The Graduates of the Biological Sciences Ph.D. Program

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Fall 2023 Graduates

Adit Alreja - An investigation on the molecular basis for dimer formation of a bacteriophage endolysin possessing antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae - Daniel Nelson, VetMed

Mary Chey - Gene regulatory architectures that dictate transgernerational epigenetic effects in C. elegans - Antony Jose, CBMG

David Crawford - Studies onf Variability in Cancer Gene Expression: From Single Proteins to Populations - Stephen Mount, CBMG

Jax Ficklin - Sex and the Evolution of a Double Hermaphrodite - Eric Haag, BIOL

Monty Goldstein - Engineering physiologically-relevant model systems to understand the requirements of rhinovirus C infection - Margaret Scull, CBMG

Saul Sarria - Linking Antimicrobial Resistance Genes and Plasmid to host bacteria - Jiuzhou Song, ANSC

Renee Ti Chou - Application of Advanced Machine Learning Strategies for Biomedical Research, Michael Cummings, BIOL

Summer 2023 Graduates

Kevin Bennett - Evolutionary history and consequences of gene flow in bearded manakins - Gerald Wilkinson, BIOL

Javier Carpinteyro-Ponce - The genomics of species divergence of the Drosophila pseudoobscura subgroup - Carlos Machado, BIOL

Haleigh Eppler - BIOMATERIALS REPROGRAM ANTIGEN PRESENTING CELLS TO PROMOTE ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC TOLERANCE IN AUTOIMMUNITY - Christopher Jewell, BIOE

Yujia Li - Investigating the mechanisms of FGF release at cytonemes contact sites - Sougata Roy, CBMG

Reynold Yu - Investigation of progerin expression in non-Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome individuals - Kan Cao, CBMG

Spring 2023 Graduates

Theresa Alexander - Analytical approaches for complex multi-batch - Omics datasets and their application to neuronal development - Colenso Speer, BIOL, and Najib El-Sayed, CBMG

Anshuman Bhanja - Mechanisms by which the actin cytoskeleton switches B cell receptor signaling from the activation to the attenuation mode - Wenxia Song, CBMG

Rong Guo - Comparative genomics of chemosensory gene families among members of the Heliothinae - Megan Fritz (ENTM)

Can Liu - Systems immunology of immune imprints induced by acute viral infections - Philip Johnson, BIOL

Nicholas Rachmaninoff - Systems approaches to immunology in acute COVID19, monogenic immune disorders, and childhood development - Philip Johnson, BIOL

Zajeba Tabashsum - Probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic approaches in sustainable poultry production through microbiome modulation - Debabrata Biswas, ANSC

Binghan Xue - Persistent effects on sound encoding and intra-cortical circuits during early development and aging - Colenso Speer, BIOL

Huijing Xue - Development of an accelerated cellular model for Alzeheimer’s Disease - Kan Cao, CBMG

Fall 2022 Graduates

Custodio de Oliveira Nunes - Molecular and biophysical bases of intracellular electric fields in pollen tubes - José Fiejó, CBMG

Matthew Fischer - Quantifying the relative contribution and furthering qualitative understanding of ftz cis-regulatory elements in Drosophila melanogaster - Leslie Pick, ENTM

Amy Hsu - Identification and analysis of genetic variants permitting disseminated coccidioidomycosis - David Mosser, CBMG

Dirk Joldersma - Genome-wide identification and analysis of imprinted genes strawberry seed development - Zhongchi Liu, CBMG

Summer 2022 Graduates

Domenick Braccia - A multi-omics approach to characterizing health-relevant functions of the gut microbiome - Brantley Hall, CBMG

Seth Commichaux - Method validation and development for the metagenomic exploration of microbial communities - Mihai Pop, CS

Shelby Foor - Structure-function analyses of an essential virulence determinant of the Lyme disease pathogens - Utpal Pal, VetMed

Junghyun Rachel Kim - Development and characterization of Epstein-Barr birus (EBV) antibodies and testing their efficacy in a humanized mouse model - Xiaoping Zhu, VetMed

Muzi Li - Investigating molecular mechanisms specifying diverse Rosaceae fruit types through comparative transcriptomic analysis - Zhongchi Liu, CBMG

Ji Liu - Auditory cortical responses to spectromtemporally dynamic stimuli during passive listening and behavior - Daniel Butts, Biology

Lauren Skelly - Mechanisms of sexual mode evolution in caenorhabditis elegans - Eric Haag, Biology

Randi Turner - A synthetic tmRNA platform for elucidation of bacterial proteome remodeling under stress - Jonathan Dinman, CBMG

Jurriaan Van Haaren - Roles of plasma membrane wounding and repair in B cell antigen capture and presentation - Wenxia Song, CBMG

Fuxi Wang - Mechanisms of DREAM component TSO-1 in plant stem cell regulation - Zhongchi Liu, CBMG

David Weber - Divergent mating strategies across the Peromyscus genus drive reproductive trait evolution and diversity - Heidi Fisher, Biology

Spring 2022 Graduates

Johnathan Guest - Strategies and resources for rational vaccine design and antibody-antigen docking and affinity prediction - Brian Pierce, CBMG

Ethan Iverson - Mucin-mediated and Interferon-driven Defense Mechanisms against Influenza Virus Infection in Human Airway Epithelium - Margaret Scull, CBMG

