Our Team




Teddy completed MD-PhD training at the University of Pennsylvania in the Gene Therapy and Vaccines program of the Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group where his doctoral work in the lab of Dr. Jean Bennett  focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying a group of fascinating and devastating genetic disorders known as the ciliopathies. Inspired by the bravery and altruism of these rare disease patients, Teddy pursued clinical residency training in Internal Medicine and in Medical Genetics to provide better clinical care and a deeper scientific understanding for patients living with rare genetic conditions. He came back to the lab and completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Marylyn Ritchie , using informatic approaches to understand how the same genes that cause rare genetic disorders can also play a role in the pathogenesis of common complex disease in the general population. Teddy opened his own lab in January of 2023 where he and his team use informatic and wet lab approaches to understand the overlap between common diseases and rare genetic syndromes, uncovering novel disease mechanisms to improve human health. When he’s not in the lab, you can find Teddy cooking, baking, running along the Schuylkill river, practicing yoga, exploring Philadelphia’s vibrant restaurant and cultural scene, being a nerd with his husband Mike, or playing with his rambunctious dog Ajax.

Theodore G. Drivas, MD PhD



Yunjun is a PhD candidate at the Bioengineering Graduate Group at Penn. Having grown up in western Pennsylvania, Yunjun made it back to PA after living in his home country of South Korea for over a decade. Yunjun completed his undergraduate studies in Bioengineering at Yonsei University in Korea where he researched various applications of computational methods to tackle biomedical problems. He is currently interested in single-cell genomics and epigenetics, and finding ways to exploit data for clinical applications. Outside of research, Yunjun spends his spare time learning new languages, finding new music, and drinking way too much coffee.

Yunjun Kang, BS



Ekta is a first-year PhD student in the Bioengineering Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biological Engineering at Purdue University and went on to pursue a Master’s in Bioengineering at Penn, where she expanded her research expertise. Her academic and industry experience spans diverse areas, including bacteriophage studies, Alzheimer’s disease research, CAR-T therapy, and targeted metabolomics. For her Master’s thesis, Ekta focused on mitigating CAR-T cell fratricide during manufacturing and expansion, employing a range of scientific techniques. Outside the lab, you can find her at the pottery wheel or enjoying a strawberry matcha latte at her favorite café, Elixr.

Ekta Singh, MS



Tomoki is a research and clinical fellow who graduated from the Combined Pediatrics/Medical Genetics Residency Program at CHOP in 2022. His research interests include discovering novel gene-disease relationships, and contribution of rare genetic variants to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. He utilizes stem cell models as well as large biobanks with genomic data to investigate these questions. Tomoki is also an attending clinical geneticist at CHOP.

Tomoki graduated from Hofstra University with a B.S. in Biology and Biochemistry, before completing MD/PhD training at Stony Brook University. He completed his PhD thesis work with Dr. Adrian Krainer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he investigated the novel use of antisense oligonucleotide technology for treatment of rare genetic disorders.

Tomoki Nomakuchi, MD PhD



Pious (bottom row, center) is a senior neurosurgery resident at Jefferson and plans to pursue dual training in cerebrovascular surgery, with a focus on rare vascular diseases of the brain. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and worked at a genomics healthcare startup before earning his MD at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2021. During medical school, he developed a research passion for using genetic information to guide neurosurgical treatments. In residency, he has been inspired by the resilience of patients with rare neurovascular conditions who are faced with sudden tragedy. He joined the Drivas Lab to develop genome-based tools for screening and treatment of arteriovenous malformations, aneurysms, moyamoya disease, and cavernous malformations, with the goal of identifying and managing these diseases before disaster strikes. Outside of work, Pious enjoys experimenting with new cocktail recipes, caring for his plants, and traveling the world with his wife, Sanjana (who is also a neurosurgery resident at Penn!).

