Student Research - Graduate Research Program: Basic Biomedical Sciences

Project: Functional Characterization of Noncanonical Nucleotides as Second Messengers in Immune Signaling
NIH Fellowship: F30

Project: Exocyst undergoes multiple conformational changes to regulate SNARE binding, complex formation, and fusion​

Elizabeth joined the Munro Lab in 2025. More information about her project will be posted soon!

Project: Investigating the roles of fibroblasts and keratinocytes in the pathogenesis of Hidradenitis suppurativa  

Project: Investigating how neutrophil extracellular traps shape T-cell differentiation and inflammatory immune responses in Hidradenitis suppurativa  

Project: Understanding Innate Immune signaling in the brain during sterile inflammation

Sofia joined the Rothstein Lab in 2025. More information about her project will be posted soon!

Aliece joined the Orzalli Lab in 2026. More information about her project will be posted soon!

Project: ICP6 promotes replication of HSV-1 in keratinocytes
NIH Fellowship: F30

Lauren joined the Pukkila-Worley Lab in 2024. More information about her project will be posted soon!

Project: Natural Variation to Secreted Bacterial Toxins in C. elegans
NIH Fellowship: F30

Project: Investigating Murine Intestinal Helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus Amelioration of Depigmentation in a Mouse Model of Vitiligo
NIH Fellowship: F30

Kairo is interested in gastroenterology and using diet to promote health. She joined the Maldonado-Contreras Lab in 2025 because of the lab's focus on using dietary interventions to decrease gut microbiome-mediated inflammation in the context of different immune-mediated disorders. Her project will focus on the overlap between preeclampsia development and maternal gut microbiome health, which can be manipulated through dietary probiotics and biotherapeutics.

Project: Investigating the roles of bacterial metabolite butyrate on EBV infection and shedding in oral epithelial cells
NIH Fellowship: F30

Ethan Loew (matriculating 2018): Bacterial enterolignans depleted in Alzheimer’s disease prevent neuroinflammation by attenuating leukocyte-endothelial interactions (2026)
NIH Fellowship: F30

Ben Sallis (matriculating 2018): Integration of eubiotic signaling via the unfolded protein response regulates P-glycoprotein expression and colonic homeostasis (2026)
NIH Fellowship: F30

In the McKitterick Lab, Amanda studies how mycolated bacteria build their cell envelopes through the investigation of bacteriophage engagement with cell surface receptors. Through this work, they uncover how phage predation drives the evolution of mycolated envelopes thereby influencing human health and disease.

David’s work in the Corvera lab focuses on investigating the connection between adipose tissue and the nervous system. In particular, David is interested in the impact of endocrine signaling from adipocytes on glial cells.

Project: Deciphering the Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Development and Clinical Manifestation

Project: Meningioma, Molecular Profiling
Co-Advisor: Richard Gregory, PhD

Project: Mechanisms of Meningioma Recurrence

Gabriella joined the Johnson lab in August 2025. Her research is focused on uncovering the mechanisms by which meningiomas recur. Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumor, accounting for 1/3 of CNS malignancies. In particular, her research uses cellular and molecular biology techniques, sequencing approaches, and in vitro models to study meningioma recurrence. During her PhD, Gabriella hopes to improve the field's understanding of how meningiomas recur, identify potential areas for improved post-surgical risk stratification, and study novel therapeutics in meningiomas.     

Project: Characterizing the cellular phenotype of FGFR1 driver mutations in pediatric low-grade gliomas

Project: Inhibiting TRPC6 to induce ferroptosis and impede metastasis
NIH Fellowship: F30

Project: The consequence of secreting nutrients for the next generation is a decline in mitochondrial function
NIH Fellowship: F30

Nick Bolden (matriculating 2016): Nociceptin dictates cocaine reward in a sex dependent manner (2026)

Project: Linking affective circuitry, including bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) to behavior-related circuitry

Project: Alcohol-induced metabolic changes affect the physiology of pyramidal neurons in the motor cortex

Elana joined the Greer Lab in 2026. More information about her project will be posted soon!

Project: Elucidating the role of MS4As as a molecular driver of persistent neuroinflammation following traumatic brain injury
Co-Advisor: Robert Brown, MD, DPhil
 

Emma Austen-Holt (marticulating 2021): Elucidating the role of MS4As in demyelinating disease (2026)

Jason Freedman (matriculating 2019): MS4A6A is a key regulator of myeloid cell activation in Multiple Sclerosis & neuroinflammation (2026)

Abigail Hiller (matriculating 2019): Elucidation of a Sex-Specific Role for MS4A6A/MS4A6C in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (2026)
NIH Fellowship: F31
Co-Advisor: Robert Brown, MD, DPhil

Project: Understanding the role of the complement system in microglial mediated synapse loss in Multiple Sclerosis
NIH Fellowship: F30
 

Melanie is studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive neuroinflammation in diseases of the central nervous system. Her research focuses on ependymal cells, a specialized population of cells that line the brain ventricles and form the interface between the brain and the cerebrospinal fluid. These cells are uniquely positioned to regulate communication between the brain and immune signals circulating through the cerebrospinal fluid. Using molecular, cellular, imaging, and genomic approaches, Melanie investigates how signaling at this critical interface contributes to the initiation and progression of neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Her long-term goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets that can slow or prevent neuroinflammation before widespread tissue damage occurs. Melanie is co-mentored by Dr. Dorothy Schafer and Dr. David McManus.

NIH Fellowship: F30
Co-Advisor: David D. McManus, MD, ScM, MBA
 

Theodore Carrigan-Broda (marticulating 2019): Concurrently Modulating AGO2 Loading and Metabolic Stability of siRNA via Systematized Permutations of the Guide 5′-End Substructure: In Vivo Applications (2026)
Co-Advisor: Ken Yamada, PhD

Project: High Throughput Screening to Optimize Prime Editing with PetRNA and PegRNAs
NIH Fellowship: F30

In the Xue laboratory, Andrew helped develop Prime Assembly, a precision gene-editing method for large insertions. Currently, Andrew is building and experimentally validating a computational pipeline to identify unannotated open reading frames in human protein-coding transcripts.

Project:  KRAS Inhibition Triggers Senescence and Immune Mediated Tumor Regression in a Conditional Cholangiocarcinoma Model

Project: Studying the impact of antibiotics and antidepressants in the host microbiome in vivo

The Trivedi laboratory seeks to define causal mechanisms that drive congenital cardiac and vascular diseases in human patients. By integrating human genetics, patient-derived tissue analyses, and mechanistic studies in animal models, we have uncovered essential roles for chromatin-modifying enzymes and developmental signaling pathways in a broad spectrum of disorders. Brianna joined the lab in 2025 and focuses on translational research using mouse models and patient samples to understand the causal mechanisms driving cardiac diseases, including myocarditis and aortic valve stenosis, and to identify targeted candidate treatments.