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 making 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 (antigen presentation).
He lives in South Philadelphia with his husband and his two chaotic orange cats. Outside of the lab, Mike is passionate about his hobbies of singing, language learning, and enjoying nature.
Contact: mihogan@upenn.edu
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 South Philly 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.
Contact: sgambale@upenn.edu
Postdoc: Marzo Zamora
Marco received his PhD in biomedical engineering from Drexel University in 2024. He performed his research under the guidance of Kara Spiller at Drexel University and Jacob Brenner at the University of Pennsylvania. In his PhD, Marco worked to understand and ameliorate the side effects of targeted lipid nanocarriers to the lung.
In his postdoc, Marco is dually mentored by Dr. Hogan and Dr. Norbert Pardi at the University of Pennsylvania (https://www.pardilab.com/group ), where he is applying his expertise in mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) development to design novel vaccine candidates for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Marco is currently supported by an NIH T32 (2T32AI007632) for this work. Marco is also interested in developing vaccines and therapeutics for the upper airway and extrahepatic delivery of mRNA cargos.
In his spare time, Marco enjoys cooking, tabletop role-playing games, board games, swimming, hiking, and crochet.
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.
PhD Student: Laura Hutchins
Laura is a graduate student in Cell and Molecular Biology with a focus on Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology and joined the Hogan lab in summer 2025.
Originally from DC, she completed her B.S. in Microbiology at the University of Michigan studying various bacterial pathogens. After a couple years working on CAR T cell therapeutics, she excited to return to the field of microbiology with a focus on viral immunology in the Hogan lab!
Outside of the lab, Laura enjoys cooking/ trying new recipes, exploring nature, board games, the occasional craft, and spending time with her dog.
PhD Student: Amirah Ullah
Amirah is a student in the Immunology Graduate Group studying non-classical antigen presentation upon MHC-E to CD8 T cells during influenza infection, as well as how these MHC-E-restricted T cells develop in the thymus. Amirah got her BS in Microbiology from the University of Washington while studying DNA vaccine strategies against SIV/HIV. After graduating, she did a post-baccalaureate at NCI Frederick and then worked as a technician studying immunometabolism at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, powerlifting, “playing” bass, and tending to her many pets.
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: Angelina Moh
Angie is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology at Penn. She is interested in immunology, virology, and infectious diseases, with a particular focus on understanding host-pathogen interactions and developing novel therapeutic strategies.
Prior to joining the lab, she gained research experience in molecular biology and clinical research through positions in both the United States and Singapore. Outside of the lab, Angie enjoys reading, cooking, tennis and art.
