Current VMD-PhD Students

Matriculated: 2020 VMD; 2021 VMD-PhD

Graduate Group: Immunology

Research Interests: Interested in a host-pathogen interactions and the integration of the innate and adaptive immune systems.

 Rotation Labs: Michael Betts, De’Brosky Herbert

Thesis Mentor: TBD

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2022

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

Research Interests: Theresa is interested in gut microbiota ecology and next-generation microbial therapeutics.

Rotation Labs: TBD

Thesis Mentor: TBD

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2022

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

Research Interests:  Breezy is currently interested in a role in comparative medicine to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms of infectious agents and host immune response to help develop new means for zoonotic disease prevention.

Rotation Labs: TBD

Thesis Mentor: TBD

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2016

Graduate Group: Bioengineering

Research Interests: Jaclyn’s research interests include orthopaedic biomechanics, focusing on the mechanical properties of tendon following injury. Additionally, she is interested in tissue engineering and potential veterinary clinical applications of this field.

Rotation Labs: Lou Soslowsky

Thesis Mentor: Lou Soslowsky

Thesis Project: Evaluating the temporal role of collagen III in modulating cellular activity and matrix deposition throughout tendon healing.

Matriculated: VMD 2014: VMD-PhD 2017

Graduate Group: Immunology

Research Interests: Megan is interested in understanding how immunometabolism regulates anti-tumor immunity.

Rotation Labs: Phil Scott, Patrick Seale, Jorge Henao-Meija

Thesis Mentor: Jorge Henao-Mejia

Thesis Project: Uncovering how remodeling the electron transport chain regulates anti-tumor immune responses in macrophages.

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2015

Graduate Group: Neuroscience

Research Interests: I am interested in sensory neurobiology, particularly in how peripheral and central pathways control our internal states and our responses to our external environment.

Rotation Labs: Wenqin Luo, Aimee Payne, Amita Sehgal

Thesis Mentor: Wenqin Luo

Thesis Project: Dissecting a novel neural pathway that modulates the itch-scratch cycle.

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2019

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology

Research Interests: Kay is interested in advancing canine cancer treatment with the development and improvement of immunotherapies.

Rotation Labs: Lewis Chodosh, Gerald Linette, Beatrice Carreno, Dan Powell

Thesis Mentor: Dan Powell, Nicola Mason

Thesis Project:

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2016

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

Research Interests: Emerging RNA viruses, arboviruses, vaccine development. Phil studies the mechanisms that dictate the intracellular localization of glycoproteins encoded by highly pathogenic emerging bunyaviruses and how these mechanisms can be leveraged to improve the efficacy of vaccine candidates against these viruses. 

Rotation Labs: Ron Harty, Paul Bates, Elizabeth White

Thesis Mentor: Paul Bates

Thesis Project: A genetic strategy to improve VSV vectored vaccines for emerging bandaviruses.

Matriculated: VMD 2016; VMD-PhD 2019

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology

Research Interests: Sabina is interested in cancer biology, metabolism, and immunology.

Rotation Labs: Zach Schug, Chengcheng Jin

Thesis Mentor: Zach Schug

Thesis Project: Alternative Nutrients in Melanoma Brain Metastases

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2018

Graduate Group: Genomics and Computational Biology

Research Interests: Emerson is interested in using computational methods and long-read RNA sequencing to study the intersection of transposable elements, dsRNA, and inflammation.

Rotation Labs: Yi Xing, Lan Lin

Thesis Mentor: Yi Xing

Thesis Project:

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2015

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics and Epigenetics

Research Interests: Monica is interested in IBD, obesity, host-microbiota interactions, and allergy.

Rotation Labs: Montserrat Anguera, Michael Silverman, Jorge Henao-Mejia

Thesis Mentor: Jorge Henao-Mejia

Thesis Project: microRNA-mediated control of inflammation and energy homeostasis by the gut microbiota.

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2018

Graduate Group: Bioengineering

Research Interests: I am interested in researching inflammation in the synovial joint microenvironment and therapeutic interventions for pain management and promotion of dense connective tissue healing in the face of an inflammatory insult.

