Our Team
Joanna Smeeton, PhD
Principal Investigator
Joanna received her BScH from McGill University, her PhD from the University of Toronto (SickKids), and performed her postdoctoral training in the lab of Gage Crump at the University of Southern California (USC Stem Cell).
Joanna is the H. K. Corning Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine Research. At Columbia, she is affiliated with the Departments of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine as well as Genetics and Development. She is a full member of the Columbia Stem Cell Initiative.
jms2504@cumc.columbia.edu
Desmarie Sherwood
Technician
ds3851@cumc.columbia.edu
Katherine Spack
Postdoc
kas2309@cumc.columbia.edu
Julia Mo
Postdoc
jm5158@cumc.columbia.edu
Maria Blumenkrantz
PhD Candidate
Maria is a PhD Candidate from the Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies
NSF GRFP awardee
mhb2188@cumc.columbia.edu
Everett Weinstein
PhD Candidate
Everett is a PhD Candidate from the Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies
NIH/NIDCR F31 awardee
esw2187@cumc.columbia.edu
Safiyah Ali
PhD Candidate
Safi is a PhD Candidate in Genetics & Development
NIH/NIDCR F31 awardee
sta2587@cumc.columbia.edu
Sophia Martin
PhD Student
Sophia is a PhD student in Genetics & Development
sm5500@cumc.columbia.edu
Cat Bibby
PhD Student
Cat is a PhD Student in Microbiology & Immunology
cb4072@cumc.columbia.edu
Aishwarya Rao
Undergraduate Student
Aishwarya is a Barnard Student
asr2243@barnard.edu
Kirie Frederick
Undergraduate Student
Kirie is a Columbia Student
kzf2104@columbia.edu
Hanna Chen
Undergraduate Student
Hanna is a Columbia College Student
hc3463@columbia.edu
Subin Lee
Dental Student
Subin is a Columbia College of Dental Medicine Student
sl5562@cumc.columbia.edu
Min Jae Lee
Dental Student
Jay is a Columbia College of Dental Medicine Student
ml5304@cumc.columbia.edu
Clara Yim
Dental Student
Clara is a Columbia College of Dental Medicine Student
ccy2126@cumc.columbia.edu
Lab picnic - summer 2026
Lab - Spring 2026
Saturday Science Volunteering - Spring 2026
Dr. Anderson’s Thesis Defense party - Sept 2025
Lab - winter 2024
Lab picnic - fall 2024
Governor’s Island - summer 2024
Lab picnic - summer 2023
Undergraduate researchers - summer 2023
Happy St. Patrick’s Day - March 2023
Happy Holidays - December 2022
Lab Group - Summer 2022
pottery party @ Mugi - summer 2022
lab - summer 2021
Previous Members
Michelle Aude - Columbia College Undergraduate, Technician 2023-2026
Now a medical student at UTMB
Troy Anderson - PhD, 2020-2025
Now a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Niak lab, Mount Sinai
Maryam Kamel - Technician, 2023-2025
Now a medical student at Harvard
Hailey Levitz - Barnard Undergraduate, 2023-2025
Now a technician at Mass General/Harvard
Ekwueme Eleogu - Columbia College Undergraduate, 2023-2024
Eric Mao - Columbia College Undergraduate, 2021-2023
Now a medical student at Johns Hopkins
Ernesto Gagarin - Technician, 2021-2023
Now pursuing PhD studies at UChicago BioSciences
Jaylin Sasson Bitters - IHN Masters Student, 2021-2022
Felicia Woron - IHN Masters Student, 2020-2021
Now a medical student at University of Connecticut
