

Yash Shah is completed his undergraduate education at The Pennsylvania State University, and he is currently a first year medical student at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College. In the year before starting medical school, Yash worked as a Research Specialist in the closely affiliated laboratory of Dr. Tim Olson at the Penn/CHOP Comprehensive Bone Marrow Failure Center and worked with Dr. Babushok on improving diagnostics in aplastic anemia. Yash previously worked in various cancer biology labs, and he is now excited to advance clinical and translational research that directly helps hematologic patients. Yash is contributing to multiple projects.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Current position: medical student at Thomas Jefferson University


Natasha Stanley

Natasha Stanley
American Society of Hematology Medical Student Scholar

Natasha graduated from Haverford College in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Her thesis work involved using fluorescent proteins to study organelle inheritance in the green alga Chlamydomonas.  After graduation, she began working as a full-time research scientist in the Babushok lab investigating various bone marrow failure disorders such as aplastic anemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and most recently dyskeratosis congenita. Natasha later matriculated to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine candidate and is excited to continue contributing to clinical and translational research in bone marrow failure as she is also most interested in pursuing a career in pediatric hematology-oncology.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Awards:

2021: Minority Medical Student Award Recipients - Hematology.org

2020: Minority Medical Student Award Recipients - Hematology.org

 

Current position: Pediatric Residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia


An Steensels

An Steensels
Research Specialist

Current position: Scientific Operations Manager at Droia Labs


Amy Yu

Amy Yu
Summer Undergraduate Internship Program (SUIP) Intern

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 


Wenda Ye

Wenda Ye
Research Specialist

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Current position: ENT Residency at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine


Alan Zheng

Alan Zheng
Undergraduate Research Student (Summer)

Alan is an undergraduate student at the University of Rutgers New Brunswick with a major in biology. He is on the pre-med track with an interest in immunology and hopes to broaden his knowledge in this field as well as to further his research skills through experience at the Babushok lab. In his summer research internship, Alan is working on a project to determine whether a patient mutation in the beta-tubulin gene TUBB, which is located on chromosome 6, is genetically linked to another genetic abnormality called 6p Loss of Heterozygosity (6pLOH), which is commonly seen in patients with immune-mediated bone marrow failure.  Alan's project will determine whether a patient who had a germline TUBB mutation and then developed somatic 6pLOH has lost the mutant or wild type copy of the TUBB gene.

Publications and awards from work in the Babushok Lab: 

Current position: Research Specialist A for the Translation and Correlative Studies Laboratory


Mary Zhou

Mary Zhou
ITMAT Translational Research Immersion Program Intern

Publications and awards from working in the Babushok Lab
 


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Babushok Lab
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
BRB II/III 8th Floor 421 Curie Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-614-1847
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