Ashley Carter, MS

Research Technician

I joined the lab in July 2024 as a research technician. I relocated from the Midwest to South Jersey in 2020. In 2022, I earned my master's degree in Histopathology and moved to Philadelphia. I am fascinated by how the body operates and its ability to protect us from various threats. I am excited to continue learning new techniques and embrace the crazy ride of science. In my free time, I love to travel, eat good food, and spend time with friends and family.

Derek A Oldridge, MD PhD

Principal Investigator

I am a physician-scientist with over 16 years of research experience in cancer multi-omics, statistics, and computational biology. Clinically, I serve as a board-certified and practicing pathologist. Supported as a Bridge Fellow through the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, my research lab uses cutting-edge spatial-omics technologies to study tumor-immune interactions in the microenvironment of solid tumors. We seek to leverage this knowledge to improve therapy for some of the most difficult to treat cancers. Outside of lab, I enjoy biking, climbing, piano, ukulele, and being a dad (human x1 and cat x2).

Amy Baxter, PhD

Staff Scientist (Experimental)

I grew up in the UK and moved to Philly in 2018 for a post-doc – and decided to stay! I’m interested in understanding how the immune system responds to persistent antigen – both in chronic viral infections like HIV and in cancer – and most importantly, how we can manipulate that response to help patients. In the Oldridge lab, I help Derek with the “wet bench” side of the lab. I really enjoy driving forward new technologies to give us new insights into the role of the immune system in brain cancer. Outside of the lab, I love hot yoga, swimming, camping, finding good dive bars and travelling to interesting places. Oh, and my cats.

Victoria Fang, MD PhD

Friend of the Lab

Clinical Fellow (Derm) & Postdoc (Wherry Lab)

Hidradenitis Suppurativa is an inflammatory skin disease that causes non-healing painful nodules, abscesses, and draining sinus tracts. I am interested in understanding the immunologic mechanisms of this disease with the goal of improving treatment options for patients. Outside the lab I enjoy camping, skiing, soccer, tennis, and the delicious food Philly has to offer.

Angela Ge

Penn Undergraduate Researcher

I am an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Computational Biology. I joined the Oldridge Lab in May of 2024. I am interested in the applications of computer science in the biomedical fields, particularly how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be leveraged to analyze complex biological data and improve diagnostic tools. Outside of lab, I enjoy playing piano, ice skating, baking, and spending time with friends.

Matthew Lee, BS

Friend of the Lab

PhD Student (Wherry and Dokyoon Kim labs)

I'm a PhD student in the Genomics and Computational Biology program at UPenn. I am interested in developing and applying machine/deep/representation learning methodologies to spatial imaging, cytometry, and other omics data for autoimmune diseases. Outside of lab I enjoy running, playing basketball, watching lots of movies, and hanging out with friends.

Ijeoma Meremikwu, BS

PhD Student

I am trainee in the Genomics and Computational Biology graduate program. I am interested in understanding epigenetic and transcriptomic cellular states in the context of cancer. Currently, I work on understanding mechanisms that contribute to tumor progression using spatial transcriptomic sequencing. Outside of lab, I enjoy playing tennis, visiting my extended family, reading history books and journaling.

Sam Barnett Dubensky, BS

MD/PhD Student (Oldridge & Vella Labs)

I am a MD/PhD trainee in the Immunology Graduate Group comentored between the Oldridge and Vella Labs. Our collaborative work aims to identify spatial and gene regulatory determinants of Memory CD4 T Follicular Helper differentiation in human lymphoid tissue. Outside of lab I enjoy baking bread, eating bread, loud local live music, and the punishing pastime of watching Phillies baseball.

Will Sullivan, BS

PhD Student (Oldridge & Stanger Labs)

I’m a PhD student in the Genomics and Computational Biology program interested in leveraging single-cell sequencing, spatialomics, and digital pathology to better understand the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer and its precursors. The goal of my research is to improve the clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer at the earliest stages of intervention, from advancing precursor interception to identifying clinically actionable subtypes at diagnosis. Outside of lab, I enjoy running, reading, and exploring new restaurants in Philly.

Lina Takemaru, BS

PhD Student (Oldridge & Kim Labs)

I’m a PhD student in the Genomics and Computational Biology program, co-advised by Derek Oldridge and Dokyoon Kim. I’m interested in the intersection of digital pathology, spatial biology, and deep learning to explore and better understand the tumor microenvironment in pediatric brain cancers. Outside of the lab, I enjoy running along the Schuylkill Trail, cooking (and eating) new dishes, and watching documentaries.

Irina Zhu, MS

PhD Student

Hi, I'm Irina, the first bioengineering PhD student to join the Oldridge Lab in the fall of 2024. With a background in Biomedical Engineering, I am fascinated by the transformative potential of AI in medicine. I am interested in leveraging cutting-edge data-driven technologies to uncover new insights into the spatial biology and molecular mechanisms of the immune system, as well as immune-related diseases and cancer. I aim for my work to enhance translational advancements in healthcare, improving outcomes for those affected by these conditions. Outside of my research, I enjoy staying active with various forms of exercise like weightlifting, cardio, and Pilates. I'm not much of a chef, but I love eating and I'm on a mission to try all the tasty foods I can find, starting right here in Philly and then—who knows—maybe around the world!

Lab Alumni

Rami Vanguri
Emilia Chen
Robert Hu
Abigail Zellmer
Matthew “Ennziel” Reid
Dave Hill

Position in Lab

Staff Scientist (Bioinformatics)
GCB Rotation Student
GCB Rotation Student
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Staff Scientist (Bioinformatics)

Position after Lab

Assistant Professor, New York University
PhD Student, University of Pennsylvania
PhD Student, University of Pennsylvania
PhD Student, UT Southwestern
Undergraduate Student
CHOP DBHi