Laboratory Members
Lab Manager
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Read More about Taylor Tredinnick
Taylor Tredinnick
taylor.tredinnick@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
I received my B.S. in both biology and secondary education at Temple University. I worked as a high school chemistry teacher before pursuing a career in biomedical research. My prior research has primarily focused on the characterization of druggable targets in AML, ALL, and BRCA+ cancers, with high-throughput screening of small molecule libraries to identify drug candidates. Currently, I am working in a dual role as a research scientist, and as the manager of the Gill lab. My current research project is on the development of novel CRISPR-based editing systems to be used in gene therapy for hematologic malignancies.
Staff Scientists
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Read More about Olga Shestova, PhD
Olga Shestova, PhD
Research Investigator
shestova@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Olga has been in the Gill lab since 2013 which has allowed her to be involved in exploring various projects as well as seeing the evolution of projects going from bench to bedside. She has experience in using basic techniques as well as the most advanced techniques and approaches in the field to work as part of a team whose goal is to develop therapeutic treatments for cancer patients.
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Post Doctoral Researchers
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Read More about Sara Sleiman, MD
Sara Sleiman, MD
sara.sleiman@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
I received my medical degree from the American University of Beirut in June 2020 . Following medical school, I sought to gain experience in translational research prior to applying for a residency position. I joined the Gill lab in January 2021 and have been exploring the world of CAR T cell therapy in AML.
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Read More about Asuncion Borrero, MD
Asuncion Borrero, MD
asuncion.borrero@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
I am a physician-scientist with a strong focus on translational cancer immunology, particularly focusing on genetically engineered cell therapies. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where I integrate clinical practice, gained during my hematology specialization in University Hospital Dr. Negrin, in bone marrow transplantation with research on Acute Myeloid Leukemia immunotherapy. During previous experiences, I applied various techniques like cell isolation, phenotyping, and sequencing for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. I have a keen interest in cell therapy and gene engineering, which led me to join Dr. Saar Gill's lab to work on a novel cell therapy using Cytokine-induced memory-like NK cells, utilizing gene editing, electroporation, flow cytometry, bioluminescent imaging, and murine models. I aim to combine my clinical background with expertise in cellular immunotherapy to pursue an independent academic career in this field.
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Clinical Fellows
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Read More about Nathan Welty, MD, PhD
Nathan Welty, MD, PhD
Hematology/Oncology Instructor
nathan.welty@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Nathan is a hematology/oncology fellow investigating novel approaches to solid tumor immunotherapy using genetically engineered myeloid cells. Before coming to Penn for residency and fellowship, he completed MD/PhD training at the University of Minnesota in Dan Kaplan’s lab, where he studied myeloid regulation of tissue-resident immunity in the GI tract.
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Read More about Anand Bhagwat, MD, PhD
Anand Bhagwat, MD, PhD
Hematology/Oncology Fellow
anand.bhagwat@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Anand is from San Diego California. He is currently working on AML resistance to cell therapy.
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Graduate Students
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Read More about Kimberly Veliz
Kimberly Veliz
PhD Student, Gene Therapy and Vaccines
kveliz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Kim was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, California. She completed her BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine where her research spanned studying antibiotic resistance and wearable sensor fabrication. Kim is currently a PhD candidate in the Cell and Molecular Biology program at Penn, her current project seeks to further illuminate the role of CD38 as a target for CART cells in AML. Kim enjoys all things DIY, her plants, tacos, boba and Max her rescue lab/pit mix.
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Read More about Mara Davis, M.S.
Mara Davis, M.S.
PhD Student, Gene Therapy and Vaccines
mara.davis@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
I received my B.S. and M.S. in genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where I studied the effects of microRNAs on the metastasis of breast and lung cancer. My current focus is working on engineering pathogenic protein-targeting CAR-macrophages for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Read More about Joanne Baek
Joanne Baek
PhD Student, Bioengineering
joanne.baek@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
I graduated with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where I investigated the effects of tissue stiffness on breast cancer metastasis and ageing. My current research focuses on gene editing hematopoietic stem cells for the treatment of AML.
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Read More about Tyler Hansen
Tyler Hansen
M.S. Student, Bioengineering
hansent@seas.upenn.edu
I earned my B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University in May 2022, where I completed a senior thesis regarding the improvement of CAR T manufacturing and processing through perfusion and selection under Dr. William Kelly. Following my graduation, I completed my M.S.E. in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania in December 2023, where I began working as a research specialist under Dr. Saar Gill focusing on a novel engineered cytokine to selectively stimulate CAR T cells in vivo. I am particularly interested in improving the safety and efficacy of adoptive cell therapies through gene editing and combination therapies. I am well-versed in flow cytometry as well as whole blood processing and basic cell culture.
Bioinformatician
ALUMNI
Matias Porras Paniagua, PhD
Marco Ruella, MD
Saad Kenderian, MD
Miriam Kim, MD
Peter Braendstrup, MD
Andrew Best
Kristen Blouch
Michael Klichinsky, PharmD PhD
Yang Wang, MD
Daniel Schreeder, MD PhD
Haorui Sun
Steve Shan
Katherine Cummins, MBBS PhD
Ofrat Beyar-Katz, MD PhD
Arjun Gupta
Nicholas Petty
Soona Rajkumar