PEOPLE

JENNA GALLOWAY, PH.D

Principal Investigator

Jenna Galloway received her B.A. in Biology from Johns Hopkins University and her Ph.D. in Genetics from Harvard University. Her graduate research was performed in the laboratory of Dr. Leonard Zon at Children’s Hospital, Boston, where she worked on pathways regulating blood stem cell biology and lineage fate decisions. After her Ph.D., she joined the lab of Dr. Clifford Tabin in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, where she applied her knowledge of musculoskeletal development towards an improved understanding of the mechanisms leading to the congenital limb malformation, phocomelia. Currently, Dr. Galloway is an Associate Professor of Biology at the Center for Regenerative Medicine and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her laboratory uses zebrafish genetics and stem cells to understand how tendons and ligaments form, organize, and regenerate with the ultimate goal of applying this knowledge towards the development of improved therapies for tendon and ligament injuries.

XUBO NIU, PH.D

Post-Doc

Xubo Niu earned his Ph.D. from Dr. Jinrong Peng’s lab at Zhejiang University’s College of Animal Sciences in China. There, Xubo used zebrafish to research (1) CopII mediated protein transportation in early digestive organ development and (2) Nuclear pore function of Sec13 in safeguarding zebrafish retina integrity. In the Galloway Lab, Xubo’s researches tendon regeneration and tenogenic differentiation of stem cells by using zebrafish, mouse ES cells, and human ES cells as models. If Xubo is not busy enjoying his work in the lab or appreciating the research environment around him at MGH and Harvard, Xubo enjoys cooking and spending time with his wife.

STEPHANIE TSAI, PH.D

Post-Doc

Stephanie received her SB in Biology from MIT and completed her PhD in Doug Melton's lab at Harvard University. Her doctoral thesis was focused on identifying signaling mechanisms essential for the initiation of salamander limb regeneration, with an emphasis on cytokine signaling. In the Galloway lab, she is interested in both elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie tendon scarring versus regenerative responses and identifying transcriptional regulators of human tendon cell fate.

JASON MARVIN, PH.D.

Post-Doc

Jason Marvin received their B.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from The University of Texas at Dallas and Cornell University, respectively. Under the mentorship of Prof. Nelly Andarawis-Puri, their doctoral research leveraged biological insight from the super-healer Murphy Roth’s Large (MRL/MpJ) mouse strain to identify candidate protein regulators of mammalian tendon regeneration. As a Harvard Medical School (HMS) Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Galloway Lab, Jason seeks to elucidate the role of key extracellular matrix constituents and cell signaling networks in regulating the activity of resident cell populations in the tendon by generating novel ECM transgenic models. In his free time, Jason enjoys trying new coffee varieties, rock climbing, cooking, and playing with dogs.

BEN PETERSON, PH.D

Post-Doc

Ben received his Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering from Dr. Spencer Szczesny’s lab at Pennsylvania State University. His thesis investigated structure-function relationships during late stages of embryonic tendon development and its sensitivity to musculoskeletal activity. In the Galloway Lab, Ben is interested investigating the biomolecular & mechanobiological mechanisms which dictate tendon fate and enable the formation of load-bearing tendons. Outside of the lab, Ben enjoys spending his time attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, compulsively listening to audiobooks/podcasts, and backpacking in National Parks.

STEFFANY VILLASEÑOR

Lab Manager

Steffany received her A.B. in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology with a secondary in Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights from Harvard University. In the Galloway Lab, Steffany manages the lab and works on further characterizing tendon regeneration and development. Outside of the lab, Steffany enjoys bouldering, ultimate frisbee, and embroidery.

MADDIE BURKE

Research Technician

Maddie received their B.A in both Biology and Astronomy from Mount Holyoke College. At Mount Holyoke, Maddie worked with Dr. Sarah Bacon to explore placental development during mid-pregnancy and how that affects overall pregnancy success. In the Galloway Lab, they are a Research Technician and assist with the investigation of tendon development and regeneration in zebrafish and mouse models. Outside of the lab, Maddie enjoys spending time with loved ones, rock climbing, and taking long walks to look for local wildlife.

HAROLD PEÓN

Undergraduate Student

Harold is an undergraduate student at Harvard concentrating in Human Developmental & Regenerative Biology with a secondary in Education. Originally from Puerto Rico, he is on the pre-med track and hopes to become a physician and an educator. At the Galloway Lab, he works under the supervision of Xubo Niu to research tendon development using zebrafish. Outside the lab, he's a huge foodie and loves exploring the Boston food scene with friends!

ALEX DANG

Undergraduate Student

Alex is an undergraduate student at Harvard University planning to concentrate in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology with a secondary in Economics. In the Galloway Lab, Alex is currently working on tendon regeneration and development under the guidance of Stephanie Tsai. In his free time, he enjoys playing various sports and traveling to new places.

HANNAH SHELL

Undergraduate Student

Hannah is an undergraduate student studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University.

SARA SILARSZKA

Undergraduate Student

Sara is an undergraduate student at Harvard concentrating in Integrative Biology on a pre-medical track with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. At the Galloway Lab, she works under the supervision of Jason Chang to research tendon development and regeneration in zebrafish and cell culture models. Outside the lab, Sara plays for Harvard's Division 1 field hockey team and loves to hike and travel in her free time!