Anushka Dongre, PhD
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences
Adjunct Asst. Prof., Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology
Anushka completed her graduate studies with Dr. Barbara A. Osborne, at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where she demonstrated the importance of non-canonical Notch signaling in regulating T-cell function. Anushka completed her postdoctoral training with Dr. Robert A. Weinberg at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT, where she demonstrated that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition contributes to the establishment of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and drives resistance of breast cancers to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Anushka is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. She is passionate about cancer biology, immunology, and mentoring the next generation of graduate and undergraduate students. In her free time she enjoys painting and spending time with her family and dog, Wilkie.
Shiney Chandraganti
Technician III
Shiney has an MS in Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship from NYU. She has worked as a research assistant in The Schluter Lab studying quorum sensing communication systems in bacteria and has also evaluated the immune response and microbiome in lymphoma patients. She gained research experience in tumor immunology in the Khanna lab at NYU Langone Health. This experience motivated her to continue her research endeavors in cancer immunology in the Dongre Lab where she is excited to take up different projects. She aims to pursue graduate studies in the future. In her free time, Shiney enjoys reading books, cooking, and watching movies. sc3342@cornell.edu
Graduate Students
Kimaya Bakhle
Graduate Student (BBS)
Kimaya is a second-year combined DVM/PhD student in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned her bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Purdue University, where she also conducted research on genetic mechanisms of age-related eye disease and canine bladder cancer. At Cornell, she is interested in studying cancer biology, especially the mechanisms of cross-protection and metastasis. She hopes to contribute to translational research that promotes cancer prevention and treatment in animals and humans. In her free time, Kimaya enjoys working out, trying new recipes, and being outdoors. kmb368@cornell.edu
Brian Feng
Graduate Student (GGD)
I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, specializing in molecular genetics and minoring in statistics. During this time, I worked under Dr. Charles Boone on a chemical-genetics project designed to identify targets of bioactive compounds in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I then joined Dr. Jason Moffat's lab to study the modulation of surface SIRPα expression on macrophages. These projects fostered my interests in functional genomics and cancer immunology. I want to continue to work at the intersection of genetics and cancer immunology as well as explore new areas of biology throughout my graduate studies. In my free time, I love to draw, fish and play hockey.
Sophie Nelissen, DVM, DACVP
Graduate Student (BBS)
Sophie is a veterinary pathologist with a special interest in comparative pathology, and pathology of felines and small mammals. Originally from Belgium, she completed her residency at the New York Animal Health Diagnostic Center in 2023, where she confirmed a strong interest in cancer research and the tumor microenvironment. In the Dongre lab, she rediscovered her love for immunology and is particularly interested in understanding how to harness epithelial mesenchymal plasticity in the context of resistance to immunotherapy. As a veterinarian, she is also eager to build on translational avenues for our feline companions. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exploring Ithaca’s vibrant nature, practicing aikido, and spending time with friends and her two kitties, Fuli and Sookie.
Sunita Nepal
Graduate Student (BBS)
Sunita is a second-year PhD student in the BBS program at Cornell. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Whitman College, WA where she discovered her passion for immunology during her summer internship at Dr. Weinberg’s lab at the Whitehead Institute. To deepen her knowledge in immunology, she moved to Boston and worked at Takeda, studying how CAR T cells are used in cancer immunotherapy by using bacteriophage vectors that expressed different modalities of antibodies. Sunita is co-mentored by Dr. Dongre and Dr. Sethupathy. She is determining the mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate immunomodulatory genes that are differentially expressed by quasi-mesenchymal and epithelial breast tumors. In her free time, Sunita enjoys dancing, cooking various cuisines, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Undergraduates
Laila Salih
Cornell McNair Scholar , Undergraduate
Laila is majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Computational Biology. She has conducted research on 3D tissue culture models with a focus on mammary organoids and is eager to develop an organoid model for Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition to shed light on the cellular dynamics driving cancer metastasis. Outside the lab, she actively volunteers in MECA at Cornell (Muslim Educational and Cultural Association) and fundraises for her home country, Sudan, on campus. Looking ahead, Laila aspires to combine her research expertise with her commitment to social equity to make meaningful contributions in the field of cancer research, medicine, and immunology through pursing an MD/PhD.
Siddharta Pulukuri
Undergraduate
Sid is studying Biological Sciences with a concentration in Microbiology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He has conducted research in translational oncology regarding topoisomerase regulation in response to camptothecin drugs. He is ecstatic to research the mechanisms surrounding the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and how it generates immunosuppression in quasi-mesenchymal tumors. He competes in Cornell Sport Taekwondo, plays badminton, listens to music on the slope, loves exploring extravagant foods, and spends time with his friends. In the future, he plans on pursuing medicine while continuing his love for research.
Kaden Priebe
Undergraduate
Kaden is a Biological Sciences student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, focusing on general biology with an interest in molecular, cell, and computational biology. Currently, he is engaged in understanding how the EMT program affects immune cells in various murine tumor models. Outside of the lab, Kaden is a member of the sprint football team, enjoys socializing and creating memories with friends, and works on personal projects. He aspires to pursue an MD/PhD with a potential focus on surgery, biotechnology, or academia.
Anya Samiljan
Administrative Assistant
Anya is an Administrative Assistant for the Department of Biomedical Sciences. After completing her bachelor's degree at Unity College in 2017, she worked for several years as an animal caretaker and zookeeper before joining Cornell University in 2023. In her position at Cornell, Anya assists faculty with planning seminars and symposia, as well as their day-to-day administrative needs. In her free time, Anya enjoys working out, caring for her large collection of plants, and spending time with friends and cats.
Caitie Sams (2022-2025): Undergraduate student, Hunter Rawlings III Presidential Scholar.
Ashley Teal (2023-2025): Undergraduate student
Ryan Thompson (Summer 2024) : Vet Investigator Program Scholar ; Current Position: DVM Student, Royal Veterinary College, London
Brenda Ramos-Villaneuva (Summer 2023) : Cornell REU-CIHMID Student ; Current Position: Graduate Student, BBS, Cornell University
Samantha Paucar (Summer 2023) : Vet Investigator Program Scholar ; Current Position: DVM Student, Long Island University
Isabel O’Connell (2022-2023) : Research assistant ; Current Position: Clinical Research Associate, Mass General Hospital
Lynna Li (Summer 2022-2025) : Vet Investigator Program Scholar (2022) and Research Assistant (2023-2025) Current Position: DVM Student, Cornell University
Dimitria Gomes (Summer 2023) : Vet Leadership Program Scholar ; Current Position: DVM Student, Cornell University
Katy Wheeler (2022-2023) : Technician III
Caoilin Engstrom: Undergraduate student and the very first lab member!