People
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Cynthia Leifer, PhD
Principal investigator @cindyleifer Email: cynthia(dot)leifer@cornell.edu Dr. Leifer is Professor of Immunology, and Director of the Cornell PACE program, and director of the faculty development core for the NIH FIRST program. Her research is at the interface of the immune system with pathogens. Using an array of techniques from molecular and cell biology to whole animal disease models, the main research focus is on the macrophage and how signaling through Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is regulated. TLRs are critical to defend the body against infection, but dysregulation contributes to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. She teaches immunology to undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary students, and lectures on vaccines in public health in the Master's in Public Health Program at Cornell University. In addition to research and teaching, Dr. Leifer is a vaccine advocate and science communicator. She has been interviewed by national and international print and radio journalists about vaccines and immunology. She gives workshops on science communication, has published a number of opinion articles, and is co-host of the podcast Immune (microbe.tv/immune). If you are interested in hosting Dr. Leifer for a speaking engagement, please email her directly. |
Lab Members
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Karla García-Martínez (She/Her/Ella) @GarciaMar_Karla
Ph.D. Candidate, 2023 Bouchet Society member, 2022 SMDP scholar, 2021 HHMI Gilliam Fellow Karla is a fifth year Ph.D. candidate in Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Biomedical and Biological Sciences program. She studies how our immune system detects and responds to infection, focusing on activation and regulation of nucleic acid sensing Toll-Like Receptors found on monocytes and macrophages. She hopes that her research will lead to new immunomodulators and immunotherapeutics for nucleic acid mediated autoimmune diseases like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Karla believes in making scientific and non-scientific education available to everyone and works with multiple associations and programs at Cornell University to increase graduate student outreach and retention. Ultimately, Karla hopes to become an inclusive and supportive leader who helps the next generation of scientists reach their academic and personal goals. |
Jamie Cockey
DVM student/Ph.D. candidate, 2021 and 2023 Liz Hanson Graduate Scholarship recipient
Jamie is a combined DVM/PhD candidate in the third year of his PhD with a concentration in Immunology and Infectious Diseases as part of the dual DVM/PhD program at Cornell. He is mainly focused on designing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based immunotherapy using feline lymphocytes for the treatment feline infectious peritonitis, an invariably fatal disease in cats caused by a coronaviral infection. Ultimately, in his future career as a veterinarian-scientist he hopes this will be the first of many novel immunotherapies that he can translate from bench to bedside to help veterinary as well as human patients suffering from diseases where treatment options are lacking.
DVM student/Ph.D. candidate, 2021 and 2023 Liz Hanson Graduate Scholarship recipient
Jamie is a combined DVM/PhD candidate in the third year of his PhD with a concentration in Immunology and Infectious Diseases as part of the dual DVM/PhD program at Cornell. He is mainly focused on designing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based immunotherapy using feline lymphocytes for the treatment feline infectious peritonitis, an invariably fatal disease in cats caused by a coronaviral infection. Ultimately, in his future career as a veterinarian-scientist he hopes this will be the first of many novel immunotherapies that he can translate from bench to bedside to help veterinary as well as human patients suffering from diseases where treatment options are lacking.
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Erika Aucapina
Undergraduate Student Erika is a junior at Cornell University. She is majoring in Biology & Society in the college of Arts & Science. |
Leifer Lab 2020
Left to right: Jamie Cockey, DVM/PhD dual degree student Dr. Leifer Karla Garcia-Martinez, graduate student Jingyi Chen, technician Alexandra Woo, undergraduate researcher |
Lab Alumni
Jingyi Chen, BBS graduate student at Cornell
Alex Woo, Undergraduate student
Sophie Reynolds, Undergraduate student
Ali Aygun, Undergraduate student
Dr. Erika Gruber, DVM, DACVP, graduate student
Dr. Christa Heyward, Postdoctoral associate
Samantha Ellis, Veterinary student
Tuan Phan, Visiting research fellow
Mark Derbyshire, Undergraduate student
Sean Callagy, Undergraduate student
Jody Cameron, Technician
HeeJin Cheon, Undergraduate student
Nicholas Hatter, Master of Engineering student
McKenzie Klein, Undergraduate student
Sandra Stelzer, Veterinary student
Alessandra Tomasi, Undergraduate student
Andrew Eng, Undergraduate student
Justin Im, Undergraduate student
Clarice Lin, Undergraduate student
Greg Poorman, Undergraduate student
Drhumil Patel, Undergraduate student
Emma Ehrlich, Veterinary student
Siddhartha Sinha, Graduate student
Joseph Matagrano, Undergraduate student
James Brooks, Graduate student
Dr. William Rose, Postdoctoral associate
Molly Benner, Veterinary student
Dr. Fern Botelho, Postdoctoral associate
Dr. Maroof Hasan, Postdoctoral associate
Jessica Brown, Veterinary student
Chia-Hsin Ju, Graduate student
Dr. Ana Chockalingham, Postdoctoral associate
Catarina Ruksznis, Veterinary student
Dr. Akiko Kimura, Postdoctoral associate
Alex Woo, Undergraduate student
Sophie Reynolds, Undergraduate student
Ali Aygun, Undergraduate student
Dr. Erika Gruber, DVM, DACVP, graduate student
Dr. Christa Heyward, Postdoctoral associate
Samantha Ellis, Veterinary student
Tuan Phan, Visiting research fellow
Mark Derbyshire, Undergraduate student
Sean Callagy, Undergraduate student
Jody Cameron, Technician
HeeJin Cheon, Undergraduate student
Nicholas Hatter, Master of Engineering student
McKenzie Klein, Undergraduate student
Sandra Stelzer, Veterinary student
Alessandra Tomasi, Undergraduate student
Andrew Eng, Undergraduate student
Justin Im, Undergraduate student
Clarice Lin, Undergraduate student
Greg Poorman, Undergraduate student
Drhumil Patel, Undergraduate student
Emma Ehrlich, Veterinary student
Siddhartha Sinha, Graduate student
Joseph Matagrano, Undergraduate student
James Brooks, Graduate student
Dr. William Rose, Postdoctoral associate
Molly Benner, Veterinary student
Dr. Fern Botelho, Postdoctoral associate
Dr. Maroof Hasan, Postdoctoral associate
Jessica Brown, Veterinary student
Chia-Hsin Ju, Graduate student
Dr. Ana Chockalingham, Postdoctoral associate
Catarina Ruksznis, Veterinary student
Dr. Akiko Kimura, Postdoctoral associate