Meet Our Team

Nihal Kaplan, PhD

Senior Research Associate-Lab Manager

I received my B.S. in Biology from Istanbul University, Turkey and Ph.D. in Cellular and Integrative Physiology from the University of Minnesota. I am interested in signaling pathways activated by plasma membrane receptors in corneal and epidermal keratinocytes and have experience with animal models of injury and inflammation. In the Paller lab, I manage the research projects under Dr. Paller’s guidance. Our focus is to delineate signaling pathways in the regulation of epidermal keratinocyte and cutaneous neuron interactions leading to wound healing, and developing novel topical and genetherapies to treat skin diseases such as diabetic ulcers, psoriasis and rare genetic skin disorders.

Bibliography

Jackie Wang

Research Technologist

My name is Jacqueline Wang, and I just completed my undergraduate studies in Biology and Neuroscience from Northwestern University in 2023! I recently joined Paller lab as a research technologist, taking a gap year to prepare for medical school. The projects in the Paller Lab are an exciting combination and use of my two majors. Currently, I am working on the effects of specific neuronal afferent subtypes to keratinocyte signalling on wound-healing in type 2 diabetic and healthy mice, with a hope to gain insight on specific products and signalling patterns between the two cell types. My goals are to gain dermatological research experience and eventually pursue a medical education, hopefully within the next year. I was born in Boston, but raised here in the Chicagoland suburbs. Outside of research, my hobbies include studying in cafes, playing sports with friends, and listening to music.

Lisa Maccio-Maretto, PhD

Hola! My name is Lisa Maccio-Maretto, and I am an international Post-Doctoral Scholar in Dr. Paller’s Lab. Born and raised in Argentina, I earned my degree in Biochemistry at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. During the last year of that period, I worked at Hospital Nuestra Se­­ñora de la Misericordia as part of my professional practices, where I had the opportunity to work with and for patients, to learn from excellent mentors and to collaborate with the whole team of healthcare professionals.

In 2014 I decided to pursue research, and I joined Dr. Silvia Correa’s laboratory. We worked together on my thesis research for 6 years, and in June 2020 I earned my doctoral degree. My work was titled “Role of CD64+ macrophages in the intestinal lamina propria in intestinal homeostasis”. And before that year ended, I moved to Chicago to keep growing my career in research while learning from great mentors, making good friends, and eating lots of exceptional Chicago food.

My work at the Paller lab focuses on finding the clues of the communication between keratinocytes and sensory neurons in the wound healing process and the involvement of immune cells and mediators in a mouse model of diabetes type 2. By understanding the bases of these “dialogs” new therapeutics could be designed and developed, and I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to help make people’s lives better!

In my spare time I am always dancing, doing yoga, going for a walk or a bike ride, or –my favorite- going out for food and drinks with friends.

Madeline Claire Scoles

I am a medical student research fellow from Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. I am passionate about pediatric dermatology and dermatology research, especially in atopic dermatitis and epidermolysis bullosa. In my free time, I volunteer at a free health clinic in Chicago and enjoy spending time with my husband, our son and my dog, Moose.

Lynna Juliann Yang

Hi everyone, I’m Lynna! I grew up in Kobe, Japan, and I moved to the US to pursue my undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, where I majored in Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in Education. After college, I returned to Kobe for a few years and worked in the Yoo Lab researching cancer biology using Drosophila fly models. I just finished my 3rd year of medical school at Northwestern, where I discovered my passion for dermatology and skin biology, and I’m excited to be spending the year with the Paller Lab focusing on epidermolysis bullosa! In my spare time, I love being active (whether it’s running, playing pickleball, or going bouldering), exploring the city, and reading science fiction!

Zhengyi Janie Lin

Master’s student

Kristeen Bebla

Kristeen Bebla is a medical student at the Stritch School of Medicine Class of 2027. She is eager to learn more about the field of Dermatology and begin to understand the complexities of skin conditions from atopic dermatitis to genetic diseases such as epidermolysis bullosa. She is thrilled to be working with the Paller lab and collaborate on exciting, new innovative research.

Natalie Bourand, MS

Natalie is a first-year medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. Deeply passionate about dermatology research and dedicated to serving the Polish community in Chicago, she aims to expand culturally-sensitive care in her future career as a dermatologist here.  With a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and a Master of Science in Precision Health from the University of Chicago, Natalie's work as a Research Assistant in the Paller Lab underscores her commitment to healthcare improvement at the forefront of scientific discovery. Building on her academic background in Precision Health, she aspires to expand precision medicine in skin disease treatment and prevention to cater personalized healthcare to patients of all backgrounds. Outside of academia, Natalie enjoys sharing her experience as a former USA National Team Member of Rhythmic Gymnastics, and enjoys cooking and spending time with family and friends. 