Jamie Kelly - Keeping it in frame: Monitoring ribosomal frameshifting during translation - Jonathan Dinman, CBMG

Xiaojing Mao - Investigation of accelerated skin aging and peroxisomal abnormalities in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome - Kan Cao, CBMG

Corey Rennolds - Physiological dynamics of injury and regeneration in clonal freshwater annelid Pristina leidyi - Alexandra Bely, BIOL

Jonathan Schenk - Physiological characterization of specific local interneuron subpopulations in the Drosophila antennal lobe - Quentin Gaudry, BIOL

Bo Shi - Regulation of endocytosis at mammalian central synapses - Leslie Pick, ENTM; Ling-Gang Wu, NIH-NINDS

Anshuman Swain - How do resource availability, infomration flow, and targeted interactions shape eco-evolutionary processes in microbial organisms across scale? - Bill Fagan, BIOL

Pablo Villar del Rio - Modulation of early olfactory circuits by long-range GABAergic inhibition - Ricardo Araneda, BIOL

Fall 2021 Graduates

Nathan Shugarts - Intercellular transport of RNA can limit heritable epigenetic changes - Antony Jose, CBMG

Yantenew Gete - Investigation of the molecular mechanisms of vascular endothelial dysfunction in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome through in vitro 2D and 3D models - Kan Cao, CBMG

Jingyuan Liu - Translation and movement of an infectious umbravirus-like RNA citrus yellow vein associated virus - Anne Simon, CBMG

Craig Taswell - The role of the ventral striatum and amygdala in reinforcement learning - Dan Butts, BIOL; Bruno Averbeck, NIH-NIMH

Summer 2021 Graduates

Madhvi Venkantraman - What makes a successful invader? Population genomics and adaptation to novel environments in the invasive Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) - Dan Gruner, ENTM; Robert Fleischer, SI-NZ

Sanju Sinha - Three Variations of Precision Medicine: Gene-Aware Genome Editing, Ancestry-Aware Molecular Diagnosis, and Clone-Aware Treatment Planning - Eytan Ruppin, CMSC/NIH-NCI

Rezia Era Braza - The importance of nutrient adaptation and uptake by Group A Streptococcus for its growth and infection - Kevin McIver, CBMG

Spring 2021 Graduates

Kuoyuan Cheng - Metabolic Modeling of Anti-Cancer CD8 T Cells and SARS-CoV-2 Infection - Philip Johnson, BIOL; Eytan Ruppin, CMSC / NIH-NCI

Jordan Aoyama - Investigating the competition between components of dual-function RNA - Leslie Pick, ENTM; Gisela Storz, NIH-NICHD

Markus Brown - Divergent Roles of the TCF4 and LEF1 WNT Signaling Transcription Factors in Colon Cancer - Kan Cao, CBMG; Thomas Reid, NIH-NCI

Samantha Worthy - Impact of phenotypic variation and its interaction with abiotic and biotic factors, within and among tree species, on differential demography and community structure - Nate Swenson, BIOL

Fall 2020 Graduates

Miranda Yourick - Internal and External Environmental Regulation of Opsin Expression in African Cichlids - Karen Carleton, BIOL

Julie Mallon - Time is energy - Drivers of migratory and non-migratory movements by soaring birds - Bill Fagan, BIOL

Krittika Petprakob - Drought resistance in tropical trees: Traits, trade-offs, and inter- and intraspecific interactions - Nate Swenson, BIOL

Grace Capshaw - Extratympanic hearing in salamanders: A comparative assessment of structural variation and terrestrial function of an atympanic ear - Catherine Carr, BIOL; Daphne Soares, NJIT

Kunal Kundu - Interpreting genetic variants for discovering disease etiology and mechanisms - John Moult, CBMG

Alexander Simon - Molecular evolution and biophysical characterization of plant glutamate receptor-like ion channels - José Fiejó, CBMG

Summer 2020 Graduates

Rongkang Deng - Development of the translaminar circuits in the mouse cortex - Patrick Kanold, BIOL

Kajal Hamidzadeh - The Endogenous Regulation of the Human Macrophage Activation Response - David Mosser, CBMG

Samuel Porter - Chromatin control of Papollomavirus infection - Jeffrey DeStefano, CBMG; Alison McBride, NIH-NIAID

Spring 2020 Graduates

Edward Hurme - Movement ecology of the Mexican fish-eating bat, Myotis Vivesi - Gerald Wilkinson, BIOL

Lei Lin - High-resolution analysis of HIV envelope-specific antibody responses to accelerate rational immunogen design - Wenxia Song, CBMG; Yuxing Li, UMB-SOM/IBBR

Fall 2019 Graduates

Laramie Pence - Novel Models for Studying Trophoblast Development and Placental Pathologies - Bhanu Telegu, ANSC

John Sittmann - Investigating the Regulation of Growth Mechanisms in Two Distinct Branches of Photosynthetic Life - Zhongchi Liu, CBMG

Cordelia Weiss - Investigation of the dynamics and homeostasis of signaling nucleotides in bacteria - Wade Winkler, CBMG

Alexander Sohr - The Mechanisms and Roles of Post-transitional Processing of the Drosophila Fibroblast Grownth Factor Brancless During Development - Sougata Roy, CBMG

Jake Weissman - Investigating the Distribution of CRISPR Adaptive Immune Systems Among Prokaryotes - Philip Johnson, BIOL; Bill Fagan, BIOL

