Kathryn (Kate) Hamilton, PhD
​Principal Investigator

Originally from New Hampshire, Dr. Hamilton earned her BA from Assumption College (Worcester, MA), her PhD from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC), and completed her postdoctoral training at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA). She is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Co-Director of the Gastrointestinal Epithelium Modeling Program, Division of Gastroenterology, Liver, and Nutrition at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Her laboratory was established in July, 2017, and focuses on understanding new cellular and molecular processes in intestinal epithelial cells in the contexts of regenerative medicine and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As part of her research program, her lab uses patient-derived 3D organoids (enteroids and colonoids) to evaluate new mechanisms underlying pediatric and adult IBD. In addition to her scientific endeavors, she is committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in biomedical research (and beyond). Outside of lab, she enjoys hiking, cooking, biking, and exploring the beautiful city of Philadelphia with her family.

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Yusen Zhou, PhD
Bioinformatician

Yusen was born and raised in Sichuan province in China. He earned his BS in Thermal Energy and Power Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai. Then he changed his major during the PhD program, and earned his PhD in Biological and Medical Engineering (glyco-informatics and systems glycobiology) at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Yusen joined the Hamilton lab as a bioinformatician in August, 2021. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, biking, cooking, swimming and playing video games.

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Kay Katada
​PhD Candidate

Kay was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, where she earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences and minored in Forensics and Criminality at the University of Southern California. She is a Cell and Molecular Biology (CAMB)/Cell Biology, Physiology, and Metabolism (CPM) PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She joined the Hamilton lab for her thesis work in 2022. Outside of lab, Kay enjoys running, dancing, drinking boba, thrift shopping, watching movies, and playing with her cats.

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Virginia Saurman, MD
​GI Fellow

Virginia grew up in North Jersey and then moved to Medford, MA for her BS in Biological Sciences from Tufts University. She then worked as a research technician at Columbia before attending Touro for her medical degree. She completed her pediatric residency here in Philadelphia at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. She is currently a fellow in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at CHOP. She joined the Hamilton lab in July 2023 to study the epithelial biology of organoids derived from Hirschsprung’s mouse models and patient samples. In her free time, you can find her in the garden of her home in Fairmount. She enjoys spending time with her cats, Astrid and Kinko, reading, hiking, cooking, playing board games, and watching Formula 1 races.

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Ian Yanuzzi
​PhD Student

Ian grew up not far from Penn in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They earned a B.S. in Biology of Global Health at Georgetown University. Now a Penn Presidential PhD and NSF GRFP fellow in the CAMB Cancer Biology program, Ian officially joined the lab for their thesis in the summer of 2024. Outside of work, Ian enjoys listening to epic fantasy books, taking walks along the Schuylkill, going to the gym/sauna, watching anime, playing with their cat, and exploring Philly with friends.

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Bella Peterson
​Research Specialist

Bella was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. She earned her BA in Biology and Women’s and Gender Studies from the College of Charleston. She joined the Gastrointestinal Epithelium Modeling Program and the Hamilton lab in July of 2024 as a research technician. Her free time is mostly spent outdoors, in coffeeshops, thrifting, or at the farmer’s market.

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Nakayla Jackson
​High School Student Intern

Nakayla was born and raised in North Philadelphia. She’s a newly graduated student from The Workshop School in West Philadelphia. She grew a strong passion and enthusiasm for biology and histology, and she plans to continue studying both. In the fall, Nakayla will be attending Widener University with a major in biology. She aspires to become a dermatologist after medical school. Outside of the lab, Nakayla enjoys shopping with friends, getting seafood, hanging out at Cira Green, and taking care of her guinea pigs.

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Erik Hagan
Undergraduate Student Intern

Erik is from West Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School in 2023. He first came to the Hamilton lab as a high school student intern during the 2022-2023 school year and has returned for the summer of 2024 to work with the lab again. He is a rising sophomore at the University of Delaware, where he is pursuing his love of insects as an entomology major.

