People

Matt Anderson

Project:

Working to support trainees and scientists in their own creative pursuits in the lab and often forgetting to bring a lunch.

Position:

Principal Investigator

Degree:

University of Wisconsin – Madison (B.S.) Genetics
Stanford University (Ph.D.) Genetics

Hobbies:

Reading, skateboarding, snowboarding, beading (poorly)

Paula Sundstrom

Project:

Candida albicans commensal and pathogenic states. Experimental evolution, genomics, bioinformatics and murine animal models

Position:

Adjunct Professor

Degree:
Pomona College (B..A)
University of Washington – Seattle (Ph.D.)

Hobbies:

Bioinformatics, nutrition, resistance training, podcasts (science and health), stoic philosophy and promoting early childhood education in science and music for friends

Sakiah Perez Rivera

Project:

Tribal Data Repository: Data for Indigenous Implementations, Interventions, and Innovations (D4I)

Position:

Research Program Manager

Degree:

University of Wisconsin – La Crosse (B.S.) Biology, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (Minor)

Hobbies:

Reading, spending time with family and friends, and cuddling her two dogs

Charee Peters

Project:

Tribal Data Repository: Data for Indigenous Implementations, Interventions, and Innovations (D4I)

Position:

Data Center Coordinator

Degree:

University of Denver (B.S.) Physics and Astronomy

Fisk-Vanderbilt Dual University Program (M.A.) Physics and Astronomy

University of Wisconsin – Madison (M.S., PhD) Physics and Astronomy

Hobbies:

Reading, crafting fiber arts, rowing, or hanging out outdoors

Shane Hendricks

Project:

Identifying function of individual TLO gene paralogs by reintegration into a tlo null mutant

Position:

Lab Manager

Degree:

The Ohio State University (B.S.) Microbiology

Hobbies:

Playing video games with friends and family

Zinnat Shahina

Project:

Identifying function of individual TLO gene paralogs with a special emphasis on gamma group genes

Position:

Postdoctoral Researcher

Degree:

University of Chittagong, Bangladesh (B.S./M.S.) Microbiology
University of Regina, Canada (Ph.D.) Biochemistry

Emily Simonton

Project:

Functional redundancy among paralogs of the TLO expanded gene family

Position:

Graduate Student Microbiology Doctoral Training Program

Degree:
Capital University (B.A.) Biology, (Minor) Criminology

The Ohio State University (M.S.) Microbiology

Hobbies:

Reading fantasy books, drinking good tea, snuggling with their two cats, and getting brunch & catching a movie with friends

Nayeli Cangelosi

Project:

Phenotypic characterization of TLO deletion mutants

Position:

Undergraduate Student

Degree:

University of Wisconsin – Madison (major – Genetics and Genomics)

Hobbies:

Spending time with family and friends, cooking and baking, and also dancing

Ani Venkataraman

Project:

Identification of TLO Gene Paralog Function

Position:

Undergraduate Student

Degree:

University of Wisconsin – Madison (major – Genetics)

Hobbies:

Biking, Music, Reading, Chess

Justin Billy

Project:

Evaluating any correlation between non-bacterial specimens and the microbiome of individuals identified with RA.

Position:

Research Specialist

Degree:

University of Arizona (B.S.) Microbiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (M.S.) Microbiology

Hobbies:

Hiking, videogames, painting, photography, and writing poetry

Tammy Armbrust

Project:

Wastewater surveillance for infectious agents in partnership with a Northern Plains tribe

Position:

Research Specialist

Degree:

North Carolina State University (B.S.) Biological Sciences, Genetics (Minor)
North Carolina State University (M.S.) Animal Science

Hobbies:

Horseback riding and concert going

Cris Carrera

Project:

Exploring the human microbiome and its link to autoimmunity in Native American populations. 

Position:

Postdoctoral Researcher

Degree:

University of Wisconsin – Madison (Ph.D.) Genetics
Florida International University (B.S) Biological Sciences

Hobbies:

Kayaking, swimming, watching scary movies, sewing, and reading sci-fi.

Libby Wilson

Project:

Investigating eco-evolutionary dynamics of human gut microbiomes.

Position:

Postdoctoral Researcher

Degree:

Truman State University (B.S.) Biology
Truman State University (B.A.) Spanish
Kansas State University (Ph.D.) Biology

Hobbies:

Reading, crafting, hiking, spending time with friends and family

Beatrice Severance

Project:

Investigating how the microbiome (nasal and oral) is involved in the complications of sickle cell disease

Position:

Graduate Student

Degree:

Auburn University (B.S.) Biology

Auburn University (M.S.) Plant Pathology

Hobbies:

Reading, biking, playing videogames, and spending time with family

Liam Ostadan

Project:

Exploring unclassified microbial reads in metagenomic libraries

Position:

Undergraduate Student

Degree:

University of Wisconsin – Madison (major – Biochemistry)

Hobbies:

Reading, watching movies, and going to the beach

Siobhan Dietz

Project:

Strain diversity and the commensal-pathogen spectrum in C. albicans

Position:

Graduate Student, Cellular & Molecular Pathology

Degree:

Smith College (B.A.) Biochemistry

Hobbies:

Spending time with friends, playing board games, and doing trivia

Michael Gilpin

Project:

Determining if homologous recombination or Crispr create genetically different mutants

Position:

Laboratory Technician

Degree:

University of Wisconsin – Madison (B.S.) Environmental Science

Hobbies:

Playing video games, powwow singing and drumming, making beadwork, cornhole, and spikeball whenever there’s and opportunity.

Liza Loza

Project:

Identifying molecular determinants of host-Candida interactions, with particular interest in the cell wall

Position:

Postdoctoral Researcher

Degree:

Bard College (B.S.) Biology

Washington University – St. Louis (PhD) Molecular Microbiology

Hobbies:

Gardening, hiking, playing board games with friends and family, and painting with watercolors

Elizabeth Mei

Project:

Identification and functional annotation of genetic factors involved in parasex

Position:

Graduate Student

Degree:

University of Toronto (B.S.) Molecular Genetics, Immunology
University of Toronto (M.S.) Molecular Genetics

Hobbies:

Baking, watching dinosaur documentaries, taking blurry pictures of birds