Team
Torres
C.V. Starr Professor of Microbiology
KEY INTERESTS:
Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, CA-MRSA, toxin, infection, macrophages, neutrophils, PMN, leukotoxin, gene expression, bacterial pathogenesis, toxin-cell interaction, immune response to infection, regulation of virulence factors, in vivo models of infection, leukocytes, toxin receptors.
Hometown: Rincon, Puerto Rico
​
Fun Fact: I love the beach
​
Victor J. Torres
HONORS, ACADEMIC AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
1998-2000
NIH-NIGMS: Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Scholar.
1999
NSF-Summer Research Training Program (University of Iowa).
1999/2003
Hispanic Scholarship Fellow.
2003
American Society for Microbiology Corporate Partner Travel Grant Award.
2003-2004
NIH-NIGMS: Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship.
2005
Pre-doctoral Sidney P. Colowick Award (Outstanding research achievements in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine).
2006-2008
NIH-NIAID: Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship.
2006 & 2008
Collier Award for Outstanding Research at the Gordon Conference on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity (Proctor Academy in Andover, NH).
2007
Post-doctoral Sidney P. Colowick Award (Outstanding research achievements in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine).
2007
Best Research Award at the Gordon Conference on Staphylococcal Diseases (Les Diablerets, Switzerland).
2008
Levi Watkins Jr., Student Award for Contributions in fostering opportunities for under-represented minorities in education and research (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine).
2009
NIH-NIAID: Research scholar development award (K22).
2009
American Heart Association National Scientist Development Grant.
2014
Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases.
2015-2017
The Dean’s List, recognition for exceptional research contributions to NYU Langone Medical center.
2016
NYU SoM NextGen Stars lecture.
2018
Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist Award.
2018
NYU Langone Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award.
2019
C.V. Starr Endowed Professorship.
EDUCATION
1995−2000
Bachelor of Sciences: Concentration in Industrial Microbiology
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus, Mayagüez, PR, U.S.A.
Mentor: Mildred Chaparro, Ph.D.
​
2000−2004
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): Microbiology and Immunology
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine,Nashville, TN, U.S.A.
Mentor: Timothy L. Cover, M.D.
2005
Postdoctoral Fellow: Division of Infectious Diseases
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, U.S.A.
Mentor: Timothy L. Cover, M.D.
2006−2008
Postdoctoral Fellow: Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, U.S.A.
Mentor: Eric P. Skaar, Ph.D.
​
​
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
2008: Assistant Professor of Microbiology
2014: Associate Professor of Microbiology
​
2019: C.V. Starr Associate Professor of Microbiology
​
2020: C.V. Starr Professor of Microbiology
​
​
​
​
Exene Anderson
Hometown: Tucson, AZ
Education:
B.S. - Microbiology and Molecular and Cellular Biology - University of Arizona
​
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
​
Ashley DuMont
Associate Research Scientist
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
​
Education:
B.S. - Biology - Denison University
Ph.D. - Microbiology - New York University
​
Project: I am working on developing a vaccine against S. aureus infections and I study the pathogenesis of multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
​
Fun Fact: My artwork has been on the cover of Trends in Microbiology twice.
​
Christa Emanuel
Hometown: Queens, NY
Education:
B.S. - Marketing, Minor Communication Studies - The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
​
Role: Lab Administrative Assistant- providing daily administrative and operations support to Dr. Torres and the lab.
Fun Fact: I’ve climbed Mount Fuji.
​
Juliana Ilmain
Hometown: San Ramon, CA
Education:
B.S. - Biology - Purdue University
​
Project: I am studying the structure-function relationship of LukAB toxin diversity.
​
Fun Fact: My nails are always painted.
​
Matthew Keller
Hometown: Munroe Falls, OH
Education:
B.S. - Biology - Case Western Reserve University
​
Project: I 'm studying host responses to S. aureus infections.
​
Fun Fact: I'm an avid volleyball player.
Anna O'Keeffe
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Education:
B.S. - Pharmacology - University College Dublin
​
Project: I am working on developing new vaccines against S. aureus infections.
​
Fun Fact: I like water sports!
