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Iannis Adamopoulos, D. Phil
Principal Investigator Director of Arthritis Program Head of Osteoimmunology Laboratory Post-Doctoral Fellow, DNAX Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA Post-Doctoral Fellow, Washington University of Saint Louis DPhil, University of Oxford, UK MPhil, University College London, UK Iannis started his research training at University College London in cell biology and cell signaling. In 2003, he received a DPhil scholarship from Research Into Aging, UK to study the effect of cytokines in the progression of arthritis at Wolfson College, University of Oxford. After a short post-doctoral period at Dr. Teitelbaum’s group in Washington University of Saint Louis, he continued his research on cytokines and autoimmune diseases at the DNAX Research Institute, in Palo alto California. He is a member of multiple international study sections, a standing member of the NIH/SBDD study section and the research Committee of American College of Rheumatology. Iannis loves the desert, desserts, dirt biking and solo long-distance motorcycle adventure trips. He is a certified scuba diver and enjoys painting, playing the drums, and reading epic poetry. |
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Trang T.D. Luong, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow Trang obtained her master’s degree in HCV infection from Hallym University (South Korea) in 2016, under Prof. Soon Bong Hwang. She earned her Ph.D. from Johannes Kepler University (Austria) in 2020 with Prof. Jakob Völkl, investigating vascular calcification. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (Chinese Academy of Sciences), exploring ubiquitin signaling in vascular calcification and oncology. Trang is passionate about IL-17A-mediated inflammation, focusing on ubiquitination signaling in rheumatology, and other autoimmune diseases. She loves soccer, badminton, and squash. A keen traveler, Trang enjoys discovering and mixing cocktails to playfully "poison" her family. She delights in playing with her cats' furry tummies and has a taste for Vietnamese, Cantonese cuisines, and sashimi. |
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Zahra Jalali, MD
Post-doctoral Fellow Zahra got her MD from the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2017. She joined Iannis team in 2021 in Boston and she is interested in bone and skin pathology. Zahra is en route to becoming a passionate pathologist and in her spare time, she enjoys cycling, playing chess, reading philosophy, and keeping a journal. |
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Hao-Yun Peng, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow Hao-Yun earned her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University under the supervision of Prof. Jianxun Song in December 2023. Her doctoral studies focused on investigating the impact of T cell activities, including metabolism and function, on autoimmune diseases. She joined our team as a postdoctoral research fellow in February 2024. She is deeply passionate about IL-17A-mediated inflammation and is interested in continuing her interest in further understanding the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases. Hao-Yun loves hotpot, BBQ, and Crème brûlée. She enjoys playing badminton, attending orchestra performances, and all other music concerts. |
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Fatima Saeed, MD
Post-doctoral Fellow Dr. Fatima Saeed is a medical professional who graduated from King Edward Medical University, Pakistan. Dr. Saeed has done her clinical clerkships from esteemed institutes in the US including the University of Wisconsin, the University of Louisville Hospital, and Aultman Hospital. She is interested in psoriatic arthritis and autoimmunity. She is an avid advocate of human rights and in her free time, she likes to volunteer and participates in human welfare projects. She also enjoys travelling, watching movies and TV shows, playing badminton, cycling, and fashion designing. |
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Joaquin Henriquez, DDS, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow Joaquin earned his DDS degree from PUC Chile in 2018 and a PhD in Cell Biology from UBC, Canada in 2024. During his PhD, he studied osteoclast recruitment in the process of tooth replacement in reptile dentitions by performing in vivo perturbation experiments. He enjoys architecture and spends his spare time swimming and painting. |
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Zhuoxuan Jia, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow Zhuoxuan Jia earned her bachelor's degree in Clinical Medicine from Shandong University in 2020. Since then, she has been pursuing her PhD in Surgery, specifically Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine under the supervision of Professor Zhang Wenjie. Her PhD research focuses on Advanced Treatment Strategies for Osteoarthritis through Regenerative Medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys quiet activities such as swimming and playing puzzle games on Steam. |
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Tsian Zhang, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow Tsian Zhang earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of Arizona, followed by a PhD in Comparative Biomedical Science from The Ohio State University under the mentorship of Dr. Yasuko Rikihisa. Her doctoral research focused on investigating the transmission and virulence factors of tick-borne bacteria, diving deep into the complex interactions that make these intracellular pathogens so formidable. Beyond her scientific training, Tsian approaches science with the creativity and passion of an artist. She believes that science is not just a discipline but a form of expression. In her spare time, she enjoys sharing her love for science with her dog, Dogtor Doodle, who is always an eager listener to her latest discoveries and musings. |
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Flora Weber, B.Sc., M.Sc.
Graduate Student Flora Weber is a Fulbright visiting PhD student in the laboratory of Prof. Anika Grüneboom at the Leibniz Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften - ISAS e.V. in Dortmund, Germany. She completed her Master’s degree in Integrated Immunology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and is currently working on her doctoral thesis on the angiogenic-osteogenic coupling in MRONJ. Flora has particular expertise in bone imaging, including confocal laser scanning and light-sheet microscopy as well as laser-capture microdissection. Flora is a member of the German BioImaging - GMB e.V to keep up to date with the latest developments in microscopy. She spends her free time with outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing and diving, but she also enjoys drawing and crafting. |
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Darlene Hüser, B.Sc., M.Sc.
Graduate Student Darleen is a DAAD-funded visiting PhD student in the laboratory of Prof. Anika Grüneboom at the Leibniz Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften - ISAS e.V. in Dortmund, Germany. She completed her Master’s degree in molecular Biomedicine at the Westphalian University and is currently working on her doctoral thesis within the Collaborative Research Centre TRR332 "Neutrophils: Origin, Fate and Function". Darleen brings expertise in bone biology and advanced imaging techniques, including confocal laser scanning and light-sheet microscopy, which she is using to analyse the neutrophil-macrophage interactions in rheumatoid arthritis. Outside of her scientific pursuits, Darleen enjoys playing tennis, surfing and skiing. |