Center for Clinical and Translational Science

On July 1, 2009, five new Clinical Scholars joined the Rockefeller University Clinical Scholars Program. They are: Drs. Niroshana Anandasabapathy, Jennifer Belasco, Iddo Ben-Dov, Dana Orange, and Hien Tran. Additionally, with support from the CCTS, two medical students have joined the Year-Off Training Program for Graduate or Medical Students in Clinical and Translational Science. Ms. Nakesha King will spend one year in the laboratory of Dr. Jan Breslow and Mr. Austin Pantel will spend one year in the laboratory of Dr. Ralph Steinman conducting translational research. Below are brief biographies and research interests of each new Scholar and medical student.  Please join us in welcoming them.

Niroshana Anandasabapathy, MD, PhD
nanandasab@mail.rockefeller.edu
Mentor: Dr. Ralph Steinman
Dr. Niroshana (Niro) Anandasabapathy received her MD and PhD from Stanford University School of Medicine. After completing her training, Dr. Anandasabapathy specialized in Dermatology, focusing on the intersection between autoimmune disease, cancer, and infectious disease. She completed her dermatology residency at New York University. As a Clinical Scholar, Dr. Anandasabapathy is studying the immune basis of connective tissue diseases in Dr. Steinman’s laboratory.

Jennifer Belasco, MD
Jennifer.Belasco@mail.rockefeller.edu
Mentor: Dr. James Krueger
Dr. Jennifer Belasco received her MD from the University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio. She went on to complete a Pediatric internship and residency program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, PA and a Pediatric Rheumatology fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. As a Clinical Scholar, Dr. Belasco will investigate the role the Th17 pathway plays in juvenile psoriatic arthritis in Dr. Krueger’s laboratory.

Iddo Ben-Dov, MD, PhD
Iddo.Ben-Dov@mail.rockefeller.edu
Mentor: Dr. Thomas Tuschl
Dr. Iddo Ben-Dov received his MD and PhD from Hadassah – Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel. His desire to both further understand basic molecular biology in nephrology and hone his clinical research skills made the Clinical Scholars Program an ideal fit. As a Clinical Scholar, under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Tuschl, Dr. Ben-Dov’s research is focusing on the role of microRNA in kidney disease.

Dana Orange, MD
Dana.Orange@mail.rockefeller.edu
Mentor: Dr. Robert Darnell
Dr. Dana Orange received her MD from Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital and her Rheumatology fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. As a Clinical Scholar, Dr. Orange will study T cell activation by dendritic cells in patients with paraneoplastic neurologic disease in Dr. Darnell’s laboratory.

Hien Tran, MD, PhD
Hien.Tran@mail.rockefeller.edu
Mentor: Dr. Sohail Tavazoie
Dr. Hien Tran received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his PhD from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Science in Boston, MA. He went on to complete his Dermatology residency at New York University Medical Center and a Research Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. As a Clinical Scholar, Dr. Tran will investigate microRNA involvement in metastases development from primary breast tumors in Dr. Tavazoie’s laboratory.

Ms. Nakesha King
Mentor: Dr. Jan Breslow
Ms. Williams is currently a third year student at the Weill Cornell Medical College. Ms. King will spend a year investigating the involvement of several important genetic pathways in the development of atherosclerosis in the laboratory of Dr. Jan Breslow.

Mr. Austin Pantel
Mentor: Dr. Ralph Steinman
Mr. Pantel is currently a fourth year medical student at New York University School of Medicine. Mr. Pantel will spend a year investigating the response of dendritic cells to vaccine adjuvants in the laboratory of Dr. Ralph Steinman.