LAB MEMBERS
J.T. POIRIER, PHD
Principal Investigator
My research focuses on the development of new treatment paradigms for lung cancer using three main tools: genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic analyses, functional genomics using CRISPR-Cas9, and high-fidelity patient-derived xenografts of lung cancer. In addition to my primary research focus, I direct the Perlmutter Cancer Center Preclinical Therapeutics Program, which focuses on acquiring viable human tumor cells from the clinic for the development of advanced cancer models and on testing experimental cancer therapeutics in the preclinical setting.
MATTHEW CATTLE
PhD Candidate
Matthew was born and raised by the beach in San Diego, California. He then went to UC Santa Cruz to do his undergraduate degree in Biomolecular Engineering with a minor in Bioinformatics. Here at the Poirier Lab, he is working on designing a genome engineering technology to better understand acquisition of drug resistance in cancer.
When not in lab, Matthew's hobbies are finding the best happy hours around the city and consuming as much new music as possible. Like most San Diegans, his favorite things are beer, burritos, and the beach.
HANNAH LEVY
Graduate Student
Hannah is a PhD student in Molecular Oncology and Tumor Immunology at NYU. A Boston native, she graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 with a major in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. At U-M, she conducted research in the Thurber lab, evaluating the cytotoxic activity of stapled MDM2-inhibiting peptides through a chemical engineering lens. Post-grad, Hannah joined the Walensky lab at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, both continuing to design and characterize stapled antimicrobial peptides for therapeutic development and gaining a new appreciation for biochemical structure-function mutational analyses of pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins. Before coming to NYU, Hannah earned her master’s in Genetics from Yale University in 2023.
In the Poirier lab, Hannah is probing the role of the SLFN11 protein in the context of chemoresistance, with the goal of developing higher fidelity models to study lung cancer for improved therapeutic outcomes. Outside of lab, Hannah enjoys yoga, trying new restaurants, and brushing up on her French.
DONG WOO SHIN
PhD Candidate
Born in South Korea, Dong Woo graduated from the Binghamton University in 2018 with a dual degree in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry. Based on the human stem cell research experience during his undergraduate, Dong Woo was recruited as an Associate Scientist at the New York Stem Cell Foundation, where he led the development of the automated-robotic platform to reprogram PBMCs and piloted large-scale differentiation of RPE and hepatocytes. Dong Woo then gained a fascination for a precise edition of the human genome, which led to his transition to a Functional Genomics division, where he designed restriction enzyme-editable plasmid to efficiently generate reporter iPSC lines.
Dong Woo joined the Poirier Lab with a newly developed interest in preclinical therapeutics and to continue his passion in Functional Genomics.
DYLAN WANG
PhD Candidate
Dylan Wang is a humanized robotic system, powered by coffee and ramen.
Dylan is also a Ph.D. student in Molecular Oncology and Tumor Immunology at NYU School of Medicine. In the Poirier Lab, Dylan is working on deep mutational scanning of EGFR to predict novel mutations that can confer the resistance to small molecule inhibitors.
Outside of lab, Dylan enjoys traveling to random places, taking trains in Japan and collecting antique CDs.
ALUMNI
SUSHRUTA IRUVANTI
Research Technician
Originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, Sushruta graduated from Cornell University in 2019 with a degree in Biological Engineering. In the Poirier Lab he probes the role of SLFN11 in cancer cell tolerance to DNA replication stress. This may help uncover the molecular mechanism by which cells become resistant to chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer.
Outside of the lab Sushruta loves to play basketball, the trumpet, and root for the Knicks. Favorite science quote: “The imagination of nature is far, far greater than the imagination of man.” - Richard Feynman
ANDREW LEAL
Research Technician
Andrew graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Biochemistry in 2013. His research focused on single-molecule microscopy and recombineering efforts to develop molecular toolkits. After spending time in private industry and startup business ventures, he returned to science and joined the Poirier Lab in 2019. He is currently working on developing new genome engineering systems and more recently exploring coronavirus biology and their interactions with the host genome.
Outside of lab you can find Andrew photographing dogs around NYC for various rescue organizations and for his dog photography business or cycling around the city looking for every new coffee shop.
Loves: Dogs, hiking, cycling, cheese, and dogs
Favorite quote: “Take a look at this, it’s our DNA string-reel-of-science!” – Bill Nye
SELIM MISIRLIOĞLU, MD
Assistant Research Scientist
Selim is originally from Antioche, Ancient Greek city, a province in the southernmost part of Turkey. After graduating from Ankara University School of Medicine, he completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cukurova University. His clinical main interest focused on gynecological cancers and their minimally invasive surgical treatment. Selim joined the Gynecology Research Laboratory at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center in 2018, where he served as an assistant research scientist and was responsible for Patient Derived Xenograft (PDX) development in ovarian and uterine neoplasms. As part of the Perlmutter Cancer Center Preclinical Therapeutics Program, Selim now leads the development of new PDX models and in vivo testing of experimental cancer therapeutics center-wide.
Besides that, he enjoys long-distance swimming, playing basketball and producing electronic music with his DAW.
ORNELLA PEDROZO
Assistant Research Technician
Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Ornella graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University in 2021 with a BA in Biology. Her focus in the Poirier Lab is target discovery and validation in small cell lung cancer.
In her free time, you can find Ornella baking bread and making alternative milk and dairy products or eating at a new restaurant in the city. Alternatively, you might see her snapping photos on film and then editing and photoshopping them on the Riverside park waterfront.