Rotation Labs: Robert Mauck, Nathaniel Dyment

Thesis Mentor: Robert Mauck

Thesis Project: Biologic delivery from mechanoactive microcapsules to preserve joint health and promote tissue repair.

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2022

Graduate Group: Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Research Interests: Katherine is interested in deep-time evolutionary disease ecology and epidemiology of clinically relevant infectious and parasitic livestock diseases.  Specifically, she is interested in understanding how pathogen evolutionary strategies facilitate host-crossing events between humans and domestic camelids in the Central Andes of Peru. 

Rotation Labs: Ricardo Castillo

Thesis Mentor: TBD

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2015

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

Research Interests: Comparative disease pathogenesis, particularly viral and immune-mediated; mechanisms and imaging of immune control and host-pathogen interactions. 

Rotation Labs: Matt Weitzman, Scott Hensley, Ike Eisenlohr

Thesis Mentor: Ike Eisenlohr

Thesis Project: The Novel Innate Immune-Antagonistic Effects of the Ectromelia Virus C15 Protein.

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2021

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

Research Interests: Raegan is interested in studying viral pathogens affecting both humans and animals.

Rotation Labs: Ron Harty

Thesis Mentor: TBD

Thesis Project: TBD

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2020

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Development, Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology

Research Interests: The impact of mitochondrial function on cell development and the interplay of nutrition on human and animal health and inflammation.

Rotation Labs: Stewart Anderson, Ermestina Schipani

Thesis Mentor: TBD

Thesis Project: TBD

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2017

Graduate Group: Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Research Interests: Mathematical models of infectious disease transmission, spatial epidemiology, quantitative epidemiologic methods

Rotation Labs: Ricardo Castillo, Michael Levy, Dustin Brisson

Thesis Mentor: Ricardo Castillo

Thesis Project: In progress: Epidemiology and control of canine rabies in heterogeneous populations.

Matriculated: 2020 VMD; 2022 VMD-PhD

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Development, Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology

Research Interests: Daana is currently interested in intestinal epithelial regeneration and RNA processing that might inform the study of host-pathogen interactions and therapeutics for IBD.

Rotation Labs: Katherine Hamilton

Thesis Mentor: TBD

Thesis Project: TBD

Matriculated: VMD 2016; VMD-PhD 2018

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

Research Interests: Ariel is interested in pathogenesis of CDC's Category A bioterrorism viral agents.

Rotation Labs: Beatrice Hahn, Ron Harty, Matt Weitzman

Thesis Mentor: Ron Harty

Thesis project: Regulation of filovirus Ebola and Marburg lifecycles by viral-host protein interactions.

Matriculated: VMD 2013; VMD-PhD 2016

Graduate Group: Neurosciences

Research Interests:  Nate is interested in the basic science and comparative medicine of neurodevelopmental and stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. 

Rotation Labs: Stewart Anderson, Tracy Bale

Thesis Mentor: Stewart Anderson, Ethan Goldberg

Thesis Project: His thesis project is focused on interneuron transplantation as a potential therapy for a mouse model of pediatric epilepsy.

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2014

Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

Research Interests: Greg’s research interests are broad but focused on infectious disease.  He has special interest in vector borne diseases and applied public health laboratory science. 

Rotation Labs: Matt Hayes, Oriol Sunyer, De’Brosky R. Herbert, Michael Povelones

Thesis Mentor: Michael Povelones

Thesis Project: Dissecting the melanization immune response in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae.

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2019

Graduate Group: Neuroscience

Research Interests: Martha is interested in characterizing the neural mechanisms which underlie emergence from anesthesia.

Rotation Labs: Max Kelz, Franz Weber

Thesis Mentor: Max Kelz

Thesis Project: 

Matriculated: VMD-PhD 2016

Graduate Group: Immunology

Research Interests: Ashley is broadly interested in how determinants of cell fate – including the complex dynamic between gene regulation and environmental exposures - can tip the balance between health and disease.

Rotation Labs: Warren Pear, Avinash Bhandoola, Ivan Maillard

Thesis Mentor: Ivan Maillarid

Thesis Project: Ashley studies how Notch signaling regulates the early priming and activation of alloreactive T cells in graft-versus-host-disease.