People
James Kim
Research Assistant II
James was born and raised in South Korea, but spent most of his youth in Europe. He graduated from Purdue University with Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. He worked in a biotech company in Boston during his undergraduate career. Before joining Byrne lab, James was worked on developing effective immuno-contraceptive vaccines for wild life population control. James joined Byrne lab with the interest in cancer immunology research. For most of his free time, James enjoys playing different sports.
Margaret Haerr, B.S
Graduate Student, PBMS
Margaret grew up in San Diego, California. After finishing her undergraduate studies in biology at UC Santa Barbara, she worked for four years at a biotechnology company in cancer immunotherapy discovery and development. In the Byrne lab, Margaret is interested in understanding the immunobiology of the tumor microenvironment and improving treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer. In her free time, Margaret likes to take advantage of the beautiful PNW hiking, surfing, and spending time with friends, family, and her dog.
Yi Zhang, M.S.
Graduate Student
Yi was born and raised in Jiangxi, China. She finished her undergraduate study in Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University in 2020. She continued a master’s degree in Toxicology at OSU, focusing on the role of BCL-2 protein in breast cancer. In the Byrne lab, Yi’s interest is in analyzing the factors affecting T cell infiltration into PDAC using spatial transcriptomic techniques. In her free time, Yi loves playing tennis, watching musicals and spending time with her cat.
Breanna Caruso, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Breanna was born and raised in New Jersey before moving to Hamilton, NY to pursue their undergraduate studies at Colgate University. Upon graduation, Breanna worked at the NIH in the the Jacobson lab where they were introduced to the basic concepts of immunology. After their IRTA Fellowship at the NIH ended, they moved to Portland to work with Pepper Schedin investigating the immune milieu of postpartum breast cancer. Their positive experiences at OHSU led them to apply to the graduate program. They obtained their PhD in the Moran lab studying the role of immune checkpoint molecules in regulatory T cell development. In the Byrne lab, Breanna will be using their expertise in regulatory T cell biology to understand the impact of immunotherapies on this cell population with the goal of improving patient response to immune-modulating treatments. Outside of the lab, Breanna is a parent to twin daughters and they love hiking, birdwatching, embroidering, and reading science fiction.
Byrne Lab Alum
Kyle Gribbin
Maryam Al-Ghezi