Versiti - Lab | Bonnie Dittel Laboratory | Versiti Blood Research Institute

Lab

 

Interested in joining the Dittel lab?

We are seeking highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs. If you are interested in joining the team, contact us using the link below.

Principal Investigator

 
Savannah Neu

Neuroscience Doctorate Program Graduate Student

Link between B cell depletion, IgA and the gut microbiome.

Savannah is from southeastern Wisconsin and earned her B.S. degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

In the Dittel lab, she studies the long-term impact of B cell depleting therapies in multiple sclerosis with an emphasis on IgA and the gut microbiome. As part of her graduate training, she aspires to learn and integrate bioinformatics technologies into this research. In her free time, she enjoys baking sweet foods, drawing and painting, and sewing her own clothes. When it’s nice outside, she likes to take very long walks while listening to her favorite heavy metal bands.

 
Nate Meinhardt

Neuroscience Doctorate Program Graduate Student

Identification of human BDL and understanding their development.

Nate is from the Milwaukee area and earned a B.S. degree from Saint Louis University and an M.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

In Dr. Dittel’s lab, he studies the developmental status of BDL and uses cutting-edge tools including scRNAseq to identify them in humans. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, shooting pool and cooking.

 
Sandra Okoro

Medical Student, Medical College of Wisconsin

Generation of a BDL-based adoptive cell therapy.

Sandra was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2016, She earned her B.A. in biology from Fisk University in Nashville, TN. She is currently a medical student at MCW.

In the Dittel lab, Sandra uses CRISPR/Cas9 technology to delete B2M and CIITA to prevent the expression of MHC class I and II molecules which, respectively, prevent rejection of a BDL-based adoptive cell therapy. When not in the lab, she enjoys spending time with friends, cooking/baking, listening to music, hairstyling, exercising and exploring different cities.

Cody Gurski, Research Technologist II, Lab Manager

Changes in immune cell subsets in multiple sclerosis in response to B cell depletion therapies.

Cody is from the Milwaukee area and earned his B.S. degree in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Cody serves as the Dittel lab manager, as well as conducting independent research. He is the linchpin of the lab. Outside of the lab, he enjoys music and plays guitar, bass, drums and piano. He also likes to backpack, hike and fish.


Landon Dittel, Research Technologist

Investigation of oral drug administration.

Landon was born in Chicago, IL, but grew up in Minnesota, Connecticut and Wisconsin. He earned his B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Landon is employed by the Medical College of Wisconsin and works in the Dittel lab through a collaboration with Staley Brod, MD. In his free time, Landon enjoys traveling to new places, live music, skiing, photography and cooking. Growing up all over the country made him appreciate different cultures and places; he enjoys visiting them and photographing his experiences along the way.


Anna Strzepa, PhD, Visiting Scholar

Myeloperoxidase in contact hypersensitivity.

Anna is from Poland and earned her M.S. degree from Jagiellonian University, Poland, and the University of Orleans, France. She received her PhD from Jagiellonian University Medical Center, where she is currently an assistant professor.

Anna was a post-doctoral fellow in the Dittel lab from 2015-2017 and studied the role of myeloperoxidase in contact hypersensitivity and other inflammatory disorders. She returns to the Dittel lab in the summer to continue these studies and enjoys traveling across the USA.

 

Bonnie Dittel, PhD (pictured far right) and her lab team enjoying some relaxation time.

 
Awards and Patents
Bonnie Dittel, PhD, has received a number of awards and patents for her research of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.
 
Datasets and Protocols
Dr. Dittel has published a number of datasets and protocols, including B cell subsets, RNA-seq data, cell populations and more.
 
News and Media
News and media highlights about Bonnie Dittel, PhD, including her research of multiple sclerosis at Versiti Blood Research Institute.
 
Publications
Dr. Dittel has been published in a number of prestigious scientific and medical journals for her study of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.