Research Staff

Paul Bates

Position title: Senior Research Specialist

Email: pdbates@pediatrics.wisc.edu

Phone: (608) 265-2445

Address:
Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant
Capitini Research Group
1111 Highland Ave, #4136

Matthew Forsberg, PhD

Position title: Scientist I

Email: mhforsberg@wisc.edu

Phone: (608) 265-2445

Address:
Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant
Capitini Research Group
1111 Highland Ave, #4136

Aicha Quamine

Position title: Graduate Research Assistant

Email: quamine@wisc.edu

Phone: (608) 265-2445

Address:
Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant
Capitini Research Group
1111 Highland Ave, #4136

Fernanda Szewc

Position title: Graduate Research Assistant

Email: fmejia4@wisc.edu

Phone: (608) 265-2445

Address:
Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant
Capitini Research Group
1111 Highland Ave, #4136

Research Group Alumni

Madeline Adam
Madeline was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Biology with a certificate in Business. She joined the Capitini Lab in September 2014 and her research involved optimizing therapies for graft-versus-host-disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Madeline graduated in May 2016 and is now a Skin Health Market Sales Director at Medline Industries.

Adeela Ali
Adeela was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Pharmacology and Toxicology. She joined the Capitini Lab in February 2018 and her research involved testing GD2 CAR T cells against neuroblastoma as well as optimizing expansion of canine NK cells. She was the lab’s first Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellow. Adeela graduated in May 2020 and is now a graduate student at Emory University.

Myriam Bouchlaka, PhD
Myriam was in the Capitini lab from January 2012 – July 2016. Her translational research focused on developing fluorine-19 as a means of tracking human NK cells by MRI in vivo, inhibiting lymphoma growth with novel combinations of small molecule inhibitors, and on using macrophages to treat radiation-induced injury and GVHD. She was awarded the inaugural American Association of Immunologist’s Careers in Immunology Fellowship. After completing her postdoctoral fellowship, she obtained a position at Arch Oncology. She presently works as Director of Immuno-Oncology at OncoResponse.

Brittany Bowen
Brittany was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis on Child Development. Her project involved optimizing NK cell infusions after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Brittany graduated in May 2015 and continued on to medical school to pursue a career in pediatrics.

Amy Ceas
Amy was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who double majored in in Genetics and Genomics as well as Life Sciences Communications with a Certificate in Sustainability. She worked in the Capitini laboratory from August 2021 to May 2023. While at the lab, Amy assisted her mentor Fernanda with her projects surrounding immunotherapy of rhabdomyosarcoma.

Monica Cho, PhD
Monica Cho was an MSTP student in the Capitini Lab who obtained her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from 2019-2023. Her research focused on the role of CD155 on osteosarcoma in regulating adoptive NK cell therapy. She also optimized ex vivo expanded NK cells for treatment of canine osteosarcoma. She is presently in medical school completing her training and plans to enter a Pediatrics Residency.

Dennis Ea, MD
Dennis was a medical student at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. He graduated from Carleton College with a B.A. in Biology and concentration in Biochemistry in 2013. Dennis worked in the Capitini laboratory in Summer 2014. He was awarded a Pediatric Oncology Student Training award from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. His project examined the ability of BCL-2 inhibitors to inhibit T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) growth and survival both in vitro and in vivo. After graduating medical school in 2017, Dennis enrolled in a Family Medicine Residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, MN, and is presently in practice at Amita Health in Chicago, IL.

Thomas Esposito, DO
Tom was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Neurobiology and a certificate in Global Health Studies. Tom worked in the Capitini lab August 2012 – May 2014, and his research involved optimizing NK cell infusions after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. He graduated in May 2014 and enrolled in A.T Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, AZ. He is presently in an Internal Medicine Residency at University of IL Chicago/Advocate Christ Medical Center.

Sarah Fruchtman
Sarah was undergraduate student at University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Biology and Jewish Studies. She worked in the Capitini lab in January 2019 – May 2019. She examined the impact of alpha-Tocopheryloxyacetic Acid (a-TEA) on rhabdomyosarcoma development. She presently works as an Analyst in the Healthcare Industry Group at Alvarez & Marsal.

Tara Gavcovich, MD
Tara graduated from Duke University with a BS in Psychology in 2014 and from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in 2018. She worked for the Capitini Lab in Summer 2015 exploring usage of immunocytokines for neuroblastoma after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. She also studied combination therapies for T-ALL involving the JAK/STAT and Bcl-2 molecular pathways through the ASH HONORS Program. Tara completed a Residency in Pediatrics at Holtz Children’s Hospital at University of Miami.

Miguel Gonzalez-Vazquez
Miguel was an undergraduate student of Industrial Biotechnology from the University of Puerto Rico who worked in the Capitini Lab during Summer 2022. He was a recipient of an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates award who studied how NK cells can be combined with checkpoint inhibitors and a co-stimulatory vaccine to treat neuroblastoma after BMT.

Katelyn Goodman, PhD
Katelyn was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Biology, graduating in May 2012. She worked in the Capitini Lab October 2011 – May 2012 studying GVHD and the graft-versus-leukemia response after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. After graduation, Katelyn obtained a job as a research technician in the Blazar Lab at the University of Minnesota, where she then completed her PhD furthering her studies of GVHD.

