Lab Team

Jee Hye (Jee) is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis (IMP) program at Weill Cornell. She received Bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. During her senior year, she joined Dr. Jeffrey Bluestone’s lab at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she studied immune-related adverse events in response to cancer immunotherapies. After graduating, Jee continued her research journey as a research associate in Dr. Bluestone’s lab, focusing on developing preclinical mouse models to assess both anti-tumor immunity and autoimmunity in the context of type 1 diabetes.
Currently, Jee’s research interests converge at the intriguing intersection of tumor metabolism and immune checkpoint therapy, exploring how alterations in tumor metabolism shape the immune response, with a special emphasis on modulating regulatory T cells (Tregs).
Fun facts: Jee is not only a scientist but also a green thumb enthusiast, enjoying the art of propagating plants from seeds. You can find her mini plant collection thriving in the lab, adding a touch of green to the scientific environment. Additionally, Jee is always on the lookout for free food—fueling both her curiosity and her appetite for discovery!

Giorgia obtained her PhD in Italy at the Universita' del Piemonte Orientale with a thesis on NAD metabolism in immune-related disease.

She joined Zappasodi's lab in December 2023 and her Postdoctoral fellowship is sustained by Italian Association of Cancer (AIRC).Her work focuses on studying the tumour metabolism–hypoxia–vasculature axis in the response to immunotherapy.

Fun facts: Giorgia is passionate about golf, horoscope (let her guess your zodiac sign!) and metal/rock music.

Andrea comes from Italy where he obtained the PhD degree in Immunological Sciences working within the Department of Molecular Medicine in the laboratories of Prof. Screpanti at "La Sapienza University of Rome". His thesis project focused on the impact of deregulated Notch signaling in the T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) immunosuppressive microenvironment, with a focus on myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and their ability to sustain tumor progression. To deepen his research interests in tumor immunology and immunotherapy, in 2022 he joined the laboratory of Dr. Roberta Zappasodi in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, where he's pursuing my postdoctoral training. Specifically, he investigates the mechanisms of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy, with the specific goal to elucidate the role of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells in the outcome to these therapies. Prior work from the lab demonstrated the immunosuppressive function of Tfh-like cells, which can contribute to immunotherapy resistance in melanoma. His focus is to determine the molecular pathways supporting the immunosuppressive function of these TFH-like cells in solid tumor models and cancer patients treated with ICB.

FUN FACTS: He loves to sing since he was a child and he was the front man of a rock band for many years.