Suzana is a 4th-year Ph.D. candidate in Microbiology, Virology, & Parasitology in Dr. Joseph St. Geme’s Lab in CHOP. Her research focuses on investigating subunit and mRNA-LNP vaccine platforms with the efforts of developing a universal vaccine for nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. Suzana is also a fellow in the Penn Center for Innovation Fellowship Program, where she supports evaluation of early-stage technologies for patentability and commercial viability. Prior to Penn, Suzana earned her B.S. in Cell Biology & Biochemistry from University of California, San Diego. She also received her M.S. in Biology from UCSD where she researched novel immunization-based therapeutics for inflammatory bowel disease. Suzana has been invovled with Penn Biotech Group for one year, where she served as a Team Member and developed partnership strategies with multiple gene therapy companies. As Co-VP of Conference, she is excited to organize the 2027 Wharton Biotech Conference– a multifaceted event that brings industry leaders, forward-thinking professionals, and driven students together to learn more about biotech, entrepreneurship, and more. In her free time, you’ll find Suzana curating a perfectly vintage wardrobe inspired by fashion from the 60s, 70s, and early 2000s.