Ben John Fredeen

I'm a medical student at Feinberg School of Medicine who studied biological sciences at Northwestern University as an undergraduate. Over two years in the lab, I've focused on unraveling the mechanisms of atopic dermatitis and wound healing, utilizing PCR and image analysis techniques. My dedication to understanding dermatological conditions fuels my aspiration to explore diverse disease mechanisms and discover potential treatments. Through my ongoing involvement, I aspire to not only deepen my knowledge but also contribute meaningfully to advancements in dermatology research.

Keana Khodadad

Keana is currently a medical student at Rosalind Franklin University in North Chicago, and is incredibly interested in how chronic dermatologic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, impact individuals not only on a molecular level, but also in terms of quality of life. She is incredibly excited to be working with everyone at the Paller Lab in their efforts to elucidate the mechanisms by which these chronic conditions manifest. She hopes to one day continue to participate in dermatology research and also practice dermatology, not only providing treatment but also assisting in the prevention of certain skin conditions whenever possible.

Eleanor Bethany Ostroff

Ellie Ostroff is a first-year medical student at the Feinberg School of Medicine. Her clinical and research interests lie in the fields of dermatology, immunology, and the use of novel nanomaterials for biological modulation. Currently, she is working on projects in the Paller Lab revolving around parapsoriasis and alopecia areata. She enjoys baking, writing, and martial arts in her free time.

Robin Rong

Robin Rong was a research technologist in the Paller lab. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she graduated in Spring 2021 from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a major in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and a Science, Technology, and Society (STS) minor. During undergraduate studies, she conducted computational and wet-lab research in areas including prehistoric plant genomics, p-wave patterns in patients with interatrial block, and cerebrovascular disease. She is interested in learning more about the field of dermatology. She is currently a medical student at the University of Illinois Chicago, Peoria. She will continue her research in Paller lab as a student researcher. Her hobbies include reading sc-fi books and going to the museums in Downtown Chicago. 

Hannah Soltani

I am a medical student here at Feinberg, hoping to pursue a career in pediatric dermatology. I started out at the Paller lab as an undergraduate student in the Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University. In the Paller lab, my research interests include the use of lipidomics in characterizing Atopic Dermatitis and Ichthyosis, as well as multi-omics to help identify potential targets in the pathogenesis of Acanthosis Nigricans. 

Kyle Wilson, BS

I am from Lake Forest, Illinois and went to Loyola University Chicago. I graduated with a bachelors in Biology and am aiming to go to medical school with an interest in emergency medicine. I am interested in Dermatology because of the immense impact that skin diseases can have on a person's physical and mental health. While at the Paller lab I will be working on projects involving a variety of inflammatory skin diseases. Outside of my interest in medicine and dermatology, I enjoy working out and playing pickle ball with friends in my free time.

Emmy Lev

Emmy Lev is a First-Year Pre-Med Undergraduate Student at Northwestern University majoring in Human Biology. She is from the Boston area, where she interned at a private dermatology practice. She joined the Paller Lab to better understand the connection between inflammatory diseases and their symptoms and is excited to study the mechanisms of itching caused by Epidermolysis Bullosa. She enjoys skiing, photography, baking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Andrea Liu

My name is Andrea Liu and I am a Senior at Northwestern University studying Biological Sciences with a Concentration in Human Health and Disease and Violin Performance. I have been interested in dermatology since high school; it is such a visible field with impact on all sorts of patients. I am currently focusing on a project dealing with the interaction of keratinocytes and inflammatory cells with a subset of nociceptor neurons, Mrgprd+ nerves, in skin, using Psoriasis as a model. I am originally from Denver and love to ski and hike!

Ellen Liu

I'm Ellen Liu, a sophomore at Northwestern University, originally from Chicago, pursuing a major in Biological Sciences with a minor in Data Science. I joined the Paller Lab in the summer of 2023 under the WCAS Research Grant, drawn by their pioneering work in translational dermatology research. Currently, I'm involved in the Atopic Dermatitis SPT pathway project (AD), where I'm eager to apply my knowledge to unravel the complexities of dermatological conditions. With aspirations of attending medical school, my time in the lab not only fuels my passion for scientific inquiry but also provides invaluable insights into the field of dermatology. Beyond the lab, I find joy in baking, exploring the city, and cherishing moments with friends and family! 