Summer 2019 Graduates

Elske Tielens - Diversity and Structure of Metrosidesos polymorpha canopy arthropod communities across space and time - Daniel Gruner, ENTM

Pravrutha Raman - Unknown - Antony Jose, CBMG

Spring 2019 Graduates

Danielle Adams - Consequences of Sexual Selection Within and Between Species of Phyllostomid Bats - Gerald Wilkinson, BIOL

Senthilkumar Muthiah - Some statistical and dynamical models for the analysis of microbial ecosystems and their genomic data - Hector Corrada Bravo, CMSC

Frances Betsy Clark - Genetic Conflict in Lake Malawi Cichlids: B Chromosomes and Sex Determination - Thomas Kocher, BIOL

Da Yin - Genomic and Reproductive Consequences of the Evolution of Self-Fertility in Caenorhabditis Nematodes - Eric Haag, BIOL

Qian Yu - Neisseria gonorrhoeae modulates infectivity based on properties of human cervical epithelia and phase variable bacterial surface structures - Wenxia Song, CBMG

Xioran Shang - Structure-Guided Engineering of a Multimeric Bacteriophage- Encoded Endolysin PlyC - Daniel Nelson, VetMed

Rini Pek - Investigating the Role(s) of Mammalian Heme Transport by HRG1 - Iqbal Hamza, ANSC

Daniel Escobar Camacho - Proximate and Ultimate Insights in the Evolution of Color Vision in Tropical Freshwater Fish - Karen Carleton, BIOL

Fall 2018 Graduates

Carey Stuart - Orthologous Gene Swapping and Experimental Evolution Provide Novel Way to Study Essential Poxvirus Genes - Jeffrey DeStefano, CBMG & Bernard Moss, NIH-NIAD

Joseph Kendra - Programmed Translational Recoding Signals as a Therapeutic Target Against Alphaviruses - Jon Dinman, CBMG

Ji Young (Julie) Choi - Investigation of Defective Cell Signaling Cascade Involved in the Osteogenesis in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome - Kan Cao, CBMG

Jonathan Goodson - Description:Discovery and Characterization of Antiterminator Proteins in Bacteria - Wade Winkler, CBMG

Summer 2018 Graduates

Jason Berg - Factors that Influence the Mating System in Native and Non-Native Populations of the Potentially Invasive Plant, Mimulus guttatus - Nate Swenson, BIOL

Snusha Ravikumar - Mobile RNAs Reveal Differential Requirements for Gene Silencing in the C. elegans Soma at Single-Cell Resolution - Antony Jose, CBMG

Qiong Zhang - Identification and Characterization of Novel Plant Immune Components Using the Arabidopsis powdery Mildew Pathosystem - Shunyuan Xiao, PLSA

Kun Wang - Computational Investigation of Transcriptomic and Genetic Underpinnings of Aging and HGPS - Sridhar Hannenhalli, CBMG

Carolina Marques dos Santos Vieira - The Impact of Translational Fidelity on Human Health - Jon Dinman, CBMG

Nathanael Olson - Assessing the 16S rRNA Marker-Gene Survey Measurement Process Using Mixtures of Environmental Samples - Hector Corrada Bravo, CMSC

spring 2018 graduates

Alisha Barnes
CBMG | Dr. Stephen Wolniak 		Dissertation: The Role in Aurora Kinase in the Developing Male gametophyte of Marsilea Vestita
Sindhuja Devanapally
CBMG | Dr. Antony Jose 		Dissertation: Transgenerational Silencing at a Susceptible Locus in Caenorhabditis Elegans
Will Gammerdinger
BIOL | Dr. Thomas Kocher 		Dissertation: The Diversity of Sex Chromosomes Within African Cichlids
Pratima Nandamuri
BIOL | Dr. Karen Carleton 		Dissertation: Mechanisms Contributing to Opsin Expression Divergence in the Visual System of African Cichlids
Mengfei Peng
MOCB | Dr. Debabrata Biswas 		Dissertation: Stimulation Growth And Metabolites Production
of Lactobacillus Control Enteric Bacterial Pathogen Infection Improving Gut Health
Matthew Conte
BIOL | Dr. Thomas Kocher 		Dissertation: Structure and Evolution of African Cichlid Genomes
Alexander Novarro
BEES | Dr. Alexa Bely 		Dissertation: Thermal Physiology in a Widespread Lungless Salamander
Stephen Christensen
CBMG | Dr. David Mosser 		Dissertation: Meta-Transcriptomic Profiling of Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Rachel Maczis Shahan
CBMG | Dr. Zhongchi Liu 		Dissertation: A Network Approach to Identify Key Regulators of Fruit Development in Fragaria vesca, a Diploid Strawberry
 

winter 2018 graduates

John Clay
MOCB | Dr. Caren Chang 		Dissertation: The Phytohormone Ethylene: (I) Investigating
the Molecular Function of RTE1 and (II) Insights on the Evolution of the Ethylene Biosynthesis and Signaling Pathways
Vincent Keith Hughitt
CBBG | Dr. Najib El-Sayed 		Dissertation: Development and Optimization of Tools For Co-expression Network Analyses of Host-Pathogen Systems
Susan Park Ochsner
MOCB | Dr. Xiaoping Zhu 		Dissertation: Mucosal Delivery of Influenza Vaccine Antigens
 