Anastasia Griggs
Anastasia was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Biology. She worked in the Capitini laboratory from September 2021 to May 2023. While at the lab, Anastasia assisted her mentor Aicha with her projects surrounding NK cell cytotoxicity in the presence of inhibitory receptors such as PD-1 and TIM-3. Anastasia is now working at the Mayo Clinic as a patient care assistant while working on her medical school application.

Nick Hess, PhD
Nick was a postdoctoral fellow in the Capitini Lab from July 2020-June 2022 and identified that CD4+/CD8+ double positive T cells are a biomarker for acute GVHD. He was awarded the Cormac Leukemia Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Postdoctoral Fellowship. After completing his fellowships, he was a Scientist in the Hematti Lab for 9 months, returned to the Capitini Lab for 3 months and is now an Associate Product Manager at Promega.

Sabrina Kabakov
Sabrina was an undergraduate student at University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Nutritional science with a certificate in Global Health. She joined the Capitini Lab in August 2016 and focused on optimizing therapies for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia through inhibiting the JAK/STAT and BCL2 pathways. Sabrina graduated in May 2019 and is now a Project Assistant in the Ausderau Lab.  https://ausderau.waisman.wisc.edu/people/kabakov-sabrina/

Sara Kelm, MD
Sara was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Biology and Psychology. She worked in the Capitini Lab from June 2012 – May 2014, and was involved in optimizing NK cell infusions after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. She graduated in May 2014 and obtained her MD at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in Milwaukee, WI. She is presently at MCW completing a Residency in Radiation Oncology.

Miriam Kim, DO
Miriam was a fellow in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She did her Pediatrics residency at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. Miriam was part of the Capitini Lab from July 2016 – June 2018, and her research focus was on developing alternatively activated macrophages for GVHD. Miriam was supported by a St. Baldrick’s Foundation Fellowship. After graduating fellowship in 2018, she went to the University of Minnesota for a specialized BMT fellowship. She is presently an Assistant Professor of Pediatric BMT at Indiana University.

Chloe King
Chloe was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who graduated in December 2022 majoring in Biology. She joined the Capitini Lab in January 2019 and her research involved combining a neuroblastoma vaccine with anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy after allogeneic BMT to stimulate T and NK cells. She is presently working at an Assisted Living Facility and then will enroll as a medical student at UW in Fall 2023.

Matthew Kutz, MD
Matthew graduated from UW-Madison with a B.S. in Biology and Neurobiology in 2005. He worked in the Capitini lab as a medical student during the summer 2013 exploring trafficking of NK cells by 19F-MRI to neuroblastoma tumors. He was awarded a Summer Fellowship by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. After graduating medical school in 2016, Matthew completed an Anesthesiology Residency at the University of Washington Medical Center in 2020, where he remains on faculty.

Michael Martinez
Michael was an undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked with the Capitini Lab from October 2011 – May 2015 as part of the Undergraduate Research Scholars program. His research involved the inhibition of JAK1/STAT1 as therapeutic treatment of hematological malignancies. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, he worked at Epic but now is a Technical Project Manager at Medable.

Nicholas Mohrdieck
Nick was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Genetics and Genomics and was on the Men’s Rowing Team. He joined the Capitini Lab in January 2019 and his research involved combining a neuroblastoma vaccine with anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy after allogeneic BMT to stimulate T and NK cells. He was the first ever recipient of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation “Staff Giving Campaign” Summer Fellowship and won 1st place for best presentation at the Carbone Cancer Center Research Retreat. Nick graduated in May 2021 and worked at Medical College of Wisconsin as a Clinical Research Coordinator. He is now a Medical Reporting Curator at Foundation Medicine.

Mallery Olsen, MD
Mallery was a medical student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and worked in the Capitini Lab in Summer 2012. She was awarded a Pediatric Oncology Student Training award from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. After completing a Pediatrics Residency at Wake Forest University, she returned as a Fellow in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT back at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Mallery helped develop a xenogeneic mouse model of canine osteosarcoma to test efficacy of ex vivo expanded NK cells.

Sydney Olson, MD
Sydney was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Biology with a minor in Global Health and Gender/Women’s Studies. She joined the Capitini Lab in June 2015 and her research involved targeting the JAK/STAT pathway and BCL2 on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Sydney graduated in May 2018 and attended medical school at Northwestern. She is now a Resident in OB/GYN at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Melissa Palmer
Melissa is an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who is majoring in Biology with a Certificate in Global Health. She worked in the Capitini laboratory from September 2022 to May 2023. While at the lab, Melissa assisted her mentor Fernanda with her projects surrounding immunotherapy of rhabdomyosarcoma.

