Research Staff
Brian Acheampong,
PhD Student
Brian joined Dr. Perl’s lab as a PhD student in 2024. He is a graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a Master of Philosophy in Parasitology. Prior to starting his PhD, he was working as a Medical Laboratory Scientist at SAQS Healthcare Services Limited in Ghana.
Bryan Blaker,
Clinical Research Associate
Bryan graduated from Binghamton University with a B.S. in Biology, Genetics, and a B.A. in Social Sciences, Environment and Evolution. He is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician joining Dr. Perl’s laboratory to further explore his passion in the medical field from a clinical research perspective.
Lucero Blaker,
Clinical Research Associate
Lucero graduated with a B.S. in Integrative Neuroscience from Binghamton University in 2021 and is a nationally certified medical assistant. With extensive experience in ENT and urgent care treatment, she is dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare, combining her academic expertise with practical skills to enhance patient well-being. She also received her Mental Health First Aid certification at SUNY Downstate Medical University in 2018.
Jorge Cabezas,
Senior Research Support Specialist
Jorge graduated from RIT in 2017 with a B.S. in Biotechnology and Molecular Science. He has been with Upstate for 2 the past two year and fully joined the Dr. Perl’s lab in 2022.
Aparna Godavarthy,
Research Associate
Working in NAC clinical trial study of Immune cells of Control and SLE patients, mainly focusing on the influence of increased levels of HRES-1/Rab4 on gene expression studies and this also includes studying the Molecular basis of increased levels of HRES-1/Rab4 in SLE patients.
Kristina Keburia,
Data Manager
Kristina joined Dr. Perl’s lab in 2025, contributing to clinical research with a focus on data management and study coordination. She holds an MPH from Syracuse University and a B.S. in Public Health from Tbilisi State Medical University. Kristina is passionate about research that advances disease prevention and improves health outcomes.
Joshua Lewis,
Senior Research Support Specialist
Josh joined Dr. Perl’s laboratory as a Research Technician in 2018. He graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience from Binghamton University in 2014 and subsequently worked as a Laboratory Assistant at the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute in downtown Buffalo from 2015 to 2018.
Joy (Seonghee) Park,
PhD student
PhD student. Graduated from Hunter with a BA in Biochemistry in 2017, worked as a Research Associate at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NYC from 2015 to 2019.
Dilip Rao,
Senior Research Support Specialist
Dilip joined Dr. Perl's laboratory in 2022. He graduated with an MS in genetics from the University of Rochester in 2009 and worked at the University of Rochester and Rochester General Hospital Research Institute previously.
Evan Ruggiero,
Senior Research Support Specialist
Evan joined Dr. Perl's laboratory in 2024. He graduated from SUNY Brockport in 2020 with a B.S in Biology while participating in independent and directed Bioinformatic research. In Dr. Perl's laboratory, Evan focuses on quantifying and identifying metabolites through Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS).
FNU Ruchi,
Project Manager
Dr. Ruchi graduated with an M.D. degree from Stavropol State Medical University and completed her internship training in India. During her five-year tenure in the intensive care unit working as intensive care physician, she recognized the pivotal role of evidence-based medicine. To further augment her expertise, she pursued a clinical research fellowship at the University of Virginia, delving into the foundations of evidence-based medicine. In 2023, she joined Dr. Perl's lab as a project manager with her extensive research and clinical experience to explore advanced treatment approaches for individuals with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
Mahsa Sadeghzadeh,
PHD Student
Mahsa joined Dr. Perl's lab as a PhD student in 2023. She graduated from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science. Before starting her PhD education, she worked as a research assistant at the Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.
Xiaojing Wang,
Senior Research Support Specialist
Xiaojing joined Dr. Perl’s laboratory in 2022. She graduated with a M.D. from Tianjin Medical University in 1988, then immediately she practiced as an Oral Maxillofacial surgeon from 1988 to 2000. Thereafter, she has more than 20 years of experience in biomedical research, including working in Penn State College of Medicine and Upstate Medical University. Her past research focused on metabolism and function of poly amine in cancer progression and application of nanotechnology in anti-inflammation . Currently her research focus is to deep understanding the developments of systemic lupus erythematosus using various animal models. She is also a part of the Rheumatology Clinical Trials team.
Thomas Winans,
Post-Doctoral Associate
Thomas is a recent graduate of the Perl laboratory with a Ph.D. in biochemistry. The focus of his research is on the effects of oxidative stress caused by Rab4A overactivation in systemic lupus erythematosus.