Peled Laboratory
Meet the Team
Principal
Investigator
Jonathan (Tsoni) Peled, MD PhD
After undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois, MD/PhD studies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and medical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Jonathan Peled did a heme/onc fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and in 2016 joined the Adult Bone Marrow Transplantation Service in the Department of Medicine of MSKCC, where he serves as an Assistant Attending. He launched an independent laboratory in 2022 where he and his research team focus on the mechanisms by which commensal bacteria modulate host immunity, specifically within the context of cancer immunotherapy, including allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. His laboratory is part of Memorial Hospital Laboratories and he holds a secondary appointment in the Human Oncology Pathogenesis Program (HOPP). He also serves as the Associate Director of the MSKCC Center for Hematological Malignancies.
Madhumitha Rangesa
Madhu received her Master’s degree in Biotechnology from New York University. Prior to joining the Peled Lab, her research centered on the development of dendritic cell vaccines with targeted mRNA tumor antigens in multiple myeloma. Since joining the Peled lab in 2022 she has been studying Enterococcus domination of the microbiome in cancer, investigating their role in graft-versus-host-disease using mouse models.
Research Assistant
Cindy Junes
As the Administrative Assistant of the Peled Lab, Cindy handles general office tasks and administrative duties, such as directing communications between colleagues, organizing schedules and events, booking travel arrangements for staff, and coordinate team input on various deadlines for specific projects and grants.
Administrative Assistant
Elisha (Eli) Pinker
Eli is a medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his Bachelors in biology at Columbia University in 2021. Before starting medical school, Eli worked as a high school STEM teacher in a pathways program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Eli is interested in researching the intersection of the microbiome and cancer immunotherapy. Since joining the Peled lab, he is investigating the role of bacterial genotoxins in allogeneic HSCT patient clinical outcomes.
Research Technician
LeeAnn Marcello
Graduate Research
Assistant
LeeAnn is a medical student at the State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine. She graduated from Cornell University in 2019 with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Biology, Health, and Society. During her three gap years before medical school, LeeAnn worked in clinical research at MSK in the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant service and in the van den Brink Lab. LeeAnn has interests in data science, the gut microbiome, and stem cell transplantation. In the Peled Lab, LeeAnn is investigating the role of the gut microbiome in the development of Graft-vs-Host Disease (GVHD).
Awards: American Society of Hematology HONORS (Hematology Opportunities for the Next Generation of Research Scientists) Award (2023)
Sukanya Sahu
After completing her PhD from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India where she explored the dysbiosis of gut microbiota occurring in tuberculosis patients. Since joining the Peled Lab in 2023 as a postdoctoral she is currently focused on elucidating the importance of gut microbial metabolites in graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD).
Postdoctoral Fellow
Annamaria Ballweg, MD
Is a pediatrician conducting a post-doctoral fellowship in the Peled Lab. During her pediatric residency in Germany, she was able to gain her first experiences with diagnostics, therapy and long-term care of patients with hematologic malignancies, inflammatory bowel disease and septic granulomatosis. The immunologic aspects of these diseases lead to her increased interest in the pathophysiology of GVHD in patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Dr. Ballweg plans to specialize in pediatric hematology and oncology and work as a clinician-scientist in this area. She is currently working on projects related to microbiota injury after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and its effect on GVHD.
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​Funding: Walter Benjamin Program Post-Doctoral Research Grant, German Research Foundation
Research Fellow
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Hanna Afzalneia
Hanna earned her bachelor's degree in health psychology from Hunter College in 2024. She joined the Peled Lab in January 2024 through the HOPP RESTEP program and has continued as a research technician during her gap years before beginning medical school at the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. Since joining the lab, she has developed a strong interest in studying the effects of the microbiome and its associated metabolites in bone marrow transplant (BMT) mouse models.
Research Technician
Abrielle Swartz
Abrielle earned her bachelor's degree in biology from St. Lawrence University in 2023. During her undergraduate degree, she was an intern at MSK as a member of the Molecular Imaging Summer Program. She then received her master’s degree in molecular bioscience & biotechnology from Clarkson University in 2024. Since joining the Peled Lab in December 2024, she has been studying the in vitro effects of antibiotics on MOPC cells, aiming to better understand their cellular responses and potential therapeutic implications.
Research Technician
Former Members
Luigi Amoretti
Masters in Biotechnology summer intern
Current Position: masters student and technician in the MSKCC Molecular Microbiology Facility
Binita Febles
Computational Biologist
Current possition:
Curtis Edwards
Research Technician
Current Position: Clinical Research Coordinator at MSKCC