fall 2017 graduates

Sarah Ahlbrand
MOCB | Dr. Volker Briken 		Dissertation: Characterizing the Inhibition of Innate Immune Signaling by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Post-Grad: Medical Writer/Clinical Research Specialist
Narendranath Bhokisham
MOCB | Dr. Volker Briken 		Dissertation: Design of Enzyme Cascade and CRISPR-Cas9 Networks for Enabling Bioelectronic Communication
Andrew Foss-Grant
BEES | Dr. William Fagan 		Dissertation: Quantitative Challenges in Ecology: Competition, Migration, and Social Learning
Jessica Goodheart
BEES | Dr. Michael Cummings 		Dissertation: Phylogenomics, Systematics, And Evolution Within The Nudibranch Group Cladobranchia (Mollusca: Gastropoda)
Noor White
BEES | Dr. Karen Carleton 		Dissertation: Unraveling the Evolutionary History of Nocturnality in the Strisores
Post-Grad: National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at The National Institutes of Health
Yizhou Yin
CBBG | Dr. John Moult 		Dissertation: Computational Methods in Missense Mutation Analysis: Phenotypes, Pathogenicity, and Protein Engineering
 

SUMMER 2017 GRADUATES

Daniel Ayres
BEES | Dr. Michael Cummings 		Dissertation: Research And Application Of Parallel Computing Algorithms For Statistical Phylogenetic Inference
Bess Dalby
MOCB | Dr. David Moser 		Dissertation: Regulation of Gene Expressions by Fc Receptor Cross-Linking in Primary Human Macrohages
Post-Grad: Statistical Analyst at BioStat Solutions Inc
Harley King
MOCB | Dr. Shunyuan Xiao 		Dissertation: Regulation of the broad-spectrum disease resistance protein RPW8.2 by phosphorylation and 14-3-3 in Arabidopsis
Julia Marré
MOCB | Dr. Antony Jose 		Dissertation: Extracellular RNA Is Transported From One Generation To The Next In C. Elegans
Post-Grad: Cell & Molecular Biologist
Shrutii Sarda
CBBG | Dr. Sridhar Hannenhalli 		Dissertation: Mapping and Characterization of Functional Innovations in CIS-Acting Elements and Trans-Acting Factors
Post-Grad: Bioinformatics Scientist at CooperGenomics
Yizhou Yin
CBBG | Dr. John Moult 		Dissertation: Computational Methods in Missense Mutation Analysis: Phenotypes, Pathogenicity, and Protein Engineering
Steven Smith
CBBG | Dr. Najib El-Sayed & Dr. Jaques Ravel 		Dissertation: Identification and Characterization of Regulatory miRNAs
and mRNAs in the Longitudinal Human Host Response to Vaginal Microbiota
Ganesh (Surya) Sundar
MOCB | Dr. Kevin McIver 		Dissertation: Characterizing the Role of the Phosphoenolpyruvate
Phosphotransferase System Enzyme IIs In the Pathogenesis of the Group A Streptococcus
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral Fellow at Lab of Antimicrobial Discovery
Di Wu
MOCB | Dr. Kan Cao 		Dissertation: Investigation of Lamin A Processing and Regulation
Jie Xiang
MOCB | Dr. Leslie Pick 		Dissertation: Investigating pair-rule gene orthologs in an intermediate germ beetle, Dermestes maculatus
Juannan Zhou
BEES | Dr. Michelle Dudash & Dr. Elizabeth Zimmer 		Dissertation: Natural Selection, Population Genetics, And Trait
Diversification of Silene Stellata and its Pollinating Seed Predator Hadena
Ectypa
 

SPRING 2017 GRADUATES

Roxane Boutan
MOCB | Dr. Caren Chang 		Dissertation: Bolt, an AP2/ERF Transcription Factor Regulates Abiotic Stress and Defense Responses in Arabiodpsis Thaliana
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral Fellow at Lab of Antimicrobial Discovery
David Brown
MOCB | Dr. Jon Dinman & Dr. John Glass 		Dissertation: Enhancing Gene Delivery to the Mammalian Nucleus
for Applications in Viral Reverse Genetics and Human Artificial Chromosome Development
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at J. Craig Venter Institute
Carolina Diller
BIOL | Dr. Charles Fenster 		Dissertation: Evaluating the Effects of Pollinator Mediated Selection on Patterns of Floral Variationg
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Beatrice Mao
BEES | Dr. Jerry Wilkinson & Dr. Cynthia Moss 		Dissertation: Echolocation, High Frequency Hearing, And Gene Expression In The Inner Ear Of Bats
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institute of Deafness & Other Communication Disorders, NIH
Sarah Tweedt
BEES | Dr. Charles Delwiche & Dr. Doug Erwin 		Dissertation: Development and the Early Animal Fossil record: Evolution and Phylogenetic Applications
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at Yale University
Natalia Umana
BEES | Dr. Nathan Swenson 		Dissertation: The Role of Functional Traits in Driving Species-Relative
Abundance Distribution in Plant Communities
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral associate at Yale University; Assistant
Professor in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan
 

