Members
Elliott Hagedorn, PhD
He/Him/His
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine; Associate Member, Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM)
hagedorn@bu.edu
Elliott is a cell and developmental biologist with expertise in hematopoiesis, stem cell biology and vascular heterogeneity. His research group utilizes a combination of genetics, genomics and advanced live cell imaging in zebrafish to understand how blood and cancer cells migrate into and out of distinct tissues and organs. He is originally from Indiana where he was an undergraduate at Purdue University. He received a PhD for his work on basement membrane transmigration with David Sherwood at Duke University and was subsequently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Instructor in Pediatrics in the laboratory of Leonard Zon at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Elliott has taught in courses at Purdue, Duke, Harvard and in the Embryology Course at the MBL in Woods Hole, MA. His research has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation. Outside of the lab he enjoys photography, gardening and spending time with his wife and three daughters.
Gwen Beacham, PhD
She/Her/Hers
Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Research Fellow
gbeacha1@bu.edu
Gwen joined the Hagedorn lab as a postdoc in June 2022. She is originally from Maine and did her undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at the University of Maine. She received her PhD from Cornell University for her work in Gunther Hollopeter’s lab where she studied clathrin-mediated endocytosis using C. elegans as a model system. Gwen is broadly interested in cell and developmental biology and in understanding molecular mechanisms underlying diseases. Outside of the lab she enjoys running, hiking and cooking.
Zewde Ingram
She/Her/Hers
PhD Student; Graduate Fellow of the Carter Fund for Cancer Disparities at BMC
zingram@bu.edu
Zewde joined the Hagedorn Lab as a PiBS student in May 2022. She is from Wheaton, Maryland. In 2020, she graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Cell Biology and Genetics. Before attending Boston University, she worked as an NIH funded PREP postbaccalaureate researcher at the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine. There, she worked on various projects involving cancer immunology and NKT cells in the lab of Dr. Tonya Webb. Outside of the lab she enjoys reading, going for walks and crocheting.
Reema Elrefaie
She/Her/Hers
American Cancer Society Diversity in Cancer Research (DICR) Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow
reemae@bu.edu
Reema joined the Hagedorn lab as a post-baccalaureate student in August 2024. She was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and has lived both overseas and in Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston Honors College in May 2024 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Secondary Education. After her post-bac, Reema aspires to pursue an MD or PhD. Outside of the lab, she enjoys baking, exploring nature, biking and painting.
Katherine Chang
She/Her/Hers
Undergraduate Researcher
kchang1@bu.edu
Katherine joined the Hagedorn Lab in August 2021. She is from Virginia Beach, Virginia and is a junior at Boston University majoring in Neurobiology with a minor in Human Physiology. Throughout her undergraduate career, she has worked on various research projects under the Gastroenterology department at BMC particularly focused on IBD treatment. She is interested in the treatment of neurological disorders and cancer research, and is interested in pursuing either an MD or MD/PhD degree. During her free time she enjoys running, working out and working on music.
Cal Parise
He/Him/His
Undergraduate Researcher
cparise@bu.edu
Cal joined the Hagedorn Lab in September 2022. He was born and raised in Illinois and is a sophomore studying Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. He is interested in pursuing regenerative medicine after completing his undergraduate degree. Outside of the lab he enjoys playing soccer, rock climbing and going on hikes with friends.
David Yang
He/Him/His
Undergraduate Researcher
dyyang@bu.edu
David joined the Hagedorn Lab in September 2023. He was raised on Long Island, New York and is currently a sophomore at Boston University studying Medical Science with a minor in Public Health. David will be pursuing his MD degree at Boston University through the BU Accelerated Medical Program. Outside of the lab he enjoys playing badminton, going to the gym and reading.
Leila Affini
She/Her/Hers
Undergraduate Researcher
laffini@bu.edu
Leila joined the lab in September of 2023. She was raised in Manchester, CT and is a sophomore at Boston University studying Biology, with a specialization in Cellular, Molecular, and Genetics. She is also pursuing a minor in Data Science. In the future, she is interested in an MD/PhD or PhD program. Outside of the lab Leila enjoys cooking, playing tennis and listening to music.
Zachary Zener
He/Him/His
Undergraduate Researcher
zzener@bu.edu
Zach joined the Hagedorn Lab in January 2024. He was born and raised in Lafayette, California. He is currently a freshman at Boston University and is pursuing a major in Chemical Biology and a minor in Mathematics. In the future, Zach is interested in attending medical school and becoming a practicing physician. Outside of the lab Zach enjoys reading, swimming, running, exploring new foods, listening to music and working with animals.
Past Members
Mohamad Saadeh – Summer Undergraduate Researcher (2024). Mohamad is currently a student at USC.
Zoya Amer – Research Associate (2023-2024). Zoya is currently a Clinical Assistant at the Dana Farber Cancer Center.
Khaliun Enkhbayar – Research Associate (2021-2024). Khaliun is currently a PhD student at Duke University.
Jesse Wang – Undergraduate Researcher (2021-2024). Jesse is currently employed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
Su Yeon Song – Undergraduate Researcher (2021-2024). Su Yeon is taking a gap year before applying to medical school.
Tahreem Nawaz – Undergraduate Researcher (2021-2024). Tahreem is taking a gap year before applying to medical school.
Kaziah Twumasi – Undergraduate Researcher (2022-2023). Kaziah is a student at Boston University.
Ella Boasberg – Summer Undergraduate Researcher (2023). Ella is currently a student at Georgetown.
Dana Ragoonanan – Lab Manager (2020-2023). Dana was a founding member of the Hagedorn lab. She played a major role in getting the lab off the ground, helping to build things (often literally) and fostering the supportive community that we have today. Dana is currently a med student at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University.
Jack Norton – Undergraduate Researcher (2021-2023). Jack is currently a Research Associate at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL).
Emily Henault – Undergraduate Researcher (2021-2023). Emily is currently a Junior Policy Associate at ADvancing States.
Justine Wagaman – Summer Undergraduate Researcher (2021, 2022). Justine is currently a post-bac fellow at the NIH.
Helen Wang – Summer Undergraduate Researcher (2021). Helen is currently a PhD student at Memorial Sloan Kettering.