Maryam Ebadi Fard Azar, M.D.

Maryam Azar completed her M.D. at the Iran University of Medical Sciences, where she also worked as a research assistant during and after medical training. She served as an ER physician in Mehregan Psychiatric Hospital in Tehran, Iran, before coming to Johns Hopkins as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Dale Needham’s Lab, where she investigated improvement of outcomes in ICU patients after intubation. Then, as a research fellow in the Department of Neuropathology with Tong Li and Philip Wong, she studied Tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Now with the Adamo Lab, Maryam is investigating the immune links to pediatric cardiomyopathies, and plans to pursue her clinical licensure in the United States.

Beyond the lab and the clinic, Maryam enjoys painting, reading philosophy, and the vibrant social life of the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas. Maryam is a polyglot, speaking Farsi, Turkish and Azerbaijani fluently, and learning Yiddish.

Kevin Bermea, M.D., M.Sc.

Kevin Bermea is a post-doctoral fellow in the Adamo Lab, with a previous fellowship at Johns Hopkins with Anne Margaret Murphy. He completed his M.D. and a M.Sc. in molecular biology and genetic engineering at the Universidad Autónoma de Nueva León. He worked as a physician in Monterrey, Mexico before moving to the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley to work as a research associate. Among other endeavors, he has worked to discover proteomic biomarkers for cardiac disease, and his work with the Adamo Lab aims to unscramble enigmas involving complex immune processes in the heart. Kevin has authored a book chapter on the implications of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein in diabetic retinopathy, and his work will be featured in several upcoming publications.

Kevin has strong skills in data analysis with R, enjoys teaching undergraduates and graduate students in the lab, and is always interested in what’s new in microbiology. His son, also named Kevin, is almost two years old and loves playing with cars, showing videos to kittens, and learning new things like his father.

Charles Cohen, Ph.D.

Charles Cohen is an Australian post-doctoral fellow in the Adamo Laboratory, with a background in cardiac cell biology, physiology, and pharmacology. Charles graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) from Monash University (Department of Pharmacology) with First-Class Honors, also receiving the Alan Boura Prize for Pharmacology. Charles subsequently completed a Ph.D in cardiac cell biology at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and LaTrobe University, incorporating high-dimensional flow cytometry, cardiac single-cell RNA sequencing, and confocal microscopy to characterize distinct changes in the cardiac cellular composition in diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy. Now, Charles is investigating the relationship between immune cell activation, myocardial function, and myocardial adaptation to injury – with a particular focus on B-cells.

Charles has a personal connection to cardiac disease. His mother suddenly passed away from cardiac arrest when he was six years-old, and the cause is still unknown. This drives his enthusiasm to learn about the intricacies of heart networks to better understand cardiovascular disease.

Outside of work, Charles enjoys watching and playing various sports, hiking, and fishing.

Oby Ebenebe, Ph.D., M.Sc.

Oby is a post-doctoral fellow in the Adamo Lab, with a previous fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health with Mark Kohr in the department of Environmental Health and Engineering. Born in Nigeria, raised in England, she graduated from the University of Leicester (UK) with a BSc in Biological Sciences: Physiology with Pharmacology and from Kings College London with an M.Sc. in Human and Applied Physiology. Oby completed her Ph.D. in Physiology at the University of Otago (New Zealand) training with Jeff Erickson. Her research interest is in understanding the physiological differences of the cardiovascular system between the sexes and how these differences influence disease progression.

Qiao Huang, B.S., B.M.

Qiao Huang graduated with honors from The Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology. During his undergraduate education, Qiao served as a research assistant at the Biology of Healthy Aging (BOHA) program at The Johns Hopkins Medicine Bayview Medical Center. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jeremy Walston, Dr. Peter Abadir, and Dr. Qinchuan Wang, he focused on investigating the roles of the kynurenine-NAD biosynthesis pathway and ox-CAMKII in inflammation and aging.

In May 2024, Qiao joined the Adamo Cardiac Immunology Lab, where he is investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiomyopathies and exploring the clinical implications of these discoveries in basic science. His current research centers around the role of B cells in mediating the heart's response to pressure overload.

Qiao also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance from the Peabody Institute Conservatory at The Johns Hopkins University. He continues to nurture his passion for music in his pastime, balancing his scientific endeavors with his artistic pursuits.

Jana Lovell, M.D.

Jana Lovell is a cardiology fellow who joined the Adamo Lab as a post-doctoral fellow. She received her M.D. degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. While attending medical school, she participated in the Medical Research Scholars Program at the National Institutes of Health, where she developed an interest in immunology and translational research. She then went on to complete her internal medicine training in the Osler Residency Program at Hopkins. After finishing her first two clinical years of cardiology training at Hopkins, she joined the Adamo Lab as a T32 research fellow to combine her interests in heart failure and immunology. Following her research fellowship, she plans to complete additional training in advanced heart failure and transplant.

Outside of medicine, she enjoys running, hiking, and exploring new restaurants in Baltimore with her friends and dog.

Sylvie Rousseau

Sylvie Rousseau studied Human Biology at Stanford University and worked in international development and global health for several years. She is passionate about improving health outcomes for populations around the world and has special experience in data systems and project reporting as well as communications and workforce training. Sylvie's public health experience includes programs in HIV/AIDS with OVC, human resources for health, and maternal and child health. She has worked with government agencies and nonprofits in Haiti, the Philippines, Uganda, and the United States. With the Adamo Lab since May 2021, Sylvie supports the research activities of her colleagues.

Helen Song, B.S.

Yiran (Helen) Song is currently pursuing a master’s degree in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins. She received her bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering: Biotechnology from the University of California San Diego. She is interested in cardiac physiology and inflammation. Helen’s undergraduate research was dedicated to identifying extracellular RNA as biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease from plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. She also worked on designing a device to facilitate the imaging of small-scale blood vessels under a multiphoton microscope. Helen joined the Adamo Lab in February 2024, and her work focuses on characterizing B cell non-depleting antibodies.

Outside of work, Helen enjoys ice skating, dancing, and exploring Baltimore with her friends.

Aashik Bhalodia, B.S.

Aashik Bhalodia studied molecular and cellular biology and classics at Johns Hopkins University. He has worked in basic science research labs, as well as hospital and outpatient facilities, and he approaches research from an interdisciplinary perspective. Aashik joined the Adamo Lab in June 2022 and moved on to pursue his Ph.D. at Yale University.

Marcelle Dina Zita, Ph.D.

Marcelle Dina Zita was a post-doctoral research fellow in the Adamo Lab. Born and raised in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Marcelle moved to the U.S. to pursue a bachelor of science degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She then completed a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology under the mentorship of Dr. Karl Boehme at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, investigating mechanisms of reovirus-induced cardiac pathology. With the Adamo Lab, her work focused on developing a viral-induced murine model for pediatric cardiac pathology. She went on to work in patent law.

Fabiana Pani, M.D.

Fabiana Pani is a physician-scientist born and raised in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, She completed her M.D. and post-graduate training in endocrinology at the Universities of Pisa and Cagliari, focusing on autoimmune diseases and endocrinopathies. Fabiana completed a first post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins with Patrizio Caturegli, studying autoimmune thyroiditis. With the Adamo Lab, she applied her knowledge of autoimmune disease to the emerging field of immunotherapy. In 2022, Fabiana followed her passion for patient care and assumed a clinician-researcher role at Gustave Roussy University Hospital in Paris, France.