Temple University, Biology

Jessica Thaxton, Ph.D.

I earned my Ph.D. in Biology from Temple University, where my doctoral research advanced the understanding of the nuclear pore complex’s structure and function using several super-resolution microscopy techniques. During this time, I mentored graduate and undergraduate students in complex imaging methods, successfully integrating their work into research projects that earned them co-authorship on multiple publications. As a graduate teaching assistant, I taught both introductory human biology and advanced biochemical research techniques. I also helped redesign laboratory curricula for hybrid and remote delivery, prioritizing flexibility, accessibility, and student-centered learning. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher in the Thaxton Lab, I study cellular stress and its link to immune cell exhaustion and cancer progression. My work focuses on modifying organellar structures in CAR-T cells as a unique strategy to enhance therapeutic efficacy for patients