Name
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 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 chairs the executive committee of the Cancer Metabolism Focus Group (CMFG) at Cornell and serves on the communications sub-committee of the AACR-Cancer Immunology Working Group. She is passionate about cancer biology, immunology, and mentoring the next generation of graduate and undergraduate students. She enjoys painting, playing the piano, 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.
Graduate Students
Kimaya Bakhle
Graduate Student (BBS)
Kimaya is a third-year DVM-PhD program pathways 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.
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.
Sunita Nepal
Graduate Student (BBS)
Sunita is co-mentored with Praveen Sethupathy and is a third-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 internship with Dr. Weinberg at the Whitehead Institute. To deepen her knowledge in immunology, she 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
Tyler Debusschere
Undergraduate
Tyler is majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Molecular and Cell Biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with a minor in Infectious Disease. He is looking forward to exploring the mechanisms of CD4+ T cell-mediated mesenchymal breast tumor elimination associated with the anti-CTLA4 immune checkpoint blockade. Outside of the lab, Tyler is a member of Cornell’s golf team, and enjoys running, going to the gym, hanging out with friends, and going to concerts - especially country music. In the future, he plans to pursue a medical career in surgery while always thinking of innovative ways to help improve the lives of others through medicine.
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.
Lab Alumni
Position in the Lab
Years
Current Position
Siddhartha Pulukuri Undergraduate student 2022-2025 Undergraduate student, Cornell Univ.
Laila Salih Undergraduate, McNair Scholar 2025 Applying to graduate schools
Kaden Priebe Undergraduate student 2023-2025 Undergraduate student, Cornell Univ
Caitie Sams Undergraduate, Hunter Rawlings III Presidential Scholar 2022-2025 Fullbright Scholar
Ashley Teal Undergraduate student 2023-2025 Clinical Intern
Caoilin Engstrom Undergraduate student and first lab member! 2022-2024 Emergency Medical Tech, Boston
Ryan Thompson Vet Investigator Program 2024 Graduate Student, Univ. of Minnesota
Brenda Ramos-Villaneuva Cornell REU-CIHMID Student 2023 Graduate Student, Cornell University
Samantha Paucar Vet Investigator Program 2023 DVM Student, Long Island University
Isabel O’Connell Undergraduate student 2022-2023 Clin. Research Assoc. Mass General
Lynna Li Vet Investigator Program, Research Assistant 2022-2024 DVM Student, Cornell University
Dimitria Gomes Vet Leadership Program 2022 DVM Student, Cornell University
Catherine Wheeler Lab Technician III 2022-2023 Medical Technologist, Cornell Uni.
Neha Asuri
Undergraduate
Neha is double majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in general biology and sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is excited to learn about the role of miRNAs in post-transcriptional regulation of CD73. Outside the lab, Neha is a member of Anjali and volunteers as a firefighter and EMT with Cayuga Heights Fore Department. Neha hopes to connect her passion for life sciences research to broader social determinants of health as a physician.
Sam Sanderson
Graduate Rotation Student (BBS)
Sam is a first-year PhD student in the BBS program, conducting his third rotation in the Dongre Lab. He received his bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University. There, he conducted research in the lab of Dr. Sachi Horibata, studying mechanisms of cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer. In his free time, Sam enjoys running, reading, and pottery.
Alex Tan
Undergraduate
Alex is majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Molecular and Cell Biology and a minor in Business. He is eager to learn more about the implications of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and TGF-β on sensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Outside of the lab, Alex is a member of Beta Rho Chi (a pharmaceuticals and biotechnology preprofessional fraternity) and spends his free time birdwatching, cheering on his favorite sports teams, and playing the guitar. After graduation, Alex plans to work within the cancer space, either as a physician or as a professional in the biotech industry.
Mayisa Rahman
Undergraduate
Mayisa is a Biological Sciences major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, concentrating in Animal Physiology. She is interested in learning more about the role of epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity in shaping immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. Outside of the lab, Mayisa enjoys going to the gym, taking American Sign Language courses, and learning new pieces on the piano. Beyond research, she pursues her interest in accessible healthcare as a board member of PPGA at Cornell, her work as a fellow with NYBCAP supporting grassroots efforts across New York State, and her volunteering with NorCal Services for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing.