Alumni
Luiza Samora received her BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona. She joined the Ahmad lab in the beginning of 2020 as a graduate student volunteer and is working on determining the immunological and genetic factors of HIV-1 in HIV-infected patients. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and watching tv shows.
Doyle Lab
Britt (she/her) graduated from Portland State University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and completed an honors research thesis in extreme virology under the mentorship of Dr. Kenneth Stedman in the Center for Life in Extreme Environments. After graduation, she worked as the lab manager of Dr. David Ellison’s nephrology and hypertension laboratory at Oregon Health and Science University, studying mechanisms of kidney damage caused by organ transplant drugs that modulate the immune system. She entered the MD/PhD program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson in 2019 and joined the Doyle Lab in 2021 as a graduate student in Neuroscience. In the lab, Britt is researching the immune response to recurrent strokes that are characteristic of sickle cell disease. For fun, she likes hanging out with her strange cats (Hex, Wernicke, Broca, and Korsakoff), cycling, building blanket forts, and playing nerdy video/board games. Oh, and she screams in capital letters on Twitter a lot.
Master's Student
Research/Laboratory Assistant
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Kylie started in the lab in May 2018 and worked to uncover the causes of post-stroke dementia. Kylie graduated with a degree in Neuroscience and Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona in 2021. Kylie was then accepted as a medical student at Duke University School of Medicine where she will no doubt continue to do amazing things as a soon-to-be-physician in the class of 2025.
Rachel graduated from The University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences. She is pursuing a Master of Science for Entry to the Profession of Nursing while assisting with research in the Doyle Lab. Her interests are nutrition, mental health, addiction, neurological trauma, dementia, women’s health, sleep, and the microbiome. In her free time, Rachel enjoys gardening, cooking, running, and hiking with her husband and German Shepherd.
In the Summer of 2019, Frankie joined the Doyle lab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant to help with projects that focus on post-stroke mixed dementia and Alzheimer’s pathology. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Neuroscience and Mathematics at the University of Arizona in 2021. When he has the chance, Frankie enjoys playing his instrument with the band, volunteering with his Fraternity, and playing tennis with his friends. In 2021, Frankie was accepted into Columbia University and began pursuing a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience.
Vivian Nguyen earned her PhD from the University of Southern California, in which she investigated neuroprotective mechanisms of sex steroid hormones against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). She then trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Buck Institute for Age Research and as a Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University, investigating signaling pathways of neurodegeneration. Vivian Nguyen moved to the University of Arizona in 2013. In her spare time, she loves to read and explore nature and historical sites in Arizona with her husband and little girl.
Jacob Zbesko went to the University of Redlands where he graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In 2015, he joined the UA ABBS program. In the Doyle lab, Jacob investigated the mechanism by which the glial scar forms after stroke and its effectiveness at segregating the area of damage from the surrounding tissue, as well as determining the role B cells play in the development of post-stroke cognitive decline. When not in the lab, Jacob enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee and soccer. After graduation in 2020, Jacob accepted a position as a postdoctoral researcher at University of California San Diego.
Frelinger Lab
Assistant Research Specialist-Daniel completed his PhD in 2011 on Structural Modifications of LPS with Bob Ernst at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. His current interests center on the regulation of host adaptive responses by commensal and pathogenic bacteria. In his free time, Daniel enjoys cooking and hiking with his kids.
Harris Lab
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Graduate Student
Research Specialist
Senior Technician
Kunhs Lab
Graduate Student
Research Technician
Research Technician
Research Technician
Graduate Student
Caleb grew up thinking he was going to take over his father's shoe business, but when his father learned of his plans of a coup, he sold the business. Thwarted by parental schemes at the age of 12, Caleb turned to study science and graduated from the University of Arizona '19 with a biochemistry degree. He currently plans to apply for MBA programs for the near future to fulfill his destiny. In his free time, he plans out how he will accomplish world domination; he also enjoys watching cat videos.
Peter graduated from the University of Arizona in 2019 with a BS in biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology. Shortly after, he joined Dr. Kuhn's lab to piece apart the puzzle of mechanisms that play out in the CD3-TCR complex that lead to an immune response. In addition to research, he volunteers with Banner University Medical Center, and plans on applying to medical school in the upcoming cycle. Outside of the lab, he enjoy riding skateboards with his friends and playing guitar.
