OUR TEAM | Franco Lab

Lab Members

Get to know our team.

Aime T. Franco, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

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Aime was born in Connecticut, but has lived and studied in many places all over the world! Aime began her journey as a scientist with her first microscope and chemistry set that she received as a kid for Christmas. She has always loved science and thought that meant you had to go to medical school. But in college she found that college professors could be scientists and do research! She started her path by first pursuing a Master's in Nutrition investigating the role of zinc in thyroid hormone receptor activation at the University of Connecticut. She then traveled to Tennessee to work towards her PhD at Vanderbilt University studying the role of beta-catenin in gastric cancer development during H-pylori infection. As a postdoc, she transitioned to thyroid cancer research, developing novel mouse models of thyroid cancer (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 2007-2011). The Franco Lab was founded at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (2011-2019), establishing close ties with both clinicians and patients. We then moved to CHOP/Penn in the summer of 2019. Since 2012 the lab has received generous support from the American Thyroid Association, the American Cancer Society, the NCI and the Department of Defense. Aime moved her lab to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2019 to lead the the Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Translational Laboratory using her extensive knowledge as both a scientist and a cancer survivor. Patients should be the center and motivation for all cancer research and makes sure to highlight that in all of her research endeavors! Beyond the lab, Aime is actively involved with the American Thyroid Association and Cancer Advocacy efforts. She often travels to DC to advocate for Cancer Research. Aime trains for triathlons, wrangles three kids, bakes sourdough, makes fresh pasta with her husband and generally tries to get the most out of life as a cancer survivor!

Our Teams

CHOP

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CATC

UPENN

Rotation Students

Rotation Student

Taylor Drake

Taylor is currently a rotating PhD student in the Cancer Biology program. She is from Baltimore, Maryland, where she earned a degree in Biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2024. Her main interests include breast cancer, cell signaling, and the tumor microenvironment. Outside of the lab, Taylor is an avid gamer, enjoys cooking and trying new recipes, and likes watching horror movies.

Rotation Students

We are a multidisciplinary team. Let us know if you are interested in joining the Franco lab as part of your rotation.

Research Team

Our CHOPions!

Lab Manager & Animal Technician

Michele Scheerer

Michele's science & animal career where she majored in small animal technology and minored in large animal technology at Walter Biddle Saul. From there, she spent many years pursuing an internship and other training classes in animal caretaking/training. She also worked as a vet tech at Society Hill Vet Hospital as a vet tech. With all this expertise under her belt, Michele ventured into Biomedical Research Labs as she began working as Lab Manager in a Pulmonary Lab under Dr. Ron Rubenstein all while studying CF. After working in CF for 12 years, it was time to find a new home. In August of 2020, she joined the Franco Lab as the lab manger all while conducting animal work on the side! Besides managing and animal expertise she is a mom of 3 awesome kids which all train in MMA! I enjoy working out and spending time with family and friends. I love animals, baking, and she takes being a mom and lab mom very seriously!

Research & Animal Technician

Zachary (Zach) P Spangler

Joining the lab in February of 2021, Zach is the animal handler extraordinaire as he manages our ever-expanding animal colony. He is also our lab's "sous-chef" supporting everyone with their projects! He is also a passionate cyclist, DJ, and audiophile of different genres.

Research Technician

Christian Hernandez-Padilla

Worked with Franco lab as a graduate student collaborator from Virginia Tech starting in 2022. Joined the lab in 2023 as a research tech. Currently works with microscopy techniques, ImageJ processing tools and R to investigate the mechanical cues of the tumor microenvironment. Christian is also a passionate cyclist, football fan (its football not soccer), at home chef, sci-fi nerd, and enjoys many different genres of music (Latin, Classical, Pop, Rock, Heavy metal, Salsa, Jazz, and more).

Clinical Research Fellow

Adeline Yang

Adeline joined our lab in 2023 and is currently establishing cell models for resistance to molecular therapies in thyroid cancer for different mutation drivers while devoting her service to the clinic and her patients. In her spare time she is an avid trekker and enjoys tending to her plants in her home garden.

PhD Candidate

Kay Labella

Kay is a graduate student in CAMB-CB investigating sex differences in thyroid cancer and how androgens influence the tumor immune microenvironment.

Outside of the lab, She is the co-editor-in-chief of the CAMB Student Newsletter, and enjoys reading, costuming, and tabletop alongside her epic fiancé Sam and pirate cat Siren.

Undergrad Intern

Nicholas (Nico) E Bambach

A current senior at UPenn who has worked with the Franco Lab during the school year and summers since his freshman year. As a cancer survivor, Nico is passionate about cancer research and is specifically interested in cancer genomics. He is currently using gene editing to unravel the functional effects of specific genetic alterations in thyroid cancer. Outside of the lab, Nico is an avid tennis player and fan, a food enthusiast, a lifeguard, and an involved member of his fraternity.

Lead Scientist

Julio Marques Ricarte Filho

Julio joined the Franco lab in 2020. He is currently a Senior Scientist and his work focuses on characterizing the genetic changes in pediatric thyroid cancer and their mechanisms of action. Outside the lab, he loves spending time with family, watching (Brazilian) soccer, running outside and BBQing.

Graduate Student

Diana Cruz

Diana Cruz is from Long Beach, CA. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with distinction in Biology and a minor in Law and Society in 2022. During her undergraduate education, she was a research assistant in the Beatty Lab where she studied serum amyloid A impacts on the immune system in a PDAC mice model. She is now a PhD student in the Cancer Biology subprogram of CAMB. Her current project investigates the nuclear integrity of thyroid cancer cells under confined stress and how mechanical stress impacts thyroid cancer cell behavior. She is co-mentored in the Nader Lab.