Meet the members of the lab! (And also the fun lab puns we all came up with)
Priyanka Chatterjee (Petriyanka)
Priyanka is a fifth-year PhD candidate from the Cell and Molecular Biology: Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology (MVP) graduate group in the Perelman School of Medicine. Her projects focus on defining a system of cell signaling in H. volcanii. Priyanka loves trying out new restaurants and she is the go-to person for food recommendations in Philly. She also enjoys organizing events and served as the Chair of the Biomedical Graduate Students Association (BGSA). She’s recently picked up a new hobby: ice skating! She would also like to emphasize that we have a lab pun for our PI Mecky: Meckroscope.
Yirui Hong (Yiruiarchaeota and Yiruicil)
Yirui graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. She then moved to the Pohlschroder Lab at Penn to explore the fantastic archaeal world! Now, she is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Biology Department in the School of Arts and Sciences. In the lab, Yirui works on the identification of lipoprotein biosynthesis pathways in H. volcanii. In her spare time, she loves reading (from novels, poems to philosophy and social science), going to the orchestra, musicals, and exhibitions. She is also looking for friends to hike together and explore Philly more!
Jacob Cote (Lab Cote)
Jacob graduated from the University of Maine in 2022 with a bachelor’s degrees in Microbiology and Biochemistry. While there, he worked and published in the laboratory of Dr. Sally Molloy studying the bacteriophage of Mycobacterium. Now, he is a third-year Ph.D. candidate from the Cell and Molecular Biology: Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology (MVP) graduate group in the Perelman School of Medicine. His project focuses on characterizing molecular signaling pathways involved in motility regulation in H. volcanii. In his spare time, he likes to cook, learn Chinese, crafts and play games.
Marco Garcia (Marcopipette Agarcia)
Marco is originally from Southern California before he moved to Philadelphia to attend Penn. He is an undergraduate senior studying General Biology and Healthcare Management & Policy in the Vagelos Life Science and Management Program. He is also a part of Penn Benjamins, an organization dedicated to helping improve mental health on campus through peer counseling. He plans to attend medical school after undergrad and help underprivleged communities obtain better healthcare. Outside of the classroom, he loves to spend time with his friends and family, as well as play one of 5 instruments he knows.
Eve Mutua (Autocleve)
Everlyne (Eve) Mutua is originally from Kenya. She graduated with a master’s from the Institut Pasteur Shanghai (UCAS) in Dimitri Lavilette’s lab where she studied host and virus interactions, focusing on developing neutralizing antibodies on understudied arboviruses. She is currently in her second year at the Biology Graduate Group. In the lab, she studies cytoskeletal genes looking at their functions in shape and biofilm formations. Outside the lab, Eve loves hiking, going to the gym, and trying new dance styles (she recently learned Scottish dance).
Kiara Escudero (kiRNA)
Kiara Escudero is originally from Southern California. She is a first year undergraduate at Penn in the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a degree in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience. Kiara aspires to earn a Ph.D. and become a scientific researcher, with a focus on empowering communities within resource-limited areas through innovative research and healthcare advancements. She is also a part of Road2Research, which is a student-run initiative at Penn with a mission to provide high school students the opportunity to engage in scientific research. Outside of her campus activities, she enjoys cooking cultural dishes, volunteering with local outreach programs, and exploring photography.
Abdullah Mahmoud (T4 AbDNA llahigase)
Abdullah is a senior at Central High School in Philadelphia, currently working in the Pohlschroder lab as part of his science research class. Mentored by Jacob Cote, he is analyzing bacterial motility through microscopy videos for his science fair project. Though his background is in mathematics—having competed in the Delaware Valley Science Fair—Abdullah is exploring his growing interest in biology. He hopes to pursue engineering or computer science in the future but is enjoying the diverse research experience in the lab. Outside of academics, Abdullah enjoys coding, playing video games, and spending time with family.
Recent Lab Alumni
Heather Schiller, PhD (Lecturer of Biology, MARIST University)
Criston Young, (Research Associate, UPenn)
Stefan Schulze, PhD (Assistant Professor, RIT)
Farid Abdul-Halim, PhD (postdoctoral associate University of Minnesota)
Evan Young (PhD student at Harvard)
Bienfait Igiraneza (PhD student, Oxford)
Michiyah Collins, (Administrative Intern, Northwell Health)
Georgio Legerme, MD (University of Florida, Residency)
Rianne Esquivel, PhD (GSK, Clinical Biomarker Lead)
Manuela Tripepi, PhD (Associate Professor, Jefferson University)