Founding Director of the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory

Dr. David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in Translational Medicine & Human Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania, Executive Director of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, Associate Director of Patient Impact for the Penn Orphan Disease Center, and national bestselling author of Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope Into Action. He is also a patient battling idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD).

Associate Director, Clinical Research

Dr. Joshua Brandstadter is a physician-scientist and Instructor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. As Director of Clinical Research for the CSTL, Dr. Brandstadter oversees the ACCERLERATE Natural History Registry to better understand patient experiences and the comparative effectiveness of different treatments. He cares for patients with Castleman Disease in clinic and pursues laboratory research to better understand the causes of the disease. Dr. Brandstadter holds an MSc in Integrated Immunology from the University of Oxford and a combined MD/PhD from Duke University. He completed his internal medicine and hematology/oncology training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Associate Director, Immunology

Melanie Mumau, PhD, is the Associate Director of Immunology at the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory (CSTL) at the University of Pennsylvania. Melanie is an experimental immunologist by training and oversees all research related to the translational laboratory. She is currently working on understanding the mechanisms that drive cytokine storms and developing new treatments for patients. Melanie earned her PhD in Microbiology & Immunology from Columbia University and prior to joining the CSTL, her research focused on how the immune system regulates the development of blood cells. Melanie enjoys playing soccer, skiing, and making pizza.

Associate Director, Basic and Translational Research

Mike Gonzalez is the Associate Director of Basic and Translational Research at the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment and Laboratory (CSTL) within the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He obtained his PhD in Immunology and Infectious Diseases from Washington State University and was a postdoctoral fellow and bioinformatics scientist at the Center for Applied Genomics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before coming to the CSTL. His research focuses on utilizing novel ’omics technologies to gain insights into the genetic and cellular architectures of Castleman Disease and other disorders involving autoimmunity.

Senior Research Investigator

Joseph Zinski PhD is a Senior Research Investigator at the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment and Laboratory (CSTL) within the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his BS from UConn in Chemical Engineering and his PhD from UPenn in cell and developmental biology. He is using bioinformatic, machine learning, and deep learning to develop better diagnostic tools and treatments for Castleman disease.

Research Specialist

Abiola Irvine is a Research Specialist in the Cytokine Storm and Treatment Laboratory at the Perelman School of Medicine. She supports the translational research team in the experimental lab by using immune-based assays and other methods to further our understanding of Castleman Disease. Prior to joining the CSTL team Abiola earned her BS in Psychology with a neuroscience minor from Haverford College and looks forward to applying to medical school in the future. Outside of the lab Abiola enjoys hiking, roller skating, and playing with her dog Hendrxx.

Biobank Program Manager

Bridget Austin is the Biobank Project Manager for the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory (CSTL) at the University of Pennsylvania. As such, Bridget works as a clinical liaison between the research and clinical sides of the CSTL, assists with various research projects such as the ACCELERATE Natural History Registry, and coordinates biological sample donation to the CSTL's Castlebank. Bridget earned her MS in Psychology from Villanova University.

Senior Data Analyst

Mateo Sarmiento is a Senior Data Analyst for the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory (CSTL) at the Perelman School of Medicine. He synthesizes and analyzes information across a Castleman patient’s medical history to gain insight on things such as the wide spectrum of symptoms and the effectiveness of treatment regimens that Castleman patients experience. Mateo looks forward to spending his gap years at the CSTL before applying to medical school. Prior to joining the CSTL, Mateo earned his BA in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania where he researched the epigenetics of drug addiction.

Data Analyst

Saishravan Shyamsundar is a Data Analyst for the Center for Cytokine Storm & Treatment Laboratory (CSTL) at Perelman School of Medicine. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. At CSTL, he supports the ACCELERATE Registry Team (ART) in data compilation and analysis of medical records of Castleman Disease patients. The analysis of this data could then provide further insights into understanding the mechanisms of the disease and identifying effective treatment options. He hopes that his work with this team helps lead to better prognosis for patients with Castleman Disease

Clinical Research Coordinator

Larissa Borys is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory (CSTL) at the University of Pennsylvania. She supports the ACCELERATE Natural History Registry and works closely with the CSTL’s Castlebank to ensure proper data compilation of the diagnosis and treatment processes for patients with Castleman Disease. Prior to joining the CSTL, Larissa researched biomarker discovery and development for neurodegenerative diseases at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She earned her BA in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. Larissa will be working at the CSTL before applying to medical school.n goes here

Executive Administrator

Amber Vas is the Executive Administrator for the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory (CSTL) at the Perelman School of Medicine. She provides direct support for the Director of the CSTL and overseas the administrative functions of the CSTL’s various projects and events. Prior to her work for the CSTL, Amber was the executive coordinator for the Department of Biostatics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and the Center for Health Behavior Research. Amber earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Richmond.

Executive Assistant

Payton Morrissey is the Executive Assistant to David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc at the Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory (CSTL) at the Perelman School of Medicine. She provides direct support to the Director of the CSTL and oversees calendar management and the coordination of travel and events. Prior to joining the CSTL, Payton was a cybersecurity consultant and media coordinator for a cybersecurity firm. She graduated with her B.S. in Security and Risk Analysis from the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State University.

Biobank Assistant

Divyaraj Nirwan is the Biobank assistant for Centre for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory (CSTL) and helps in expanding its sample biobank (Castlebank) and collaborates with members of the translational team on various tasks. He is a dedicated and skilled biotechnologist with a strong academic background in bioinformatics, pursuing his master of biotechnology at the University of Pennsylvania. He has diverse experience in quality control and innovative research projects. His expertise spans a wide range of technical and software skills, complemented by his strong organizational abilities and commitment to academic and community initiatives.

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