Ampel BioSolutions
AMPEL BioSolutions is a company founded to bring personalized precision medicine to patients, especially those suffering from autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The AMPEL team brings their expertise in basic and translational research, clinical trial design, and bioinformatics together in a new way to develop scalable systems using AI and deep machine learning to improve patient outcomes. To give patients and their doctors the tools and information necessary to make decisions based on that individual’s genomic profile.
In 2023, AMPEL expects to commercialize its first product, a CLIA-certified blood test for patients/physicians called LuGENE® that assesses disease state/flares and best drug option(s). Watch the video below to hear Dr. Grammer explain LuGENE®.
AMPEL in the News
UVAToday: Q&A UVA-Trained Biotech Leader Setting her Sights on Lupus
Bloomberg Markets Radio Program: Personalized Precision Medicine
NBC12: Digital Dialogue Lupus Awareness Month on LuGENE® for Lupus
CBS19: Coverage of CovGENE® to predict COVID patients who may experience severs disease
Current UVA Intern
Julianna Hitchcock
UVA Student and AMPEL Intern, June 2022-present.
Rodman Scholar, BS BME with a minor in Computer Science, expected May 2024.
Ampel BioSolutions
Company Industry
Biotech & Life Sciences
Company Type
Private
Company Size
10-50 Employees
Company Website
Alumni Spotlight
Erika Hubbard
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
2017
School of Engineering & Applied Science
Bioinformatics and Machine Learning Scientist, June 2016-August 2021
PhD Health and Biomedical Data Science Student jointly with AMPEL and George Washington University, August 2021-present
Publications with AMPEL :
- Transcriptomics data: pointing the way to subclassification and personalized medicine in systemic lupus erythematosus
- Analysis of gene expression from systemic lupus erythematosus synovium reveals myeloid cell-driven pathogenesis of lupus arthritis
Sophia Kerns
Biomedical Engineering
2022
School of Engineering & Applied Science
Research Associate, March 2021-present
Biomedical Engineering UVA Capstone with AMPEL, August 2021-May 2022
UVA B.S. BME May 2022, Full time after graduation
Andrea Daamen PhD
Immunology PhD
2019
School of Medicine
UVA Immunology PhD
Data Scientist Pre-Clinical Models, January 2022-present
Bioinformatics & Machine Learning Post-Doc, January 2020-January 2022
Publications with AMPEL:
- Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of COVID-19 blood, lung, and airway
- Augmented glucose dependency of autoreactive B cells provides a treatment target for lupus
Kathryn Kingsmore Allison PhD
Biomedical Engineering PhD
2018
School of Engineering & Applied Science
Biomedical Engineering PhD
Staff Scientist and Medical Affairs Liason, September 2020-present
Bioinformatics & Machine Learning Post-Doc, September 2018-September 2020
Publications with AMPEL:
- Machine learning reveals distinct gene signature profiles in lesional and nonlesional regions of inflammatory skin diseases
- An introduction to machine learning and analysis of its use in rheumatic diseases
Emily Leventhal
BS Computer Science
2022
School of Engineering & Applied Science
Research Associate, June 2022-present
Adam Labonte
PhD Immunology
2016
School of Medicine
Staff Scientist and Medical Affairs Liason, AMPEL BioSolutions, June 2018-present.
UVA BA Biology 2010, MS Microbiology 2012, PhD Immunology 2016.
AMPEL BioSolutions Systems Immunology Post-Doc June 2016-June 2018.
Publications with AMPEL:
A.C. Labonte, B. Kegerreis, N. Geraci, P. Bachali, S. Madamanchi, R. Robl, M.D. Catalina, P.E. Lipsky and A.C. Grammer. “Identification of alterations in macrophage polarization associated with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus,” PLoS One 13(12):e0208132, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478921/
M.D. Catalina, K.A. Owen, A.C. Labonte, A.C. Grammer and P.E. Lipsky, “The pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus: harnessing Big Data to understand the molecular basis of lupus,” J. Autoimmunity 110:102359-102369, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31806421/
K.A. Owen, A. Price, H. Ainsworth, B.N. Aidukaitis, P. Bachali, M.D. Catalina, J.M. Dittman, T.D. Howard, Kathryn M. Kingsmore, A.C. Labonte, Robert D. Robl, Kip D. Zimmerman, C.D. Langefeld, P.E. Lipsky* and A.C. Grammer* (*co-corresponding authors),“Analysis of Trans-Ancestral SLE Risk Loci Identifies Unique Biologic Networks and Drug Targets in African and European Ancestries,” Am. J. Human Genetics 107:1-18, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.09.007
Claire Dykas
B.A. Biology
2017
School of Arts and Sciences
Medical Affairs Liaison and Clinical Trial Operations, 2017-present.