Meet Our Exceptional Team!
George S. Karagiannis, DVM, PhD (Laboratory Head)
George S. Karagiannis is an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology (M&I) at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. He is also affiliated with the Albert Einstein Cancer Center (AECC). He holds a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from University of Toronto, Canada, and a degree in Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. His scientific contributions (>45 peer-reviewed, primary research articles and review articles) have appeared in highly-esteemed journals and specialized society journals in the fields of cancer biology, molecular oncology, cancer proteomics, and translational medicine. His most prominent publications have appeared in Science Translational Medicine, Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Cancer Research, and Molecular Oncology. The most prestigious research-related award he has received to-date is the NCI Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00). Dr. Karagiannis and his creative team currently investigate the effects of chemotherapy on the primary tumor microenvironment, as well as chemotherapy-driven immunotoxicity on primary and secondary lymphoid organs.
Current Members of the Laboratory
Erika Pereira-Zambalde, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Zambalde brings her expertise in molecular biology, animal modeling and cancer research to the forefront of our research interests. She is dedicated to exploring mechanisms through which the growth factor, Midkine, elicits a proinflammatory response in the tumor microenvirionment, as well as the contextual prerequisites, under which it is expressed, secreted, uptaken, and distributed to the various compartments within the primary tumor.
Stepan Vodopyanov, PhD
Research Technician
Dr. Vodopyanov is a skilled researcher with a wealth of experience in various microscopy techniques, including electron microscopy. He has led projects focused on ultrastructural investigations of the thymic environment, exploring its role in both health and disease. He is also involved in developing MRI-based modalities to describe the complexities of immune and tumor microenvironments.
Luis A. Vasquez
Summer Student
Luis A. Vasquez, an ambitious rising senior at Pelham Lab High School, is currently engaged in an exploraton of the ultra-fine structures of eosinophils within lymphoid organs, such as the thymus, employing advanced imaging tehniques, i.e., Transmission Electron Microscopy. His scholarly pursuit is enriched by his participation in the BEYOND ALBERT Summer High School Research Program.
Nurul Eisha
Pre-Med Student
Nurul Eisha is an enthusiastic PreMed student, who currently applies for admission into medical schools in the US and enjoys spending time with our research interests. He is currently working in a project, which examines the chemokine network responsible for CD8+ T cell trafficking within the breast tumor microenvironment. He has been strongly engaged with digital pathology, to accomplish these goals.
Past Members of the Laboratory:
- Dimitris Argyris, Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-2025)
- Dimitra Anastasiadou, Postdoctoral Fellow (2021-2025)
- Anastasia-Aristoteleia Chondronikola, Research Trainee (2023)
Summer Students and Volunteers:
- Natalie Eng (2023-2024)
- Conner Entenberg (2023-2024)
- Jessica Wang (2023-2024)
- Ashley Del Cid Romero (2023-2024)
- Sophia DesMarais (2023-2025)
- Suraiya Hossain (2024-2025)
- Lillian Johnson (2024-2025)
- Atiya Firooz (2025-2026)