FALL 2016 GRADUATES

Silvia Alvarez
BEES | Dr. Bill Fagan 		Dissertation: Fission-Fusion Dynamics In Mammals: Linking Animal Movement To Group Behavior
Post-Grad: Searching for employment in Columbia and Latin America
Cora Johnston
BEES | Dr. Dan Gruner 		Dissertation: Marine Community Assembly in a Dynamic Ecotone
Post-Grad: Post doc at UC-Santa Barbara in a parasite ecology lab
Sara Linden
MOCB | Dr. Daniel Nelson 		Dissertation: An Investigation on a Bacteriophage Endolysin Possessing
Antimicrobial Activity Against Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
Post-Grad: Post doc at UMD in Nelson lab
Carly Muletz Wolz
BEES | Dr. Karen Lips 		Dissertation: The Skin Microbiome of Plethodon Salamanders and
its Association with Hosts’ Taxonomy, Environment, and Health Status
Post-Grad: Researcher at Center for Conservation Genomics at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Jeff Quigley
MOCB | Dr. Volker Briken 		Dissertation: The Cell Wall Lipid PDIM Mediates Phagosomal Escape and Host Cell Exit of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Post-Grad: Post doc at Northeaster in Dr. Kim Lewis's Lab
Sara Reynolds
MOCB | Dr. Bernard Moss & Dr. Jim Culver 		Dissertation: Characterization of the Cowpox and Mousepox Homologs
of the Smallpox Virus B22 Protein and Their Roles in Mouse Disease Models
Post-Grad: Assistant Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University
Haoyue Zhang
MOCB | Dr. Kan Cao 		Dissertation: Investigation of Smooth Muscle Cell Death and Genome Instability in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome
Post-Grad: Post doc at Children's Hospital of Philidelphia in Dr. Gerd Biobel's lab
 

SUMMER 2016 GRADUATES

Vasudevan Achuthan
MOCB | Dr. Jeff DeStefano 		Dissertation: HIV Reverse Transcriptase Fidelity & Inhibition are Modulated
by Divalent Cations in a Concentration-Dependent Manner In Vivo
Post-Grad: Post doc research fellow at Harvard Medical School
Cheryl Lewis Ames
BEES | Dr. Allen Collins & Dr. Alexa Bely 		Dissertation: Taxonomy, Morphology, and RNA-Seq Transcriptomics
of the Cubozoan Alatina Alata, an Emerging Model Cnidarian
Post-Grad: Peter Buck Post Doctoral Fellow in Invertebrate Zoology at
the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History
Grace DiRenzo
BEES | Dr. Karen Lips 		Dissertation: Community- and Population- Level Effects of Chytridiomycosis in a Neotropical Amphibian Community
Post-Grad: NSF Post Doctoral Fellow at UC-Santa Barbara
Charles Hawkins
CBMG | Dr. Zhongchi Liu 		Dissertation: Shaping the Dicot Fruit: Molecular & Genomic Approaches to Fruit Development
Post-Grad: Post doc at Washington State University & USDA/ARS
Micki Kuhlmann
MOCB | Dr. Anne Simon 		Dissertation: Alternate Conformations Regulate Ribosomal Recoding in a Positive-sense RNA Virus
Post-Grad: Post doctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health - National Cancer Institute
Gregg Mendez
MOCB | Dr. Charles Delwiche 		Dissertation: Dinoflagelate Genomic Organization and Phylogenetic Marker Discovery Utilizing Deep Sequencing Data
Post-Grad: Bioinformaticist at the Mayo Clinic
Jules Nchoutmboube
MOCB | Dr. George Belov 		Dissertation: Mechanism of Upregulation of Phosphatidylcholine
Synthesis During Picornavirus Infection & its Role in the Development of Viral Replication Organelles
Post-Grad: MRL Post doc research scientist at Merck Research Labs
Jennifer Shemansky
MOCB | Dr. Caren Chang 		Dissertation: Exploring the Function and Regulation of Arabidopsis EIN2 in Ethylene Signaling
Post-Grad: Researcher at USDA
Andrew Simpson
BEES | Dr. Scott Wing & Dr. Charles Fenster 		Dissertation: Using a Combination of Phylogenetic Comparative and Paleobotanical
Methods to Elucidate Patterns of Lineage Selection in Rosales (Plantae: Anthphyta)
Elanor (Stevens) Spadafora
BEES | Dr. William Lamp 		Dissertation: Analysis of Macroinvertebrate Communities in Seasonal Wetlands through Time, Space, and Species Traits
Erika Tomei
MOCB | Dr. Steve Wolniak 		Dissertation: Kinesin Motor Proteins are Essential for Male Gametophyte Development in the Water Fern Marsilea vestita
Post-Grad: Microscopy and Technical Sales at Vashaw Scientific Inc.
 