Pious Patel, MD



Christian Andino is third-year PhD student in the DSRB/CAMB Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology from Ana G. Mendez University (Puerto Rico). He did two postbaccalaureate (postbacc) program experiences, one in the University of Washington in Seattle where he investigated metabolic gene expression and hepatocyte zonation in engineered human liver tissues before and after implantation. His work provided the first evidence of functional zonation post-implantation, advancing the translational potential of liver tissue engineering. His other experience was in Washington University in Saint Louis, where he was responsible for the establishment of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models to establish a repertoire of iPSC lines to study various forms of dementia and to analyze GWAS data to classify cell lines with high or low genetic risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. In the lab, Christian is interested in studying ciliopathies, focusing on how the loss of the primary cilium disrupts insulin signaling pathways and alters AKT activation and downstream metabolic responses, which may contribute to insulin resistance and impaired cellular homeostasis. Outside of the lab you can find him doing Hyrox, running along the Schuylkill River, exploring Philadelphia food scene and thinking of his next trip to Puerto Rico
Christian Andino, BS



Zach is a biologist, computing enthusiast, and geneticist currently working as a Bioinformatics Scientist in the Setia-Verma, Drivas, and Verma labs. He completed his PhD at the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, where he investigated the genomic underpinnings of green-blooded lizards using phylogenomics and transcriptomics. Wanting to hone his data science skills, Zach pursued a postdoc in Computational Psychopathology where he analyzed digital phenotypes (electronic health records/EHR, videos, and audio) of serious mental illnesses using machine learning and natural language processing techniques. He is interested in integrating genomic, clinical EHR, and diverse demographic datasets to study the causes and treatments of human diseases. Apart from research, Zach is an avid chef, foodie, plant dad, and herpetologist who loves to explore our natural world. Outside of the lab you can find Zach hiking, cooking, dining, gaming, or attending live music shows in the city.
Zach Rodriguez, PhD
Tejan Patel, BA



Tejan graduated from Rutgers University in 2022 with a degree in cellular biology and neuroscience. His previous work experiences focused mainly on behavioral neuroscience and protein visualization. Since joining the Drivas Lab, Tejan has been honing his skills in mammalian cell culture and molecular cloning. He is currently completing his Master’s in Law at the University of Pennsylvania and someday hopes to apply to medical school. Outside of the lab, you can find Tejan taking one too many naps or training for his next marathon.




Jonathan holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology and a minor in Chemistry from Arkansas State University. Prior to joining the Drivas lab, Jonathan had the opportunity to work as an undergraduate research assistant in a molecular biology lab at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute. This experience allowed him to discover his true passion, biomedical research and the application of genetic engineering and molecular biology to fight diseases. Having a fascination for human immunology and cellular pathways, he hopes to one day pursue a PhD in this area. When he’s not in the lab you will find him wandering around the city visiting museums, parks and looking for new culinary experiences.

Jonathan Trejo, BSc

Ala Streater, BS



Ala — pronounced Kayla without the K — has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University, with a concentration in Life Sciences. In preparation for applying for a Master’s in Genetic Counseling, she is gaining invaluable experience working at the University of Pennsylvania as a genetic counseling assistant with clinic exposure and coordinating research and care for patients within Penn’s Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) Center. When she isn’t ordering genetic testing or corresponding with HHT patients, she is most likely losing her voice at an Indie concert, practicing yoga, or enjoying a long walk with an audiobook in ears (nostalgic days warranting a page or two in the Harry Potter series). 

You!



We’re currently looking for talented and creative scientists at all levels! We have numerous projects available, both on the informatic and wet lab side, investigating the overlap between common and rare disease pathogenesis. If you are an interested undergraduate student, graduate student, post doc, medical student, clinical fellow, or research technician, please reach out and see if we might be a good fit for you!

Talented Scientist
your.nameCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Ajax



Ajax is a lovable and rambunctious American Hairless Terrier (AHT) with an outstanding wardrobe and unsurpassed amount of energy. As an AHT, Ajax was born with a homozygous pathogenic variant in the SGK3 gene, resulting in his hairless but incredibly handsome appearance. Ajax gives excellent hugs and is very good at playing dead and rolling over (but only on carpeted floors). Ajax prides himself on his hypoallergenic nature, and his ability to spot a squirrel from blocks away.

Our Team

Theodore Drivas, MD PhD



Teddy completed MD-PhD training at the University of Pennsylvania in the Gene Therapy and Vaccines program of the Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group where his doctoral work in the lab of Dr. Jean Bennett focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying a group of fascinating and devastating genetic disorders known as the ciliopathies. Inspired by the bravery and altruism of these rare disease patients, Teddy pursued clinical residency training in Internal Medicine and in Medical Genetics to provide better clinical care and a deeper scientific understanding for patients living with rare genetic conditions. He came back to the lab and completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Marylyn Ritchie , using informatic approaches to understand how the same genes that cause rare genetic disorders can also play a role in the pathogenesis of common complex disease in the general population. Teddy opened his own lab in January of 2023 where he and his team use informatic and wet lab approaches to understand the overlap between common diseases and rare genetic syndromes, uncovering novel disease mechanisms to improve human health. When he’s not in the lab, you can find Teddy cooking, baking, running along the Schuylkill river, practicing yoga, exploring Philadelphia’s vibrant restaurant and cultural scene, being a nerd with his husband Mike, or playing with his rambunctious dog Ajax.

