Meet the Hargarten Lab
Jessica C. Hargarten, PhD
Assistant Professor | Principal Investigator
Dr. Jessica C. Hargarten received her B.S. from the University of California, Davis and her Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She did her postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the NIH Clinical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Peter R. Williamson, MD/PhD in the Translational Mycology Section where she began to uncover the genetic and immunologic factors underlying human susceptibility to invasive fungal disease. Her work also identified the predominant pathway underlying a post-fungal infection inflammatory syndrome and a new treatment modality for cryptococcal- post-infectious inflammatory response syndrome in patients. After her training, she moved to Rutgers where she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine and member of the Center of Immunity and Inflammation. Dr. Hargarten's long-term research goal is to define and interrogate human genetic, immunologic, and lifestyle factors that skew immune responses towards severe disease following fungal infections in previously healthy populations in order to inform precision medicine approaches to care and treatment. Her lab utilizes relevant in vivo and in vitro models of disease and clinical samples to further determine the role of these genes (particularly MTOR pathway genes) in immunity and susceptibility to disease caused by the fungus Cryptococcus. Her research is currently supported by extramural funding from NIAID.
Languages Spoken: English and a little Spanish (although my ears are fluent in Spanish, thanks to my parents and grandparents)
Favorite Fungi: Beyond Candida and Cryptococcus species, my favorite fungi to look at under the microscope are Penicillium species with their petal-like conidiophores, and to eat and see pop up under trees are true morels, Morchella.
email: jessica.hargarten@rutgers.edu
Gabriel Soares Matos, PhD
Post-doctoral Associate
Biography: Gabriel has dedicated his career to understanding the biological functions of lipids and the metabolic pathways that regulate them. He has demonstrated how the TOR and cell cycle pathways control lipid metabolism, and conversely, how lipids coordinate cell division. Because these pathways are essential for fungal virulence, his research shifted toward investigating the regulation of lipid metabolism in pathogenic fungi and exploring potential antifungal drugs that target these processes. His current focus is on uncovering how the TOR pathway and lipid metabolism contribute to cryptococcosis and whether they may serve as biomarkers of the disease.
Education:
· Postdoctoral fellow, Stony Brook University, NY - USA
· PhD in Biochemistry, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica-Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
· M.Sc in Biochemistry, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica-Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
· Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Languages Spoken: Portuguese, English, and learning Spanish
Favorite Fungi: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Bread, beer, wine, etc..) as it was my “best friend” throughout my PhD, so we go way back. I also have to mention Ustilago maydis, the corn pathogen, which is considered both a pathogen and a delicacy and is actually very tasty.
email: gs1274@njms.rutgers.edu
Laura Macedo, MS
Research Technician (RTS IV) | Lab Manager
Biography: Dedicated and detail-oriented, Laura keeps all our research projects moving smoothly in the Hargarten Lab with a strong foundation in molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, and lab management. Previously, she utilized these methods to study antifungal resistance in Candida glabrata. In the Hargarten lab, she provides hands-on laboratory expertise on in vivo studies focusing on the genetic susceptibility of patients to cryptococcosis and analysis of patient cohort datasets.
Education:
· Masters in Biotechnology, William Paterson University, NJ, USA
· Bachelors in Biology, William Paterson University, NJ, USA
· Associates in General Sciences, Bergen Community College, NJ, USA
Languages Spoken: Portuguese and English
Favorite Fungi: Ophiocordyceps!
email: lf641@njms.rutgers.edu
Daniel Chacko
PhD Student (Rotating Fall 2025, I3 track)
Biography: Dan is deeply interested in the mechanisms underlying the immune system’s interactions with its environment and in how immune pathways can be directly manipulated to alter phenotypes and disease responses in vivo. His previous research includes undergraduate studies investigating macrophage phenotypic responses to disease through the use of exosomes, as well as industry experience optimizing methods for antibody discovery against diverse antigenic targets.
Education:
· Bachelors in Microbiology and Stem Cell Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Languages Spoken: English
Favorite Fungi: S. cerevisiae, because of its powerful applications in industry and utility in brewing beer.
email: dc1855@gsbs.rutgers.edu
Aadit Padhi
Undergraduate Student (Rutgers Pathways to Junior Scientist Program)
Biography:
Education:
Bachelor’s in Neuroscience/Behavior and Biology (Dual-Major), Rutgers University- Newark, New Jersey, USA (ongoing)
Diploma in Healthcare, Morris County Vocational School of Technology, New Jersey, USA
Languages Spoken: English, Odia, French
Favorite Fungi:
email: ap2593@scarletmail.rutgers.edu