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Capell Lab

People

Principal Investigator

Brian Capell, M.D. Ph.D.

Brian Capell, M.D. Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Genetics

Brian is a physician-scientist and practicing dermatologist. Following a B.S. from Boston College, Brian entered medical school at the NYU School of Medicine. While there, he was accepted to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)-NIH Research Scholars Program, where he joined the lab of Dr. Francis Collins at the National Human Genome Research Institute. There, Brian studied the genetics of both normal and premature aging, in particular Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, earning his M.D. and Ph.D. from NYU. Following the completion of his Dermatology Residency at the University of Pennsylvania, Brian began a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Shelley Berger studying basic mechanisms of epigenetics and gene regulation. Brian is currently an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Genetics and core faculty member of the Penn Epigenetics Institute and member of the Abramson Cancer Center and the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine. In his free time, Brian enjoys playing tennis, the piano, biking, and time and travels with his family.

Members

  • Ashley Anderson

    Ashley Anderson

    Graduate Student

    Ashley Anderson

    Ashley Anderson

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    Graduate Student

    Ashley is a Ph.D. student in the Cancer Biology program at the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. from Notre Dame of Maryland University. She is interested in genome regulation in cancer and target/drug discovery. In her free time she enjoys crafting, ceramics, and traveling.
  • Lydia Bao

    Lydia Bao

    Undergraduate Researcher

    Lydia Bao

    Lydia Bao

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    Undergraduate Researcher

    Lydia is an undergraduate student studying Biology in the College at the University of Pennsylvania. She joined the Capell Lab in 2022 and is interested in studying the effects of genomic regulation on carcinogenesis and skin diseases.
  • Chase Chen

    Chase Chen

    M.D.-Ph.D. student

    Chase Chen

    Chase Chen

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    M.D.-Ph.D. student

    Chase is an M.D.-Ph.D. student in the Genetics and Epigenetics program at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and graduated from Brandeis University. Currently, he is broadly interested in studying skin cancer, the immune system, and metastasis. In his free time, he enjoys biking.
  • Audrey Griffith

    Audrey Griffith

    V.M.D.-Ph.D. student

    Audrey Griffith

    Audrey Griffith

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    V.M.D.-Ph.D. student

    Audrey is a V.M.D. - Ph.D. student in the Genetics and Epigenetics Program at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with her B.S. from Tulane University. She is broadly interested in gene to function relationships, epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, and comparative medicine. In her free time she loves to run, read, try new recipes and travel the world.
  • Eun Kyung Ko, Ph.D.

    Eun Kyung Ko, Ph.D.

    Research Associate

    Eun Kyung Ko, Ph.D.

    Eun Kyung Ko, Ph.D.

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    Research Associate

    Eun Kyung obtained a Ph.D in Molecular Medicine from the Medical College of Georgia in 2018. She has been interested in the relationship between epigenetic mechanisms and cancer since her earlier Master’s work where she studied DNA methylation changes that occur at the earliest stages of cancer. Now, as a Research Associate in the Capell Lab, Eun aims to define the role of several uncharacterized, but targetable, histone modifying enzymes in both normal skin function and carcinogenesis, employing both in vitro and in vivo model systems.
  • Alyssa Moore

    Alyssa Moore

    Graduate Student

    Alyssa Moore

    Alyssa Moore

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    Graduate Student

    Alyssa is a Ph.D. student in the Genetics and Epigenetics Program at the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.S. from the University of Florida. She joined the Capell Lab in May 2024, and is interested in investigating the role of epigenetic modifiers in epidermal epigenetic memory and inheritance. In her free time she enjoys trying new restaurants around Philly, and playing racket sports.
  • Rachel Na

    Rachel Na

    Undergraduate Researcher

    Rachel Na

    Rachel Na

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    Undergraduate Researcher

    Rachel is an undergraduate student studying Chemistry in the College at the University of Pennsylvania. She joined the Capell Lab in 2025. She is broadly interested in investigating the effects of epigenetic modifications on epidermal differentiation and carcinogenesis.
  • Shinobu Nakanishi, Ph.D.

    Shinobu Nakanishi, Ph.D.

    Visiting Scholar

    Shinobu Nakanishi, Ph.D.

    Shinobu Nakanishi, Ph.D.

