PI Bio: Joan Font-Burgada, Ph.D.

Joan Font-Burgada is an Assistant Professor at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the Cancer Biology Program.

As a CIRM postdoctoral scholar, he identified a new subpopulation of hepatocytes, Hybrid Hepatocytes, with a pivotal role in the repair of the injured liver. By generating mouse models that replicate the complexity of human hepatocellular carcinoma genetics, he is working to delve into the mechanisms of liver regeneration and liver cancer development.

• From 2010-2016, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Diego.

• In 2010, he received his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Barcelona.

Post-Doc: Lauren Strathearn, Ph.D.

Post-Doc: Yuki Hayata, M.D., Ph.D.

• In October 2021, he began his postdoctoral fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the laboratory of Joan Font-Burgada
• In March 2020, he received his Ph.D. in homeostasis and tumorigenicity in bile duct at the University of Tokyo.
• In March 2011, he received his M.D. at the University of Chiba.

Research: The effect of different oncogenic mutations on hepatocellular carcinoma initiation.

Graduate Student: Brianna Trankle

Technical Staff: Charlie Hewett

• In 2014, he received his B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Irvine

Research: The effect of Sox9 mutation on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in vivo and in vitro.

Undergraduate Student:
Maria Escribano-Cebrian

• In February 2023, she joined our lab as a student
• In June 2023, she will receive her B.S from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria.

Research: The effect of Sox9 mutation on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in vivo and in vitro.

Post-Doc: Nicola de Prisco, Ph.D.

• In August 2017, he began his postdoctoral fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the laboratory of Joan Font-Burgada.

• In June 2017, he received his Ph.D. in Human Genetics at Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine in the laboratory of Enrico Maria Surace.

• In 2011, he received his B.S. in Biology from University Federico II of Naples

Visiting Scientist: Yuanguangyan Zhang

• August 2019, he began working as a visiting scientist in Fox Chase Cancer Center
• September 2018- August 2019, he worked in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital as a research associate
• July 2018, he received his M.D. in Nanjing Medical University
• July 2015, he received his B.S. in Nanjing Medical University

Graduate Student: Afanasii Stepanov

• In March 2019, he began his graduate student program at the Fox Chase Cancer Center
• In September 2017- March 2019, he worked in a Biophotonics laboratory under Dr. Lukyanov at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry
• In September 2013, he started the Medical Biochemistry Program at Pirogov Russian National Reserach Medical University (RNRMU)

Summer Student: Lainie Beauchemin

• In 2019, she returned again as a laboratory assistant
• In 2018, she was awarded a Cure Fellowship and rejoined the lab for the summer
• In 2017, she was a member of Fox Chase’s Immersion Science Program for High School Students

Master of Science Student:
Marina Gonzalez Sorribes

• In February 2021, she joined our lab as a master student
• In September 2020, she joined the M.Sc. programm of Genetics and Genomics at the University of Barcelona
• In 2020, she received her B.S in Biomedical Sciences at University of Barcelona
• In February 2020, she joined Tuemmler lab in the Hannover Medical School as a Undergraduate research student

Graduate Student: Marcos Garcia Teneche

• August 2020, he returned to the lab and began his graduate student program at the Fox Chase Cancer Center
• July 2020, he received his B.S. in the Biochemistry Program at the University of Barcelona
• In 2019, Marcos joined the lab as a summer student

Undergraduate Student:
Lara Alameda Calvo

• In February 2022, she joined our lab as a student.
• In June 2022, she will receive her B.S in Biomedicine at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria.
• Took part of a 6-member team developing a regenerative maxilofacial product as a college project.

Undergraduate Student:
Ignacio Urquijo Carvajal

• In February 2022, he joined our lab as a student
• In June 2022, he will receive his B.S in Biotechnology from Francisco de Vitoria University.

MD,PhD Rotation Student:

Abhinav Illendula

• In 2022, Abhinav joined the lab as a Temple University MD, PhD student for one of his rotations.

Post-Doc: Nhi Dang, Ph.D

• In December 2020, she began her postdoctoral fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the laboratory of Joan Font-Burgada
• In January 2019, she joined the Russo Lab at FCCC for the postdoctoral
• In 2016, she received her Ph.D in Medical Sciences from the Nagasaki University.

Research Volunteer: Ellie Stout

• In 2017, she was a research assistant in our lab.
• In 2016, she received her B.A. in Psychology from Bucknell University.

Research Volunteer: Max Schnoll

• In 2019, he joined the lab as a summer student
• At the time, he was a junior in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program at University of California, Berkeley

Rotation Student: Margaret Baldini

• September 2020, she joined the lab as a Temple University Ph.D. student for a rotation.
• May 2020, She received her B.S. in Biology at Chestnut Hill College
• From 2017-2019, she was a research assistant in Richard Katz lab at the Fox Chase Cancer Center

Rotation Student: Jorge Canar

• In December 2020, He joined our lab as a rotation student
• In August 2020, He joined the Ph.D programm of Biomedical Sciences at Temple University
• From 2017 to 2020 He worked as a research assistant at Jill Bargonetti lab
• In 2018, he received his B.A in Biological Sciences at Hunter College, New York City

Research: The effect of different oncogenic mutations on hepatocellular carcinoma initiation.

PhD Rotation Student:

Mia Xin

• In 2018, she joined the lab as a Temple University Ph.D. student for a rotation.
• In July 2016, she received her MD from Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.

Summer Student: Naman Razdan

• In 2018, Naman joined the lab as a high school summer student

Drexel University Rotation Student:

Yesim Mercan

• In June 2018, Yesim joined the lab as a Drexel University master student for a rotation

MD,PhD Rotation Student: Jacklyn Huhn

• In 2018, Jacky joined the lab as a Temple University MD, PhD student for her first rotation.

Rice University Summer Student:

Michael Lee

• In 2018, Michael joined the lab as a summer student
• At the time, he was a Junior Biochem student at Rice University

Former Immunos Box

• Currently the Box is retired and is no longer in the -20°C.
• The box moved together with Joan in 2016 to Philadelphia
• The former Box joined Joan's heart in 2010 when they met in the University of California San Diego