{"id":52,"date":"2024-03-04T10:53:52","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T10:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/?page_id=52"},"modified":"2025-07-23T11:36:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T11:36:15","slug":"people","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/?page_id=52","title":{"rendered":"People"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ioannis (Yiannis) I.<\/span> Verginadis, MSc, PhD<\/span><\/div>
Principal Investigator<\/div>

Yiannis Verginadis is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania.<\/span><\/p>

Yiannis was born in Kalamata, Greece. He earned his B.S. degree in Molecular Biology and Ph.D. in Radiation Biology and Physiology from the University of Ioannina, Greece. Following this, he was awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Bodossaki Foundation, in Greece before relocating to the United States in 2013. He joined Dr. Koumenis's lab at the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed his postdoctoral training in Radiation and Tumor Biology.<\/span><\/p>

Yiannis loves traveling, sailing, and watching movies, with a particular interest in WWII films.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Ioannis<\/span> Paraskevaidis, MSc<\/span><\/div>
PhD student<\/div>

Ioannis (Yiannis) Paraskevaidis earned his bachelor's degree in Biology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Yiannis continued his academic journey by completing a master's in Biomedical Research at The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, where he actively contributed to research in epigenetic therapy for melanoma. Currently, he has joined the Verginadis Lab as a graduate student. His research focuses on utilizing radiation for pancreatic tumor therapeutics and unraveling the complex mechanisms associated with pancreatic radioresistance. Outside of the lab, Yiannis enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and exploring the world through travel.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Shria<\/span> Kavaturu<\/span><\/div>
Undergraduate student<\/div>

Shria is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania studying biochemistry on the pre-medicine track. After graduation, she hopes to attend medical school and pursue a career as a clinician and researcher. In the past she conducted research to understand the role of ORAI1 in T-Cell activation and the ability of specific flow cytometers to sort and analyze potentially cancerous extracellular vesicles. She recently joined the Verginadis lab with the goal of gaining expertise in various molecular techniques and in vivo procedures. Outside of the lab, Shria volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House and is a part of Community School Student Partnerships where she volunteers at Comegys Elementary in West Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Kristianna<\/span> Kolker<\/span><\/div>

Kristianna\u00a0Kolker is a research specialist who recently graduated from Drexel University in 2024, majoring in biology with minors in neuroscience and psychology. She has previously engaged in translational pediatric cancer research, focusing on EZH2 inhibition and its effects on modulation of ALK in neuroblastoma. She recently joined the Verginadis Lab, where she contributes to ongoing research in radiation biology and cancer therapeutics, specifically investigating the mechanisms behind radiation-induced toxicity and resistance. Outside the lab,\u00a0Kristianna\u00a0enjoys playing competitive indoor and beach volleyball, spending time with friends, and indulging in her love for food.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Najah<\/span> Curtis<\/span><\/div>

Najah is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania in the PhD in Bioengineering - Medical Physics Concentration program. She also earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in physics with a concentration of biological sciences from the University of Pennsylvania. She recently joined the Verginadis Lab to investigate one of the hypotheses that tries to explain the mechanisms behind the FLASH sparing effect. Outside of the lab, Najah enjoys reading, drawing, and doing workout classes with friends.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Pierre<\/span> Loap<\/span><\/div>

Pierre Loap is a radiation oncologist at Institut Curie (France), where he practices within the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Proton Therapy Center. His clinical activity focuses on breast cancer, hematologic malignancies, and ocular tumors. He is a graduate of the \u00c9cole normale sup\u00e9rieure (Class of 2017) and completed his specialization in radiation oncology in 2023 at Universit\u00e9 Paris Cit\u00e9. His research is centered on translational oncology, with particular interests in radiogenomics, cancer immunology, and particle therapy. A major objective of his work is the optimization of the therapeutic index in breast cancer, to enhance tumor control while minimizing treatment-related toxicity. Within the Verginadis Lab, he is involved in research projects investigating the impact of FLASH radiotherapy on the cardiovascular system and breast cancer, at the interface of biology, medical physics, and clinical oncology. Outside of his professional activities, he enjoys hiking and traveling.<\/p><\/div>

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Cezara<\/span> Cheptea<\/span><\/div>

Cezara Cheptea is a radiation oncologist, with a clinical and research focus on breast cancer. She graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Transilvania University of Bra\u0219ov, Romania, and completed her initial oncology training at the Oncology Institute of Bucharest. She subsequently continued her medical and research career in Paris, France, where she worked at Institut Curie, including within the Proton Therapy Center, and at Gustave Roussy. Her research interests focus on optimizing radiotherapy in breast cancer, with particular emphasis on immune preservation and treatment de-escalation. Her work integrates EDIC-based modeling, advanced patient positioning, and particle therapy to reduce immune and cardiac exposure while maintaining oncologic efficacy. She has also contributed to clinical research on salvage and re-irradiation strategies, as well as to expert consensus efforts on the integration of modern systemic therapies with advanced radiotherapy techniques. Within the Verginadis Lab, she is involved in research projects investigating the impact of FLASH radiotherapy on the cardiovascular system and breast cancer. Outside of her professional activities, she enjoys refining her cooking skills, traveling, and documenting her travels through photography.<\/p><\/div>

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Lab Alumni<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Kyle<\/span> Kim<\/span><\/div>
Research Assistant<\/div>

Kyle Kim is a research specialist who recently graduated from Penn in 2023 majoring in biochemistry and chemistry. He is currently planning on pursuing a MD\/PhD. In the lab, he is focused on investigating the regenerative capacity of intestinal crypts using a novel mouse model of focal radiotherapy. Additionally, he is interested in delineating the role of ATF4 in a preclinical model of radiation-induced myocardial fibrosis. Outside of the lab, he spends his time working out, playing volleyball, and exploring the city!<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Samuel<\/span> Chung<\/span><\/div>
Visiting SUPERS student<\/div>

Sam is a visiting SUPERS student and is currently studying chemistry (as a pre-med) at SUNY Binghamton, with a focus in biological chemistry. At his lab at Binghamton, his research focuses on improving linker technology in Antibody-Drug Conjugates and validation with biological assays. Currently, Sam is investigating the role of STAT3 on pancreatic tumor radiosensitization. Outside the lab, Sam loves going to the gym, playing the cello, and scrolling Instagram\/TikTok!<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Samantha<\/span> Golish<\/span><\/div>

Samantha is an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania on the pre-medical track at the College of Arts and Sciences. After graduation, she plans to earn an MD and pursue both clinical and research endeavors. Prior to joining the Verginadis Lab, Samantha interned at a lab at the Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine. Her work focused on the impact of genetic modification and aging on the progression of kidney disease, as well as the endothelial cell role in cardioprotection after exposure to chemotherapy. Outside of the lab, Samantha enjoys reading, volunteer tutoring, and spending time with friends and family.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Yuyu<\/span> Wang<\/span><\/div>
MD student<\/div>

Yuyu is a MD student at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. She also obtained her bachelor\u2019s degree in microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia, Canada and master\u2019s degree in biomedicine at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. She previously participated in translational cancer research focusing on neuro-immunology, tumor microenvironment and radiotherapy response in brain tumors. She recently joined the Verginadis Lab to investigate gene signatures linked to chemoradiotherapy resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Outside of the lab, she enjoys jogging, cooking and traveling!<\/p><\/div>

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      Lab Alumni  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-52","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239,"href":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions\/239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.verginadislab.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}