Mason James Olivarez

My name is Mason, and I am an undergraduate student at Northwestern studying Biological Sciences and Business Institutions. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to become a doctor, but I initially became interested in dermatology in high school, after I shadowed a dermatologist in my hometown. When I started at Northwestern, I was eager to begin doing research in a dermatology lab, and that's when I came across the Paller Lab. I was drawn to Dr. Paller's research on chronic inflammatory disorders, such as eczema and psoriasis, for which there are no cures, despite their prevalence. In the Paller Lab, my research focuses on the neuroimmune interactions in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, or eczema. When I'm not in the lab or studying, I enjoy cooking for friends or family, and, when the weather is nice, I love spending time on the Evanston campus beaches.

Jordan Raizer

Jordan Raizer is a sophomore chemistry major at Northwestern University and is also from the Chicagoland area. She joined the Paller Lab to get involved in academic medical research and to learn more about clinical dermatology as she plans to attend Medical School. In the Paller Lab, she assists with research using a mouse model to study Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB) to better understand the pathophysiology, with the goal of finding better treatments for patients. She enjoys traveling, sailing, playing the piano, watching Jeopardy, and spending time with family and friends.

Malak Saad

My name is Malak and I'm a second-year premed student at Northwestern University studying biology and global health. I've been interested in dermatology since high school so when I found Dr. Paller's lab, I was super intrigued by her work with neuroimmune interactions involved in skin disease. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, hanging out with my friends, and exploring new places in Chicago. I'm also from San Diego, California, so I love being outside and relaxing at the beach when the sun is out. 

Rishi Shah

I’m Rishi Shah, an undergraduate student at Northwestern studying Biological Sciences and minoring in Philosophy! I’m from Des Plaines, Illinois, which means I tell everyone I’m from Chicago. I’ve wanted to do medical research since I was a kid, and this is my first non-clinical lab where I get to work on the behind the scenes projects! Recent products of developments in the field have changed my life, so I owe dermatology my efforts. Outside of the lab, I like to make music, dance with Northwestern Raas, and watch boxing!

Winnie Sung

My name is Winnie Sung and I am a biomedical engineering major at Northwestern University pursuing a combined bachelor's and master's degree. My interest in the dermatological field stems from my personal experiences with atopic dermatitis (AD) growing up which helped me acknowledge the range of physical and psychopathological impacts that people with skin illnesses can face. In my second year at Northwestern, I was excited to work on developing skin-interfaced sensor devices aiming to advance monitoring devices for skin barrier function. Solidifying my passion for contributing to dermatological research, I wanted to learn more about the development of treatments for various skin illnesses. This led me to start volunteering at the Paller Lab where I have enjoyed working with mouse models of AD. Outside of my experiences in research, I enjoy hiking and trying new foods!

Danielle Toleno

Hello, my name is Danielle and I’m a senior at Northwestern studying Psychology. I joined the Paller Lab during the summer of 2023 and I plan to apply to medical school after graduating. I believe dermatology research is important because skin issues can have adverse effects on one’s self-esteem and mental health that are not often considered.

Mikaella Moraga

Mikaella Moraga is a junior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. At Dr. Paller’s lab, Mikaella is specifically interested in researching atopic dermatitis, and she is currently researching how it relates to ceramide changes in the skin. Joining Dr. Paller’s lab is her first research experience, and she has gained a great deal of knowledge and laboratory skills, such as cell culture techniques and gene expression analysis methods. When she’s not immersed in research or academics, you can find her reading a new novel or enjoying a round of golf with friends. Mikaella is grateful for the mentorship she has been given at Dr. Paller’s lab and looks forward to continuing her dermatology research.

Gabrielle Silverman

Gabrielle Silverman is a rising senior at Francis W. Parker School. She joined the Paller Lab in 2024 as a summer intern with a focus on atopic dermatitis. Aside from her academic pursuits, Gabrielle enjoys being outside, baking, and spending time with her family and friends.

Xiao-qi Wang, PhD, MD

Dr. Xiao-qi Wang had been a big part of Paller lab from the beginning. She spearheaded several different projects in the lab, particularly focusing on investigating the function of glycolipids on skin cell pathologies such as skin cancers and poor wound healing. She also focused on the delivery of nanoconjugates to skin cells and preclinical models in the hope of developing better strategies to target poor wound healing and abnormal scar formation.

