People

PI: Mike Hogan

Mike is a viral immunologist and vaccinologist who started his lab at Penn Vet in January 2024 and is excited about recruiting enthusiastic trainees to make new discoveries about protective immunity and effective vaccine design.

Mike did his PhD training at UPenn in the labs of Drew Weissman (mRNA vaccines) and Jim Hoxie (HIVology) and his postdoctoral training at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with Ike Eisenlohr (non-classical antigen presentation).

He lives in South Philadelphia with his husband and his headstrong cat, Conrad. Outside of the lab, Mike is passionate about his hobbies of singing, language learning, and enjoying nature.

Research Specialist: Sophia Gambale

Sophia is a researcher in the Hogan Lab who completed her B.S. in Forensic Science with a Biology concentration and Minor in Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, as well as an M.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Earth Systems at Drexel University.

She has experience conducting field and laboratory research in animal behavior, ecology, and forensics and is eager to broaden her knowledge and skillset in virology and immunology. Sophia is passionate about science, animals, and research and is thrilled to be able to aid in the innovation and optimization of vaccines. Being an early member of the Hogan Lab has been incredibly exciting for her, and she can't wait to see it flourish with research and recruits!

Sophia lives in University City with her boyfriend and four not-so-typical animals, including a leopard gecko, Koko Pebbles, a canary, Bagel, a canary winged bee bee, Fern, and a rainbow lorikeet named Luna. As you can imagine, her apartment is always filled with lots of noise and plenty of feathers! In her free time, she enjoys crafting, hiking, listening to music, and playing animal crossing.

PhD Student: Lauren Olenick

Lauren is a graduate student from the Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group (Gene Therapy and Vaccines) and joined the Hogan lab in Summer 2024!

She has spent the last eight years in research, having experiences in industry and academia. Passionate about comparative research and the development of novel therapeutics, Lauren is particularly interested in utilizing animal models to better understand the prevention, pathogenesis, and treatment of both veterinary and human disease. Outside of the lab, she enjoys following Philly sports teams and spending time with her dogs, Evie and Watts.

Contact info: Lauren.olenick@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

PhD Student: Kendall Lundgreen

Kendall is a graduate student from the Cell and Molecular Biology (CAMB) Graduate Group, concentrating in Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology (MVP), and joined the Hogan Lab in Summer 2024!

Kendall completed a B.S. in Medical Microbiology and a minor in French from Arizona State University. She worked for 3 years in Paul Bates’ s lab at the University of Pennsylvania as a research specialist, studying immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.

She joined the Hogan and Pardi labs in summer 2024 and is excited to be one of Mike’s first grad students. She is interested in emerging infectious diseases, vaccinology, and viral immunology. Outside of the lab, Kendall enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Louis (an Italian greyhound) and Gigi (a miniature schnauzer). She also likes reading, gardening, and diy home decor projects.

Postdoc: Marzo Zamora

Marco received his PhD in Bioengineering in 2024 from Drexel University and performed his dissertation research in the lab of Jake Brenner at UPenn.

Undergrad: Mekhi Sappleton

Mekhi is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology at Penn. As someone who loves both cats and birds, he brings his passion for animals into his academic pursuits. He is particularly fascinated by immunology and is eager to expand his knowledge in this field. His interest in understanding immune system responses continues to grow as he progresses through his biology coursework.

Outside of academics, Mekhi stays active with a variety of hobbies and interests. He plays the oboe, enjoys figure skating at the local rink, and has recently taken up pickleball. His creative side shines through his pottery making and love of musicals. When he's not engaged in these activities or studying, you can find him listening to K-pop. He enjoys balancing his scientific studies with these artistic and athletic pursuits, finding that they provide a perfect complement to his academic work.

Undergrad: Yue (Katie) Yu

Katie is a first-year undergraduate student majoring in bioengineering at Penn. She developed a strong passion for vaccine research and development through the COVID-19 vaccine, especially the groundbreaking mRNA technology developed here at Penn. She is very excited to join the Hogan Lab to expand her knowledge and research experience in the rapidly advancing mRNA vaccine field.

Originally from Bellevue, Washington, Katie is excited to explore Philadelphia and other East Coast cities. She enjoys trying out new restaurants in Philly’s Chinatown and finding the best cafés on and off campus. During her free time, she also loves hanging out with friends or binge-watching movies and TV shows.

Rotation Students:

We have 2 rotating PhD students in the January-March period:

Laura Hutchins (MVP/CAMB)
Georgia McClain (MVP/CAMB)