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Dragos D

- Research Program Mentor

PhD at Cornell University

Expertise

Biology, Immunology, Cancer Biology

Bio

The immune system is a highly complex and dynamic system that can directly impact the health of every organ and tissue in our body. For the past 11 years I have been working to try to better understand some of this elegant system's inner workings and its important roles in autoimmune diseases, viral infections and cancer. Besides biology I am pretty much curious about everything in the world from physics and chemistry to history, philosophy and foreign policy. Trying to learn why the world is the way it is, is what I find fascinating and highly rewarding. Mentoring and teaching for me is like a puzzle, trying to find the best way I can help someone else on their own quest to learn. In the process I get to more deeply understand the topics I teach, as well as hopefully help someone else in their goal to satisfy their curiosity about the world.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Elucidating the mechanisms that promote or limit the survival of antibody producing cells

Antibody producing cells also known as plasma cells are an important component in the immune system's ability to fight and remember infections. Too little antibody production leaves us vulnerable to clearing ongoing infections or remembering pathogens encountered in the past. Too much antibody production can in turn lead to autoimmunity and tissue damage. The immune system has complex exquisite mechanisms in place to tweak and balance the survival of plasma cells and their ability to produce antibodies. Fully understanding these mechanisms can enable us to better fight infections with better responses to vaccines, as well as treat autoimmune diseases like lupus or arthritis.

Languages I know

Romanian

Teaching experience

I was a teaching assistant in laboratory classes during my undergraduate and graduate studies. I have also mentored a high school student (Mary Sotiryadis) for a summer research program . She was a finalist in the ISEF Regeneron competition with her summer research project.

Credentials

Work experience

Genentech (2021 - Current)
Principal Scientific Researcher
University of Toronto (2020 - 2021)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Hospital for Special Surgery (2019 - 2020)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (2010 - 2019)
Graduate Researcher

Education

Cornell University
BS Bachelor of Science (2009)
Applied and Engineering Physics
Cornell University
Masters of Engineering (2010)
Biomedical Engineering
Cornell University
PhD Doctor of Philosophy (2019)
Immunology

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