Nikolich-Zugich Lab
MD, PhD Candidate Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://mcb.arizona.edu/news/2018/justin-frere-loves-lab-and-feeling-mutual
PhD Candidate, University of Arizona - Cancer Biology
Senior Design Quality Engineer, Ventana Medical Systems https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-thompson-b1154b14/
Postdoctoral Fellow, National Cancer Institute
Postdoctoral Associate, Yale School of Medicine https://medicine.yale.edu/immuno/programs/e_goldberg-2.profile
Assistant Professor, Grand Valley State University https://www.gvsu.edu/bms/kristin-renkema-280.htm
Senior Scientist, Vir Biotechnology Inc. https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-smithey-9496b88/
Research Associate
Arveen Asghar is currently a Junior at the University of Arizona working towards a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Nutrition. Arveen is an undergraduate lab assistant working under MladenJergovic investigating the molecular mechanisms behind age-dependant vulnerabilities to infection with intracellular pathogens. When not studying, Arveen loves to be outdoors, travel, and explore new places!
Yvonne is responsible for subject recruitment, consenting, phlebotomy and coordination of all clinical research studies performed in the lab. Outside of work you can find her in the gym, listening to a medical related podcast, or like any other sport mom at the ball field cheering for her 2 kids.
Elana Terner is an undergraduate at the University of Arizona who is in the process of obtaining a BS in Microbiology. She joined the Nikolich-Zugich lab in 2019 as an undergraduate student volunteer. In her free time, she enjoys reading, drawing, and exploring Tucson.
Faith Warner is currently a junior at the University of Arizona and is working towards a BS in Microbiology. She is a student volunteer in the Nikolich-Zugich lab studying under Ilijia Jeftic to understand the mechanism of age-related lymph node fibrosis. When not studying, Faith is reading a good mystery book, playing basketball, or hiking around Tucson.
Makiko Watanabe received her DVM from Rakuno Gakuen University in 1997 and her Ph.D. from Osaka University in 2001. After moving to the USA, she has been working mainly as a virologist at several industry and academic research institutes. She joined the Nikolich Lab in 2019 as an Associate Research Scientist to use her expertise in virology and mouse studies and to expand her experience in human immunology research. Makiko enjoys riding her YAMAHA motorcycle in the perfect weather of Tucson whole year around.
April will be graduating from the University of Arizona College of Public Health with a Masters in Public Health in May 2020, and is the program manager for the Personalized Defense Initiative. She is a Tucson native who enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, reading, and being outdoors.
Schenten Lab
Current position: Graduate Student at University of Massachusetts, Worchester
Research Technician. Current position: Medical Student at University of Massachusetts, Worchester
Research Technician
Wu Lab
Graduate Student
Research Technician
Post Doctoral Research Associate-I
Laboratory Manager
Postdoctoral Research Associate I
Laboratory Manager
Postdoctoral Research Associate I
Campos Lab
Graduate Student
Postdoctoral Research Associate I
Masters Student
Li is a native of China and currently working on his Ph.D. through the Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine. He is investigating the cellular redox requirements for HPV infection.
Graduate Assistant, Research
Goodrum Lab
Graduate Student
Graduate Student
Postdoctoral
Graduate Student
Graduate Student
I received my B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona. After completing my post-baccalaureate program at the University of Georgia I decided to come back to the University of Arizona to start my PhD in Immunobiology. I am interested in host-pathogen interactions and how this interplay affects viral pathogenesis and life cycle. Outside of work I enjoy cooking, camping, and reading.
Sebastian received his BS in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Arizona. He is interested in how HCMV fine-tunes signaling pathways through differential receptor trafficking. When not “Science-ing”, Sebastian enjoys judo, writing, and pointing out that climate change is real.
Koshy Lab
Postdoctoral Fellow, Lab of Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti (Dept of Immunology, St Jude's Children's Research Hospital)
Anthony "AJ" Aguilar is a freshman majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology as well as Microbiology. Given his majors, he is passionate about the molecular mechanisms behind human health conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. In the past, AJ has conducted research regarding transgenic mosquitoes and the malaria parasite. Wanting to explore more about human health from a new lens, AJ joined the lab in Fall 2018. In his free time, AJ loves to enjoy the outdoors, travel, and has worked with the KEYS research internship as a KEYS Crew mentor to high school students. In the future, AJ plans to pursue a career in medical research by obtaining his PhD and/or MD after his undergraduate years.
