Professor, Division of Developmental Biology
Co-Director of the Pluripotent Stem Cell Facility
Director for Basic Research, Division of Endocrinology

james.wells@cchmc.org

Postdoctoral Fellow

mahliyah.adkins-threats@cchmc.org

Graduate Student

jgsanchez@cchmc.org

I am originally from Guatemala. I obtained my bachelor's degree at Fisk University in Nashville, TN, in 2018, where I worked on neural development using C. elegans. I am currently a PhD candidate in the Molecular and Developmental Biology Program at Cincinnati Children's. My work in the Wells Lab focuses on the development of the intestinal endocrine system and the patterning of the developing small intestine.

Research Fellow

daniel.kechele@cchmc.org

I earned my PhD in Cell and Molecular Physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016. My doctoral research focused on various aspects of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their roles in cardiovascular and gastrointestinal biology. I demonstrated that lymphatic endothelial expression of the GPCR-modifying protein Ramp2 is required for embryonic survival, while non-endothelial Ramp2 is essential for normal blood pressure and heart function during adulthood. Additionally, I mapped the expression pattern of Gpr182, an orphan GPCR, and showed that it is enriched in intestinal stem cells and negatively regulates proliferation during intestinal regeneration and adenoma formation. Since joining the Wells Lab in winter 2017, I have been focused on elucidating the transcriptional and signaling mechanisms that govern human stomach development, cell fate decisions, and metaplasia.

Clinical Fellow

mansa.krishnamurthy@cchmc.org

I earned my MS from the University of Western Ontario and my MD from St. George’s University. My research during that time focused on the role of transcription factors in human fetal pancreas development, as well as integrin-ECM interactions in beta cell survival and function. In the Wells Lab, my research focuses on modeling various diseases from patients with monogenic forms of diabetes.

Lab Tech I

kayle.riley@cchmc.org

I am currently participating in the NIH post-baccalaureate PREP program at the University of Cincinnati. I graduated from Trine University with a bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Chemistry. I am currently working on a project to differentiate insulin-producing beta-like cells for integration with liver and intestinal organoids on a microfluidic plate to model type 2 diabetes.

Senior Specialist, Program Management

olesya.rockel@cchmc.org

Graduate Student

vivien.sauer@cchmc.org

Research Assistant IV

jamie.ashworth@cchmc.org

I received my bachelor's degree from Northern Kentucky University in 2004 and began my career at Cincinnati Children’s in May 2005. I joined the Wells Lab in 2012.

Research Fellow

vered.shacham-silverberg@cchmc.org

I received my BS in Biology from Tel-Aviv University, Israel. I continued for my MS and PhD at The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, studying the development of the peripheral nervous system in the Department of Biomolecular Sciences under the supervision of Prof. Avraham Yaron. My MSc research focused on axon guidance processes and the role of Plexin A-4 in mediating the repulsive cues of Semaphorin 3A. My PhD research investigated axonal elimination during development and the role of phosphatidylserine in marking axons for engulfment. I joined the Wells Lab in 2018 and am currently interested in studying the development and disease of the esophagus using mouse models and hPSC-derived 3D cultures. I am also focused on developing new cultures that better mimic the physiological environment of the human esophagus, which will help us better understand the molecular mechanisms governing its development and diseases.

Research Fellow

patrizia.tornabene@cchmc.org

I joined the PhD program in System Medicine at the European School of Molecular Medicine and received my PhD from the University of Milan in 2019.

My doctoral and post-doctoral research at the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine focused on developing gene therapy strategies for treating inherited retinal diseases using both CRISPR-Cas9 and adeno-associated viral vector approaches. During my training, I developed retinal organoids as a tool for testing gene therapies. With the aim of combining my PhD training in gene therapy with my interest in using organoids to understand biology and treat diseases, I joined the Wells Lab in November 2021 as a research fellow.