Laura Vella, MD, PhD

Locations: Main Hospital
Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)
Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)
MD - University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
Pediatrics - University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Pediatric Infectious Diseases - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Pediatric Infectious Diseases – American Board of PediatricsPediatrics – American Board of Pediatrics
PhD - University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
Masters in Translational Research - University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Attending Physician
Laura Vella, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Vella, L.A.*, Buggert M.*, Manne S., Herati R.S., Bukh Brody I., Kaprelian, H., Giles, J.R., Nguyen S., Muselman A., Antel, J.P., Bar-Or A., Johnson M.E., Canaday D.M., Naji A., Ganusov, V.V., Laufer T., Wells A.D., Itkin M., Dori Y., Betts M.R., Wherry E.J.: T follicular helper cells in human efferent lymph retain lymphoid characteristics. Journal of Clinical Investigation 130, July 2019.
Taylor DM, Aronow BJ, Tan K, Bernt K, Salomonis N, Vella LA, et al. The Pediatric Cell Atlas: Defining the Growth Phase of Human Development at Single-Cell Resolution. Dev Cell. 49(1): 10-29, Apr. 8 2019 Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.03.001. Epub 2019 Mar 28.
Sayin, I.*, Radtke, A.J.*, Vella, L.A., Jin, W., Wherry, E.J., Buggert, M., Betts. M.R., Herati, R.S., Germain, R.N., Canaday, D.H.: Spatial distribution and function of T follicular regulatory cells in human lymph nodes. J Exp Med 215(6): 1531-1542, June 2018.
Buggert M., Nguyen, S., Salgado-Montes de Oca, G., Bengsch B., Darko S., Ransier A., Roberts, E.R., del Alcazar, D., Brody, I.B., Vella, L.A., Wijeyesinghe, S., Herati, R.S., Del Rio Estrada, P.M., Kuri-Cervantes, L. Manne, S., Vartanian, S., Huffman, A., Sandberg, J., Gostick E., Silvestri, G., Canaday, D.H., Price, D.A., Su, L.F., Vahedi, G., Dori, Y., Frank, I., Itkin, M.G., Wherry, E.J., Deeks, S.G., Naji, A., Reyes-Terán, G., Masopust, D., Douek, D.C., Betts, M.R. : Resident memory CD8+ T cells dominate HIV-specific immunosurveillance in lymphoid tissue. Sci Immunol 3(24), June 2018.
Vella LA, Herati RS, Wherry EJ. “CD4 T cell Differentiation in Chronic Viral Infections: The Tfh perspective” Trends Mol Med. 2017 Dec;23(12):1072-1087.
Herati, R.S.*, Muselman, A.*, Vella, L.A., Bengsch B., Del Alcazar D., Kotzin J., Tebas P, Doyle S.A., Schmader K.E., Su L., Wherry E.J.: "Successive annual influenza vaccination induces a recurrent oligoclonotypic memory response in circulating T follicular helper cells." Science Immunology. 2(8), Feb 2017.
Pai, V., Vella, L.A., Fieldstone E.S. : "The cost of a Culture and Doctoring at a Distance." Case Report. Hosp Pediatr. 11: 597-9, Nov. 5 2015.
Vella LA,Fisher BT. “Infectious Diseases Approach to Immunocompromised Patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.” Pediatr Crit Care Med2015.
Vella, L.A., Yu, M., Phillips, A.B., Finn, O.J.: "Immunity Against Cyclin B1 Tumor Antigen Delays Development of Spontaneous Cyclin B1+ Tumors in p53-/- Mice" Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1174: 68-73, Sept. 2009.
Vella, L.A., Yu, M., Fuhrmann, S.R., El-Amine, M., Epperson, D.E., Finn, O.J.: "Healthy Individuals Have T Cell and Antibody Responses to the Tumor Antigen Cyclin B1 that When Elicited in Mice Protect from Cancer." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106(33): 14010-5, Aug. 18 2009.
Vella LA,Finn OJ. “Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Lung Cancer: The Balance between Cancer Progression and Prevention.” Novartis Found Symp.2006; 279:206-12; discussion 213-5, 216-9.
Egloff AM, Vella LA,Finn OJ. "Cyclin B1 and Other Cyclins as Tumor Antigens in Immunosurveillance and Immunotherapy of Cancer." Cancer Res.2006 Jan 1;66(1):6-9.
Henrickson, S.E., Manne, S., Herati R.S. Vella, L.A., Bengsch, B.B., Hensely, S.E., Rabinowitz, J., Coffin, S., Wherry, E.J. : Metabolic and Deep Immune Profiling Reveal Coordinate Effects on Immune Function in Asthma and Obesity. AAAI. February 2017.
Vella LA. "Cell States in the Thoracic Duct: Circulatory Intermediates of T follicular Helper Cells Between Lymph Nodes and Blood", Keystone Symposium: T and B cell Interactions. Feb, 2019.
2018, National Center for AIDS Research, Early Stage Investigator
2016, Travel Award, American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting
2014, Fellowship Award, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
2013, Gary C. Comer Award for Professional Excellence; The annual award from Senior Residents
2013, Best Residency Research Project; Adjudicated Department of Pediatrics poster session
2013, Senior Resident of the Year Award; The annual award from Faculty
2010, Richard L Day, M.D. Prize for Pediatrics
2004, Excellence in Collaborative Learning
1998, Alumni Merit Award, Delaware Scholars Award
1998, Diamond State Merit Scholarship, Tuition Exchange Program Scholarship, General Fund Scholarship
2018-present, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Pediatric Transplantation
2018-present, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Molecular Medicine
2016-present, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Leukocyte Biology
2017-present, Co-lead: CMV in Solid Organ Transplantation QuALITY Improvement
2016-present, Deep Neck Space Infection Pathway Committee Member
2011-present, Intern Selection Committee
2008-present, American Physician Scientists Association, Institution Representative
2005-present, Co-chair, MD/PhD Program 2nd Look Weekend
2011-present, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
2011-present, Infectious Diseases Society of America
2010-present, American Academy of Pediatrics
2008-present, American Physician Scientist Association