Current Lab Members

Head of Anguera Lab & Professor of Biomedical Sciences

Montserrat C. Anguera, Ph.D

Montserrat Anguera, PhD, is a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine.  She holds leadership and membership positions in the Penn Epigenetics Institute, the Institute for Immune Health, the Colton Consortium for Autoimmunity, the RNA Institute for Innovation, the Center for Women’s Health & Reproductive Research, and the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Penn. She also serves on the executive committees for various graduate groups and training grant programs across Penn.

Professor Anguera received her B.A. from UCSD in Chemistry and her Ph.D. from Cornell University in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology. Her postgraduate studies were completed at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard University, where she developed an interest in X-Chromosome Inactivation. Her laboratory studies epigenetic gene regulation that underlies sex differences in development and disease. Her current research investigates how gene expression from the X-chromosome is regulated in the immune system, and how these mechanisms become altered in diseases exhibiting a sex bias, such as autoimmunity. Her lab discovered a novel and dynamic mechanism of X-Chromosome Inactivation maintenance specific to female lymphocyte activation, and how perturbations in these pathways contribute to the autoimmune disorder lupus.

Instructor of Medicine / Postdoctoral Fellow

Nikhil Jiwrajka, MD, MS

Nikhil Jiwrajka is a physician scientist in the Division of Rheumatology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He completed medical school at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and his residency and rheumatology fellowship training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed his Masters in Translational Research. His clinical practice focuses on the care of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, many of which exhibit female-biased disease incidence, including systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), inflammatory myositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and rheumatoid arthritis. He has a particular interest in the pathogenesis of fibrosing autoimmune diseases, including systemic sclerosis, myositis-associated interstitial lung disease, and interstitial lung disease with autoimmune features. His current work in the Anguera laboratory focuses on translational studies in patients with systemic sclerosis and on mouse models of systemic autoimmunity and fibrosis. When he is not in the lab or clinic, Nikhil can be found spoiling his Shih-Tzu pup, Boh, with plenty of treats and toys!

Postdoctoral Fellow

Natalie Toothacre, Ph.D

Natalie Toothacre completed her PhD in the Anguera Lab as part of the Genetics and Epigenetics graduate group and is now staying on as a postdoctoral fellow. She was born and raised in San Diego, CA, and graduated from UC San Diego in 2018 with a degree in General Biology. During her undergraduate career, she worked with Dr. Charles C. King to study the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into glucose-responsive insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells. In her free time, Natalie likes to knit, watch movies, try new restaurants, and travel.

Guillem Anguera, BS, MS

Bioinformatician

Guillem Anguera is a bioinformatician born and raised just outside of Barcelona, Spain. He studied Biotechnology and completed a Master’s degree in Omics Data Analysis. Before moving to the United States, he worked at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, where he analyzed clinical and cognitive data from patients undergoing evaluation for epilepsy surgery. His work focused on comparing self-administered cognitive assessments—both paper-based and digital—with conventional neuropsychological tests, using statistical analysis to evaluate their reliability and clinical applicability. In his free time, Guillem is passionate about sports, nature, and animals.

Graduate Student

Emma Welter, BS

Emma Welter is a PhD student in the Genetics and Epigenetics program (CAMB) at Penn. She grew up in North Carolina, and received her bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Philosophy from University at North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her undergraduate career, she worked with Dr. Anthony Zannas investigating machine learning methods to study cell morphology changes that occur with cellular senescence. In her free time, Emma likes to crochet, run, and read.

Megan Wynalda, BS

Graduate Student

Megan Wynalda is a Ph.D. student in the Pharmacology Graduate Group (PGG) at Penn. She earned her bachelor's in both Neuroscience and Kinesiology from Indiana University Bloomington in 2022. After graduation, Megan moved to Washington, D.C. to work in the lab of Dr. Abigail Polter, where she investigated sex-specific vulnerabilities to stress-linked disorders. This experience sparked her passion for understanding sex as a biological variable in disease. Outside of the lab, Megan enjoys hiking with her dog, listening to true crime podcasts, trying out every coffee shop in the city, and watching absolutely anything on Bravo.

Rose Albert, BS, MPH

Graduate Student

Rose Albert is a PhD candidate in the Pharmacology Graduate Group (PGG) and Environmental Health Sciences Certificate Program at Penn. Rose grew up Mississippi and graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a BS in Chemistry and an MPH in Environmental Health. For her undergraduate thesis, she utilized fluorescence polarization microscopy to establish a timeline for the acquisition of cadherin order during desmosome assembly. While in Alabama, her academic and community experiences in public health policy, environmental leadership, and social justice advocacy fostered a deep commitment to southern environmental issues. Rose's long-term goal is to provide scientific and policy support to communities overburdened by environmental injustice and the climate crisis, especially in the Deep South. Rose loves maxing out her library card, blasting Waxahatchee, hiking, and thrifting clothes to sew and upcycle.

Kati Gross, BS

Graduate Student

Kati Gross is a PhD student in the Genetics and Epigenetics program (CAMB) at Penn. She grew up in the Chicago area before moving to Philly to complete her bachelor’s in Biology at Penn. During her undergraduate career and later as a Research Technician, she worked in the lab of Dr. Colin Conine studying small RNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance which sparked her interest in RNA biology. In her free time, Kati likes to cook, read, and explore new restaurants in Philly.

Meredith Keen, BS

Graduate Student

Meredith Keen is a PhD student in the Immunology Graduate Group (IGG) at Penn. She grew up in Oklahoma and received her bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry and Microbiology from Oklahoma State University. After graduation, Meredith moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she worked as a senior research specialist in Dr. Eric Ortlund's lab at Emory University. In this role, she helped develop deep mutational scanning technology to evaluate the impact of all possible mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein on the integrity of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests and predict the epitopes of antibodies found in these tests. In her free time, Meredith enjoys exploring new restaurants, dabbling in film and digital photography, and watching TV with her husband and their two cats (Nugget and Rocky).

Sam Wagner-Robertson, BA

Research Specialist

Sam Wagner-Robertson is the research specialist in the Anguera lab. Sam was born and raised in Media, Pennsylvania, and she earned her BA in Biology from Bryn Mawr College with minors in Chemistry and Archaeology in 2026. As an undergrad, Sam worked with Dr. Adam Williamson investigating the mechanisms of phagocytosis, specifically using live-cell microscopy to understand how human embryonic kidney cell corpses are ingested by human retinal pigment epithelium cells. In her free time, Sam enjoys trying new restaurants, crocheting, and watching a good movie with friends. 

Visiting Scientists & Co-Mentored Students

Peyton Collins, BS

Graduate Student

Peyton is a PhD candidate in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in Bomyi Lim’s lab.

Elise Breed, MD Ph.D

Postdoctoral Fellow

Elise is a rheumatologist and postdoctoral fellow in Igor Brodsky’s lab.

Katherine Forsyth, Ph.D

Former Anguera Lab Members

Claudia Lovell, PhD

Sarah Pyfrom, Ph.D

Amanda Driscoll, BS

Isabel Sierra, Ph.D

Zachary Beethem, MS

Zowie Searcy, BS

Nuriban Valero-Pacheco, Ph.D

Aimee Dubin, MD

Bam Dev Paneru, PhD

Robert Trudeau, PhD

Donald Sandoval, BS

Camille Syrett, PhD

Ian Penkala, VMD PhD

Jianle Wang, PhD

Anna Martin, BS

Steve Hanes, BS