Our Team
John Erb-Downward, Ph.D.
Collaborator
John works on genomics and transcriptional profiling of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes.
Nicole Falkowski, M.S.
Laboratory Manager
Nicole is using high throughput approaches to study host-microbiome interactions in laboratory models and clinical specimens.
Rod McDonald, Ph.D.
Laboratory Manager
Rod is an expert in animal handling and provides valuable assistance, guidance, and mentoring to others in the laboratory.
Malak Bazzi, B.S.
Graduate Student (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology)
Malak studies microbial ecology and host response of the intestinal mucosa of mice following antibiotic perturbation. as well as the effect of commensal GI colonization by Candida albicans on post-antibiotic recolonization and mucosal gene expression.
Jennifer Baker, B.S. Graduate Student Co-mentored (Microbiology and Immunology)
Jennifer’s research focuses on how the altered ecology of the injured lung microenvironment leads to secondary bacterial pneumonia.
Karen Zeise, B.S.
Graduate Student (Microbiology and Immunology)
Karen studies how gastric and intestinal colonization with Candida albicans shapes mucosal immunity and the bacterial microbiota in the stomach, using a murine model of food allergy.
Alexander Ethridge, B.S.
Graduate Student Co-mentored (Immunology)
Alexander studies how changes in the gastrointestinal microbiome after Respiratory Syncytial Virus during neonatal development may increase susceptibility and severity of allergy and asthma later on in life. He uses gnotobiotic methods and allergen models to study this phenomenon.
Kelsey Stark, M.S.
Graduate Student (Immunology)
Kelsey studies the biology of mast cells and their interactions with the peripheral nervous system, with a focus on their contribution to the severity of food allergic reactions.
Keerthikka Ravi, M.S.
Graduate Student (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology)
Keerthikka studies host niche adaption mechanisms of Lactobacillus johnsonii, a gut-colonizing bacteria, with the goal of identifying niche-specific genes in L. johnsonii that facilitate the bacterium's ability to colonize various sites in the gastrointestinal tract.
Kristy Srodawa, B.S.
Graduate Student (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology)
Kristy's project focuses on analyzing developmental changes in the bone marrow and secondary lymphoid organs of various knockout mice that are utilized for studies of food anaphylaxis.
Claire Albright, B.A. Graduate Student Co-mentored (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology)
Claire is investigating mechanisms of environmental and mucosal tolerance in microbiome-associated anaerobic bacteria.
Kelyah Spurgeon, M.S. Graduate Student Co-mentored (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology)
Kel is working on the comparative genomics of microbiome-associated anaerobic bacteria and the identification of potential virulence pathways.
Souzane Ntamubano, B.S. Graduate Student Co-mentored (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology)
Souzane is looking to establish a genetic toolbox for Prevotella that would enable future molecular manipulation of these bacteria.
Lab Outings
Partners and Affiliations:
Robert Dickson, M.D. (Collaborator)
Ariangela Kozik, Ph. D. (Collaborator)
Former Laboratory Members
Graduate Mentorship
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Mairi Noverr (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Yadira Hernandez (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Dennis Lindell (Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for John Erb-Downward (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Shikha Arora (Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Toby Rodriguez (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Andrew Shreiner (MSTP, Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Katie Mason (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Ben Murdock (Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Brittan Scales (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Andrew McDermott (Microbiology/Immunology)
M.S. Research Mentor for Kelsey Stark (Microbiology/Immunology)
M.S. Research Mentor for Michelle Azar (Microbiology/Immunology)
M.S. Research Mentor for Keerthikka Ravi (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Malak Bazzi (MCDB)
M.S. Research Mentor for Shipra Garg (MCDB)
Ph. D. Dissertation Co-Mentor for Jenn Baker (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Co-Mentor for Alex Ethridge (Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Karen Zeise (Microbiology/Immunology)
Ph. D. Dissertation Mentor for Keerthikka Ravi (MCDB)
M.S. Dissertation Mentor for Kristy Srodawa (MCDB)
Ph. D. Dissertation Co-Mentor for Claire Albright (MCDB)
Ph. D. Dissertation Co-Mentor for Kelyah Spurgeon (MCDB)
Post-doctoral Fellow Mentorship
Research Fellowship Mentor for John Lee, M.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Michal Olszewski, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Tim Traynor, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Raj Pandrangi, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Amy Herring, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Jill Kolodsick, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Mairi Noverr, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Jami Milam, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for John Erb-Downward, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Mary Pat Craver, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Michael Shen, M.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Merritt Gillilland III, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Robert Dickson, M.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Kathryn Pendleton, M.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Brittan Scales, Ph.D.
Research Fellowship Mentor for Katie Nawrocki, Ph.D.