Assistant Professor (Integrative Immunobiology)

Saskia established a strong foundation in cellular immunology during her postdoctoral training in the Rudensky lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Since joining the Integrative Immunobiology Department at Duke, Saskia has been a dedicated mentor to the next generation of scientists. She teaches a variety of classes and currently supervises graduate students and postdocs. Her teaching and mentoring approaches are tailored towards the individual’s needs and a collaborative process.

For more information, please visit the Scholars@Duke profile.

Graduate Student (CMB Program)

I received my B.SC. in biomedical sciences majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology from Zewail City University in Egypt where I am originally from. As an undergraduate, I used Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study the ribonucleotide excision repair pathway. Specifically, testing whether PCNA polyubiquitination via Rad5 protein enhances the recruitment of Ribonuclease H2 (RNase H2) to replication foci.

In 2022 I joined the Duke University CMB Program and have been a member of the Hemmers lab since the summer of 2023. As a member of the lab, I utilize novel transgenic mouse model to study the role of the interleukin 1 Receptor (IL-1R) family, specifically IL-18R and IL-33R in sensing and regulating neuroinflammation in mouse models of Multiple sclerosis. In my free time, I enjoy watching sunsets, camping, reading in the field of psychology, and cooking.

Graduate Student (IMM Program)

I received my B.A. in Biology and Computer Science from Boston College in May 2022. As an undergraduate, I completed my research thesis on the role of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases in creating polyploid cells in Drosophila. After graduating, I worked as a Research Technician in the Mellinghoff lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York researching pediatric high-grade gliomas.

In 2024, I joined the Immunology PhD Program here at Duke University and became a member of the Hemmers lab in May of 2025. My research in the Hemmers lab focuses on the neonatal CD4+ T cell compartment and determining which components in their development make them distinct from adult CD4+ T cells. In my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my dog, Huck, cooking, and working out.

Sophia Lamberti (Research Technician) - June 2024 - July 2025

Tingting Liu (Senior Research Associate) - January 2024 - December 2024; returned to China Medical University in Shenyang

Katherine Nowak (Research Technician) - August 2022 - April 2024; currently working as a Program Coordinator on the Community Healthcare Support Team with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Jakaiyah Franklin (Duke Class of 2025) - summer research 2023

Joshua Nidus (Duke Class of 2023) - summer research 2022, independent study Fall 2022 and Spring 2023; currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Lauren Orr (CMB program - Spring 2026) - current affiliation: Rawls lab

Konstantina Akritidou (CMB program - Spring 2025) - current affiliation: Schmid lab

Gabriella Torres (IMM program - Fall 2024) - current affiliation: Moseman lab

Alex Dittmar (IMM program - Spring 2024) - current affiliation: Ciofani lab

Aamna Abbasi (IMM program - Winter 2023)

Courtney Covolo (IMM program - Fall 2023) - current affiliation: Pisetsky lab

Benae Clardy (PRIME-PREP - Summer 2023)

Beth Chang (IMM program - Spring 2023) - current affiliation: Valdivia Lab

Miranda Lumbreras (IMM program - Spring 2022) - current affiliation: Shinohara Lab