Molecular Development of the Immune System Section Research Group

To carry out the research performed in the Molecular Development of the Immune System Section (MDISS), our team of dedicated scientific and clinical staff study patients using our combined expertise in genetics/genomics, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, and immunology.

Helen C. Su, M.D., Ph.D.

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Specialty(s): Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics
Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center

Education:

M.D., Ph.D., Brown University

Helen Su received M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Brown University. She completed training in pediatrics at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University, and subspecialty training in allergy and immunology at NIAID. After postdoctoral training with Michael Lenardo, M.D., in the Laboratory of Immunology, she joined the Laboratory of Host Defenses in 2007 as a tenure-track clinical investigator and was tenured in 2016. She has received the Society for Pediatric Research E. Mead Johnson Award and the Gale and Ira Drukier Prize in Children’s Health Research. She was elected a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians.

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Jing Cui, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

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Education:

Ph.D., Developmental Biology, Fudan University, China

Languages Spoken: Chinese

My research focuses on understanding the pathological mechanism of early-onset inflammatory bowel disease due to genetic defects. I am also interested in developing novel immunotherapeutic strategies for cancers.

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Ping Jiang, B.S.

Biologist

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Education:

B.S., Environmental Engineering, Liaoning University, China

Languages Spoken: Chinese

I am developing a method to detect the changes in magnesium levels in T lymphocytes.

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Carol Trageser

Lab Manager

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Ensuring the lab runs smoothly, I order and stock all lab supplies, inventory the mouse room, maintain all lab equipment, and other numerous vital tasks.

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Sarah Weber, Ph.D.

Project Manager

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Education:

Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Working closely with Dr. Lenardo, I assist with day-to-day lab management in a multitude of capacities such as writing scientific reports, implementing, and optimizing procedures for lab efficiency, and liaison to the technology transfer office.

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Chen Xiang, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

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Education:

Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Languages Spoken: Chinese

My research efforts are directed toward investigating and comprehending the underlying pathological mechanisms of atherosclerosis attributed to either gene mutations or autoimmune diseases.

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Lixin Zheng, M.D.

Staff Scientist

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Education:

M.D., The Third Military Medical University, China

Languages Spoken: Chinese

I currently have two main projects in the lab: developing therapeutic immunogens for treating autoimmune disorders and profiling lipidomics and metabolomics of inherent immune disorders.

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Maria Zhu, B.A.

Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Education:

B.A., Biological Chemistry and Classics, Grinnell College

Languages Spoken: Mandarin

I am working with Dr. Jing Cui on understanding how rare mutations can lead to the early onset of inflammatory bowel disease.

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Former Research Group Members

This list only is comprised of former members since 2020.

Ann Yong-jin Park, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow. Staff Fellow at the FDA.

Leilei Xu, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow. Transferred to the NIAID Signaling Systems Section.

Elif Everest, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow. Transferred to the NINDS Translational Neuroradiology Section.

Heather Moorman, M.S.P.H., B.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.P., Clinical Research Nurse. Transferred to the NIAID Fungal Pathogenesis Section.

Rachel Palmer, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D./Ph.D. program at University of Pennsylvania.

Justin Gabrielski, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into Ph.D. program at University of Pennsylvania.

Abdul Habib Franca Omar, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D. program at University of Missouri.

Alison Pagalilauan, M.S., Laboratory Technician. Enrolled into Ph.D. program at Emory University.

Alex Waldman, Graduate Student in NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. Returned to Emory University to complete M.D.

Simone Gottlieb, B.A., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D. program at Northwestern University.

Runa Cheng, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D./Ph.D. program at University of California, San Francisco.

Yikun Yao, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow. Professor & Principal Investigator at Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai.

Satoshi Kubo, M.D., Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow. Associate Professor & Principal Investigator at University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.

Matthew Lynberg, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D. program at Georgetown University.

Rhea Kataria, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D./Ph.D. program at University of Chicago and NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program.

Zinan Zhang, A.B., Graduate Student in NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. Returned to Harvard University to complete M.D.

Jessica Phan, B.A., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D./Ph.D. program at Harvard University and NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program.

Samantha Shafer, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D./Ph.D. program at Emory University and NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program.

Juan Ravell, M.D., Staff Clinician. Physician at Hackensack University Medical Center at Hackensack Meridian Health.

Sarah Cook, Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D. program at Vanderbilt University.

Samuel Chauvin, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Fellow. Enrolled into M.D./Ph.D. program at University of Pennsylvania.

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