In this dynamic environment, we place an emphasis on fostering the scientific growth of our laboratory members. We provide a unique environment where fellows with either a medical or scientific background can work together on basic science and translational studies. These interactions provide tremendous opportunities for the formation of future leading academic surgeons and scientific investigators. We believe this is the key for a profound impact in our scientific community that will ultimately provide invaluable benefit to our patient population.
Browse the Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Lab Team
Yichuan Zhang, originally from Beijing, China, finished her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the Pennsylvania State University. She is now a master student studying Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests are in translational medicine, and she is currently working on a project developing antigen-specific immunotherapy using nanoparticle delivery systems for Type 1 diabetes under the mentorship of Dr. Raimondi in the VCA lab.
Yichuan loves travel and photography, and she also enjoys playing the piano in her spare time.
Tom Harris is a postdoctoral research fellow in the peripheral nerve lab. He recently received his medical degree and a BSc in biomedical sciences focused in Anatomy from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. His work in the lab focuses on both small and large animal models. His primary focus is on developing translational therapeutics to improve peripheral nerve regeneration following injury. In his free time, Tom enjoys soccer, fishing, and photography.
Richa is a general surgery resident at the University of Maryland Medical Center completing a post doctoral research fellowship with the VCA lab. Her work in the lab is predominantly with large animal models in line with her passion for translational research. She graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a BS in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics and a BA in Spanish Language and Literature. She then moved on to University of Maryland School of Medicine to complete her MD. In her free time, Richa enjoys illustrating (especially for science/medicine- related things), pottery, and cooking.
Alex Komin is a postdoctoral research fellow in the VCA lab. He recently received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where he researched drug delivery using peptides. He was awarded a prestigious F31 grant from the National Institutes of Health to support his PhD work. In the VCA lab, he is working on a number of projects that use cell therapy and biomaterials to prevent transplant rejection. In his free time, Alex is currently learning how to make pickles. He also enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time with his family and cat.
Dr. Marcos Iglesias joined the VCA lab as a post-doctoral researcher four years ago. His educational background includes a Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) Degree from the University of Leon and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine from the University of Cantabria both earned in his home country, Spain. He initiated his research career studying the role of effector and regulatory T cells in the development of different autoimmune diseases. With an expertise in murine models of disease, cell culture, flow cytometry, and other imaging and molecular biology techniques, his current research at Johns Hopkins University focuses on investigating the role of pro-inflammatory mediators on T cell immune-regulation in the context of autoimmunity and transplantation.
In his free time, he enjoys exercising, traveling, watching movies, and being surrounded by family and friends.
Alison is a plastic surgeon from Canada who recently graduated from her residency training. She completed her undergraduate degree in neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Halifax and then went on to medical school and then residency there as well. During her residency Alison came to Johns Hopkins University to pursue a masters degree in biomedical engineering at the Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design focusing on medical device design. She is studying the effects of chronic denervation as well as ways to improve nerve pain after amputation before becoming the hand surgery fellow at University of Maryland in the coming year. Alison has always loved running and traveling but right now her favorite thing is spending time with her new daughter.
Connor Glass is currently taking time away from his medical degree to perform a research fellowship in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department at Johns Hopkins where he studies surgical interventions for peripheral nerve injury and invasive neural integration with the peripheral nervous system. He has helped develop novel microsurgical techniques for pain management and intuitive prosthetic control following nerve injury, as well as led the development of implantable peripheral nerve interfaces. His primary interest lies in commercialization of neural integration technology. If all of this fails, Connor plans to go work as a cranberry farmer.
Yinan Guo is a medical student from Xiangya School of Medicine in Chang Sha, China. He has been part of the VCA lab for two years and is currently working toward earning his MD PhD. Yinan specializes in mouse transplant operations and flow cytometry and is one of the lab’s microsurgery experts. Yinan came in second in all of China in the national physics competition. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games, going to the gym, and watching Rick and Morty (he identifies more with Rick).
Jiqiang is a visiting Ph.D. student at the Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, P.R.China. He has finished 5 years of medical bachelor degree and received 3-year surgery resident training in master degree. Now he is 3rd year Ph.D. candidate, taking 2-year research to complete the doctoral degree project. Jiqiang has done some basic and clinical research about perforator flap in his previous study and is familiar with microsurgical procedures. Moreover, he can perform different transplant models in the rat. He is looking forward to investigating novel immunomodulatory treatment strategies to eliminate the need for long-term immunosuppressant after vascularized composite allotransplantation. In his spare time, he likes to work out, read books, and travel around.
