2025 Gene Therapy and Vaccines Program Retreat

Welcome to our annual gathering!

We are excited to host the 3rd annual GTV Retreat at the Inn at Swarthmore
- 10 S Chester Rd, Swarthmore, PA 19081 -

The venue is steps from Septa's Swarthmore station stop on the Media-Wawa line.

Google Maps Link

Septa Schedule

Abstract Book (Pennkey protected)

 

Thursday, August 21, 2025

9:00 - 10:00 AM

Registration and poster setup

Lobby

Session 1

10:00 AM

Jonathan Miner, MD, PhD - GTV Chair

Introduction and Welcome Remarks

10:10 AM

Marco Ruella, MD

Outsmarting the Escape Artist: Resistance in CAR T-Cell Therapy for Cancers

10:25 AM

Sarah Grandinette, 4th year - Musunuru lab

Developing bespoke gene editing treatments for patients with carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency

10:40 AM

Annabel Sangree, 5th year - Korb lab

Defining the mechanisms that regulate H2BE incorporation and genomic localization

10:55 AM

Mara Davis, 4th year - Gill lab

Developing an Aβ-targeting Syn-Notch receptor for delivering payloads in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models

11:10 AM

Amelia Escolano, PhD

Novel vaccination approaches against HIV-1

Lunch and Faculty Roundtables

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Pick up food and join a faculty roundtable

Faculty will be assigned tables to lead discussions over lunch. Students may choose any available seat. Posters also on view.

Session 2

1:00 PM

Ted Kreider, MD, PhD

Precise control of HIV proviral transcription using targeted mRNA gene therapy

1:15 PM

Melody Tan, 4th year - Wherry & Ruella labs

SMARCA4 deletion enhances CAR T cell cytotoxicity and persistence

1:30 PM

D. B., 4th year - Ahrens-Nicklas lab

CLN3 disease disrupts very early postnatal brain maturation

1:45 PM

Emily Daley, 4th year - Pardi lab

Understanding the impact of PEG lipid on mRNA-LNP vaccine immunogenicity

2:00 PM

Daniel Goodman, PhD

Multiplexed Synthetic Immunology: Scaling the design and measurement of engineered immune cells for new biological insights and therapies

Coffee & Snack Break

2:15 PM

Lobby

Session 3

2:30 PM

Lauren Testa, 5th year - Musunuru lab

Corrective editing to treat pseudoxanthoma elasticum

2:45 PM

Nicholas Cerda, 5th year - Weissman & Parhiz labs

Development of a Virus-like Particle mRNA Vaccine against Pneumoviruses

3:00 PM

Jillian Eisenhauer, 6th year - Weiner lab

Delivery of a complement modulated, broadly reactive monoclonal antibody targeting the pneumococcal histidine triad protein D (PhtD) improves potency and protection during lethal Streptococcus pneumoniae infectionA

Keynote Address

3:30 PM

Carl June, MD

Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy
Director, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies
Director, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

CAR T Cells: past, present and future

Poster Session & Closing Reception

4:30 - 6:30 PM

Lobby

Many thanks to our sponsors!