Meet our lab!
We're always looking for more people to join our lab.
Interested undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows should contact us to learn more.
We have an open postdoc position - click here for more info and to apply!
Scroll down to learn more about what we each do!
Interested undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows should contact us to learn more.
We have an open postdoc position - click here for more info and to apply!
Scroll down to learn more about what we each do!
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Mike Betts betts [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Mike earned his PhD in 1998 from the University of North Carolina in Dr. Jeffrey Frelinger’s lab working on human T cell responses to HIV. He continued this work during his postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Rick Koup at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and then at the NIH Vaccine Research Center. In 2005 he started his lab at the University of Pennsylvania, where he continues to research the immune response to HIV and other viral infections in humans, most recently working on COVID-19. He maintains active collaborations in Latin America, Europe, and Africa, where he is involved in both immunology research studies and training of new investigators. He enjoys working in his garden, watching Star Wars, & playing fooseball. |
"Le Boss" |
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Jay Gardner stewartg [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Jay assisted in starting the lab in 2005 when Mike started out at UPenn and worked as lab manager until he retired in 2022. He now works as Mike's administrative assistant, keeping his schedule organized and all of us sane. He is very well rounded, having a BA in Biology, M. Div. in Theology, and PhD in Ministry. |
"The Dad of the Floor" |
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Jake Hamilton jacob.hamilton [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Jake Joined the lab in 2020 as a research technician, and transitioned into being our lab manager in 2022. His main project involves exploring phenotypic characteristics of natural killer cells in patients that have type 1 diabetes. He graduated from Penn State in 2016 with a BS in biology. His undergraduate research involved exploring the the role environment plays in the development of spatial memory in common side-blotched lizards. He then went on to earn an MS in Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics at Drexel, investigating the role of Chtf18, the DNA replication protein, in sister chromatid cohesion and post-replicative genome maintenance in mice. Outside of lab, he enjoys baking, reading, and volunteering at a summer camp. |
"Star Baker" |
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Maria Betina Pampena maria.pampena [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Betu is a senior research investigator who joined the lab in 2019 as a postdoctoral fellow. She is involved in many projects that focus on understanding viral immunity in humans and nonhuman primates in the setting of HIV/SIV infection with the goal of developing immunological strategies to boost immune viral control. Additionally, she participates in several other collaborations that include analyzing post vaccination T cell responses, phenotyping of immune cells in the context of a rare inflammatory condition such as Castleman Disease; and the study of NK cells in the human endometrium. She specializes in conventional and spectral flow cytometry. Since she first started being part of Betts Lab, she has authored/co-authored 13 papers and presented data in 8 conferences. Betu graduated from the University of Buenos Aires in 2011 with a BS & MS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, exploring cytogenics in a mouse model of breast cancer. From there, she went on to earn her PhD in Cancer Immunotherapy in 2018. Outside of lab, she enjoys salsa dancing, fashion, and adding miles onto her Strava (via biking & running). |
"The Flow Queen" |
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Olivier Hernalsteens olivier.hernalsteens [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Olivier joined the lab in 2024 as a post-doctoral researcher. Olivier got his masters at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in molecular virology where his researched focused on the characterization of the intragenic cis-regulatory region of HIV-1 in the laboratory of Carine Van Lint. From there, Olivier went on to do internships at the Université de Lausanne and University College Dublin before returning to the Université Libre de Bruxelles to complete a PhD. |
"C8H10N4O2" |
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Kyabeth Torres-Rodriguez kyabeth.torres-rodriguez [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Kyabeth is a PhD candidate in the Cancer Biology program and joined the lab in the summer of 2019 under co-mentorship between Dr. Mike Betts and Dr. John Maris. Her thesis work focuses on the mechanisms by which oncogenes induce immune evasion and T cell dysfunction in cancer. She has presented posters at 2 conferences. In 2022, Kyabeth received the Women of Color Award from Penn. She completed her B.S. in Microbiology at the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao in 2018. |
"The Candy Queen" |