Principle Investigator
theodore.drivasCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Ody



Ody (short for Odysseus), like his "brother" Ajax, is a rambunctious American Hairless Terrier. He holds the distinction of being the only dog to have ever attended a Drivas Lab Meeting (having devised a plan to sneak in to the building Trojan horse-style). He enjoys nibbling on people's fingers, playing with the biggest dogs in the dog park, and harassing his brother.

Yunjun Kang, BS

Graduate Student
yunjun.kangCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu




Yunjun is a PhD candidate at the Bioengineering Graduate Group at Penn. Having grown up in western Pennsylvania, Yunjun made it back to PA after living in his home country of South Korea for over a decade. Yunjun completed his undergraduate studies in Bioengineering at Yonsei University in Korea where he researched various applications of computational methods to tackle biomedical problems. He is currently interested in single-cell genomics and epigenetics, and finding ways to exploit data for clinical applications. Outside of research, Yunjun spends his spare time learning new languages, finding new music, and drinking way too much coffee.

Ekta Singh, MS

Graduate Student
singheCHARACTER SEQUENCE@seas.upenn.edu




Ekta is a first-year PhD student in the Bioengineering Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biological Engineering at Purdue University and went on to pursue a Master’s in Bioengineering at Penn, where she expanded her research expertise. Her academic and industry experience spans diverse areas, including bacteriophage studies, Alzheimer’s disease research, CAR-T therapy, and targeted metabolomics. For her Master’s thesis, Ekta focused on mitigating CAR-T cell fratricide during manufacturing and expansion, employing a range of scientific techniques. Outside the lab, you can find her at the pottery wheel or enjoying a strawberry matcha latte at her favorite café, Elixr.

Tomoki Nomakuchi, MD PhD

Clinical Fellow
nomakuchitCHARACTER SEQUENCE@chop.edu




Tomoki is a research and clinical fellow who graduated from the Combined Pediatrics/Medical Genetics Residency Program at CHOP in 2022. His research interests include discovering novel gene-disease relationships, and contribution of rare genetic variants to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. He utilizes stem cell models as well as large biobanks with genomic data to investigate these questions. Tomoki is also an attending clinical geneticist at CHOP.

Tomoki graduated from Hofstra University with a B.S. in Biology and Biochemistry, before completing MD/PhD training at Stony Brook University. He completed his PhD thesis work with Dr. Adrian Krainer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he investigated the novel use of antisense oligonucleotide technology for treatment of rare genetic disorders.

Pious Patel, MD

Senior Resident Physician
pious.patelCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu




Pious (bottom row, center) is a senior neurosurgery resident at Jefferson and plans to pursue dual training in cerebrovascular surgery, with a focus on rare vascular diseases of the brain. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and worked at a genomics healthcare startup before earning his MD at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2021. During medical school, he developed a research passion for using genetic information to guide neurosurgical treatments. In residency, he has been inspired by the resilience of patients with rare neurovascular conditions who are faced with sudden tragedy. He joined the Drivas Lab to develop genome-based tools for screening and treatment of arteriovenous malformations, aneurysms, moyamoya disease, and cavernous malformations, with the goal of identifying and managing these diseases before disaster strikes. Outside of work, Pious enjoys experimenting with new cocktail recipes, caring for his plants, and traveling the world with his wife, Sanjana (who is also a neurosurgery resident at Penn!).

Christian Andino, BS




Christian Andino is third-year PhD student in the DSRB/CAMB Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology from Ana G. Mendez University (Puerto Rico). He did two postbaccalaureate (postbacc) program experiences, one in the University of Washington in Seattle where he investigated metabolic gene expression and hepatocyte zonation in engineered human liver tissues before and after implantation. His work provided the first evidence of functional zonation post-implantation, advancing the translational potential of liver tissue engineering. His other experience was in Washington University in Saint Louis, where he was responsible for the establishment of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models to establish a repertoire of iPSC lines to study various forms of dementia and to analyze GWAS data to classify cell lines with high or low genetic risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. In the lab, Christian is interested in studying ciliopathies, focusing on how the loss of the primary cilium disrupts insulin signaling pathways and alters AKT activation and downstream metabolic responses, which may contribute to insulin resistance and impaired cellular homeostasis. Outside of the lab you can find him doing Hyrox, running along the Schuylkill River, exploring Philadelphia food scene and thinking of his next trip to Puerto Rico.