Josh earned his Bachelor's in Microbiology at the University of Arizona. He joined the Koshy Lab as a graduate student in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2016. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine in December 2021 and continues on as a post-doc. His graduate project involved characterizing and defining the molecular and genetic elements that result in Toxoplasma strain-specific CNS immune responses with a particular interest in two secreted effectors, rhoptry protein 16 (ROP16) and dense granule protein 15 (GRA15).
Purdy Lab
Graduate Student
Scientific Investigator
Undergraduate Student
Andrea is currently a junior at the University of Arizona Honors College, majoring in physiology and minoring in psychology! In her free time, she enjoys cooking/baking and staying active.
Yuecheng received a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from University of Toledo in 2015. She joined Dr. John Purdy's lab in 2017 and completed her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 2021. Yuecheng is currently working on the role of lipid and fatty acid metabolism in HCMV replication. In her leisure time, she likes to cook chinese food and play with her dogs.
So Lab
Graduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Kizzy is double majoring in Microbiology and Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Psychology. She is interested in pursuing higher education in Immunology and Microbiology.
Andrew is a Physiology major at the University of Arizona and plans on pursuing a career in medicine after he graduates. Being a Tucson native, he enjoys volunteering at local organizations such as Tu Nidito Children and Family Services and relishing in the intrinsic beauty of the Tucson desert through frequent hiking.
Johnson Lab
Professional Science Masters (PSM), Applied Bioscience Program 2018
Professional Science Masters (PSM), Applied Bioscience Program 2018
BS, Biochemistry 2018
Professional Science Masters (PSM), Applied Bioscience Program 2019
BS, Biochemistry 2019
Volunteer
Nadia received her bachelor's degree in Public Health Science from the University of Maryland, College Park. At Maryland, she was a part of the Women's Track and Field team and other student organizations. She is planning to attend medical school. When she is not in the lab, you will find her running, cooking, hiking, or vlogging.
Sanjay Menghani grew up in Vineland, NJ and received his bachelor's degree from UPenn in biochemistry and economics. During his undergrad years, he spent time working in the lab of Dr. Sara Cherry, a renowned virologist and microbiologist. In her lab, he studied Rift Valley fever virus and innate mechanisms of antiviral defense. After spending a year working at the NIH Clinical Center as a Post baccalaureate IRTA Fellow, he moved to Tucson to begin his MD/PhD training at the University of Arizona. After completing his first 2 years of medical school, Sanjay officially joined the Johnson Lab and is working towards his PhD in Immunobiology. Sanjay is interested in understanding infections from both the host cell and pathogen's perspectives. In the Johnson Lab, he will venture to better understand the role of copper and other metals in the infection process, with the end goal of helping to develop novel therapeutic strategies against bacterial infections that he can bring to the bedside down the road.
Chansorena received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Arizona in 2019. She joined the lab in June 2020 as a Master’s student in the Applied Biosciences program. She is interested in identifying novel therapeutics to treat infectious diseases. In her spare time, she enjoys art, exploring new food places, reading, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Alison Watson received her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Northern Arizona University. In 2019, she joined the Johnson lab as a Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) student at the University of Arizona. Outside of lab, she enjoys traveling, watching Taika Waititi movies, and hanging out with her cat.
Bhattacharya Lab
Current position: Graduate student, University of Pittsburgh
Current Position: Staff Scientist, University of Virginia
Current Position: Senior Research Technician, Washington University in St. Louis
Current position: Orthopedic surgeon, University of California, Davis
Current position: Senior Scientist, Amgen
Current position: Lab Director, Nestle Purina
Current Position: Research Associate, Ventana Medical Systems
Current position: Senior Scientist, Intellia Therapeutics
Current Position: Medical student, New York University
Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow, with a joint position between Stanford University and Amgen
Current Position: Graduate student, Washington University in St. Louis
Current Position: Research Associate, Ventana Medical Systems
Current Position: Senior Scientist, New York Stem Cell Foundation Laboratories
Ran (Ryan) Wei was from originally from Guangzhou, China. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 with BS in Biology. In 2019, he joined Bhattacharya lab as a research technician, where he is currently investigating the genetic pathway of stem cell differentiation into plasma cell. Outside of work, he enjoys movies, TV shows, workout and riding his motorcycle on the Mt. Lemmon.
Current Position: Senior Scientist, Vir Biotechnology
Wilson Lab
Research Technician
Shrikant Lab
Research Specialist, Principal