​
Sofya Perelman
Hometown: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Education:
M.S. - Biophysics and Bioengineering -Lomonosov Moscow State University
Ph.D. - Cell and Molecular Biology - UT Southwestern Medical Center
​
Project: I am investigating the role of leukocidin AB (LukAB) diversity in S. aureus pathogenesis.
Fun Fact: Polo is my favorite sport to both watch and play.
​
Will Sause
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Education:
B.S. - Biology - University of California, Santa Cruz
Ph.D. - Microbiology - University of California, Santa Cruz
​
Project: I study how S. aureus repurposes transcriptional regulators that are classically associated with metabolism to control pathogenesis in the host.
Fun Fact: I like snowboarding!
​
Chunyi Zhou
Hometown: Xinyang, Henan, China
Education:
M.D. - Clinical Medicine - Xinxiang Medical University
Ph.D. - Microbiology - University of Nebraska Medical Center
​
Project: I am working on the study of gastrointestinal tract colonization of CA-MRSA.
Fun Fact: My hometown is famous for Xinyang Maojian tea.
​
Krystal Ching
Hometown: Alameda, CA
​
Education:
B.A. - Molecular and Cellular Biology, Immunology - University of California, Berkeley
​
Project: Mechanisms of exosome secretion in response to infection.
​
Fun Fact: I love playing ultimate frisbee!
Sophie Dyzenhaus
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Education:
B.S. - Immunology - University of Toronto
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.
Sandra Gonzalez
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
​
Project: I work on the host-pathogen interactions occurring during nosocomial MRSA pneumonia infections.
Fun Fact: I like to dance salsa and cumbia.
Leena Kader
Hometown: Berlin, CT
Education:
B.S. - Molecular and Cell Biology - University of Connecticut
​
Project: I am part of a project that is trying to generate monoclonal antibodies against S. aureus leukotoxins, which will ultimately identify functional epitopes.
​
Fun Fact: I am a coffee enthusiast!
Keenan Lacey
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Education:
B.A. - Microbiology - Trinity College Dublin.
Ph.D. - Immunology - Trinity College Dublin.
​
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.
Miranda Pawline
Hometown: Delanco, NJ
Education:
B.S. - Biology and Chemistry - Florida Gulf Coast University
M.S. - Biology - New York University
Project: Currently studying CA-MRSA colonization of the gastrointestinal tract and assisting in infectious disease hospital surveillance.
Fun Fact: I’ve had my boaters license since age 14 and can outfish my dad!
Rachel Prescott
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.
​
Fun Fact: I played the tuba in the WPI Marching Band! Go Tech!
Xuhui Zheng
Hometown: Beijing, China
Education:
B.S. - Biological Sciences - Peking University
Project: Secretion and bacteria association of LukAB toxin.
​
Fun Fact: My favorite symbol is the Sun not only because I was born during sunrise, my zodiac is related to sun, and my name means sunshine, but also because I have a passion for everything!
Erin Zwack
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.
Past Lab Members
Kayan Tam, PhD - Graduate Student (2013-2020)
Kristina Boguslawski, PhD - MSTP student (2015-2019)
Irnov Irnov, PhD - Associate Research Scientist (2017-2019)
Rita Chan - Research Associate (2013-2019)
Marilyn Vasquez - SURP 2015, Research Associate (2016-2019)
Bianca Dunn - Assistant Research Technician (2017-2019)
Michael Lesser, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow (2017-2018)
Ashira Lubkin, PhD - MSTP student (2014-2019)
Alexis Sommerfield - Research Associate (2015-2018)
Evelien Berends, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow (2015-2018)
Lamia Harper, PhD - Graduate Student (2014-2018)
Aidan O'Malley - Research Associate (2013-2017)
David James, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow (2013-2017)
Divya Balasubramanian, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow (2014-2017)
Pauline Yoong, PhD - Associate Research Scientist (2011- 2015)
Elizabeth Ohneck, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow (2013-2015)
Tamara Reyes-Robles, PhD - Graduate Student (2011-2015)
Francis Alonzo, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow (2011-2014)
Ashley DuMont, PhD - Graduate Student (2009-2013)
Meredith Benson, PhD - Graduate Student (2009-2013)
Amanda Smith - Research Associate (2009-2011)
Sarit Lilo, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow (2009-2010)
Kevin Fabrizio, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow (2009-2010)