Tatiana Karakasheva, PhD
​Research Scientist

Tatiana was recruited to CHOP as Associate Director of the CHOP Gastrointestinal Epithelium Biology Program in October, 2019. Born and raised in Moscow, Russia, Tatiana has spent most of her scientific life in Philadelphia. She has a long-standing interest in 3D tissue and organ modeling, as well as gastroenterology, oncology and translational research. Her main scientific aspiration is to make the use of patient-derived organoids a standard clinical tool for choosing an optimal therapeutic regimen. When she's not in the lab, Tatiana enjoys gardening, spending time with nature and cuddling cats.

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Shaneice Nettleford, PhD
​Postdoctoral Researcher

Shaneice was born and raised in Jamaica. She attended the SUNY Plattsburgh where she received her BSc in Biology. She received her PhD in Pathobiology from The Pennsylvania State University. Shaneice joined the Hamilton as a postdoctoral fellow in January 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, and reading autobiographies and adventure novels.

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Emily McMillan
Lab Manager

A native of Maryland, Emily earned her BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland and her MS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her career has taken her through various labs at the NIH, University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel University. She joined the Hamilton and Muir labs as lab manager in February 2022. In her free time, she volunteers in the community, battles her cats while knitting and cross stitching, and tries her hand at ambitious recipes.

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Daana Roach
VMD PhD Candidate

Daana is a VMD PhD student at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Daana joined the lab as a NIH/BI summer research student in 2021 and 2022, and officially became a lab member as a CAMB DSRB student in Spring 2023. Born and raised in Barbados, she completed her BSc degrees in Biochemistry and Psychology in the US and is interested in OneHealth and internal medicine. Outside of lab, Daana loves to dance, read, write, cook and bake and she enjoys making people laugh in preparation for her late night career as a comedian.

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Olivia Hix
PhD Candidate

Olivia was raised in Boston, Massachusetts and earned her BA in Biological Sciences and Japanese Language & Culture at Wellesley College. She is a Cell and Molecular Biology (CAMB) PhD student in the Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology (DSRB) group at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She joined the Hamilton Lab for her thesis work in June of 2023. Olivia enjoys making and listening to music, reading, spending time outside, and exploring events around the city with friends.

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John Hargy
Summer Undergraduate Intern

John is currently an undergraduate Biophysics student at Southern Adventist University in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He joined the Hamilton Lab as a research intern through Penn’s IDEAL SUIP research program. Post-graduation, John plans to attend an MD/PhD program and become a physician scientist leading a research group using regenerative medicine to develop therapies for patients. Recently John was named a 2024-2026 Goldwater Scholar. Outside of the lab, John likes tabletop board gaming, mountain biking, and running.

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Zainab Haider
Medical Student Intern

Zainab was born and raised in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned her BS in Bioinformatics with a minor in Sociology. She then worked as a dermatology medical assistant in Washington D.C., before moving to Philadelphia to start medical school at Drexel University. She joined the Hamilton Lab in Summer 2024 as a medical student intern. Outside of the lab, Zainab enjoys cycling classes, all things music, and reading.

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Alyssa Laguerta
​Medical Student Intern

Alyssa was born and raised in Central New Jersey. She attended the University of Pittsburgh where she earned her BS in Microbiology. She worked as a high school science teacher in Houston, TX before returning to New Jersey to complete her MS in Biomedical Sciences from Rutgers University. She is currently a medical student at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. She joined the Hamilton lab in January 2023. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys taking pilates classes, experimenting in the kitchen, traveling, and spending time with her loved ones.

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Lab Alumni

Louis Parham
​PhD Student

Louis was born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico, where he earned his BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology. He is a Cell and Molecular Biology (CAMB)/ Cancer Biology PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Louis joined the Hamilton lab for his thesis work in 2018 and graduated in September, 2022. He is now a postdoctoral scholar at the Salk Institute. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, listening to music, drinking beer, and biking.

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Gloria Soto
​Research Specialist

Gloria was born and raised in Delaware where she earned her BS in Nutritional and Medial Science. She joined the Gastrointestinal Epithelium Modeling Program, which resides in the Hamilton lab, in March, 2021 as a research technician. In her spare time, Gloria enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking and outdoor recreation.

