Exene Anderson

Graduate Student

Hometown: Tucson, AZ

Education:

B.S. - Microbiology and Molecular and Cellular Biology - University of Arizona 

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Project: I'm studying the expression of S. aureus leukotoxins in various organs during infection and how those genes are regulated. 

Fun Fact: I was named after a punk rock singer

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Ashley DuMont

Senior Research Scientist

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

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Education:

B.S. - Biology - Denison University 

Ph.D. - Microbiology - New York University 

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Project:  I am working on developing a vaccine against S. aureus infections and I study the pathogenesis of multi-drug resistant  bacteria.

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Fun Fact: My artwork has been on the cover of Trends in Microbiology twice.

Juan Gago

Graduate Student

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Education:

M.D. - University of Buenos Aires

M.P.H. - City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health

Project: I am working on analyzing clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 and sepsis.

Fun Fact: I traveled the Amazonian jungle by boat.

Sandra Gonzalaz

Assistant Research Scientist

Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia

Education: 

B.S. Microbiology - Universidad De Los Andes - Bogotá, Colombia

M.S. Microbiology - Universidad De Los Andes - Bogotá, Colombia

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Project: I work on the host-pathogen interactions occurring during nosocomial MRSA pneumonia infections.

Fun Fact: I like to dance salsa and cumbia.

Keenan Lacey

Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Dublin, Ireland

Education:

B.A. - Microbiology - Trinity College Dublin.

Ph.D. - Immunology - Trinity College Dublin.

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Project: I work on the host-pathogen interactions occurring during nosocomial MRSA pneumonia infections.

Fun Fact: My grandfather was also a microbiologist and worked at the Guinness factory.

Anna O'Keeffe

Research Associate

Hometown: Dublin, Ireland

Education:

B.S. - Pharmacology - University College Dublin

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Project: I am working on developing new vaccines against S. aureus infections.

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Fun Fact: I love open-water swimming. 

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Andrew Perault

Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Big Sur, CA / Ann Arbor, MI

Education:

B.S. - Microbiology - University of Michigan

MPH - Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology - University of Michigan

Ph.D. - Microbiology and Immunology - University of North Carolina

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Project: I am studying virulence mechanisms used by the multi-drug resistant pathogen Enterobacter cloacae.

Fun Fact: When I was a kid, the Dalai Lama gave me a stress ball as a gift (should I read into that?). 

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Rachel Prescott

Graduate Student

Hometown: Hampden, ME

Education:

B.S. - Biochemistry - Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Project: I study the interactions between Staphylococcus bacteria and Influenza viruses in a co-infection model.

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Fun Fact: I played the tuba in the WPI Marching Band! Go Tech! 

Francesca Serraino

Research Associate

Hometown: Yonkers, NY

Education:

B.S. - Biology - Stony Brook University  

Project: : I am working on developing new vaccines against S. aureus infections.

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Fun Fact: I love to play the piano, and I was in an acapella group called the Pipettes!

Amelia St John

Research Associate 

Hometown: Scarborough, ME

Education:

B.S. - Microbiology - University of Maine

Project: I am studying virulence mechanisms used by the multi-drug resistant pathogen Enterobacter cloacae.

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Fun Fact: I was on an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos.

Chunyi Zhou

Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown:  Xinyang, Henan, China

Education:

M.D. - Clinical Medicine - Xinxiang Medical University

Ph.D. - Microbiology - University of Nebraska Medical Center

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Project: I am working on the study of gastrointestinal tract colonization of CA-MRSA.

Fun Fact: My hometown is famous for Xinyang Maojian tea.

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Daiane Boff

Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Education:

B.S. - Biomedicine - IESA

M.S. - Biochemistry and immunology - Federal university of Minas Gerais

PhD - Immunology - Federal University of Minas Gerais

PhD - Microbiology and immunology - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

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Project: I am studying how S. aureus leukotoxins can target endothelial cells during infection.

Fun Fact: I love American football

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Sophie Dyzenhaus

Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Education:

B.S. - Immunology - University of Toronto

Ph.D. - Microbiology - New York University

Project: I work on virulence mechanisms of contemporary S. aureus clinical isolates from bloodstream infections.

Fun Fact: My family moved a lot when I was younger, and by the time I was 8 I had lived on 4 different continents.

Krystal Ching

Graduate Student

Hometown: Alameda, CA

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Education:

B.A. - Molecular and Cellular Biology, Immunology - University of California, Berkeley

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Project: Mechanisms of exosome secretion in response to infection.

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Fun Fact: I love playing ultimate frisbee!

Juliana Ilmain

Graduate Student

Hometown: San Ramon, CA

Education:

B.S. - Biology - Purdue University

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Project: I am studying the structure-function relationship of LukAB toxin diversity.

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Fun Fact: My nails are always painted.

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Katerine Le

Research Fellow, Infectious Diseases

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Education:

B.A. - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – University of California, Berkeley

M.D. – Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Residency – Internal Medicine, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education

Fellowship – Infectious Diseases, New York University Grossman School of Medicine

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Project: I am studying S. aureus infections of the spine

Fun Fact: I enjoy collecting and caring for orchids

Janet Olivas

Graduate Student

Hometown:  Cd Juárez, Mexico / El Paso, Texas

Education:

B.S. - Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso

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Project: I am working to understand the role of LukAB in S. aureus infection.

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Fun Fact: I have a cosmetology license

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Adam Pickrum

Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Education:

B.S. - Microbiology - Grand Valley State University

Ph.D. - Microbiology and Immunology - Medical College of Wisconsin

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Project: I am studying virulence mechanisms utilized by MRSA isolates during nosocomial infections.

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Fun Fact: As a midwesterner, I enjoy the challenge of running in frigid cold temperatures.

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Avital Savin

Master's Student

Hometown: Athens, OH

Education:

B.S. - Biological Sciences - Ohio University

Project: : I am studying regulation of virulence factors, specifically leukotoxins, in S. aureus. 

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Fun Fact: I really love to travel. So far I have visited 17 countries and I can't wait to visit more.

Julia Sproch

Graduate Student

Hometown: Carlisle, PA

Education:

B.S. - Biology - La Salle University 

Project: : I am working on leukotoxin-receptor during S. aureus infection.

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Fun Fact: My family owns a microbrewery so I know a lot about beer!

Robert Ulrich

Instructor, Department of Medicine

Hometown: Commerce Twp, MI

Education:

B.S. - Human Biology, Health and Society - Cornell University

M.D. - Medicine - NYU School of Medicine

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Project: I am studying the mechanisms of prophage-mediated virulence driving community-acquired MRSA contagion.

Fun Fact: I briefly toured as a drummer in an indie rock band. 

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Erin Zwack

Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Oxford, CT

Education:

B.S. - Biology with a concentration in Genomics - Davidson College 

Ph.D. - Cellular and Molecular Biology - University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine 

Project: Defining the toxin-dependent and toxin-independent S. aureus response of primary human phagocytes.

Fun Fact: Completed an 8-day, 100-mile hike in the Adirondacks.

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