Spring 2016 graduates

Tamara (Fischer) Collum
CBMG | Dr. Jim Culver 		Dissertation: Characterization of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Directed Reprogramming
of Phloem Gene Expression to Promote Viral Phloem Loading and Systemic Movement
Post-Grad: Post doctoral researcher in the Culver lab at UMD
Kasim George
MOCB | Dr. David O'Brochta 		Dissertation: Genetic Manipulation of Anopheles Stephensi Immunity
to Increase Plasmodium Falciparum Salivary Gland Sporozoite Infection Levels
Post-Grad: Post doc in insect genetic technologies RCN in the O'Brochta lab at IBBR
Ginger Houston-Ludlum
MOCB | Dr. Najib El-Sayed 		Dissertation: Comparative Transcriptome Profiling of Human Foreskin
Fibroblasts Infected with the Sylvio and Y Strains of Trypanosoma Cruzi
Faith Kung
MOCB | Dr. Utpal Pal 		Dissertation: Characterization of Borrelia Burdoferi Gene Product BBD18 for
its Role(s) in Pathogen Biology and Infectivity
Post-Grad: Post doctoral fellow at UMD in Dr. Leslie Pick's lab
My Le
MOCB | Dr. Anne Simon 		Dissertation: Structural Analysis of Ribosome Binding Elements of the
3’ UTR in Two Positive-Strand Plant RNA Viruses
Post-Grad: Post doc researcher at Indiana University in the Giedroc Group
Ashley Nazario-Toole
MOCB | Dr. Louisa Wu 		Dissertation: Genome Wide Association Studies of Phagocytosis and the Cellular Immune Response in Drosophila Melanogaster
Post-Grad: Research Educator/Research Associate: UMD FIRE Program
Julie Samy
BEES | Dr. Jerry Wilkinson & Dr. Kaci Thompson 		Dissertation: Social Structure of Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Sri Lanka
Alyssa Stewart
BEES | Dr. Michele Dudash 		Dissertation: Bat-Plant Pollination Interactions in Southern Thailand
Post-Grad: Lecturer, Mahidol University, Thailand
Kayla Valdes
MOCB | Dr. Kevin McIver 		Dissertation: Functional Characterization of the Link Between
Carbohydrate Metabolism and Pathogenesis of the Invasive M1T1 Group A Streptococcus
Post-Grad: Biomedical Life Scientist at Leidos
Mona (Wu) Orr
MOCB | Dr. Vincent Lee 		Dissertation: NanoRNAses are the Primary Enzymes Responsible for
the Degradation of pGpG in c-di-GMP Signaling
Post-Grad: Post doc at the NIH-NICDH with Dr. Gisela Storz
 

fall 2015 graduates

Gina Tella Togna
MOCB | Dr. Jon Dinman & Dr. Pierre Comizzoli 		Dissertation: Structural And Functional Characterization Of The
Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus Zeteki) Spermatozoa – Impact Of
Medium Osmolality And Cryopreservation On Motility And Cell Viability
Post-Grad: Post doctoral fellow, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Laura Dillon
CBBG | Dr. Najib El-Sayed 		Dissertation: Transcriptomic profiling of Leishmania parasites and host macrophages during an infection
Post-Grad: Biologics Project Manager, MedImmune
Ted Gibbons
CBBG | Dr. Charles Delwiche 		Dissertation: Inferring Dinoflagellate Genome Structure, Function, and
Evolution from Short-read High-throughput mRNA-seq
Post-Grad: Bioinformatics scientist at Computomics GmbH in Tübingen, Germany
Justin Malin
CBBG | Dr. Sridhar Hannenhalli 		Dissertation: Crowdsourcing: A Novel Group-Level Mechanism
Structures Chromatin And Fosters Gene-Complex Activation
Post-Grad: Post doctoral fellow at the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Seth Schobel
CBBG | Dr. Michael Cummings & Dr. John Glass 		Dissertation: The Viral Genomics Revolution: Big Data Approaches
to Basic Viral Research, Surveillance, and Vaccine Development
Post-Grad: Assistant Professor at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
 

summer 2015 graduates

Katharine Briggs
MOCB | Dr. Zvi Kelman 		Dissertation: Exploration of Lithium Ion Binding to Magnesium
Bound Adenosine Triphosphate and Its Implications for Bipolar Disorder
Post-Grad: Post doctoral fellow at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Maitreyi Chattopadhyay
CBMG | Dr. Anne Simon 		Dissertation: Long and Short Distance RNA:RNA Interactions Modulate Vital Viral Processes in the Carmoviruses
Post-Grad: ORISE Fellow at the FDA
Daniel Czerny
MOCB | Dr. Heven Sze 		Dissertation: Probing the 3D structure and function of a cation/H+
exchanger in plant reproduction
Post-Grad: Adjuct Biology Faculty at Reading Area Community College
Amanda Field
MOCB | Dr. Leslie Pick 		Dissertation: The Evolution and Function of the Pair-rule Gene Fushi Tarazu
Post-Grad: Mirzayan S & T Policy Fellow at the National Academy of Sciences
Jacob Hosen
BEES | Dr. Margaret Palmer 		Dissertation: Alterations to Headwater Stream Microbial Communities
and Carbon Cycling in Response to Environmental Change
Post-Grad: Post doctoral associate Yale University Department of Forestry
Heather Miller
CBMG | Dr. Wenxia Song 		Dissertation: The Regulation of B Cell Activation by Antigen Density and Membrane Damage
Post-Grad: Post doctoral fellow at Rocky Mountain Laboratories
Richard Smith
BIOL | Dr. Ricardo Araneda 		Dissertation: Neuromodulation in the Olfactory Bulb
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School
Frank Stearns
BEES | Dr. Charles Fenster 		Dissertation: Moving Toward an Optimum: Adaptation Genetics of Arabidopsis Thaliana
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow in the Ostermeier Lab at Johns Hopkins University
Rahul Suresh
CBMG | Dr. David Mosser 		Dissertation: Activation Of NLRP3 Inflammasomes During Complement-Mediated Phagocytosis By Macrophages
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Laura VanBlargan
MOCB | Dr. Ted Pierson & Dr. Anne Simon 		Dissertation: Deconstructing The Polyclonal Antibody Response To Dengue Virus
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at Washington University School of Medicine
 

spring 2015 graduates

Vivek Advani
CBMG | Dr. Jon Dinman 		Dissertation: Establishing Link Between Translational Recoding and Human Disease
Post-Grad: Research Educator/Research Associate UMD-FIRE Program
Senthil Velan Bhoopalan
CBMG | Dr. Dan Stein 		Dissertation: Pour Some Sugar On Me: Role Of Gonococcal Surface Glycoconjugates In Bacteria-Bacteria Interaction
Post-Grad: Pediatrics Resident, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV (other)
Gerry Carter
BEES | Dr. Jerry Wilkinson 		Dissertation: Cooperation and social bonds in common vampire bats (desmodus rotundus)
Post-Grad: Assistant Professor, Ohio State University
Suna Gulay
MOCB | Dr. Jon Dinman 		Dissertation: Building A Map of The Dynamic Ribosome
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Child Health & Development
Kyle Miller Hesed
BIOL | Dr. Jerry Wilkinson 		Dissertation: Dispersal and Population Ecology of the Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Post-Grad: Biology Faculty member, Hesston College
Shang-Hsuan Lin
BIOL | Dr. Marco Colombini 		Dissertation: Discovery of an Escherichia Coli Channel with High Voltage Dependence and Cooperativity
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota
Yong Lu
CBMG | Dr. Leslie Pick 		Dissertation: Function and Evolution of Pair-rule Genes
Post-Grad: Research Associate at SUNY-Stonybrook
Kevin Nyberg
BIOL | Dr. Carlos Machado 		Dissertation: Comparative Transcriptomics of Long Intergenic Noncoding RNAs in Drosophila
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow in the Carthew Lab at Northwestern University
Lalitha Srinivasan
MOCB | Dr. Volker Briken 		Dissertation: Role of Rv3167c in Necrosis and Autophagy Induction by and in Virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Post-Grad: Scientist I at Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC
 

fall 2014 graduates

Lijuan Du
MOCB | Dr. Jian Wang 		Dissertation: JAK/STAT and Hippo Signaling Pathways Independently Regulate
The Same Target Genes To Control Cell Proliferation
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow in the Roy Lab at UMD
Bryan Fleming
CBMG | Dr. David Mosser 		Dissertation: Expanding our understanding of the Regulatory Macrophage
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute
Rebecca Just
CBBG | Dr. Michael Cummings 		Dissertation: The Forensic Mitochondrial DNA Horizon: Laying The
Foundation To Extend Typing Efforts To The Full Mitochondrial Genome
Post-Grad: Supervisory Research Scientist, American Registry of Pathology (ARP)
Sharmishtha Musalgaonkar
CBMG | Dr. Jon Dinman 		Dissertation: Ribosome in the Balance: Structural Equilibrium Ensures Translational Fidelity and Proper Gene Expression
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular Biosciences at the University of Texas at Austin
Katie Seeley-Fallen
CBMG | Dr. Wenxia Song 		Dissertation: Actin-binding protein 1 links B-cell antigen receptors to negative signaling pathways
Post-Grad: Post doctoral researcher in the Song Lab at UMD
Liang-Chun (Mark) Wang
CBMG | Dr. Wenxia Song 		Dissertation: Interactions of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae with Epithelial Cells
Post-Grad: Research Educator UMD FIRE program
Qian Wang
MOCB | Dr. Louisa Wu 		Dissertation: The Antiviral Role of Atg1 Against Drosophila X Virus in Drosophila Melanogaster
Chen-Hsin Yu
MOCB | Dr. John Moult 		Dissertation: Analysis Of Consensus Genome-Wide Expression-QTLs
And Their Relationships To Human Complex Trait Diseases
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral Research Associate at Duke University of Medicine
 

SUMMER 2014 GRADUATES

Christian Che-Castaldo
BEES | Dr. Bill Fagan 		Dissertation: The Role of Wood-Boring Insect Herbivory in Mediating Primary Succession
Katherine Fenstermacher
CBMG | Dr. Jeff DeStefano 		Dissertation: Modulation of Nucleic Acid Binding by HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase and Family A DNA Polymerases
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Pekosz
Ryan Heselpoth
MOCB | Dr. Daniel Nelson 		Dissertation: Engineering- Enhanced Structural Stability To The Streptococcal Bacteriophage Endolysin PlyC
Post-Grad: Post doc in Dr. Vincent Fischetti's Laboratory at Rockefeller University.
Nathan Jud
BEES | Dr. Charlies MItter & Dr. Scott Wing 		Dissertation: The Ecology Of Early Cretaceous Angiosperms: Insights From The Fossil Record
Post-Grad: Post doc at the Florida Museum of Natural History
Tammy Korolnek
MOCB | Dr. Iqbal Hamza 		Dissertation: MRP5/ABCC5, A Conserved ABC Transporter, Regulates Metazoan Heme Homeostasis
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia
Courtney LaPaglia Finch
MOCB | Dr. Daniel Perez 		Dissertation: Reverse Genetics of Influenza B and the Development of a Novel LAIV Vaccine
Post-Grad: ORISE post doctoral fellow at the Food & Drug Administration
Yuan Li
CBBG | Dr. Najib El-Sayed 		Dissertation: Simultaneous transcriptome profiling of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites and their human host cells
Post-Grad: Senior Quantitative Analyst with Capital One
Rebecca Renberg
MOCB | Dr. Norma Andrews 		Dissertation: Residues Critical for Heme Transport in Leishmania Heme
Response 1 (LHR1) from Leishmania amazonensis
Post-Grad: Government contractor at The US Army Research Laboratory,
to work on a biofuel project
Kevin Roelofs
CBMG | Dr. Vincent Lee 		Dissertation: The Differential Radial Capillary Action of Ligand Assay
Enables Systematic Identification and Characterization of Protein-Ligand Interactions
Post-Grad: Research Scientist - Molecular Analysis - Finch Therapeutics
Daniel Serrano
CBBG | Dr. Silvia Muro 		Dissertation: Role of ICAM-1-Mediated Endocytosis on Endothelial
Function and Implications for Carrier- Assisted Drug Delivery
Post-Grad: Research Associate, University of Maryland Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics
Sarada Viswanathan
PSYS | Dr. Patrick Kanold & Dr. Loren Looger 		Dissertation: Distinct laminar and molecular subcircuits of the Subplate Neurons
Post-Grad: Research specialist, HHMI Janelia Farms
 