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Hritik Mehta, Summer Undergraduate Researcher

Hritik was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, but has spent his more recent years living in South Jersey. He is currently an undergraduate biology and physics student at Rutgers University, where he plays soccer and is involved in Greek life. Hritik first joined the lab in February, 2020, and then as an undergraduate researcher in summer of 2021 through the Penn GI Division's NIH/NIDDK R25-funded Undergraduate Student Scholars Program. He hopes to pursue a dual degree (MD/PhD), with a particular interest in pediatrics and oncology. In his free time, he enjoys relaxing at the beach, playing soccer, drinking beer, and exploring the Philly nightlife with his friends.

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Michael Sun, Summer Undergraduate Researcher

Michael is a PA native completing his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University. He spent the summer in the Hamilton lab as part of the Penn GI Division's NIH/NIDDK R25-funded Undergraduate Student Scholars Program. Michael is currently in Medical School at Drexel University School of Medicine. In his spare time, Michael designs and builds 3D puzzles (think complex Rubix cubes) and is interested in the therapeutic aspects of 3D puzzles for children.

Patrick Williams, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher

Patrick was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. He earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences and History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh and his PhD in Molecular, Cellular Biology, and Genetics at the Drexel University College of Medicine. He joined the Hamilton lab in January, 2018, as a postdoctoral researcher. In January, 2022, Patrick assumed a new role in the American Association for Cancer Research Executive Office as a Research Analyst. In July, 2024, he left AACR to pursue his passion as a commercial pilot and flight instructor full time. Go Patrick!

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Noor Nema, MD
​GI Fellow

Noor was born in Connecticut but grew up in South Florida and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. She attended Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar and completed her pediatrics residency at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. She is currently a fellow in the CHOP Division of GI, Hepatology, and Nutrition. She joined the Hamilton lab in July, 2021. In her free time, Noor enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with family and friends.

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Brooke Boyer, MD,
​GI Fellow

Originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Brooke went to Boston College and Northeast Ohio Medical University. She completed her pediatric residency at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and is currently a fellow in the CHOP Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Brooke enjoys running, reading, exploring the Philly dining scene, and houseplants.

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Gabrielle Largoza, Summer Undergraduate Researcher

Gabrielle is a student at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She joined the Hamilton lab for summer, 2018, as part of the Penn GI DIvision's NIH/NIDDK R25-funded Undergraduate Student Scholars Program and also in summer, 2019. She is currently a senior and hopes to pursue a dual degree (MD/PhD) in the future.

Lauren Simon,
​Lab Manager

Lauren is from a small town in south New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University in 2015 with a B.S in Biochemistry. Since graduating, Lauren worked as a research technician at UPenn before joining the Hamilton lab at CHOP in 2017. While working at CHOP, she concurrently earned her BSN through a part-time accelerated program at Holy Family University. Upon completion of her BSN, Lauren accepted a nursing position at CHOP in December, 2021. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, relaxing at the beach, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

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Tiana Johnson
​High School Student

Tiana was born in Guangzhou, China, and now lives in Philadelphia, PA. She is a senior at Friends Select School and joined the Hamilton lab in November, 2021. In her free time, Tiana enjoys drawing, programming, and visiting museums. She will be attending UC Davis starting in Fall, 2022.

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Erin Gilbert
​Research Technician

Erin was born and raised in Pennsylvania in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She attended Penn State University where she earned her BS in Biology and a minor in Health Policy and Administration. She joined the Gastrointestinal Epithelium Modeling Program and the Hamilton lab in June 2023 as a research technician and took a job with Thermo Fisher in June 2024.

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Laura Bryant, PhD,
​Postdoctoral Researcher

Laura is originally from western New York. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH and earned her PhD in neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include the genetic dysregulation that occurs during chronic inflammation and the effect of monogenic and digenic mutations on inflammatory pathways. In her free time, she enjoys baking and playing board games. Laura is currently a postdoctoral fellow focusing on genetic defects in pediatric neurodegenerative disease at CHOP.

