Penn Postdocs in the News: Brittney Allyn, Ph.D., and Lucas Restrepo, Ph.D., named 2026 Brody Fellows
Penn Postdoctoral Fellows Brittney Allyn and Lucas Restrepo receive Brody Family Medical Trust Fund Fellowships
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Dr. Brittney Allyn and Dr. Lucas Restrepo, postdoctoral researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, have been named 2026 Brody Fellows by the Philadelphia Foundation. The Brody Family Medical Trust Fund fellowships provide two years of support for early-career postdoctoral researchers pursuing new approaches to diseases for which effective treatments remain limited.
Dr. Allyn earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2024. After conducting postdoctoral research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she joined the Weissman Laboratory at Penn, where she currently trains under Dr. Jilian Melamed
Her Brody-supported research focuses on developing a lipid nanoparticle-based therapy for celiac disease. By investigating targeted approaches to restoring immune tolerance, Dr. Allyn aims to advance treatment options for an autoimmune condition currently managed primarily through lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet.
Dr. Restrepo earned his B.S. in Biology from The Catholic University of America and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, following research experience at Reaction Biology Corporation and Thomas Jefferson University. At Penn, he conducts postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Philip Campbell.
Dr. Restrepo’s fellowship project investigates how mitochondrial function in astrocytes may influence neurodevelopmental brain disorders. Using zebrafish models, his research examines cellular mechanisms associated with conditions including schizophrenia and autism, with the goal of identifying new directions for therapeutic research.
The Brody Family Medical Trust Fund Fellowship supports full-time postdoctoral researchers in the early stages of developing innovative treatments for diseases with significant societal impact and no consistently effective cure. Recipients are selected with guidance from a panel of physicians and scientists convened by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
We are proud to celebrate Dr. Allyn and Dr. Restrepo and their contributions to advancing research on autoimmune and neurodevelopmental diseases at Penn.