Irvine Lab – Our Team

B.S., Microbiology & Immunology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
M.S., Biological Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

At Scripps Research, Mariane leads collaborative research programs in the Irvine Lab, managing partnerships with industry collaborators, CDMOs, and academic labs. She oversees all aspects of lab operations and team coordination. Her work bridges translational research and real-world application, with deep expertise in immunology, mRNA and nanoparticle-based vaccine platforms.

Outside the lab, Mariane enjoys hosting barbecues, spending time with her twin boys, and sharing her Brazilian culture with friends.

B.S., Microbiology, Brigham Young University
M.S., Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of Idaho

Mark manages the day-to-day operations of the Irvine Lab. He oversees lab logistics, personnel, and ensures research workflows and safety protocols run smoothly.

B.A., Biology
Ph.D., Pharmacology and Toxicology (concentration in carcinogenesis)

Agnes supports a wide range of lab functions. She manages mouse colonies, coordinates with the animal care facility, oversees safety protocols, and purifies proteins. She also assists team members with experiments and prepares SMNP adjuvant formulations for internal and collaborative studies.

B.S., Chemical Engineering, Yonsei University
M.S., Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University

Heikyung specializes in protein production for the Irvine Lab and its collaborators. With decades of experience in immunology and molecular biology labs, she brings deep expertise in protein purification, nanoparticle synthesis, and mammalian cell culture. She plays a critical role in advancing the lab’s immunotherapy and vaccine development projects.

Jesus develops regulatory systems to control RNA-based therapeutics in vivo, with a focus on programmable payloads for next-generation HIV vaccines. His previous research includes in vivo cell editing at UC San Diego and studies in epigenetic immunomodulation. He has authored over 25 publications and holds multiple patents.

B.S., Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Washington

Rick’s research focuses on nanoparticle drug delivery and immunoengineering strategies applied towards cancer and neurological diseases, utilizing nano/microparticle, protein engineering, and cell therapy-based approaches. In the Irvine Lab, he is developing an antibody-dual-cytokine conjugate for the treatment of solid and metastatic tumors.

B.S., Chemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology
M.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
Ph.D., Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

Originally from Missouri, Holly completed her Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she focused on thermally stable formulations for vaccines, phage therapies, and gene therapy vectors. This work contributed to advancing single-administration, multidose vaccine platforms.

In the Irvine Lab, she is working to enhance vaccine efficacy against HIV and other diseases by targeting germinal centers using novel formulations, drug delivery strategies, and new adjuvants.

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
B.Tech. & M.Tech., Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Originally from India, Namit received his doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University and his undergraduate and master’s degrees from IIT Madras. At the Irvine Lab, he develops controlled release technologies for the prolonged delivery of protein and RNA-based vaccines.

B.S., Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University
M.S., Bioengineering (Cell and Tissue Engineering), Northeastern University

Ashley supports a wide range of collaborative studies, including non-human primate (NHP) models. She works primarily at the bench, using molecular biology and immunoengineering techniques, along with animal handling methods, to support experimental design and execution across multiple research projects.

B.S., Biomedical Laboratories and Clinical Sciences, Boston University
M.S., Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Linette brings over eight years of research and industry experience in mRNA production, protein purification, and analytical techniques. Prior to joining the Irvine Lab, she held roles at MIT, Flagship Pioneering, Pfizer, and Biogen, contributing to RNA modality development and QC optimization.

In the Irvine Lab, Linette supports self-amplifying RNA research, DNA and mRNA production, and cross-collaborative projects with graduate students and postdocs.

B.S., Biochemistry, University of California San Diego

Jiancheng recently joined the Irvine lab in June 2025. He brings with him four years of research and industry experience with in vitro and in vivo assay development, protein conjugation and purification, and bioanalytical techniques for tissue distribution studies at Arcturus Therapeutics. He is currently supporting the research efforts led by Namit Chaudhary and Holly Coleman in vaccine efficacy and drug delivery.

PhD, Harvard University, 2024
B.S., Biology and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Nouran received her B.S. in Biology and Biochemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and performed a senior thesis in David Langenau’s Lab at Harvard studying the role of TOX in T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She was then awarded a Gates Cambridge fellowship to study an MPhil at the University of Cambridge in George Vassiliou’s Lab, where she developed strategies to target the molecular pathogenesis of mutant calreticulin in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms. Nouran then pursued a Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard University in Steve Elledge’s lab, where her research focused on engineering T cell receptors for cancer immunotherapy using directed evolution and high-throughput approaches. She is currently a joint postdoctoral fellow in the Spranger and Irvine labs at the Koch Institute, where she is focused on characterizing and amplifying mRNA vaccination platforms to potentiate anti-tumor immunity.

PhD, Rice University, 2024
B.S., Chemistry, Haverford College, PA

Brett received his B.S. in Chemistry from Haverford College, PA, where he studied peptide hydrogel self-assembly in Karin Åkerfeldt’s Lab. In 2018, he was awarded a Fulbright Research Scholarship to join Ulf Olsson’s Lab at Lund University, Sweden, where he used X-ray scattering techniques to study the self-assembly of alpha-synuclein, a peptide associated with Parkinson’s Disease. Brett then pursued a Ph.D. in bioengineering at Rice University in Houston, TX, in the labs of Jeffrey Hartgerink and Kevin McHugh. His research focused on developing supramolecular peptide hydrogels for immunomodulation and controlled drug delivery. Motivated by his fascination with the immune system, Brett joined the Spranger Lab, where his current research focuses on developing ovarian cancer immunotherapies. Outside the lab, Brett enjoys hiking in the backcountry and skiing.

B.S., University of California San Diego

Riyam is a graduate student co-advised by the Irvine Lab. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, San Diego. Her research focuses on reprogramming immunosuppressive myeloid cells within the tumor microenvironment to adopt a pro-inflammatory phenotype using surface-targeted immunocytokines.

B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

William is a graduate student co-advised by the Irvine Lab. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research focuses on using alum as a delivery platform for localized therapies, targeting the tumor microenvironment to enhance treatment precision and effectiveness.