Charles Danan
​MD PhD Student

Charles was born in San Antonio, Texas and raised in Texas and Northern California. He has a BS in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from Rice University. He is a Cell and Molecular Biology (CAMB)/Genetics and Epigenetics PhD student in Penn's MD PhD program. He joined the Hamilton lab for his thesis work in January, 2020. Charles tells people he enjoys concerts, travel, and outdoor recreation, but he spends most of his time photographing his cat, practicing amateur meteorology, and maintaining his very large indoor plant collection.

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Xianghui Ma, PhD
​Postdoctoral Researcher

Xianghui was born and raised in Henan province in China. He earned his BS and Masters in Animal Science (beef cattle) and then earned his PhD in Biological Chemistry (skin biology-mouse and human samples) at China Agricultural University in Beijing. After graduating, he completed a brief postdoctoral position at University of California, Irvine, working on psoriatic skin research before joining the Hamilton lab at CHOP from October, 2018 until December, 2023. He is currently Research Associate in Dr. Maayan Levy's laboratory at University of Pennsylvania.

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Kit Cheung
Summer Undergraduate Student

Kit was born in Malaysia but grew up in California and Hong Kong. She is an undergraduate student majoring in Microbiology at California State University, Northridge. She joined the Hamilton lab in summer 2023 through University of Pennsylvania Summer Undergraduate Internship Program. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, trying new foods, window shopping, and spending time with friends and family.

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Catherine Kang,
Summer Undergraduate Researcher

Catherine is an undergraduate student majoring in biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She joined the Hamilton Lab in Summer 2021 as part of the Virtual Summer Research Program by the American Physician Scientists Association. Having grown up in Southern California, she enjoys going to the beach, traveling, and playing the piano.

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Natalie Brown, Summer High School Researcher

Natalie Brown lives in Philadelphia, PA and is a senior at Philadelphia Girls High School. She joined the Hamilton lab in the summer of 2018 as part of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine's Research Outreach Program, under Patrick Williams' mentorship. Natalie enjoys listening to music.

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Kaitlyn Naughton
​Research Specialist

Kaitlyn was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, and she attended Villanova University where she earned her BS in Biology and Spanish with a concentration in Ethics and Healthcare. She joined the Hamilton lab in June, 2021, as a research technician. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, listening to music, hiking, traveling, practicing yoga, and painting. In the future, Kaitlyn plans on going to medical school to pursue her MD.

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Madison Stoltz
​Research Specialist

Madison was born and raised in Mountaintop, PA, right outside of Scranton (for any Office fans). She is currently a senior undergraduate student studying to earn her BA in health studies with a Certificate of Specialization in Spanish & Latinx Studies for the Health & Human Services Professions. She plans to attend Physician Assistant school in the future and to dedicate her future years practicing medicine in the US Military to share her skills with underserved areas within Central and South America. She joined the Gastrointestinal Epithelium Modeling Program for exposure into the amazing research CHOP is doing and hopes to use and apply the skills she is learning in the future! Outside of lab, Madison enjoys learning new languages, weight lighting, meditation, baking new breakfast meals, and enjoying time with friends.

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Jenna Radke,
Summer Undergraduate Researcher

Jenna is an undergraduate student at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina. She will graduate in December of 2021 and is originally from Arlington, Virginia. She joined the Hamilton lab in the summer of 2021 as a participant in the Virtual Summer Research Program by the American Physician Scientists Association for aspiring MD/PhD students. Jenna enjoys hiking, reading, and listening to music.

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Maiah Dent,
​Research Specialist

Maiah worked in the Hamilton lab in collaboration with Dr. Judith Kelsen, Director of the CHOP VEO-IBD program, to understand cellular mechanisms of disease directly in patient organoids. Maiah is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Biotechnology at USciences in Philadelphia.

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Rithika Behera, Research Specialist

Rithika grew up in New Delhi, India and completed her B.E. in Biotechnology from VIT University. She loves exploring new places to eat and dancing. Rithika worked in the Hamilton lab as a research specialist and is now a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh.