The Group
Sean Crosson
Postdoc
Melene Alakavuklar
Grad Student
Emily Perez
Rosemary Northcote
Jeannette Farnham
Maddy Quinlan
Elly Scheeres (joint with Olive Lab)
McKenna Goike
Undergrad
Johnny Myall
Alumni
Postdoc
Matt Schnizlein (2022-2025)
Current location: Clinical Research Consultant, Lansing, MI.
Maeve McLaughlin (2019-2024)
Current Location: Assistant Professor, University of Michigan-Flint, Department of Biology, Flint, MI.
Ben Stein (2016-2021)
Current Location: Assistant Professor, College of the Holy Cross , Department of Biology, Worcester, MA.
David Hershey (2016-2020)
Current Location: Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Bacteriology, Madison, WI.
Abhishek Dubey (2019-2020)
Current Location: Leibniz Institute on Aging, Jena, Germany.
Julien Herrou (2009-2018)
Current Location: Chargé de recherche, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Marseille, France.
Justin Luebke (2015-2018)
Current Location: Technology Commercialization Manager. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
Kristy Hentchel (2015-2017)
Current Location: Office of Naval Research, Arlington, VA.
Daniel Czyż (2014-2016)
Current Location: Associate Professor, Dept. of Microbiology & Cell Science. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Hye-Sook Kim (2009-2014)
Current Location: National Institutes of Health, NCCIH, Bethesda, MD.
Neeta Jain (2012-2013)
Current Location: Project Leader, Boehringer Ingelheim.
Melissa Marks (2007-2011)
Current Location: Professor & Chair, Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR.
Grad students
Tom Kim (PhD, Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology, 2025)
Current Location: MS4, MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, MI.
Sergio Hernandez-Ortiz (PhD, Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology, 2025)
Current Location: Postdoc, Amy Schmid Lab, Duke University, Durham, NC.
Hunter North (PhD, Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology, 2025)
Current Location: Postdoc, Petra Levin Lab, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.
Esther Chen (PhD, Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology, 2024)
Current Location: Scientist, Resolian, Malvern, PA.
Lydia Varesio (PhD, Microbiology, 2021)
Current Location: Postdoc; Dianne Newman Lab; Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Leila Reyes Ruiz (PhD., Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology, 2019)
Current Location: Assistant Professor, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC.
Maggie Zhang (2017-2018; PhD 2022, Chang Lab, UChicago)
Current Location: Research Analyst & Editor, Catalyst Healthcare Consulting.
Matthew Tien (Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, 2018)
Current Location: Senior Scientist, BioReNuva, Austin, TX.
Kasia Gebicka (M.S. University of Warsaw, 2016)
Aleksandra Fergin (M.S. Biotechnology, Politechnika Warszawska, 2015)
Current Location: Study Management, Pharmacyclics.
Jon Henry (Ph.D., Microbiology, 2013, M.D., 2015)
Current Location: Medical Director, Addiction Treatment Program. Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
Milena Lewanczyk (M.S., Biology, University of Gdańsk, 2013, Ph.D. University of Liverpool, 2017)
Current Location: University of Liverpool, England.
Musetta Steinbach (2011-2012)
Current Location: Navitus Health Solutions, Madison, WI.
Rob Foreman (Ph.D., Microbiology, 2012)
Current Location: Northwestern University, Director, Biological Safety, Evanston, IL.
Brook Heaton (Ph.D., Microbiology, 2012)
Current Location: Director, RBL Pathogen Unit, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC.
Cara Boutte (Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, 2011)
Current Location: Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, TX.
Erin Purcell (Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, 2011)
Current Location: Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.
Dan Siegal (Ph.D., Physics, 2008)
Current Location: Executive Director, USU Center for Biotechnology (4D Bio3). Rockville, MD.
PREP post-bac students
Selymar Peña-Rivera (2021-2022)
Current Location: PhD Program, Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Xiomarie Alejandro-Navarreto (2015-2016)
Current Location: Postdoc, Freitag Lab, University of Illinois at Chicago. Chicago, IL.
Leila Reyes Ruiz (2013-2014)
Current Location: Assistant Professor, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC.
Cyd-Marie Castro Rojas (2008-2009)
Current Location: Clinical Research Program Manager, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH.
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine BRUSH scholar
Damone Charleston (2023)
Current Location: Undergrad, Michigan State University
Laura Peña-Serrano (2022)
Current Location: Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, DVM student. Ithaca, NY.
Undergrads
Maude Antol (2021-2023)
Current Location: Research Associate, Tango Biosciences, Chicago, IL.
Samy Mechrouki (Spring 2023). Visiting scholar from Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany.
Current Location: PhD Student, Forschungszentrum Jülich.
Courtney VanOphem (2020-2021)
Current Location: Resident, Internal Medicine, PGY2, Corewell Health, Michigan.
Miette Hennessy (Summer 2019, Winter 2020)
Current Location: PhD Program, Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Georgia Warmbein (2020)
Current Location: Pediatric pharmacy resident, PGY2, Oregon Health & Science University. Portland, OR.
Averill Clapp (2016-2017)
Current Location: Medical Resident, NS/LIJ, New York, NY.
Olivia Stovicek (2015-2017)
Current Location: Editor, Business Law Today. American Bar Association, Chicago, IL.
Daniel Eaton (2014-2017; PhD 2024, Harvard University, Dept. of Systems Biology)
Current Location: Postdoc, MIT, Gene-Wei Li Lab, Cambridge, MA.
Isaac Larkin (2012-2014; PhD 2020, Northwestern University, Molecular Biology)
Current Location: Senior Scientist, Abbott Labs, Chicago, IL.
Tyehimba Turner (Summer 2012)
Current Location: Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State.
Jacob Clementi (Summer 2011)
Current Location: Software Developer, Networked Insights, Chicago, IL.
Grant Rotskoff (2011-2013; PhD 2016, University of California-Berkeley, Biophysics)
Current Location: Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Adam Strick (Summer 2009)
Current Location: Senior Software Engineer, Bonfire Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
Michelle Crane (Summer 2008)
Current Location: Physician, Family Practice/Integrative Medicine, Aurora Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI.
Rachel Applefield (Summer 2007)
Current Location: Research coordinator, Ortopedia Clinicizzata, Milan, Italy.
Kevin Dalton (2006-2010; PhD 2016, Stanford University, Biophysics)
Current Location: Associate Scientist, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford. Palo Alto, CA.
Andrew Martens (Summer 2006, PhD 2017, Johns Hopkins University, Biophysics)
Current Location: Postdoctoral Fellow, Paulsson Lab, Harvard University.
Dave Rawling (2006-2007; PhD 2015, Yale University, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry)
Current Location: Principal Scientist, Precede Biosciences, Boston, MA.
High School
Miette Hennessy (Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago) (Summer 2014-2016)
Earlham College '22 ; Currently: PhD Program, Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tori Valadez (John Hersey High School) (Summer 2012)
Vanderbilt University '18

November 2025. East Lansing, MI. Tom and Sergio farewell.