Meet Our Team

Yeriel D. Estrada is a Clinical Research Program Director at the Laboratory of Inflammatory Skin Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York. He earned his B.S from Rutgers University.  He joined the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai in August 2000. He joined the department of Dermatology in 2013.

Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD
Professor and System Chair | Dermatology, Professor | Medicine, Clinical Immunology

Learn more...

Our laboratory runs under the direction of Dr. Emma Guttman-Yassky, the Sol and Clara Kest Professor and Vice Chair for Research at the Department of Dermatology, Professor of Medicine and Clinical Immunology, and Director of the Center for Excellence in Eczema. She earned her MD from Sackler in Tel-Aviv, and a PhD from Bar-Ilan, Israel. After her Israeli Board certification in dermatology at the Rambam Medical Center at the Technion, Dr. Guttman moved to the U.S. to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology at The Rockefeller University and a second dermatology residency training at Weill-Cornell, NY.  She is board certified in dermatology both in the US and Israel.

Dr. Guttman has co-founded the international eczema council/IEC, for which she functions as president. This organization now comprises of the vast majority of top experts in atopic dermatitis/eczema worldwide. She is also on the scientific advisory board of the national eczema association. She was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation/ASCI, the American Dermatological Society/ADA, and received the Young Investigator Award (2011) from the AAD, as well as other awards. She has also been elected to serve on the board of the American Skin Association.

Digpal Gour, PhD
Instructor

Learn more...
Dr. Digpal Singh Gour is a Senior Scientist at the Laboratory of Inflammatory Skin Diseases. He is working on Genomics, Single-Cell, and Special Transcriptomics. His primary focus is on translational dermatology with pharma-sponsored clinical trials. Before joining Mount Sinai, Dr. Gour was a Research Scientist at the University of Idaho. At UOI, he has been awarded the University of Idaho’s highest honor, the “President’s Medallion,” for his work on the pandemic response during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He served as Assistant Professor of Biotechnology at the School of Biotechnology Engineering, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, and at the School of Life Sciences, Jaipur National University, India. He is a notable tiger conservation geneticist. He worked at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, India, as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. He did his M.S. and Ph.D. in Biotechnology from premier Institutes in India with prestigious scholarships. Outside work, he loves wildlife photography, which has been recognized in different photography exhibitions and the National Geographic® Portal. He loves swimming and playing cricket. He is also a weekend chef; his friends claim he is a good host.

Doris Almonte
Chief Laboratory Supervisor

Learn more...
Doris Almonte is a highly skilled and dedicated Mohs Technician with an impressive career spanning seven years in the field. In addition to her substantial experience in Mohs surgery, Doris has specialized in Immunohistochemistry. Her dedication to her profession, precision in technique, and commitment to staying at the forefront of medical advancements make her exceptional at her work.  Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with her family and listening to music.

Jimin Woo-Pennacchio, MS
Senior Associate Researcher

Learn more...

Jimin is a Senior Associate Researcher in Guttman Lab, learning various lab techniques and participating in multiple projects for her career growth. She received her MS in Molecular Medicine from Ajou University School of Medicine, South Korea.

Prior to joining the Guttman Lab, she worked as a Laboratory Technologist for the clinical lab,  for various molecular testing such as NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing), OGT (Oxford Gene Technology), Covid19 testing and HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) typing etc. Outside of work, she likes to cook, play a piano and sing, knit & crochet and spend time with her family and her cat. Also, she loves to learn foreign languages (She is a multi-lingual).

Xinyi Lin, MS
Associate Researcher

Learn more...

Xinyi/Erika is an Associate Researcher at Guttman Lab, holding a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology from McGill University and a master’s degree in biotechnology from New York University. Her research interest is centered on unraveling the biomarkers underlying inflammatory skin disease progression and development. Outside of work, she is an avid runner and an adventurous food enthusiast, always eager to explore new culinary experiences.

Swaroop Bose, MS
Senior Associate Researcher

Learn more...

Swaroop specializes in NGS based translational Dermatology with focus on Clinical Trials. He has delivered on multiple industry sponsored trials using skills in Illumina and Thermofisher technologies to establish mechanisms of drug action in Inflammatory skin disorders. He is also responsible for on-boarding new protocols and implementing process improvements for the RNA pipeline. He previously worked with the CAGT (Genomics Core) where he served on the Mount Sinai COVID response team in translational NGS efforts in 2020.

Swaroop is also experienced in cancer biology and Adoptive T cell therapy having worked at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Children’s National hospital in Washington DC. He graduated from The George Washington university with a MS in Genomics, and received his engineering degree B.E. in Biotechnology from BMSCE, VTU in Bangalore, India. Outside of work, he enjoys organizing social hangouts, cooking, exploring NYC’s neighborhoods and traveling. He is also a cricket aficionado.

Daniel Liu
Medical Student

Learn more...