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    Visiting Scholar

    Shinobu obtained a Ph.D in Molecular Biology from Shinshu University in Japan in 2021. He joined the Capell Lab in February 2025, and is broadly interested in investigating the mechanism of epigenetic modifiers in cancer, immuniy, and sex differences.
  • Cyria Olingou

    Cyria Olingou

    Lab Manager / Research Specialist

    Cyria Olingou

    Cyria Olingou

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    Lab Manager / Research Specialist

    Cyria joined the Capell Lab as a research specialist and lab manager in July 2024. She earned a B.A. in Biology and Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is broadly interested in carcinogenesis, therapeutics, and the role of epigenetic modifications on the epidermis. In her free time, Cyria enjoys painting, reading, and playing lacrosse.

Lab Alumni (staff, graduate students, postdocs)

  • Amy Anderson, M.S.

    Amy Anderson, M.S.

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    Amy was an integral member of the lab during its first 4.5 years serving as lab manager and playing key roles in virtually all of the labs ongoing projects. In 2022, Amy took advantage of an exciting job opportunity and we both wish her the best of luck and thank her for all that she contributed to our efforts!

  • Yann Aubert, Ph.D.

    Yann Aubert, Ph.D.

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    Yann made many important contributions to the Capell Lab as a postdoctoral fellow and bioinformatician from 2018-2020. He recently took an exciting new position as a bioinformatician back in his home of France at the Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases.

  • Carina D'souza, B.S.

    Carina D'souza, B.S.

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    Carina spent two years in the Capell Lab as an outstanding leader and lab manager. It's hard to put into words how great an impact she made on all of our lab's work and overall operations! While we miss her, we are so excited for her as she pursues her next steps getting a MBA at Cornell University!

  • Shaun Egolf, Ph.D.

    Shaun Egolf, Ph.D.

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    Shaun was the lab's first graduate student and Ph.D. recipient. Shaun made fundamental discoveries regarding the roles of the major epigenetic regulators, MLL4 and LSD1, in skin biology and cancer, and the lab continues to follow-up on these exciting findings. In addition to his major publications in Cell Reports and Science Advances, Shaun was the recipient of our Department's T32 award as well as a prestigious NCI F99/K00. He is currently continuing his scientific career at AstraZeneca. 

  • Sijia Huang, Ph.D.

    Sijia Huang, Ph.D.

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    Sijia contributed extensively to several projects in the lab, utilizing her expertise in bioinformatics and as part of the Penn Institute for Biomedical Informatics. 

  • Nina Kupraserkul, Ph.D.

    Nina Kupraserkul, Ph.D.

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    Nina is a M.D.-Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine who defended her Ph.D. thesis in May of 2025. Nina was supported by the department's T32 and performed some phenomenal work at the intersection of epigenetics, immunity, and metabolism (publications coming soon, including one in press!). Nina pushed new boundaries in the lab into new experimental methods and approaches while bringing great spirit and fun to the lab. She is a co-founder of EpigeniDerm LLC, and is currently completing her M.D. training at Penn. 

  • Alexandra Maldonado López, Ph.D.

    Alexandra Maldonado López, Ph.D.

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    Alexandra was a graduate student in the Capell Lab from 2019-2023, earning her Ph.D. in August 2023. Alex was awarded research support both from our Department's T32, as well as a NIH Diversity Supplement Award. Alex spearheaded the labs work on epitranscriptomics and made exciting discoveries not only demonstrating the essential role of the Mettl3-m6A epitranscriptome in skin homeostasis, but also revealing a critical role for Mettl3 in regulating the expression of numerous epigenetic histone methyltransferases. Alex is now continuing her scientific career at Good Molecules.

  • Gina Pacella, Ph.D.

    Gina Pacella, Ph.D.

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    Gina was a graduate student in the Capell Lab from 2019-2025, earning her Ph.D. in April 2025. Gina was awarded a NCI F31 to support her work where she uncovered a role for the X-linked epigenetic regulator, UTX (KDM6A) in the promotion of epidermal differentiation and regulation of cutaneous retinoid signaling. This work has important potential implications for understanding sex differences in disease incidence in the skin. Gina is now continuing her scientific career as a postdoctoral fellow at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Former Rotation Students

  • Louisa Boateng
  • Amy Gladstein
  • Loreilys Mejias Rivera
  • Nivitha Murali

Former Undergraduates

  • Jonathan Zou
  • Maria Carrera
  • Jessica Lee
  • Sohyun Cho
  • Claudia Magahis
  • René Vega Mercado
  • Morgan Sinkfield
  • Eni Harito