Karen M Mann, PhD  Principal Investigator

Dr. Karen Mann, PhD is an Associate Member and Professor with tenure in the Departments of Molecular Oncology and GI Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Boston University and her doctorate in Genetics from Case Western Reserve University. During her post-doctoral training under the mentorship of National Academy of Sciences members Drs. Neal Copeland and Nancy Jenkins, Dr. Mann performed forward genetic screens in mouse models of cancer using Sleeping Beauty insertional mutagenesis to uncover genes involved in cancer progression and metastasis. This led to the novel discovery that pancreatic cancer cells mis-express proteins that bind and regulate the processing of RNA molecules by a mechanism called splicing. The Mann lab is focused on understanding how deregulation of splicing enables GI cancers to invade and grow in distant organs, like the liver, and to evade the immune system. Dr. Mann is dedicated to training scientists at all levels. She teaches graduate-level courses, serves as a member of several PhD thesis committees, and oversees the PhD Qualifying Exams for all pre-doctoral candidates.

Katharine Krueger, MS Research Associate

Katharine completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology at Florida State University, followed by a Master of Science in Neuroscience at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich. She conducted her master’s thesis research under the mentorship of Nduka Amankulor, exploring the role of the natural killer cell ligand NKG2D in the immune-cold phenotype of IDH mutant glioma. In the Mann lab, Katharine is interested in understanding how deregulation of RNA binding proteins mediates alternative splicing events to drive pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis. When she’s not in the lab, Katharine can be found painting, traveling, or running around St. Pete with her dog, Fox Mulder.

Taruna Saini, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow

Taruna earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology from SRM University, India, and a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Anna University, India. She pursued a PhD in Cancer Biology at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, where her dissertation focused on elucidating the regulatory roles of RNA binding proteins in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Driven by a deep interest in cancer genomics, she recently joined the laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow. Her current research centers on identifying novel splice variants in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, building on a strong foundation in molecular oncology and translational cancer research. Outside of the laboratory, she is passionate about traveling, hiking, exploring new cuisines, and expanding her knowledge through reading.

Aaron Bertolo, MD Clinical Fellow

Aaron obtained his Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo. He earned his medical degree from St. George’s University, and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Arizona. As a resident, he was engaged in oncologic research which focused on healthcare disparities in underrepresented populations. He is currently a clinical fellow at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, with a clinical and research interest in gastrointestinal malignancies, particularly pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Dr. Bertolo’s long-term goal is to become an academic gastrointestinal oncologist, integrating clinical care with translational research to help develop better therapeutic strategies and improve patient outcomes.

Catalina Sanchez, USF undergrad

Catalina is a senior at the University of South Florida majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology. This is her third year working as an undergraduate research trainee in the Mann Lab. This past summer, she was selected for a prestigious Diversity in Cancer Research (DICR) summer research internship sponsored by the American Cancer Society at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, FL. Her future career plans include pursuing a PhD in Cancer Biology. 

Lana Klein-Couzzi, USF undergrad

Lana is a fourth-year student at the University of South Florida pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Medical Biology. This is her second year working as an undergraduate research trainee in the Mann lab. This past summer, she was selected for a pre-med internship at the University of Michigan. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and train as a physician-scientist. In her free time she enjoys camping, rock climbing, playing rugby and baking.

 

 

Lab Alumni

Postdoctoral Fellows 

Justin Newberg, PhD, Foundation Medicine, Cambridge MA

Suman Govindaraju, PhD, Scientific Project Manager, CRO, India

Trainees

Keala Hollenkamp, 2025 Summer Research Volunteer, Princeton University

Sakshi Vanjani, 2024 Master's student USF, now at Augusta University

Fadi Gouda, 2024 Moffitt SPARK intern, University of South Florida

Penelope Hughes, 2024 Summer Research Volunteer, Oklahoma City University

Kaitlyn Martin, 2022 Summer Research Volunteer, now at Moffitt Cancer Center

Staff

Tiffany Arnold, MS, Sr. Associate Scientist, Forge Biologics, Columbus, OH

Cierra Kenney, BS

Michelle Maurin, MS, Advanced Research Scientist at USF, Tampa FL

Morez Ranjouri, MS, Research Associate Duke University

Montana Young, Pre-doctoral Candidate, Vanderbilt University