Madison Phillips
Maddie was an undergraduate student at University of Wisconsin-Madison who worked in the Capitini Lab from January 2020 to May 2022. She worked on the role of CD155 in regulating NK cells after BMT. After graduation in May 2022, she began working as a Physician’s Office Coordinator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Seema Rao, MD
Seema was a fellow in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She did her Pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Seema was part of the Capitini Lab from August 2012 – June 2015, and her research focus was on using ex vivo activated NK cells to treat neuroblastoma after allogeneic BMT. Seema was supported by a T32 for Physician Scientist Training in Cancer Medicine. After graduating fellowship in 2015, she became an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. Seema now works as a pediatric oncologist at Renown Children’s Hospital in Reno, NV.

Lauren Reil, PA
Lauren was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Neurobiology. She worked the Capitini lab from January 2013 – May 2015, and her research involved the inhibition of the JAK1/STAT1 pathway as therapeutic treatment of pediatric hematologic malignancies. Lauren graduated in May 2015 and obtained her PA in Surgery at Carroll University. She is presently working at Aurora Surgery in Grafton, WI.

Sean Rinella, PhD
Sean was a student in the Capitini Lab who obtained his PhD in Clinical Investigation from 2017-2023. His project focused on combining JAK2/FLT3 and BCL2 inhibition to treat B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He is now working at the UW Carbone Cancer Center as a Clinical Team Supervisor.

Brittany Russell
Brittany is a medical student at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health who worked in the Capitini Lab during Summer 2022. She was a Pediatric Oncology Summer Trainee through the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and studied how the fusokine FIST15 can be combined with NK cells after syngeneic BMT to treat osteosarcoma. She also helped design a clinical trial testing GD2 CAR T cells.

Erbay Salievski, PA
Erbay was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Biology. Erbay was part of the Capitini Lab from January 2012 – May 2014, and his research involved the inhibition of JAK1/STAT1 as therapeutic treatment of pediatric hematological malignancies. After graduation in May 2014, Erbay obtained a MS in Biomedical Sciences from Midwestern University and then a PA. He currently practices at Advent in Chicago, IL.

Elizabeth Schuerman
Elizabeth is an undergraduate student at University of Wisconsin-Madison who worked in the Capitini Lab from September 2020-May 2022. Her project focused on exosomes from MSCs can educate monocytes to protect mice from acute radiation syndrome.

Kaitlyn Seibold
Kaitlyn was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Biology with a certificate in Business and Global Health. She joined the Capitini Lab in January 2016 and her research focused on targeting PRMT5 in lymphoma. Kaitlyn graduated in May 2018 and planned to pursue a career in the medical field, preferably in pediatrics.

Longzhen Song, PhD
Longzhen was a postdoctoral fellow in the Capitini Laboratory from September 2018-August 2022 and studied how the fusokine FIST15 can be combined with NK cells after syngeneic BMT to treat osteosarcoma. She now works as a Scientist in the Zhang Laboratory at Northwestern University.

Keven Stonewall, MD
Keven Stonewall was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Biology. He joined the Capitini Lab in September 2014 and his research involved optimizing NK cell infusions after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Keven graduated in May 2017 and completed medical school at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He is now a Resident in Family Practice at Northwestern.
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Kyle Terry
Kyle was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Medical Microbiology & Immunology. He joined the Capitini lab in June 2013 and used allogeneic bone marrow transplants (alloBMT) to optimize NK cell infusions for pediatric cancer. Kyle graduated in May 2016, worked as a Scribe and then completed a MS in Medical Physiology in 2022 from Case Western Reserve University. He is now a Clinical Research Coordinator at Cleveland Clinic.

Katharine Tippins
Katharine was an undergraduate student at University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Neurobiology and Psychology. She joined the Capitini lab in Summer 2017 and studied how allogeneic bone marrow transplant can be used to treat neuroblastoma and osteosarcoma using NK cells through a Summer Fellowship by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. She graduated in May 2019 and is a medical student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

David Turicek
David was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Microbiology and Spanish. He worked in the Capitini Laboratory from September 2019 to July 2023. While in the lab, David helped show how inhibiting JAK1/2 and BCL2 treat B-ALL and T-ALL. He also worked with Nick Hess on double positive T cells in GVHD as well as John Ebben with gamma delta T cells in pancreatic cancer. David is a graduate student in Immunology at Washington University.

Kaitlyn Voelz, MD
Katie was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who majored in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Child Development. She worked in the Capitini Lab January 2012 – May 2012 studying the graft-versus-leukemia response after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. After graduation, Katie enrolled at the University of South Florida to pursue a M.S. in Medical Sciences. She was a medical student at St. George’s University and then a Resident in Pediatrics at University of Buffalo. She is presently a Fellow in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT back at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Kirsti Walker, PhD
Kirsti graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2013 with a BS/MS in Biotechnology. She obtained her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pathology in the Capitini lab from November 2014-September 2019. Her research focused on investigating the role of the JAK1/STAT1 pathway and the BCL2 pathway in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She then did a postdoctoral fellowship in the Blazar Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. She is presently working as a Product Development Scientist in the Cell and Gene Therapy Division at Bio-Techne.

Anne Wong
Anne was an undergraduate student at University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Biomedical Engineering. She joined the Capitini Lab in 2019 and studied how the fusokine FIST15 can be combined with NK cells after syngeneic BMT to treat osteosarcoma. Anne graduated in May 2022 worked as a Clinical Research Associate at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. She is now a medical student at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.