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Jayme Nordin jnordin [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Jayme joined the lab in 2021 as a Ph.D. candidate in the CAMB-DSRB graduate group and is interested in using single-cell technologies to investigate how the reservoir of HIV-infected cells might be altered over time on ART and adapting these technologies to understand the mechanism of reservoir persistence in SIV infected macaques. She graduated with her BA in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and Neuroscience from the University of Colorado, at Boulder. After moving to Pennsylvania, she started working on translational gene therapy programs in the Wilson lab (Gene Therapy Program) and then on the translational team at Spark Therapeutics. Her non-clinical work has led to FDA approval of two investigational new drug applications and the start of two clinical trials. When she is not in the lab, she enjoys snowboarding, kayaking, gardening, and throwing pottery. |
"The Librarian" |
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Angela Corrigan angela.corrigan [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Angela joined the lab in 2023 as a Ph.D. candidate in the CAMB-MVP graduate group. |
"TBD" |
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Erin Maule erin.maule [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Erin joined the lab in 2024 as a Ph.D. candidate in the Immunology Graduate Group. She has presented posters at 1 conference and been selected to talk at 1 conference. |
tbd |
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Samantha Provost samantha.provost [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Samantha joined the lab in 2024 as a Ph.D. candidate in the Immunology Graduate Group. She graduated in 2020 from Wake Forest University with a BS in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Anthropology. Before moving to Pennsylvania, she worked in the Nonhuman Primate Immunogenicity Core at the NIH Vaccine Research Center, where she used flow cytometry to analyze immune responses to HIV and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Outside of lab, Samantha enjoys skiing, baking, golfing, reading, and emphatically rooting for Boston sports teams (go Pats!). |
tbd |
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Chloe Adrienna Talana chloe.talana [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Chloe joined the lab in 2024 as a Ph.D. candidate in the Immunology Graduate Group. Her research focuses on cellular immunology, with a particular interest in directing cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells and NK cells to eliminate HIV-1–infected cells. She uses a novel lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform to selectively target and program these effector cells, aiming to advance cure strategies to reduce and ultimately eliminate the HIV-1 reservoir. Chloe earned her bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 2020. She then joined the National Institutes of Health Vaccine Research Center, studying cellular and humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 vaccination and contributing to the development of novel vaccines and biologics targeting infectious diseases. Outside the lab, Chloe enjoys staying active through the gym, biking, and hiking. She also likes exploring the city, and into fashion and beauty. |
tbd |
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Danica Fulmer danica.fulmer [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Danica joined the Betts lab in 2024 as a research specialist. With prior research experience in influenza humoral immunity, she’s broadening her immunological research repertoire by assisting lab members in T cell mediated projects. When she’s not in lab, she’s busy cuddling her cats, going on walks, or gardening. |
Lord of the RNA |
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Elsa Bechu elsa.bechu [@] pennmedicine.upenn.edu Elsa joined the Betts lab in 2026 as a Ph.D. candidate in the Immunology Graduate Group. |
tbd |
...and YOU!
Have we peaked your interest? We are always looking for more people interested in joining our lab. Feel free to contact us to learn more!
Former lab members
Post-doctoral fellows
Alberto Japp
Marcus Buggert
Morgan Reuter-Monslow
George Makedonas
Gregory Golden (now at Breakthrough T1D)
Laura McLane
Lamorris Loftin
Leticia Kuri-Cervantes
Nur Rahman
Vincent Wu (now at the Wistar Institute)
Graduate students
Adam Hersperger
Carolina Pombo
Danielle Haney
Emily Roberts
Irene Bukh
Jamie Knox
Korey Demers
Kyabeth Torres-Rodriguez
Natalie Hutnick
Son Nguyen
Technicians/research specialists
Alexandra Amick
Diane Carnathan
Gabriela Cosma
Heidi Gunzelman
Sally Yuan
Undergraduate Students
Ethan Burns (now a PhD candidate at Yale)
Post-doctoral fellows
Alberto Japp
Marcus Buggert
Morgan Reuter-Monslow
George Makedonas
Gregory Golden (now at Breakthrough T1D)
Laura McLane
Lamorris Loftin
Leticia Kuri-Cervantes
Nur Rahman
Vincent Wu (now at the Wistar Institute)
Graduate students
Adam Hersperger
Carolina Pombo
Danielle Haney
Emily Roberts
Irene Bukh
Jamie Knox
Korey Demers
Kyabeth Torres-Rodriguez
Natalie Hutnick
Son Nguyen
Technicians/research specialists
Alexandra Amick
Diane Carnathan
Gabriela Cosma
Heidi Gunzelman
Sally Yuan
Undergraduate Students
Ethan Burns (now a PhD candidate at Yale)
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