spring 2014 graduates

 
Clark Rushing
BEES | Dr. Michele Dudash & Dr. Peter Marra 		Dissertation: Causes and Consequences of Long-Distance
Dispersal in a Migratory Bird, the American Restart (Setophaga Ruticilla)
Post-Grad: Post doctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Mercedes Burns
BEES | Dr. Jeff Shultz 		Dissertation: Phylogenetic Exploration of Mating System Evolution
in the Easter North American Leiobunine Harvestment (Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae
Post-Grad: NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at San Diego State University
Vanya Paralanov
MOCB | Dr. Jon Dinman and Dr. John Glass 		Dissertation: Moving Beyond Serovars: Using Cutting Edge
Molecular Approaches to Redefine Our Understanding of Ureaplasmas
Post-Grad: NRC Postdoc at National Institute of Standards and Technology
Kenneth Jensen
CBMG | Dr. Don Nuss 		Dissertation: Functional characterization of papain-like protease
p48 required for replication of hypovirus CHV-1 responsible for virulence-attenuation of the chestnut blight fungus
Post-Grad: Research Scientist
Matthew Angel
CBMG | Dr. Daniel Perez 		Dissertation: Reassortment and gene selection of influenza viruses
in the ferret model and potential platforms for in vivo reverse genetics
Post-Grad: Post doc, NIH
Kawther Abdilleh
MOCB | Dr. Carlos Machado 		Dissertation: Patterns of gene expression and gene network evolution in Drosophila
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral Fellow in Todd Streelman's lab, Georgia Institute of Technology
Wayne Cabral
MOCB | Dr. Steve Mount & Dr. Joan Marini 		Dissertation: Recessive Osteogenesis Imperfecta:
Prevalence and Pathophysiology of Collagen Prolyl-3-Hydroxylation Complex Defects
Post-Grad: Biologist at National Institutes of Health
Jorge Mendez Rios
CBMG | Dr. Jeff DeStefano & Dr. Bernard Moss 		Dissertation: Investigation on Poxvirus host-range genes in mammalian cells
Post-Grad: Post doctoral fellow at the NIH, Laboratory of Viral Diseases
Swati Shah
CBMG | Dr. Volker Briken 		Dissertation: Mechanisms of Innate Immune Evasion by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Maryland
Kanika Gera
CBMG | Dr. Kevin McIver 		Dissertation: The Phosphoenol Pyruvate Phosphotransferase (PTS) of Streptococcus Pyogenes are its Role in Virulence
Post-Grad: Research Scientist at Open Medicine Institute
Lisa Injaian Hoover
MOCB | Dr. Brenda Fredericksen 		Dissertation: Interferon- dependent and independent modulation
of West Nile virus infections of human dermal fibroblasts
Post-Grad: Senior Scientist at Precision for Medicine
Claire O'Quin
BIOL | Dr. Thomas Kocher 		Dissertation: The Genetic Basis Of Pigment Pattern Differentiation In Lake Malawi African Cichlids
Post-Grad: Lecturer at University of Kentucky
Heather Cohen
CBMG | Dr. David Mosser 		Dissertation: The Identification and Characterization of an Intrinsic
CD39/A2R-based Regulatory Mechanism that Governs Macrophage Activation Responses
Post-Grad: Immuno-Oncology Postdoctoral Fellow at EMD Serono, Boston, MA
Juanji (Jessica) Tang
MOCB | Dr. Louisa Wu 		Dissertation: PABP interacting protein, rogue, restrict viral accumulation in Drosophila. (tentative)
Post-Grad: NHLBI Fellow
Dandan Li
MOCB | Dr. Zhongchi Liu 		Dissertation: An investigation of mechanisms of an intron-mediated gene silencing
Post-Grad: Postdoc at NCI (National Cancer Institute)
Zhuo Li
Dr. Zvi Keliman 		Post-Grad: Research Associate Professor at Third Institute of Oceanography of State Oceanic Administration
Chen-Hsin Yu
MOCB | Dr. John Moult 		Dissertation: Analysis Of Consensus Genome-Wide Expression-QTLs
And Their Relationships To Human Complex Trait Diseases
Post-Grad: Postdoctoral Research Associate at Duke University of Medicine