Our Team

Dr. Frascoli is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. She obtained her Ph.D. in Cellular and Biomedical Sciences from the University of Bern, Switzerland. Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Frascoli pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, under the mentorship of Dr. Tippi MacKenzie, a leading expert in in-utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for investigating murine fetal immune cell development. In her lab she acquired the surgical skills to independently investigate the requirements for the development of fetal derived immune subsets in barrier tissues. She then joined the UMass Chan Medical School as Instructor, working closely with Dr. Joonsoo Kang. Her research focused on the immunometabolic regulation of a subset of neonatal derived γδ T cells essential for skin barrier homeostasis. Now, as an Assistant Professor, her research centers around the developmental components of the immune system, with a specific focus on innate-like T cells in barrier tissues. She is especially interested in dissecting the complexity of hematopoietic-stromal cell crosstalk and in identifying gene networks unique to the embryo that will constitute the neonatal immune system.

Erisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and a Master’s degree in Physiology and Neurobiology. Her journey in science has taken her across diverse fields, from molecular biology and protein purification to GMP manufacturing and female reproductive physiology, where she has worked with both in vivo and in vitro models. Teaching and mentoring have also been some of the most rewarding parts of her journey, giving her the chance to pass on my love for science. Now, she is excited to build on her knowledge in Immunology as part of the Frascoli Lab. Beyond the bench, she enjoy creative outlets such as writing and painting, as well as exploring new languages.

Kaelie is a Worcester Polytechnic Institute undergraduate studying biochemistry with a minor in computational biology. She is completing her senior thesis project within the Frascoli Lab studying innate-like T cells. She is excited to learn more about immunology and the use of murine modeling! As part of the WPI community, she is president of the American Chemical Society student chapter, assist in teaching introductory chemistry laboratories, and a freshman residential advisor. Outside of campus, she enjoys baking and gardening.

Jessica began her research career at UMass Chan in 1999 as an Animal Care Technician in the Department of Animal Medicine. In 2002, she was promoted to Veterinary Services, where she worked as a Veterinary Technician and Import/Export Coordinator Assistant. After 21 years in Animal Medicine, Jessica transitioned to a research laboratory role in 2020. She now serves as the Mouse Colony Manager for the Frascoli Lab, applying her extensive experience with animal techniques and procedures to support the lab’s research. When she isn’t in the lab managing breeding colonies or running PCRs, Jessica enjoys attending Comic-Cons to meet her favorite actors. At home, she can often be found cuddling her three cats and watching her favorite TV show, Supernatural.