GRADUATE STUDENT, MIT BIOLOGY

B.S. University of New Hampshire, Biochemistry Molecular and Cellular Biology

Andrea Cote is a graduate student who is studying the relationship between colon cancer cell metabolism and the ability of T-cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. Andrea graduated from the University of New Hampshire in December of 2020 with a B.S. degree in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology. During her undergraduate studies, Andrea worked in the lab of Dr. Brian M. Barth exploring methods of altering sphingolipid metabolism via administration of sphingolipid-loaded nanoliposomes or treatment with natural product extracts to combat acute myeloid leukemia. After her undergraduate degree, Andrea spent a short time in the biotech industry at ElevateBio in Waltham, MA. At ElevateBio, Andrea performed R&D studies to produce high-quality lentiviral vectors for gene therapy applications. Andrea joined the MIT Biology Department in Fall of 2021 as a PhD student. In May of 2022, Andrea joined the Ringel Lab! Here, Andrea is developing her project on the influence of cancer cell metabolism on the immune system by using cancer spheroids as tumor models. Outside of Lab, Andrea enjoys baking, crocheting, and trying as many restaurants around Boston and Cambridge as possible!

Contact: acote at mit dot edu

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

B.S. University of Alcalá, Biology

M.S. University College London, Biochemistry

Ph.D. University of Barcelona, Biomedicine

Carmen is a molecular biologist who became fascinated by the intricacies of immunometabolism. She graduated from the University of Alcalá, in Spain, with a degree in Biology, and went on to complete a Research Masters in Biochemistry at University College London (UK). Carmen later obtained a PhD in Biomedicine from the University of Barcelona, working at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) under the mentorship of Dr. George Thomas. There, she focused on ribosomal biogenesis and cancer. For her first postdoctoral studies, Carmen joined Dr. Dan Ye’s group at Fudan University in Shanghai, to study how metabolites from the TCA cycle affect macrophages. She then moved to Boston, where she spent a year at Harvard/Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In 2022, she joined the Ringel lab at the Ragon Institute, where she is currently working on understanding how T cells differentiate and survive under different conditions. When she’s not in the lab, Carmen loves going to concerts, trying new restaurants (food is one of life’s greatest pleasures!) and traveling. She also actively collaborates in supporting Spanish Researchers in the US through a nonprofit organization, ECUSA.

Contact: morcelle at mit dot edu

TECHNICIAN

B.S. Kenyon College, Molecular Biology

Erika is a Technician in the Walker and Ringel labs at the Ragon Institute, where she works alongside Josh to explore the role of cellular metabolism on HIV infection and control. She went to Kenyon College for her undergraduate studies, where she majored in Molecular Biology and obtained a B.A. degree in 2023. Early in college, Erika joined Dr. Sarah Petersen’s lab, where she studied muscle pre-patterning requirements for proper peripheral nervous system development. She also briefly worked as a Summer Research Scholar in Dr. Robb Krumlauf’s lab at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, where she researched the coupling of retinoic acid signaling and hindbrain segmentation in lamprey. Erika hopes to continue exploring her interests in biology and going to graduate school in the next two years. Outside of the lab, Erika enjoys playing sports, hiking, rock climbing, playing the piano, and cuddling with her cat, Momo.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Greycen Ren is an undergraduate student at MIT planning on majoring in Biological Engineering. He is interested in learning more about tumor and immune cell metabolism within the tumor microenvironment. In his free time, he enjoys watching soccer games and creating new food experiments.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

B.S. University of Rochester, Microbiology and Immunology

Ph.D. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Biomedical Sciences

Josh is a viral immunologist who is interested in fundamental questions of how viruses shape immune responses, and how immune responses subsequently shape disease. Josh completed his undergraduate training at the University of Rochester in 2017, where he majored in Microbiology and Immunology. He then went on to receive a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in July of 2022 under the mentorship of Dr. Jean K. Lim. There, he focused on identifying ways in which viruses exploit the host immune response to enhance infection and pathogenesis. Josh is currently transitioning into a joint appointment between the Ringel and Walker labs at the Ragon Institute for his postdoctoral training. Here, Josh will work on two major projects: 1) He aims to better understand how cellular metabolism influences CD8 T-cell responses to HIV; and 2) He will focus on elucidating the relationship between lipid utilization and HIV-infection. Collectively, his work aims to better understand why some patients with HIV are capable of spontaneously controlling infection in the absence of therapy with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets. Coming from the concrete jungle, Josh spends his time outside of the lab biking around the greater Boston area, exploring nature in the Northeast. He also has an interest in the classics, and frequents museums and exhibits on ancient Greek architecture, culture, and art. Finally, Josh is very passionate about the role of science in public policy. He co-chaired March for Science NYC during his time in NY and plans to resume his science policy work in MA once he’s established himself in the lab here at Ragon.

Contact: jacklin at mgh dot harvard dot edu

GRADUATE STUDENT, MIT BIOLOGY

B.S. Yale, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Kendra is a Ph.D. student who is excited to explore the role of metabolism in macrophage function and the impact of aging on tumor control/progression. She has a longstanding interest in immunology; in her time as an undergraduate in Dr. Xiaolei Su’s lab, she studied the role of liquid-liquid phase separation in T cell signaling and designed new chimeric antigen receptors for cancer immunotherapy. Kendra also briefly worked at Vascumab LLC in Branford, CT as an in vitro Cell Biologist, where she sought “molecular glues” for therapeutically targeting E3 ubiquitin ligases. Outside of the lab, Kendra dances competitively for the MIT Ballroom Dance Team, crochets, and cooks lots of soup.

Contact: klibby at mit dot edu

GRADUATE STUDENT, MIT BIOLOGY

B.S. University of Arizona, Molecular and Cellular Biology

Lillian Delacruz is a Ph.D. student in MIT Biology interested in understanding how systemic alterations in lipid metabolism rewire immune cell function and regulate anti-tumor immunity. Lillian graduated from the University of Arizona, earning a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a minor in Religious Studies. During her undergraduate studies, she worked in the lab of Dr. Michael Riehle and researched ways to pharmacologically and genetically alter Coenzyme A metabolism to inhibit malaria development in mosquitoes. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, trying out new restaurants, painting, and petting cats.

Contact: lrdcruz at mit dot edu

RESEARCH SCHOLAR

B.S. Heidelberg University, Biosciences

Marius Breitkopf joined the Ringel Lab as a research intern. Marius grew up in a secluded small town in Germany, he moved to Heidelberg to pursue his passion of biological science. After finishing his Bachelor’s degree at Heidelberg University, he was too fascinated by all the beautiful aspects of biology to narrow down on a specific topic and now pursues a Masters in “Molecular and Cellular Biology” in Heidelberg. During his studies, he uncovered the beautiful complexity of the immune system and is now driven to harness its huge potential in treatment diseases and cancer. He joined the Ringel Lab to dive into cellular mechanisms of T cells and how T cells are impacted by their environment. Outside of the lab Marius keeps active with all kinds of sports and enjoys exploring the American nature, enjoying his semester abroad.

Contact: mariusb at mit dot edu

Sally is a very sweet dog with an eternally grumpy look on her face. Originally from Juncos, Puerto Rico, she was rescued in January 2021 and arrived in Boston shortly thereafter. In her spare time, she loves playing with other dogs and tracking squirrels.

Bowie (AKA bobo/sir boweth) and Roxie (aka roxannabelle)

Momo lives with Erika and is named after the lemur from Avatar the Last Airbender.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Spring Semester, 2023