Daniel is a medical student (Class of 2026) and Research Fellow (2024 PeDRA Research Fellow). He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University in evolutionary biology. He completed his undergraduate thesis examining spatial and temporal trends in antimicrobial resistance in the United States. His thesis was under the supervision of Dr. Bryan Grenfell. Daniel’s research interests include elucidating the varied impact of genetics and environmental factors driving phenotypic and clinical differences in atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata presentation among different ethnic populations and their immigrant communities. Hobbies include workout classes such as Barry’s, Soulcycle, and Rumble.

Megan Lau
Medical Student

Learn more...

Megan Lau is a Clinical Research Fellow at the Guttman lab. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston University and is a medical student at NYU Grossman LI School of Medicine. She is interested in investigating biomarkers associated with inflammatory skin disorders and alopecia areata. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, and traveling.

Ragasruti Metukuru (Sruthi), MSc
Associate Researcher

Learn more...
Ragasruti Metukuru is an Associate Researcher at the Guttman Lab. She completed her MSc degree in biotechnology at NYU in December 2022 and has a bachelor’s degree in the same from India. While the scientific research process as a whole interests Sruthi, over the years she has developed a special interest in immunology as she studied how the immune system plays a key role in most diseases. Her interest in immunology brought her to the Guttman Lab where she finds her research interests grow and evolve as she comes into contact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Sruthi is also interested in genetic/genome engineering and how gene editing technologies can be used to alter/manipulate immune response (such as in the case of car-t cells). Her next step is to work towards a PhD in order to pursue her research questions in depth. Sruthi’s hobbies outside of the lab include reading, cooking, and learning new languages.

Joseph Largen
Clinical Research Coordinator

Learn more...

Joseph is a clinical research coordinator for Dr. Guttman. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Joseph continued his education at Creighton University School of Medicine and just completed his third year. Joseph’s research interests in Dermatology pertain to the treatment and long-term management of chronic inflammatory skin conditions. Interests outside of the lab include spending time with family and friends, especially his two nephews. Joseph is an avid sports fan and love playing golf when in his spare time.

Carlos Pena Junior, PhD
Bioinformatician

Learn more...
Carlos Pena became a pharmacist in 2005. He earned a master’s in biotechnology in 2008, and a PhD in Computational Biology in 2016. Carlos brings a strong academic foundation to his work in bioinformatics and biotechnology. His expertise includes proteomics analysis using Olink technology, transcriptomics analysis with RNAseq data, and the application of machine learning techniques to derive insights from complex biological datasets. During his PhD at Fiocruz, Carlos focused on molecular modeling and dynamics to study intrinsically disordered proteins, with findings published in a peer-reviewed journal. Proficient in Python, R, and protein engineering, he is passionate about leveraging computational tools, including machine learning, to solve complex biological challenges and explore new frontiers in bioinformatics. Outside of work, Carlos stays active through tennis, golf, and cultivating discipline and focus by practicing Kenjutsu at the Niten Institute. These activities enrich his personal and professional life, fostering balance and resilience.

Manali Shah, MS
Associate Researcher

Learn more...
Manali completed her master’s in Molecular Biology from Fordham University in May 2024, after earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from India. Her research interests focus on understanding the molecular basis of genetic disorders and the role of genetic biomarkers in disease development and progression. Additionally, Manali has a strong interest in immunology, particularly in studying how inflammatory biomarkers influence immune system responses in various health conditions. She is keen on exploring the impact of these biomarkers on chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and their potential as diagnostic tools or therapeutic targets. Outside the lab, Manali enjoys practicing yoga, reading, and spending quality time with my family.

Jessica Beaziz
Senior Associate Researcher

Learn more...

Jessica is a French dermatologist who graduated from the University of Paris. She completed her residency and clinical fellowship in Paris. During her master’s program, she spent a few months in professor Guttman’s research lab and recently returned as a senior associate researcher to deepen her expertise in inflammatory dermatology, particularly atopic dermatitis. Outside of her professional career, she enjoys traveling, listening to music, and spending quality time with her family.

Utsav Mesvani, MS
Associate Researcher

Learn more...
Utsav is an Associate Researcher in the Guttman Lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is a master’s graduate in Biotechnology from New York University and is interested in exploring the intricacies of research topics in Molecular biology and Virology. He is thrilled to contribute to the lab’s research on inflammatory diseases.  Outside the lab, Utsav enjoys playing football (Barcelona fan), chess, watching movies, and devouring cheesecakes.

Akbobek Amangeldiyeva, MPH
Biostatistician

Learn more...
Akbobek Amangeldiyeva holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Biostatistics from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biological Sciences from Nazarbayev University. As a Biostatistician proficient in R and SAS, she applies advanced statistical methodologies to analyze clinical and biomarker data, supporting data-driven decision-making in both internal and external projects.