Jessica Schmeling, BS

As an undergraduate student at Miami University, I joined the lab of Dr. Michael Kennedy and worked on a Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) study that aimed to identify distinct metagenomic signatures correlated with the triggering and onset of T1D. Our goal was to analyze metabolomic, metagenomic and histological data to establish predictive capability of identified signatures prior to the onset of T1D symptoms. Following the completion of my undergraduate degree, I worked in the medical field at both UW Health (Madison, WI) and Froedtert Health (Milwaukee, WI) where I provided direct patient care across inpatient units. In June of 2021, I joined the research lab of Dr. Huizi Chen at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There, I performed immunological assays using immortalized Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) cell lines to identify possible immune-inhibitory markers with the goal of correlating their expression levels to either immune “hot” or “cold” SCLC phenotypes. Additionally, I isolated, phenotyped, and expanded T cells from SCLC patients, which were used for downstream co-culture assays to determine whether these patient’s endogenous T cells were responsive against putative cancer neoantigens. Through this work, I became interested in cancer immunology and joined the Zamora lab in October 2023 to pursue studies focused on developing cell-based therapies for cancer. I am excited to grow my knowledge in immuno-oncology and gain experience using cutting-edge technology to more comprehensively assess the biological properties that drive effective antitumor responses and ultimately aide in the development of additional therapeutic options for patients with cancer.