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



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
Trust Odia, PhD



Trust is a passionate bioinformatician and data scientist. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Computer Science. He completed his PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa, where he integrated lung PET-CT data and whole blood RNA-seq data to identify key biological processes underlying the resolution of lung inflammation during Tuberculosis treatment. He is interested in integrating diverse clinical, multi-omics and NGS datasets, and applying computational approaches and methods for inference and discovery purposes, as well as understanding disease processes and biomarker identification. When he is not working, you can find him playing tennis on Saturdays or watching Formula 1 car racing on Sundays.




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). 

Winny Liu



Winny is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Biology department at Penn. Growing up in the heart of Philadelphia's Chinatown, he has maintained deep roots in the city's vibrant community. Prior to joining the Drivas lab, he spent his undergraduate years studying ecological and evolutionary genetics—focusing on rapid adaptation in Drosophila melanogaster in response to pesticide stress. Making a dramatic pivot, Winny transitioned from a complete wet lab experience to a total dry lab one, where he now works primarily with PrediXcan gene expression prediction and association. He hopes to produce actionable results that can apply to patient care before he graduates. Outside of the lab, Winny competes in collegiate Esports competitions, searches for his next great meal, and shares his home with Mavis, his wide-eyed beautifully awkward long-coat tabby.

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

Selassie



My name is Selassie and I'm a very energetic cavapoo. I like to eat other dog’s food when mine isn't uavailable. In addition, I never run out of energy, I’,m always ready to play and bark at anything I find interesting. I’m looking for a friend(s) to play with. My nickname is Energy.

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

Rotation 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.

Trust Odia, PhD




Trust is a passionate bioinformatician and data scientist. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Computer Science. He completed his PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa, where he integrated lung PET-CT data and whole blood RNA-seq data to identify key biological processes underlying the resolution of lung inflammation during Tuberculosis treatment. He is interested in integrating diverse clinical, multi-omics and NGS datasets, and applying computational approaches and methods for inference and discovery purposes, as well as understanding disease processes and biomarker identification. When he is not working, you can find him playing tennis on Saturdays or watching Formula 1 car racing on Sundays.

Bioinformatician
trust.odiaCHARACTER 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). 

Winny Liu

Undergraduate Student
wsnliuCHARACTER SEQUENCE@wsnliu@upenn.edu




Winny is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Biology department at Penn. Growing up in the heart of Philadelphia's Chinatown, he has maintained deep roots in the city's vibrant community. Prior to joining the Drivas lab, he spent his undergraduate years studying ecological and evolutionary genetics—focusing on rapid adaptation in Drosophila melanogaster in response to pesticide stress. Making a dramatic pivot, Winny transitioned from a complete wet lab experience to a total dry lab one, where he now works primarily with PrediXcan gene expression prediction and association. He hopes to produce actionable results that can apply to patient care before he graduates. Outside of the lab, Winny competes in collegiate Esports competitions, searches for his next great meal, and shares his home with Mavis, his wide-eyed beautifully awkward long-coat tabby.

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

Selassie



My name is Selassie and I'm a very energetic cavapoo. I like to eat other dog’s food when mine isn't uavailable. In addition, I never run out of energy, I’,m always ready to play and bark at anything I find interesting. I’m looking for a friend(s) to play with. My nickname is Energy.

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

Lab Alumni
Rotation Students
Undergraduate Students