Principal investigator
Koen AIMs to create a safe haven for creativity and innovation
Koen Breyne is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), with a background in Biochemistry and Biotechnology. He completed his Ph.D. in 2015 at Ghent University and pursued postdoctoral training at UChicago and MGH. Dr. Breyne has extensive expertise in molecular biology, extracellular vesicles, and immunology. His research is dedicated to advancing innovative diagnostics and therapies, with a focus on hereditary neurological disorders and brain cancer.
Postdoctoral FELLOW
WATA
REshapes EVs into functional delivery agents
Wataru Obuchi is a visiting scientist from a pharmaceutical industry in Japan. He got his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences at Tohoku University, Japan, and he has a background in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic research and quantitative targeted proteomics approach. In the Breyne lab, he has strong interest in technologies for EV engineering especially CNS targeting.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Katia
designs new mouse models to study XDP
and DYT1
Katia Maalouf is a postdoctoral fellow at Mass General and Harvard Medical School. She obtained a PhD in Molecular Biochemistry from the Leibniz University of Hanover (LUH), Germany with emphasis in neurodegenerative diseases. In the Breyne lab, Dr. Maalouf has generated a humanized mouse model for X-linked dystonia parkinsonism (XDP) that she is now using to test gene editing therapies on.
Research Technician
Madi
studies new ways to gene-correct DYT1 Dystonia with
CRISPR.
Madison is a Research Technician at HMS/MGH. Previously, Madison completed her Bachelors of Science in Biology & Biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is currently completing her Masters of Science in Management. In the Breyne lab, Madison is interested in gene therapies.
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN
Ayrton
AIMS to turn EVS into new vectors for
CARGO delivery to the brain
Ayrton completed his Bachelors of Science in Biology/Biotechnology at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. In the Breyne lab, Ayrton is interested in the use of extracellular vesicles as a novel drug delivery system.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
EMILIO Explores NANOPARTICLE DESIGNS FOR DELIVERING THERAPEUTICS TO THE CNS
Emilio Di Ianni is a Postdoctoral fellow at HMS/MGH. Emilio completed his PhD in Toxicology at the University of Copenhagen (DK) and his research focused on the toxicity of engineered nanomaterials. Emilio studied how nanoparticles physicochemical properties drive inflammatory and genotoxic responses in cells, and performed structure-activity relationship studies to guide the development of nanomaterials that are safe-by-design. In the Breyne lab, Emilio combines extracellular vesicles with lipid chemistry to create novel delivery vehicles.
ALUMNI
2023
Taral R Lunavat, Postdoctoral fellow, University of Bergen, Norway
Nourhan Saied, master student, Beni-Suef University, Egypt
2022
Sanne Van De Looij, master student, Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU
Alexandra De Reus, master student, Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU
Emily Anahid Grandell, master student, Northeastern University, USA
Shadi Mahjoum, undergraduate student UMass, USA
David Rufino-Ramos, PhD graduate student, Portugal, EU
Christine Lee, undergraduate student, Harvard University, USA
2021
Eesha Yadav, undergraduate student Johns Hopkins University 2019, USA
2020
Stefano Ughetto, PhD graduate student, University of Turin 2019, Italy, EU