Current Lab Members
Hong-Gang (HG) Wang, PhD
Lois High Berstler Professor
Departments of Pediatrics & Pharmacology
Penn State College of Medicine
Director, Pediatric Molecular Oncology Program
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital
Member, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute
Member, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
hwang3@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
Kerry Keefer
Lab Manager
kkeefer@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
I provide technical support for the lab, oversee the maintenance and management of the lab, and assist with several research projects. I am the primary lab coordinator for compliance with safety, bio-hazard, and animal care and use regulations.
Lei Bao, MD, PhD
Research Associate
lbao@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My research focuses on calcium signaling in modulating cell survival, in particular investigating TRPM2 ion channel as a potential target for cancer therapy.
Van (Celine) Bui, MD
Graduate Assistant, Biomedical Sciences
vbui2@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
I am studying the beginning stages of autophagy, including autophagosome formation, elongation, and closure. The final goal of the project is to elucidate the molecular mechanism of autophagy and identify a therapeutic window for cancer.
Longgui Chen
Research Technologist
lchen1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
I perform numerous research experiments to provide support for other researchers in the laboratory on various research projects, including recombinant DNA and animal work, technical training, as well as lab maintenance.
Kevin Fundora
MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program, Biomedical Sciences
kfundora@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My project focuses on the discovery and development of new therapeutics targeting autophagy to treat pediatric cancers.
Kelsey Gay, DO
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow
kgay1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
As a Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Fellow, I am working on developing new therapeutic strategies using agents that target autophagy and apoptosis with hopes to improve outcomes for pediatric sarcoma patients.
Kouta Hamamoto, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
khamamoto1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My project investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying autophagosome biogenesis with the goal of developing new therapeutics for cancer treatment.
Tatsuya Hattori, PhD
Researcher
thattori@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My project focuses on the identification and development of small molecules that target autophagy at the step of autophagosome closure as new anticancer therapeutics.
Xinwen Liang, MD
Instructor
xliang1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My project is focused on studying the mechanisms of autophagosome closure. The goal of this study is to elucidate role of autophagosome biogenesis in cell survival and death.
Gaelyn Lyons
Graduate Assistant, Biomedical Sciences
glyons1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My project focuses on investigating the mechanisms of drug resistance to FLT3 inhibitors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). My goal is to elucidate novel pathways that contribute to drug resistance with the hope of finding an optimal combination drug treatment to help improve patient response.
David Opozda
Graduate Assistant, Biomedical Sciences
dopozda@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My research focuses on determining how the dysregulation of autophagy and ESCRT components affects NF-kB signaling to drive tumor survival and progression, with the goal of elucidating a mechanism in order to design new treatments.
Jiawen Zhang
Graduate Assistant, Biomedical Sciences
jzhang5@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My project is focused on investigating the roles of loss of hypoxia induced autophagy and induction of intratumoral autophagy heterogeneity in tumor progression and metastasis.
Ray Zhang
MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program, Biomedical Sciences
rzhang3@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
My research focuses on investigating how the interplay between autophagy and small extracellular vesicle biogenesis in tumor cells affects the tumor microenvironment, cancer progression and metastasis.