Michael Bonkowski, PhD, MS

After obtaining his master’s degree in Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Michael received his doctorate in Pharmacology and Aging under the mentorship of Andrzej Bartke at Southern Illinois University. During his postdoc at MIT, he studied biochemistry and the genetics of aging under Professor Leonard Guarente. He also studied genetics and drug development with a special emphasis on biotech startups under the mentorship of David Sinclair at Harvard Medical School. Michael was a brilliant scientist and mentor whose presence will be greatly missed, but his legacy and love of science will continue in the Paller lab forever.

Thomas Holmes, PhD

I received my doctorate from Creighton University in the laboratory of Dr. Laura Hansen where my research focused on perturbed apoptotic signaling in skin cancer. I joined Dr. Amy Paller’s lab in July of 2019 as a postdoctoral fellow. My research focused on the ganglioside GM3 and its role in impaired type 2 diabetic (T2D) wound healing. Specifically, I utilized diabetic human skin equivalents (HSEs) embedded with diabetic foot ulcer fibroblasts (DFUFs) to investigate GM3and TNFa in T2D wound closure, growth factor receptor signaling, and keratinocyte-fibroblast communication. I hold a senior publications specialist role as a medical writer.

Learn more about the Postdoctoral Fellow T32 in Cutaneous Biology.

Seong-Min Kim, PhD

Originally from Korea, I had a lot of multicultural/international exposure due to her father, who was an ambassador and loved to travel in his free time. While I was in high school, I learned to love science, thanks to her awesome science teachers! As an undergrad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I gained my first research experience while studying liposome fabrication for controlled drug release. Motivated by curiosity and a love for science, I pursued a Ph.D. in Molecular Engineering from the University of Chicago. There, I worked with Professor Aaron Esser-Kahn to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying skin allergy in both chemical and biological perspectives.

After completing my Ph.D., I joined the Paller lab in the summer of 2020 to continue studying immune responses in skin and developing novel therapies for people suffering from skin diseases. I investigated the pro-inflammatory impact of obesity and found that it hinges on the decrease of adiponectin. My work demonstrated that adiponectin mimetics can counteract the tendency to worsen psoriasis. This is achieved by suppressing PPAR-gamma activation, mitigating Th17 skewing, and promoting increased Treg cell activity. After completing my fellowship in the Paller lab, I joined a biotech/pharma industry group, where I use my skills and knowledge to contribute to scientific discovery and drug development.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time alone painting or cooking for my friends and family. My secret ambition is to go on a 4-month world trip with the money I have saved for my entire life.

Kyle Dombeck, MS

My research focus in the Paller lab was on image analysis; as applied to our group's research goals, image analysis in wound healing models. Within our group, I collected image data using a gamut of techniques in microscopy and developed new approaches to quantify the recession of DRG neural projections from the sites of wounds by implementing ImageJ scripting, NIS Elements, Imaris, and Keyence software platforms. Broadly, I'm interested in tackling big questions by using unbiased data-driven methods. While in the Paller lab, I received my MS degree at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and I am presently employed as a Patent Agent within the healthcare sector.

Christopher Issa

Hey! My name is Christopher Issa and I moved here from Troy, Michigan. I attend Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. My research interests include pediatric dermatology, complex medical dermatology, cutaneous oncology, and artificial intelligence in dermatology. My hobbies include skiing, basketball, traveling (been to over 10 countries), discovering new food, and movies!

Brenda Abreu Molnar

Brenda is a medical student at Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. She has taken a gap year between her third and fourth year of medical school to work at the Paller Lab. After receiving her undergraduate degree in neuroscience at Vanderbilt University, she taught middle school science, while volunteering at a hospital in Miami, FL. Her past research experience includes using targeted nanoparticles in the treatment of cancer, translational research on race and breast cancer outcomes, and fMRI imaging and ADHD scoring in adolescents exposed to teratogens. Her areas of interest include neuron-keratinocyte interactions, management of epidermolysis bullosa, caring for underserved populations, and dermato-oncology.

Simrita Deol, PhD

Dr. Simrita Deol, PhD, is an MSTP student at Feinberg School of Medicine who completed a PhD in Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences under the guidance of Dr. Joshua Leonard, PhD. She is interested in using tools and principles of synthetic biology to study disease pathogenesis and develop novel therapies for difficult-to-treat diseases. Her work in the Paller Lab focused on using a synthetic G-protein coupled receptor to study a mechanism for inefficient wound closure, which may have relevance to diabetic skin ulcers.