Originally from Ohio, Erica is a M2 at the Johns Hopkins SOM interested in nerve regeneration in the setting of reconstructive surgery. Prior to medical school, she completed a combined BS/MS degree in Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University with a minor in Visual Arts. Erica has worked under the guidance of Dr. Sami Tuffaha to assess the effects of growth hormone therapy on muscle reinnervation and atrophy as well as with Dr. Justin Sacks on a survey to analyze public perceptions of breast implants in light of the recent BIA-ALCL findings. She is looking forward to dedicating her summer to the creation of an informational tool addressing the various stages of the breast reconstruction process and its impact on body image. Outside of the lab, Erica spends most of her time relaxing in the company of her cat Charlie, creating new recipes, and choreographing dance numbers.
Jiaxin Lin received her bachelor’s degree in general biology from the University of California San Diego. She is now a biomedical engineering master student at Johns Hopkins University with a research focus on T cell immunity. Jiaxin joined the VCA lab in February 2019 and is now working on a project that aims to engineer a hybrid thymus to unravel the tolerogenic properties of vascularized composite allotransplants. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, traveling, and learning languages. She is also addicted to kitties.
Renli is a visiting Ph.D. student from the Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, P.R.China. He has finished 5 years of medical bachelor degree and now is in 2nd year M.D. Renli specializes in mouse transplant operations and basic research methods. He is focusing on immunomodulatory strategies with dendritic cells to reach the goal of long-term immune tolerance after vascularized composite allotransplantation. In his spare time, he likes to swim and read books.
Dr. Joanna Etra has completed three years of residency as a Halsted General Surgery resident at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University and earned her medical degree from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. She is currently in the second of two years of dedicated research in the VCA lab. Joanna works mainly with the large animal VCA models as well as with the hand or penis transplant patients. In her spare time, Joanna enjoys skiing, traveling, and being outside.
Dr. Chris Frost is an integrated plastic surgery resident at Johns Hopkins currently spending a full year in the VCA lab. He went to the University of Michigan for both his undergraduate and medical degree. As an undergraduate, Chris studied Biomedical Engineering and developed a special interest in peripheral nerve interfaces and improving outcomes for patients after amputation. He continued this research interest in medical school and now residency. Within the VCA Lab, Chris is currently doing research on improving outcomes after peripheral nerve injury. Chris grew up in Grand Rapids Michigan and has a twin brother, Thomas. In his spare time Chris enjoys running, cooking and watching Netflix. He is a die-hard Michigan Wolverine fan and never misses a Michigan college football game. Chris is currently engaged to his wonderful fiancée, Jenny, who is an ophthalmology resident in the Wilmer program at Johns Hopkins.
Nima is a resident physician in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the combined Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland program broadly interested in general reconstructive surgery and craniofacial surgery. Specifically, his research focus includes the application of novel technologies for intra-operative perfusion assessment to predict and prevent surgical complications as well as the establishment of large and small animal models for the minimally invasive management of injectable silicone induced fibrosis. Nima was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida before attending Harvard University and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He is a former college football player and avid reader.
I graduated with a medical doctorate from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria where I performed clinical research related to peripheral nerve surgery and reconstruction of upper extremity function. Furthermore, I obtained training in systematical, stratigraphical and functional anatomy and was an active member of the anatomy teaching program at Medical University of Vienna, Austria and the University of Maryland, in Baltimore, MD, USA. As a member of the Reconstructive Transplantation Research Program at the Johns Hopkins Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, I perform collaborative research related to transplantation immunobiology. My core research focuses on studying means to reduce immunosuppression toxicity and achieve immune tolerance induction by combining bone marrow transplantation with solid organ and vascularized composite allotransplantation. Additionally, my colleagues and I study and implement novel small and large animal transplantation models including skin transplantation, solid organ and limb transplantation in rodents and swine.
Franka Messner is a general surgical resident at the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria. She has completed 4 years of clinical training and is now taking a research year to complete her PhD in “Applied Morphology and Regeneration.” Franka has a broad microsurgical background and can perform various rodent transplant models. She is currently working on ways to tame ischemia/reperfusion injury in a murine model of vascularized composite allotransplantation. In addition to her dedication to science, Franka likes to cook and bake, discover new restaurants, and travel.
Dr. Sarhane is currently a general surgery resident at the University of Toledo (Ohio). He is an MD/MSc graduate of the American University of Beirut. He has been contributing to the VCA lab since 2012 when he joined for a 2-year fellowship. He initially worked on optimizing strategies to minimize immunosuppression. He then developed an interest in nerve regeneration and materials science. Together with Sami Tuffaha, he contributed to building a Peripheral Nerve Research program within the lab. He has since published in the fields of neuroscience and bioengineering. His research involved optimizing a novel nerve wrap to be used in primary repair to modulate the immune response and enhance axonal regeneration. Additionally, he worked on ameliorating the regenerative environment within denervated nerve stumps using various growth factors. More recently, he has been involved in optimizing a hydrogel-based nanofiber carrier for a sustained delivery of IGF-1 to nerve and muscle tissue.
