Our lab is made up of a team of enthusiastic and highly skilled scientists who work collaboratively to understand the basic mechanisms of airway cell biology and gain new insights into the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis, cystic fibrosis, other airway diseases, and now head and neck cancer.
Current Lab Members
Principle Investigator (2015-present)
Assistant Professor of Otorhinolaryngology (primary) and Physiology (secondary)
Email: rjl [at] pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Research: calcium, cAMP. and nitric oxide in airway cells,
epithelial fluid secretion and ion transport
[More info]
Jenna Freund
Research Specialist (Oct. 2016-June 2018)
Research topics: Activation of taste receptors by quorum-sensing molecules, GPCRs in airway cells
Notable quote: "Pennies aren't Mentos."
Notable hobby: Making furniture out of mannequins
Currently: PhD student in neuroscience at Einstein
(Tishman Scholarship Recipient)
ORCID: 000-0001-8264-8318
Benjamin (Ben) Hariri
Year-out post bac student (2015-2016)
Research: Effects of natural products on airway pathogens, antibacterial effects of flavonoids, awesomeness of wogonin
Notable quote: "Well, they do say that wheat is the devil's food."
Notable hobby: Eating multiple lunches.
Currently: ENT resident at NYU
Andrew Hart
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Immunology Graduate Group Rotation Student (Spring 2017)
Research: Regulation of T2Rs and TLRs in Airway Cells
Notable extracurricular activity: Kung Fu
Currently: Penn IGG grad student
Maddie Johnson
Part-time undergraduate Student (Summer 2016)
Currently: Associate Clinical Specialist at Medtronic
Research: Airway cell cancer proliferation and metabolism
Notable extracurricular activity: Pitt Women's Lacrosse
Supriya Saxena
Part-time lab member (independent study project 2017)
University of Pennsylvania Biotechnology Masters Student
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Research: Tagging T2R constructs for visualization
Currently: Data Analyst at IQVIA
Paige Johnson
Part-time lab member (Summer 2017)
Research: Immunoprecipitation of T2R receptors
Notable extracurricular activity: Notre Dame Women's Lacrosse
Penn Rhinology Research Lab
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Maureen Victoria
Lab Manager/Research Specialist (2015-present)
Research: Taste receptor expression in airway cells, development of novel tools for studying signaling of taste receptors and other airway GPCRs
Critical Role: Keeping the lab from descending into chaos
Notable hobby: Beekeeping
Research: Taste receptor expression in airway cells, development of novel tools for studying signaling of taste receptors and other airway GPCRs
Critical Role: Keeping the lab from descending into chaos
Notable hobby: Beekeeping
Zoey Miller
Penn Pharmacology Graduate Student (2020-present)
Social Events Coordinator (2021-present)
Research: Role of T2R receptors in head and neck cancer cell physiology
Notable hobby: Running
Arielle Mueller
Penn undergraduate researcher (2022-present)
Inès Kouakou
Postdoctoral Fellow (2022-present)
April Park
Penn undergraduate researcher (2022-present)
Robert D Wardlow
Penn ENT resident researcher (2022-present)
Lab Alumni
Derek McMahon
Postdoctoral Fellow (2016-2022)
Research: Sub-cellular localization of taste receptors and signaling to the nucleus, bitter agonist-induced apoptosis
Notable hobbies: Teaching yoga, eating cookies
Notable hobbies: Teaching yoga, eating cookies
Jennifer (Jenn) Jolivert
Penn Med Year Out Student (2021-2022)
NIDCD Diversity Fellow
Research: Role of T2R receptors in head and neck cancer cell physiology
Notable hobby: Community health outreach
Sahil Muthuswami
Brandeis undergraduate researcher
Penn IEAL Research Summer Undergraduate Internship Program
Research: Effects of GLUT1 inhibition on HNSCC cells
Currently: Brandeis undergraduate
Ray Ma
Summer high school student (2021-2022)
Lower Merion Harriton High School, Bryn Mawr, PA
Research: Effects of T2R agonists on bacterial growth
Currently: Harrison High School Senior
Ryan M. Carey
Otorhinolaryngology Resident Researcher (2020-2023)
Research: Role of T2R genetics in head and neck cancer
Notable hobby: Swimming (former member of Penn Swimming & Diving Team)
Currently: Head and Neck Cancer Fellow at University of Miami
Indiwari (Indi) Gopallawa
Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2021)
Research: Akt signaling in airway cell physiology, barrier function, and inflammation
Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2021)
Research: Akt signaling in airway cell physiology, barrier function, and inflammation
Currently: Senior Scientist, AstraZeneca
Li Eon Kuek
Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2021)
Research: Chemosensory functions of airway cilia, GPCRs and signaling in cilia
Currently: Director of Scientific and Medical Development, Citrin Foundation, Singapore
Li Eon Kuek
Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2021)
Research: Chemosensory functions of airway cilia, GPCRs and signaling in cilia
Currently: Director of Scientific and Medical Development, Citrin Foundation, Singapore
https://citrinfoundation.org/our-team/
Rachel Horn
Summer Undergraduate Student from Drexel University (2019)
Veronika Yakovishina
University of Pennsylvania Pharmacology Graduate Group
Rotation Student, Spring-Summer 2019
Rachel Horn
Summer Undergraduate Student from Drexel University (2019)
Currently: Widener University School of Nursing
Veronika Yakovishina
University of Pennsylvania Pharmacology Graduate Group
Rotation Student, Spring-Summer 2019
Currently: Penn PGG PhD student
Jenna Freund
Research Specialist (Oct. 2016-June 2018)
Research topics: Activation of taste receptors by quorum-sensing molecules, GPCRs in airway cells
Notable quote: "Pennies aren't Mentos."
Notable hobby: Making furniture out of mannequins
Currently: PhD student in neuroscience at Einstein
(Tishman Scholarship Recipient)
ORCID: 000-0001-8264-8318
Year-out post bac student (2015-2016)
Research: Effects of natural products on airway pathogens, antibacterial effects of flavonoids, awesomeness of wogonin
Notable quote: "Well, they do say that wheat is the devil's food."
Notable hobby: Eating multiple lunches.
Currently: ENT resident at NYU
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Immunology Graduate Group Rotation Student (Spring 2017)
Research: Regulation of T2Rs and TLRs in Airway Cells
Notable extracurricular activity: Kung Fu
Currently: Penn IGG grad student
Part-time undergraduate Student (Summer 2016)
Currently: Associate Clinical Specialist at Medtronic
Research: Airway cell cancer proliferation and metabolism
Notable extracurricular activity: Pitt Women's Lacrosse
Supriya Saxena
Part-time lab member (independent study project 2017)
University of Pennsylvania Biotechnology Masters Student
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Research: Tagging T2R constructs for visualization
Currently: Data Analyst at IQVIA
Paige Johnson
Part-time lab member (Summer 2017)
Research: Immunoprecipitation of T2R receptors
Notable extracurricular activity: Notre Dame Women's Lacrosse
Currently: Physical therapy (DPT) school.
Some of our friendly colleagues & collaborators:
Penn Rhinology Research Lab
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Monell Chemical Senses Center
