Dr. Katharine Bar, M.D. (She/Her)

Associate Professor of Medicine

Dr. Katharine Bar completed her medical training at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, was chief resident in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia, and an Infectious Disease fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the lab of Drs. George Shaw and Beatrice Hahn. Dr. Bar joined the University of Pennsylvania faculty in 2012 and is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine, an Infectious Disease physician, and a translational physician-scientist. Dr. Bar studies the basic mechanisms and impact of virus transmission, pathogenesis, and persistence of HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and other viral pathogens.

Bar Lab Members

Suvadip Mallick, Ph.D. (He/Him)

Postdoctoral Researcher
Suva’s experience during his Ph.D. focused on experimental therapeutics against Visceral Leishmaniasis. For his postdoctoral training, Suva moved into virology/immunology and worked on the neuropathogenesis and neuro-inflammation of Encephalitis caused by neuro-invasive viruses (JEV, CHPV). Suva's postdoctoral training was undertaken in India as a National Post Doc Fellow (Science and Engineering Research Board, India) at the National Brain Research Centre, at Tulane National Primate Research Center, USA, and at SouthWest National Primate Research Center (Biomed Research Institute, USA.) in Texas. Suva is fascinated with host-pathogen interaction, reservoir and viral rebound studies with the HIV model of Non-Human Primates (SIV/SHIV).
Jake Robinson, Ph.D. (He/Him)

Postdoctoral Researcher
Jake joined the lab in April 2024 after postdoctoral training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he studied the role of vaginal microbes in immune activation during pregnancy and the role of intrauterine inflammation in in utero brain injury and immune dysfunction. Jake is an academic scientist interested in viral and bacterial infections during pregnancy. He received his doctoral degree in biomedical sciences from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. His graduate training focused on accelerated cardiovascular disease in people with HIV. His studies were in women with HIV, SIV-infected rhesus macaques, and HIV-infected humanized mice to identify the role of osteopontin in the development of cardiac fibrosis during HIV disease progression.
Noah Beratan, B.A. (He/Him)

Ph.D. Student
Noah earned his BA in biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023, where he performed research on HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. He is currently a PhD student in the Cell and Molecular Biology Gene Therapy and Vaccine Program at Penn. Noah joined the Bar lab in August 2023 and his research will focus on using therapeutic mRNA vaccines to boost autologous neutralizing responses after early ART initiation in NHP models. Outside of lab, Noah loves biking, cooking, and exploring Philadelphia.
Kevin Newcombe, B.S. (He/Him)

Ph.D. Student
Kevin graduated from the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley in 2017 with a double-major in Physics and Biology. Following this, he worked as a research technician at Weill Cornell Medical College, investigating the role of cellular metabolism on HIV-1 replication. During his Post-Bac at the University of Pennsylvania, Kevin used CAR-T cells to target HIV-1 infected T cells as part of an immunotherapy approach to controlling HIV-1 infection. In Katie’s lab at The University of Pennsylvania, Kevin is researching how gene editing tools can be used to target and clear HIV-1 infections.
Jiajie Li, B.S. (She, Her)

Master's Student
Jiajie is a master’s student in Biotechnology who joined the Bar Lab in January 2025. She holds a B.S. in Biotechnology from Northeast Forestry University, where she focused on synthetic biology and worked on projects involving lycopene biosynthesis and anti-cancer mechanisms of triptolide.
In the Bar Lab, Jiajie is currently working on the therapeutic potential of bNAbs against HIV. She is passionate about immunology and virology, and hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in the future to further explore strategies for HIV prevention and cure.
Outside the lab, Jiajie is a music lover who enjoys live shows, a Nintendo fan, a photography enthusiast, and a Manchester City supporter.
Ryan Krause, B.S. (He/Him)

Research Specialist
While completing his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at Rowan University, Ryan studied prospective therapeutics targeting microbial biofilm under Dr. Lark Perez. Upon completing his B.S., Ryan served in the Peace Corps in rural Zambia for three years where he facilitated community-health programs to mitigate the disease burden of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and mother and child health. Ryan joined the Bar Lab as a Research Specialist in January 2022 where he characterizes viral evolution, viral fitness, and autologous neutralizing antibody development. In his free time, Ryan enjoys live music, antiquing, and being outside.
Hannah Schrader, B.S. (She/Her)

Research Specialist
Hannah earned her BS degree in Marine Biology from Roger Williams University in 2019. After college, she worked with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Narragansett, RI for three years. While at the EPA, her research was focused on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the impacts of these chemicals on marine environments. After working in environmental research for a couple of years, she transitioned into the public health/molecular virology field. She started an APHL fellowship with the NJ Department of Health in Ewing, NJ where she standardized and implemented the surveillance of seasonal influenza strains using Illumina-based sequencing platforms. This position further piqued her interest in infectious disease research and so, after completing her fellowship, she moved to Philadelphia and joined the Bar lab in September 2023. In her spare time, she loves traveling, exploring the city, going to the beach, and hiking/being outdoors.
Hunter Courtney, B.A. (He/Him)

Research Specialist
Hunter joined the Bar lab as an undergraduate student in April 2023 before transitioning to being a research specialist upon his graduation in May 2024. Hunter received his B.A. in Biochemistry and Chemistry as a Roy and Diana Vagelos Molecular Life Sciences Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. He is co-mentored in the Bar lab and the Vella lab, situated adjacent at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His scientific interests lie in the maturation of anti-HIV-1 neutralizing antibody responses and collaboration of CD4+ T and B lymphocytes to refine these antibodies for neutralization breadth and potency. He hopes to enroll in a Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) in human immunology to continue his passion for HIV-1 research and care for people with HIV. Outside the lab, Hunter enjoys going to coffee shops, reading, trying new food, and rewatching shows with 15+ seasons.
Alexander McFarland, Ph.D. (He/Him)

Bioinformatician
Alex is a Bioinformatician in the Bushman Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. He also joined the Bar lab as a part time bioinformatician. Alex helps the Bar lab with all the bioinformatics related analysis. Alex has a PhD in Biological Sciences and his Interests are: genomics, soccer, and scuba diving.
Prableen Kaur (She/Her)

Undergraduate Researcher