Dr. Wu is an attending hand surgeon from Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, the first and the largest hand center of China. Since his residency training and hand surgery fellowship, he conducts over ~3,000 hand operations cases every year as either an assistant or the primary surgeon, which provides him rich experiences with a large variety of cases and a solid foundation of microsurgery techniques. Followed by his clinical training and practice in China, Dr. Wu has completed a one-year research fellowship in the Biomechanics lab at Mayo Clinic and visiting physician scholarships at Nagoya University in Japan and University of Utah. He was selected by the highly competitive American Society for Surgery of Hand (ASSH) International Traveling Fellow Program in 2017. This year, Dr. Wu joined the VCA Laboratory, exploring and refining procedures to build rat and mouse models of uterus transplantation.
Darrel Bibicheff is originally from Long Island, NY and has been living in Baltimore the last four years. He is currently a senior at Johns Hopkins University studying molecular and cellular biology. He has been working at the VCA Lab since his sophomore year and has been directly involved in three different projects. His main project involvement deals with the novel role of donor T leukocytes in shaping the recipient anti-graft response in transplantation. After completion of his college degree, Darrel seeks to gain admission into medical school and later pursue a career in a surgical specialty. Outside his participation in the lab, Darrel is involved in volunteering, community service, and club sports. His passions outside his academic life include camping, fishing, running, and most notably, mountain climbing where he has an ambitious goal of conquering the seven summits and the 50 state highpoints.
Felicia Chang is an undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University. She is currently in her second year of study, majoring in Medicine, Science, and the Humanities with a minor in Classics. Focusing on various histological and immunohistochemical analyses, Felicia works on several VCA projects, such as studying patterns of rejection in VCA and ex-vivo face perfusion. Felicia looks forward to learning more about the world of scientific research as well as developing the necessary quantitative and qualitative skills. When she is not in lab or in class, Felicia is most likely kickboxing, weight training, or knitting.
Halley is a MS4 at Johns Hopkins SOM. Prior to med school she attended Cal State Northridge for undergrad and worked as an astrobiology research assistant at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Halley is conducting a Dean’s Year of Research with Dr. Justin Sacks, working to optimize a hydrogel-nanofiber scaffold for large-volume tissue defects and illustrating a microsurgical atlas. In her spare time Halley enjoys long-distance swimming, figure drawing, and writing restaurant reviews.
Hello! My name is Benjamin Slavin and I’m a 3rd year medical student from the University of Miami (FL) completing a 1-year research fellowship under the guidance of Dr. Sami Tuffaha. From a young age, I’ve had a keen interest in reconstructive surgery and the opportunity to pursue that interest here in Baltimore has truly been a great honor. In collaboration with the lab of Dr. Hai-Quan Mao, my main project has focused on investigating the efficacy of a novel composite nerve wrap in the setting of PNI in a rat forelimb model. When not in the lab, I am most likely to be found cooking my “Recipe of the Week”, challenging myself to see how many fish and coral species I can name at the National Aquarium, or competing in weekly trivia with our lab’s official trivia team!
Jialu Wang, prefers to be called Lulu, earned her BS degree in Bioengineering and Chemistry from Lehigh University, and is currently pursuing an MS degree in Biomedical Engineering here at Hopkins. She did research in oncology over the summer before joining the VCA lab. She is now involved in research on the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes as well as transplant immune-modulation. Coming from Beijing, she spent years in Dallas, Bethlehem, PA and now two years in Baltimore. She is curious where her journey will be next. She loves cultures and languages, and she often spends her spare time trying out different ethnic cooking, watching movies, and practicing her calligraphy. She also has a passion for arts and crafts, sports, and animals.
Interested in working with the Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Research Lab? Browse our open positions below.
Our laboratory seeks postdoctoral candidates that are disciplined, determined, people-smart, and driven basic scientists. The VCA Lab is a multi-disciplinary research laboratory standing on the pillars of transplant immunology and immunoregulation, regenerative medicine, tissue cryopreservation, and nerve research. In this very dynamic and innovative environment, fellows benefit from the outstanding scientific community and cutting-edge resources uniquely available at Johns Hopkins University as well as the progressive mindset of collaboration with industry – it is an incredibly nurturing environment for career growth that provides great opportunities for future employment.
Our ideal candidate is a junior postdoctoral fellow (or prospective one) with the following characteristics:
Interested candidates should email Lab Manager Angela Estevez at [email protected] with the following:
We welcome students to apply for a research experience in the VCA Lab! We provide a unique nurturing and engaging environment were the growth of a scientific mindset is our primary goal. We have regular opportunities for students to become invaluable contributors to meaningful advancements in transplant research.
Interested candidates should contact Lab Manager Angela Estevez at [email protected] and submit a copy of their resume.
Short-term and longer-term research opportunities are available for determined and driven students that want to experience and understand the underpinnings of transplant research.
Interested students should inquire with Lab Manager Angela Estevez at [email protected].