Rotation Student
Christian.AndinoDelValleCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Zachary Rodriguez, PhD




Zach is a biologist, computing enthusiast, and geneticist currently working as a Bioinformatics Scientist in the Setia-Verma, Drivas, and Verma labs. He completed his PhD at the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, where he investigated the genomic underpinnings of green-blooded lizards using phylogenomics and transcriptomics. Wanting to hone his data science skills, Zach pursued a postdoc in Computational Psychopathology where he analyzed digital phenotypes (electronic health records/EHR, videos, and audio) of serious mental illnesses using machine learning and natural language processing techniques. He is interested in integrating genomic, clinical EHR, and diverse demographic datasets to study the causes and treatments of human diseases. Apart from research, Zach is an avid chef, foodie, plant dad, and herpetologist who loves to explore our natural world. Outside of the lab you can find Zach hiking, cooking, dining, gaming, or attending live music shows in the city.

Bioinformatician
zachary.rodriguezCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Tejan Patel, BA

Research Specialist
tejan.patelCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu




Tejan graduated from Rutgers University in 2022 with a degree in cellular biology and neuroscience. His previous work experiences focused mainly on behavioral neuroscience and protein visualization. Since joining the Drivas Lab, Tejan has been honing his skills in mammalian cell culture and molecular cloning. He is currently completing his Master’s in Law at the University of Pennsylvania and someday hopes to apply to medical school. Outside of the lab, you can find Tejan taking one too many naps or training for his next marathon

Jonathan Trejo, BSc

Research Specialist
jonathan.trejoCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu




Jonathan holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology and a minor in Chemistry from Arkansas State University. Prior to joining the Drivas lab, Jonathan had the opportunity to work as an undergraduate research assistant in a molecular biology lab at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute. This experience allowed him to discover his true passion, biomedical research and the application of genetic engineering and molecular biology to fight diseases. Having a fascination for human immunology and cellular pathways, he hopes to one day pursue a PhD in this area. When he’s not in the lab you will find him wandering around the city visiting museums, parks and looking for new culinary experiences.

Ala Streater, BS

Genetic Counseling Assistant
ala.streaterCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu




Ala — pronounced Kayla without the K — has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University, with a concentration in Life Sciences. In preparation for applying for a Master’s in Genetic Counseling, she is gaining invaluable experience working at the University of Pennsylvania as a genetic counseling assistant with clinic exposure and coordinating research and care for patients within Penn’s Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) Center. When she isn’t ordering genetic testing or corresponding with HHT patients, she is most likely losing her voice at an Indie concert, practicing yoga, or enjoying a long walk with an audiobook in ears (nostalgic days warranting a page or two in the Harry Potter series). 

You!

Talented Scientist
your.nameCHARACTER SEQUENCE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu




We’re currently looking for talented and creative scientists at all levels! We have numerous projects available, both on the informatic and wet lab side, investigating the overlap between common and rare disease pathogenesis. If you are an interested undergraduate student, graduate student, post doc, medical student, clinical fellow, or research technician, please reach out and see if we might be a good fit for you!

Ajax



Ajax is a lovable and rambunctious American Hairless Terrier (AHT) with an outstanding wardrobe and unsurpassed amount of energy. As an AHT, Ajax was born with a homozygous pathogenic variant in the SGK3 gene, resulting in his hairless but incredibly handsome appearance. Ajax gives excellent hugs and is very good at playing dead and rolling over (but only on carpeted floors). Ajax prides himself on his hypoallergenic nature, and his ability to spot a squirrel from blocks away.

Lab Mascot
imadog.idontCHARACTER SEQUENCE@use.email.edu




Ody (short for Odysseus), like his "brother" Ajax, is a rambunctious American Hairless Terrier. He holds the distinction of being the only dog to have ever attended a Drivas Lab Meeting (having devised a plan to sneak in to the building Trojan horse-style). He enjoys nibbling on people's fingers, playing with the biggest dogs in the dog park, and harassing his brother.
Ody

Lab Mascot
imadog.idontCHARACTER SEQUENCE@use.email.edu

Lab Alumni
Rotation Students
Staff
Undergraduates