2023-24 Autoimmunity and Autoinflammation Training Grant Trainees
Webb Camille (Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology)
Webb is an MD/PhD student in the labs of Zuoshang Xu and Paul Thompson at UMass Chan Medical School. His thesis work entails investigating citrullination, a post-translation modification in ALS that contributes to neuroinflammation. He attended Salem State University for his undergraduate education where he obtained a BS in Biology with a concentration in biomedical science and a minor in chemistry.
Kristy Chiang (Medicine)
Kristy is a co-mentored PhD student in Dr. Kate Fitzgerald’s lab and Dr. Ann Rothstein’s lab. Her research focus is on the role of endothelial cells in STING-associated Vasculopathy with onset in Infancy (SAVI) autoinflammatory lung disease. Kristy received her BS in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Comparative Literature from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA).
Jane Chuprin (Dermatology/Molecular Medicine)
Jane is an MD/PhD student in both Dr. Mehdi Rashighi’s lab and Dr. Michael Brehm’s lab. Her research focus is studying skin damage responses in STING-associated Vasculopathy with onset in Infancy (SAVI) inflammatory skin disease. Jane received her BA in Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.
Sarah Cleveland (Pathology)
Sarah is a PhD candidate in Dr. Eric Huseby’s lab. Her research focuses on how the ligand recognition properties of T regulatory (Treg) cells inform their development and function in the maintenance of immune system homeostasis. Sarah received her BS in Biological Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Connecticut.
Jason Freedman (Program in Molecular Medicine)
Jason is an MD/PhD student in Dr. Paul Greer's lab. His research is focused on the role of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative disease, with a specific focus on the MS4A gene family's role in Multiple Sclerosis. He is also exploring how these genes can be therapeutically targeted to modulate microglial function and aberrant neuroimmune responses. Prior to joining UMass, Jason received his BA in Neuroscience from Oberlin College and trained as a Research Technician in Richard Axel's lab at Columbia University.
Jacob Stillman (Neurobiology)
Jacob is a PhD student in Dr. Dori Schafer's lab. His research focuses on the role of microglial nucleic acid sensing pathways during demyelinating disease. Jacob received his BA in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania.