Chrystal Paulos, Ph.D. (P.I.)
is the Director of Translational Research for Cutaneous Malignancies at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
Her team uses synthetic biology to manipulate T cells for patients with cancer. By combining a basic and translational understanding of T cells in clinical studies with mechanistic studies in mouse models, her team has contributed deep insight into the role of T cell memory. Her team has published extensively in the subject matter of T cell co-stimulation, the microbiome, and adoptive immunotherapy for cancer. They are funding from National, Federal, Institutional and Industrial partners. When not thinking about T cells, Chrystal enjoys cycling, Iyengar yoga, running, and traveling to all corners of the world. She also loves to mentor scientists and help them reach their full potential.
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Megan Wyatt is a senior scientist and lab manager for the Paulos Lab. Megan joined the lab after completing her masters degree in 2015 and jumped into the world of immunotherapy by working on T cell transductions with TCRs and CARs. During her time in the lab she has been involved with several different lab projects and company collaborations, most recently working on understanding the role of CD26 on adoptive T cell therapy products. In addition, she also developed a human tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) expansion and phenotyping regimen for the lab, and is involved with several clinical trials investigating patient T cell mechanistics. Megan enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, traveling, biking, swimming, and taking her dogs Specks and Kirra on long walks.
Aubrey Smith is a senior graduate student and PhD candidate in the Paulos lab.
Aubrey graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology.
Before starting graduate school, Aubrey did undergraduate research in cancer immunotherapy at the Medical University of South Carolina. Aubrey’s dissertation research involves manipulating the interface between innate and adaptive immune cells to produce powerful immunotherapies for cancer. When she is not in the lab, Aubrey loves reading, running, and spending time with friends and family and her kitty Cooper.
Hannah Knochelmann is a 5th year MSTP student in the Paulos Lab. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering prior to beginning her training as a medical scientist at the Medical University of South Carolina. Hannah’s dissertation research focuses on the role of cytokine storm in CD4+Th17 cell therapy and mechanisms of immune response to neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in oral cavity cancer. Her career aspirations involve translation of briefly expanded human antitumor CD4+ T cells into clinical trials and developing novel immunotherapies for pediatric malignancies. Besides immunology, Hannah is a classically-trained pianist and enjoys hiking, traveling, running and writing.
Guillermo O. Rangel Rivera is a first generation 4th year MSTP student in the Paulos lab. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in Columbia with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology. Prior to joining the MSTP program at MUSC he completed two years as a post-baccalaureate intramural research training fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD. Guillermo’s dissertation project is focused on understanding how manipulating PI3K signaling alters T cell mitochondrial fitness, metabolism and anti-tumor immunity. His career goals are to implement and develop novel approaches to immunotherapies in childhood malignancies. Besides immunology, Guillermo has a keen interest in underrepresented population’s health care, free clinics and STEM education. In his free time, he spends time playing and learning music, mostly guitar and piano, learning other forms of art expression and biking/walking through nature
Anna Cole is a second year PhD graduate student in the Cancer Biology Program at Emory University. She is studying the role of novel T helper cells in adoptive immunotherapy and how they network with host B cells to bolster long-lasting immunity against solid tumors. Prior to coming to Emory, she got her Bachelor of Arts at Rice University as well as conducted novel research at Baylor’s Center for Cell and Gene Therapy studying the solid tumor microenvironment.
Bhavana Pavuluri is a talented undergrad in the lab in her 2nd year at Emory University. She is from Louisville, Kentucky, is a Coolidge Senator who led a nonprofit focused on bringing high-quality STEM resources to her hometown. She also has planned initiatives to support the local refugee population and served as the first-ever president of the Teen Board at Norton Children’s Hospital. Pavuluri conducted research in both biology and chemistry, winning a national travel award and co-authoring a paper in a peer-reviewed journal. She plans to major in biology on the pre-med track.
Future postdoctoral fellow:
Dr. Ayana Ruffin (YayaTheScientist)