Sean Rangwani

Sean joined Paller lab as a second year medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Originally, he is from Columbus, OH, and completed his undergraduate studies at Northwestern, where he majored in neuroscience and economics and did research focused on water remediation using nanotechnology. 

In the Paller Lab, his interests were understanding interactions between receptors and glycosphingolipids in diabetic wound healing, and utilizing lipidomics to better understand a variety of skin disorders, including atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis. He hopes to have a career that combines his passion for research and clinical work. He is currently matched into Internal Medicine at Cornell and super excited about it!

Reid Schlesinger

Reid earned his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in 2017 with majors in Neuroscience and Philosophy. He joined the Paller Lab as a first year medical student to continue to explore my passion for basic science research. His research focus in Paller lab was the development of novel therapies for psoriasis using a variety of preclinical and translational approaches.

Claire Archibeck, PBMS

I graduated from the University of Notre Dame and worked as a CPA in Chicago.  After a few years, I decided to follow my dream and pursue a career in medicine.  I received a post baccalaureate pre-medicine degree at Northwestern University, planning to go to medical school in a few years.  I am very interested in dermatology research.  Within the Paller Lab, I assisted in pathology research using computerized microscopy and animal studies.

Bryan Enriquez

Bryan is from Denver, Colorado. He joined the Paller lab in the summer of 2021 through the Posner Program and worked with a diabetic mouse model to investigate how diabetes impacts wound healing. When he returned for the summer of 2022 with funding from the Northwestern summer undergraduate research grant, he participated in research using a different mouse model for a rare genetic skin disorder Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB) with an aim to reduce pain and itch in patients. He presented the results from the RDEB project in the 13th Annual SBDRC Research Retreat Poster session and continued working on the RDEB project in the Paller lab during his undergraduate years.

His long-term goal is to become a physician. His time at the lab has strengthened this desire because has had the opportunity to learn a lot about two devastating diseases and he has been exposed to the hard work that goes on in a laboratory to better understand those diseases. The advances in medical research have the capacity to increase the health of many. He aspires to continue working alongside the researchers and physicians who make this possible. Some of his hobbies include watching movies, working out, and hiking.

Natasha González

Hi! My name is Natasha González and I am from Chicago, IL. I went to Lane Tech High School and currently attend Northwestern University for undergrad. I joined the Paller Lab through a program called Posner Research Fellowship, that matched me with Dr. Amy Paller to be my mentor for a research project and presentation. In the lab, I worked on a project regarding probing lipid skin barrier impairment in eczema and ichthyosis in a cell culture system. This means a lot of my lab work revolved around gene analysis and cell culture work such as Tissue Immunofluorescence, PCR, Western Blotting, data analysis, and generating 3D organotypic cultures, just to name a few, in addition to observing and learning about the work and projects of everyone else in the lab. I plan to continue research in the future, specifically in dermatology and other biological fields. Looking forward, I plan to attend medical school to continue to pursue my passion in medicine and science.

Je-Woo Im

Je-Woo is currently a medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and is originally from the Bay area, California. He joined the Paller lab as an undergraduate student to explore his interests in dermatology which stems from personal conditions. During his time at the lab, he has assisted former postdoctoral fellow Seong-Min Kim in her projects relating to psoriasis and obesity. Je-Woo started at the Feinberg School of Medicine in 2023 and is planning on continuing research as part of his career as a physician.

Alice Lee

Alice Lee is from Northern Virginia. She received an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, studying biology and psychology. Spending many nights in the emergency room because of her brother’s severe eczema sparked her interest in becoming a dermatologist. She also wants to be able to help relieve patients' psychological sufferings. As an extrovert, she enjoys spending time with her friends, going to cafes, and playing board games. She also can’t live without fruits!

Nicole Nowak

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin in May of 2020, and I am now a medical student at Rush Medical College. In the Paller Lab, my focus was studying the mechanisms of keratinocyte, immune cell, and nerve fiber crosstalk in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

Mira Yang

I joined Paller lab as an incoming first-year medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine from New Jersey. I graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Biological Sciences and Global Health Studies with previous research experience on the health benefits of nature and clinical preventative interventions. I also served as a Clinical Research Scientist in the GI disease area working on Phase II/III clinical trials. At the Paller lab, my interests were in therapeutic development for inflammatory skin diseases through biological and clinical investigation.