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.
Abstract Book (Pennkey protected)
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Registration and poster setup
Lobby
Session 1
Jonathan Miner, MD, PhD - GTV Chair
Introduction and Welcome Remarks
Marco Ruella, MD
Outsmarting the Escape Artist: Resistance in CAR T-Cell Therapy for Cancers
Sarah Grandinette, 4th year - Musunuru lab
Developing bespoke gene editing treatments for patients with carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency
Annabel Sangree, 5th year - Korb lab
Defining the mechanisms that regulate H2BE incorporation and genomic localization
Mara Davis, 4th year - Gill lab
Developing an Aβ-targeting Syn-Notch receptor for delivering payloads in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models
Amelia Escolano, PhD
Novel vaccination approaches against HIV-1
Lunch and Faculty Roundtables
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
Ted Kreider, MD, PhD
Precise control of HIV proviral transcription using targeted mRNA gene therapy
Melody Tan, 4th year - Wherry & Ruella labs
SMARCA4 deletion enhances CAR T cell cytotoxicity and persistence
D. B., 4th year - Ahrens-Nicklas lab
CLN3 disease disrupts very early postnatal brain maturation
Emily Daley, 4th year - Pardi lab
Understanding the impact of PEG lipid on mRNA-LNP vaccine immunogenicity
Daniel Goodman, PhD
Multiplexed Synthetic Immunology: Scaling the design and measurement of engineered immune cells for new biological insights and therapies
Coffee & Snack Break
Lobby
Session 3
Lauren Testa, 5th year - Musunuru lab
Corrective editing to treat pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Nicholas Cerda, 5th year - Weissman & Parhiz labs
Development of a Virus-like Particle mRNA Vaccine against Pneumoviruses
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
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
Lobby
Many thanks to our sponsors!