Current Fellows
Third-Year Fellows (2020-2023)
Zoe O'Connor, M.D.
Education
B.S., University of TX at Austin, Austin, TX, 2013
M.D., McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, 2017
Postdoctoral Training
Nicklaus Children's Hospital Residency Program, Miami, FL, Pediatric Residency, 2018–2019
- Research Project
Research Project
Focusing on the hypothesis that specific commensal gut microbiota are required for optimizing efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy against leukemia, Zoe's project aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which this occurs and validate the findings in a mouse model.
https://kohlab.org/
Caroline Smith, M.D.
Education
B.A., Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 2012
M.D., UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 2017
Postdoctoral Training
Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, Pediatric Residency, 2017–2020
- Research Project
Research Project
Understanding how MLL/KMT2A fusion proteins drive LILRB4 expression on malignant B cells and LILRB4's potential as a novel target for CAR-T cell therapy.
https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/labs/zhang-alec/
Melanie Stall, M.D.
Education
B.S., Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, 2013
M.D., Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, 2017
Postdoctoral Training
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, Pediatric Residency, 2017–2020
- Research Project
Research Project
Exploring perceptions of parents with limited English proficiency on the quality of care, support, and communication received during their child's cancer treatment.
Second-Year Fellows (2021-2024)
Mary Dang, M.D.
Education
B.S., University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 2012
M.D., Texas A & M College of Medicine, Temple, TX, 2018
Postdoctoral Training
Advocate Children's Hospital, Oak Lawn, IL, Pediatric Residency, 2018–2021
- Research Project
Research Project
Investigating the effect of microbiomes in immune thrombocytopenia and pediatric cancer survivors.
https://kohlab.org/
Gabriella Nguyen, M.D.
Education
B.S., University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 2014
M.D., UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 2018
Postdoctoral Training
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, Pediatric Residency, 2018–2021
- Research Project
Research Project
Understanding the effect of microbiota on host response to immune checkpoint therapy.
https://kohlab.org/
Austin Warne, M.D.
Education
B.S., Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, 2014
M.D., University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine, Galveston, TX, 2018
Postdoctoral Training
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, Pediatric Residency, 2018–2021
- Research Project
Research Project
Investigating the impact of immunoregulatory proteins on tumorigenesis.
https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/labs/chen-kenneth/
First-Year Fellows (2022-2025)
Jonathan Fletcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Education
B.S., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2009
Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 2018
M.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 2020
Postdoctoral Training
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, Pediatric Residency, 2020–2022
Kyra McCarty, D.O.
Education
B.S., B.A., Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, 2014
D.O., Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City, MO, 2019
Postdoctoral Training
Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, Pediatric Residency, 2019–2021
Sandra Ngo, M.D.
Education
B.S., University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 2014
M.D., UT Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, 2018
Postdoctoral Training
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Pediatric Residency, 2018–2021