Scott Gordon, MD, PhD - Principal Investigator

Scott is the Principal Investigator and an Attending Physician in the Division of Neonatology at CHOP. He believes our innovations in the lab will help to improve outcomes for moms and babies.

Scott graduated from Haverford College and received his MD and PhD from Perelman School of Medicine. He completed his residency in General Pediatrics and fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at CHOP. He now applies his interests in innate immune cell development to the maternal-fetal interface. When he’s not in the ICU or the lab, Scott is either on adventures with his family or cooking up a storm.

Adjoa Osei-Ntansah - Ph.D. Candidate, Immunology Graduate Group

Adjoa is a thesis student in the Penn Immunology Graduate Group (IGG) who is investigating crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune cells during acute and chronic viral infections.

Adjoa graduated from Howard University in May 2021 with a major in Biology and a double minor in Chemistry and Community Health. Adjoa is also passionate about tackling heath inequity through her work. Outside of lab, Adjoa loves traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Sonresa Molina-Vidales - Ph.D. Candidate, CAMB/MVP Graduate Group

Sonresa is a thesis student in the Penn Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology (MVP) program who is investigating proinflammatory signals that dictate normal uterine vascular adaptations to pregnancy.

Sonresa graduated from the University of Utah, with a major in Biology and an Emphasis in Microbiology. She hopes to improve birth outcomes for women of color. Her passions also extend to giving back to the Latino community and advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. Sonresa loves listening to the Relatos de la Noche podcast (a ghost story podcast), cooking, shopping, dancing, and exploring the outdoors with her family. 

Mason Dao

Mason is a senior Computational Biology major at Penn studying how the immune system is regulated at the maternal–fetal interface, where immune misfires can have outsized impacts for people with limited access to reproductive care. He combines spatial and multi-omic technologies to map immune activity in the placenta during congenital viral infection and to investigate how IVF hormone protocols may influence uterine natural killer cells and the immune environment that supports implantation and healthy pregnancy.

Outside the lab, Mason builds tiny interactive immunology games to make complex concepts more intuitive and approachable, curates playlists for friends, and has never once successfully saved a preprint for later.

Grace Dong

Grace is a Penn undergraduate researcher who majors in Biology and minors in Chemistry. She has been a member of the lab since 2024, working on methods to protect the fetus and placenta from the impacts of congenital viral infection. Grace’s next mission is to attend medical school, where she hopes to improve healthcare for rural community members.

Outside of the lab, Grace is an EMT, a soccer player, and a very hungry caterpillar whose Halloween costumes are a thing to behold.

Ezra Dubowitz

Ezra is an undergraduate researcher pursuing a B.A. in Biology and Urban Studies and is part of the Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program at Penn. He is passionate about the intersection of science, medicine, and social justice, with a strong interest in community health equity and social determinants of health. He currently studies how congenital viral infection alters fetoplacental development and how we can intervene to protect the fetus.

Outside of the lab, Ezra is involved in a range of community-based public health initiatives. Ezra is an active runner, biker, swimmer, triathaloner, and footballer.