Lab Members
Breana Channer is a 6th year MD/PhD candidate at Drexel University College of Medicine in the Pharmacology and Physiology PhD program. Breana joined the lab in May 2021 for the PhD portion of her degree. Her project focuses on defining the inflammatory impact of dopamine on myeloid cells from different organ compartments in the presence or absence of HIV. She is currently examining the impact of dopamine on activation of the NF-kB pathway using high content image analysis, as well as defining the signaling pathways driving these changes. Additionally, she is examining how changes in macrophage culture conditions can alter inflammatory activity and the response to dopamine.
Alexis Brantly is a 5th year PhD candidate at Drexel University College of Medicine in the Microbiology and Immunology PhD program. Alexis joined the Nonnemacher lab in 2021 and began to work with the Gaskill lab soon after due to her interest in high content imaging, with Dr. Gaskill becoming a co-mentor. Alexis focuses on examining viral dynamics in different types of myeloid cells such as hMDM and Kupffer cells using high content imaging, defining infectious phenotypes and changes in the progression of infection during ART and in response to comorbid infection with hepatitis B.
Tofunmi Oteju is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate at Drexel University College of Medicine in the Pharmacology and Physiology PhD program. She joined the lab in June 2022 and primarily studies the molecular mechanisms by which stimulants, specifically cocaine, increase HIV replication in human microglia. These studies primarily use iPSC derived microglia, along with iPSC derived macrophages and primary monocyte derived macrophages. .
Marzieh Daniali is a 3rd year Ph.D. candidate at Drexel University College of Medicine in the Pharmacology and Physiology PhD program. She joined the lab in the spring of 2023, with a strong interest in innate immune response to toxicants, specifically regarding inflammation. Her work examines the impact of dopamine inflammasome mediated inflammation in myeloid cells, primarily focusing on dissecting the novel molecular mechanisms that drive inflammasome priming and activation in response to dopamine in human macrophages.
Yash Agarwal is a 4th year M.D. / Ph.D. candidate in the Pharmacology and Physiology program. He joined the lab in the spring of 2023, and is is collaborating with the Qiang lab in the Department of Neuroscience and Anatomy to develop and characterize HIV infection of iPSC derived human brain organoids and assembloids that will be used to examine the interactive impact of stimulant evoked dopamine and HIV on neuronal health and function. He is also collaborating with the Matt Lab to optimize the recovery and growth of macrophages from PBMC frozen from distinct cohorts to be used in the analysis of the impact of depression and anti-depressants in innate immune function.
Taylor Kist is our lab manager. He joined the lab in the late winter of 2024 after working in industry for several years. Taylor manages lab administrative tasks for by the Gaskill and Matt labs, and also works with several of the graduate students to assist with qPCR, staining, Western Blotting and a variety of other molecular and cellular assays. When not working, Taylor has been exploring Philadelphia and building up the groups board game library.
We are always looking for motivated and passionate HIV researchers and neuroimmunologists, so if you are interested in a position in the Gaskill lab, please contact me.
Gaskill Lab Alumni
Ms. Kaitlyn Runner - Lab Manager 2016 - 2021
Currently Research Associate at Fujifilm Irvine Scientific just outside Phildelphia
Ms. Gal Rappaport - Undergraduate research assistant 2016 - 2017
Currently a Masters student in architectural design at Drexel University
Dr. Rachel Nolan - M.D. / Ph.D 2017 - 2019
Thesis "Role of Dopamine in the Modulation of Macrophage-Mediated Inflammation: Implications for the Neuropathogenesis of NeuroHIV and Drug Abuse".
Currently a resident in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington Hospital in Seattle, Washington.
Dr. Emily Nickoloff-Bybel - Ph.D. 2017 - 2021
Thesis "The Impact of Dopamine Receptor Signaling on Myeloid Cell Function: Implications for the Pathogenesis of NeuroHIV"
Currently a scientist at Asklepios Biopharmaceutical (AskBio) in Philadelphia
Mr. Yi Rong - Drug, Discovery and Development M.S. 2017 - 2019
Thesis "High-Content Screening Analysis of Dopamine-Mediated Changes in Human Macrophages in the context of HIV infection"
Currently an account manager at Genescript in China
Ms. Sherrita McClain - Volunteer from Drexel Forensic Science Masters 2018 - 2019
Currently 4th year Medical Student at University of Michigan
Ms. Hannah Johnson - Undergraduate research assistant 2018 - 2021
Senior thesis "3D high-content imaging and analysis of dopamine mediated increases in NF-κB translocation in primary human macrophages"
Currently a consultant at Clarkston Consulting
Mr. Wenda Wu - Drug, Discovery and Development M.S. 2019 - 2021
Scholarly Document "Microglial Phagocytosis in the CNS: The Impact of Neurotransmitters and NeuroHIV"
Currently a management trainer at Johnson and Johnson in China.
Ms. Victoria Koa - Undergraduate research assistant 2019 - 2020
Currently a resident in pediatrics at New York Presbyterian Hospital- Weill Cornell Medical Center in NYC
Ms. Kimberly Bonar - Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow 2019 - 2020
Currently a research associate at Reaction Biology Corp.
Dr. Vasiliki Pappa - Visiting Post-Doctoral Fellow 2019 - 2022
Current a senior scientist at Carisma Therapeutics
Ms. Joanna Canagarajah - Masters Student from Drexel Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Program 2021 - 2022
Currently in her 3rd year at Ross Medical School
Dr. Samyuktha Manikandan - Medical Student from Drexel University College of Medicine 2020 - 2023
Currently a Resident at Temple University Hospital in Internal Medicine.
Ms. Dayna Robinson - Masters student from Pharmacology and Physiology Program 2022 - 2023
Currently job hunting
Dr. Teresa Lupone - PhD student from Microbiology and Immunology - 2022 - 2023
Thesis "Development of a High Throughput High Content Imaging Viral Titer Assay to Investigate the Effect of Substance Misuse on HIV-1 Replicative Dynamics in hMDMs"
Currently Virology Assay Scientist at Eurofins in Marlton, NJ
Dr. Stephanie Matt - Post-Doctoral Fellow 2018 - 2023
Currently a research assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at Drexel University College of Medicine