Lab Members
John Anto Pulikkan
Associate Investigator
Philomina Sona Peramangalam
Lab Manager
Philomina Sona earned her MSc in Microbiology from Kandaswami Kandar's College, Periyar University, India. She worked at Dr. Gerhard Behre’s laboratory at Martin Luther University, Germany, investigating microRNA deregulation in CEBPA-mutated AML. Later, she worked at Dr. Brian Lewis’s laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, exploring the mechanism of KRAS-induced pancreatic Tumorigenesis. Sona's current research interest is to characterize leukemic stem cell markers in CEBPA mutant AML.
Mayuresh Konde
Postdoctoral Fellow
Mayuresh earned his Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. Nagaraj Balasubramanian at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India. His doctoral research focused on elucidating the role of RalA Ser194 phosphorylation in tumorigenesis. His scientific interests lie in cancer biology, with a particular emphasis on translational research aimed at bridging fundamental discoveries with therapeutic applications. Currently, in the Pulikkan Laboratory, Mayuresh is investigating the mechanisms underlying dysregulated mRNA processing in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) harboring CEBPA mutations. His research also focuses on evaluating therapeutic strategies to target aberrant mRNA splicing as a potential treatment approach for this subtype of AML.
Mariana Mendez
Postdoctoral Fellow
Mariana earned her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, where she conducted her graduate research in the laboratory of Dr. Asish K. Ghosh. Her work focused on elucidating the molecular drivers of hematologic malignancies and identifying therapeutic strategies to target them, with particular emphasis on the crosstalk between receptor tyrosine kinase and B-cell receptor signaling pathways in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Currently, in the Pulikkan Laboratory, she investigates how dysregulation of chromatin dynamics contributes to leukemogenesis in CEBPA-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and explores novel therapeutic vulnerabilities that may be leveraged for targeted treatment.
Sara Adibfar
Graduate Student
Sara earned her Master of Science in Medical Immunology from Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, through a joint program with the Department of Immunology at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Her master's research investigated the combined inhibition of CD73 and EZH2 and its impact on the growth and progression of breast cancer cells in both in vitro and in vivo models. Her research interests focus on cancer therapeutics, particularly translational and clinically relevant studies that have the potential to improve patient outcomes. Currently, Sara is investigating how dysregulation of the protein translation machinery contributes to leukemogenesis in inv(16) acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Rijo Joy
Research Technologist
Rijo earned his M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu, India. His master's research focused on evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of Ayurvedic interventions in the treatment of dyslipidemia and associated cardiovascular complications. Following his Master’s training, he worked as a Clinical Biochemist in several diagnostic laboratories, where he gained extensive experience in clinical laboratory diagnostics, biochemical testing, and data interpretation.
Douglas W. Franklin
Animal Technician
Doug is a seasoned Laboratory Animal Technician. He has a strong background in laboratory animal care, having held various technician roles at institutions such as Versiti in Milwaukee, The Medical College of Wisconsin, The Ohio State University, Charles River Laboratories, Abbott Laboratories, and Pfizer Corporation. His skills include sample collection, animal husbandry, and compliance with regulatory standards. Doug's education includes coursework in science and mathematics from Gateway Technical College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Western Michigan University, and he was nationally certified as a Laboratory Animal Technician in 2003.