Penn Postdocs in the News: Sean Callahan, Ph.D., awarded Hartwell Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
Penn Postdoctoral Fellow Sean Callahan, Ph.D., awarded Hartwell Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Dr. Sean Callahan, a postdoctoral researcher in the Berger Lab at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, has been awarded a Hartwell Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship to support research on pediatric epigenetic regulation of microglia development.
Dr. Callahan earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2023, where he conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Jeremiah G. Johnson. His doctoral dissertation, Induction and Evasion of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps by Campylobacter jejuni, examined host-pathogen interactions and immune responses to bacterial infection. He previously earned a bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science and Technology from the University of New Haven.
At Penn, Dr. Callahan conducts research in the laboratory of Shelley Berger, PhD, Daniel S. Och University Professor and Director of the Penn Epigenetics Institute. His fellowship-supported project investigates how epigenetic pathways regulate microglial development in pediatric contexts, with potential implications for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders and childhood neurological disease.
The Hartwell Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship supports early-career scientists conducting innovative biomedical research with the potential to improve children’s health. Fellows receive support to pursue high-impact translational research projects focused on pediatric health and development.
Dr. Callahan’s fellowship reflects Penn’s continued leadership in epigenetics, neuroscience, and translational biomedical research.
We are proud to celebrate Dr. Callahan’s accomplishments and his contributions to advancing pediatric neuroscience and epigenetics research.