Graduate, Undergraduate, and H.S. Students
Aruth Chinsupakul
Summer Student
Aruth (“Art”) is a rising senior at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire with interests at the intersection of biomedical research and business innovation. In the summer of 2025, he joined the Weissman Lab under the supervision of Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman, where he focused on mRNA synthesis and vaccine development. Beyond his laboratory work, Art is deeply interested in how scientific breakthroughs translate into real-world impact. His experience at Penn strDrengthened his commitment to exploring the business of biotechnology—specifically how mRNA platforms can be scaled, financed, and distributed to broaden access in underserved markets. He intends to pursue undergraduate studies in business and biomedical innovation, with the long-term goal of building ventures that bridge cutting-edge research with global healthcare solutions.
Louis Cohen
Summer Student
Louis is a rising senior at Collegiate School in New York. In the summer of 2025, he joined the Weissman Lab under the supervision of Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman, focusing on mRNA synthesis and vaccine development.
Tra My Duong
Student Worker
Tra My Duong is a master's student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Biotechnology. She joined Dr. Weissman's laboratory in October 2024 under the supervision of Dr. Jibin Zhou and assists him with de novo mRNA synthesis and the development of the mRNA vaccine against Helicobacter pylori infection.
Grace Huang
Summer Student
Grace is a rising senior at Tower Hill School in Delaware. She joined the Weissman Lab in the summer of 2025 under the supervision of Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman, contributing to research on the targeted delivery of mRNA to the lungs.
Nathanael Moore
Temporary Worker
Nathanael Moore is an undergraduate student at The College of New Jersey looking towards a Ph.D. in Microbiology/Toxicology. Nate joined the Weissman lab in July 2024 under the supervision of Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman working to produce mRNA for a variety of studies, including the Norovirus Vaccine.
Benjamin Nakagawa, B.A.
Temporary Worker
Benjamin "Ben" is a medical student at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation from Liberty University in Virginia in 2020 and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the State University of New York at New Paltz in 2022. Ben joined the Weissman Lab in October 2023 under the direction of Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman, where his work focused on mRNA vaccine research and the development of novel mRNA delivery systems. He left in July 2024 to pursue his medical degree and returned in the summer of 2025 to continue his work on novel mRNA delivery platforms.
Alexander Percec
Temporary Worker
Alexander, a 2024 graduate of Haverford School, joined the Weissman Lab for the summer and returned for the summer of 2025. His work in the lab focuses on RNA synthesis, cell culture, and animal studies. Alex is currently a rising sophomore at NYU, where he is pursuing his interests in Health/Medicine and Business.
Isabella Percec
Isabella is a rising senior at The Agnes Irwin School in Pennsylvania, where she focuses her studies on biology and microbiology. She plans to major in biology in college and pursue a career in the medical field. In the summer of 2025, Isabella joined the Weissman Lab under the supervision of Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman, where her work centers on mRNA synthesis and cell culture.
Dan Shinn
Undergraduate, Student Worker
Dan Shinn is a rising Junior studying Computer Science and Computer Engineering at University of Pennsylvania. He is fascinated by research in computational biology and immune engineering and plays competitive chess in his free time.
Navdeep Singh Bhalla
Undergraduate, Student Worker
Navdeep Singh Bhalla is an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania planning to study biology or biochemistry, potentially along with economics. He joined the Weissman Lab under the guidance of Dr. Lesley Chaboub in September 2024, and is especially interested in mRNA/LNP research in the context of neuroscience/neurological disorders.
Jessica Vasserman
Undergraduate, Student Co-op Worker
Jess Vasserman is an undergraduate student at Drexel University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Japanese. After graduating, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Vaccinology. Jess joined Dr. Weissman's lab in April 2023 through Drexel's co-op program and is currently learning how to produce and work with nucleotide-modified mRNA.
Emily Westfall, B.S.
Temporary Worker
Emily is a medical student at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Michigan State University in 2022. In the summer of 2025, Emily joined the Weissman Lab under the direction of Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman, focusing on mRNA vaccine research and the development of novel mRNA delivery systems.
Blair Williams
Undergraduate, Student Worker
Blair is an incoming freshman at University of Pennsylvania, where she plans to pursue a pre-med and public health track. She joined the Weissman Lab in the summer of 2023, working under Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman and primarily produces mRNA for the norovirus vaccine.
Arseny Yuzhakov
Summer Student
Arseny is a rising junior at Boston Latin Academy in Massachusetts, where he engages in extensive literature-based research both in and out of the classroom. In the summer of 2025, he joined the Weissman Lab under the supervision of Dr. Elena Atochina-Vasserman. Arseny’s work focuses on mRNA synthesis, production, and evaluation of encapsulation efficiency within one-component nanoparticles, contributing to the lab’s ongoing research efforts.