Mandy Muller Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst mandymuller@umass.edu
Education: – Damon Runyon Postdoc Fellow , Glaunsinger lab, UC Berkeley, CA, USA
– Ph.D in Virology with Caroline Demeret, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris VII, Paris, France
– Master’s degree in Biology, Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Lyon, France
Research interests: Oncogenic viruses, RNA decay, Comparative virology.
About me: I was born in the South of France, I always loved Science and was always fascinated by Viruses. When not sciencing in the lab, I like to paint (drawings on this website are all homemade!), hike and bake.
Olivia Alpizar Junior Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, oalpizar@umass.edu
About me: I am from New Jersey, and have taken an interest in pathogenic microorganisms from a young age. It was while reading an infectious disease protocol poster at a winter job that I realized I wanted to study microbiology, and today am interested in studying pathogens mechanisms of immune evasion to develop better pharmacological therapies. In my free time, I enjoy all things outdoors, playing with my cat, and exploring local coffee shops.
Yadi Bermudez 4th Year Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, ybermudez@umass.edu
Education: B.S. in Microbiology, UMass Amherst, MA. -PhD student in Microbiology at UMass Amherst.
Research Interests: Protein-Protein interactions, Molecular biology, Microscopy, Virology, RNA biology, Host-Pathogen interactions.
About me: I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico.My interest in science intensified once I took my first advanced biology class. I would say my curiosity keeps leading me to investigate the mechanisms of infection pathogens use. As such, I am fascinated in understanding how viruses hijack host cellular processes and manages to evade the immune system. When I am not in the lab, I like to exercise, travel, watch movies, and spent time with family!
Will Dwyer Senior Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, wtdwyer@umass.edu
About me: I am from Dedham Massachusetts, and discovered my interest in microbiology through a gen ed when I was a business student. I enjoy learning about genetics and am excited to learn more about virology! When I am not in the lab, I enjoy bouldering, listening to music, and cooking.
Adriana Garber Junior Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst adrianagarbe@umass.edu
About me: I am from Winchester Massachusetts, and have always had a passion for biology. Today, I am particularly interested in pathogenesis as well as the incredible tools viruses have to evade the immune system and optimize their replication. In my free time I like to spend time in the gym, watch movies, and go hiking.
Kyla Gomard-Henshaw: Second Year Doctoral Student, Molecular and Cellular Biology, UMass Amherst, kgomardhensh@umass.edu
Education: B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, B.S. in Genetics
Research Interests: RNA modifications, Host-Pathogen interface, RNA-Protein interactions, Epigenomics, Infectious diseases, and Immunology
About me: I originally grew up in Madison, CT before moving to Atlanta, GA. As someone who prefers the cold, I’m happy to be back in New England. I have always been fascinated by infectious diseases and how they intertwine with human evolutionary history. I hope to pursue research in RNA modifications and how viruses can utilize these systems during infection. Outside of lab, I love to travel and cook/bake and am an avid gardener.
Anna Ilyin: Sophomore Undergraduate student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, ailyin@umass.edu
About me: I grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts, and am currently a sophomore microbiology major on the pre-med track. I have always been interested in infectious diseases, particularly the molecular mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and their interactions with host cells, especially in immunocompromised individuals. I find it fascinating how viral RNA influences host cell responses and the complex strategies viruses employ to evade immune detection. Alongside my studies, I work as an EMT in both Lowell and Amherst, love playing with my dog, reading, and spending time with my family and friends.
Jacob Miles Third Year Doctoral Student, Department Of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, jmmiles@umass.edu
Education: -Pittsford Mendon High School, Pittsford, NY -B.S. of Forensic Science and B.S. of Biotechnology University of New Haven, New Haven, CT
-M.S. in Microbiology, UMass Amherst
Research Interests: Bacteriophages (Phage therapy), Viral-Host interactions, Biofilms, Antibiotic Resistance, Gut Flora, Chaperone Proteins, Prions
About Me: My interests in microbiology developed during my undergraduate studies when I was exposed to bacteriophages and biofilms. I currently hope to one day pursue research relating to viral importance in prion based diseases and conditions involving protein plaques, such as Alzheimer’s, as well as the application of bacteriophages in combating the further development of antibiotic resistance and as a means of disrupting biofilms. In my free time I enjoy reading, creative writing, cooking, and miniature painting.
Samantha Schultz: 4th Year Doctoral Student, Molecular Biology and Cellular Biology Program slschultz@umass.edu
Education: B.S. in Biology and Biochemistry, University of New England
Research Interests: RNA-protein interactions, RNA modifications, structural biochemistry, infectious diseases
About me: I grew up in southeastern Massachusetts in a town called Taunton. Growing up, I had always been fascinated by pathogenic microorganisms and their impact on human health. My interest in viral-host interactions was fully realized during my first year of my Ph.D. I hope to pursue research which investigates viral RNA-protein interactions responsible for evasion and antagonism of host detection. In my free time, I enjoy going sailing, playing with my guinea pigs, and going on mushroom forays in the Amherst area.
Alumni:
Daniel MacVeigh-Fierro: PhD Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now a Postdoc at UMass Chan Medical School in the Sontheimer Lab.
Tarah Gervais: Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now a PostBac student in the Malik lab.
David Hatfield: Masters Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now in the AirForce.
Shai Shimoni: Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now in the AMB program.
William Rodriguez: PhD Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now Postdoc at Princeton in the Cristea Lab.
Vi Pham: Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now Intern at Holobiome.
Tim Mehrmann: Undergraduate Student, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst. Now IRTA fellow at NIAID.
Shelene Mitchell: NIH PREP Scholar, UMass Amherst. Now in the Biomedical Science Ph.D program at UCONN Health.
Arielle Gray: Undergraduate Student, UMass Amherst. Now a Mental Health Technician.
Ashley Cadorette: Undergraduate Student, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst. Now in PA school.
Danielle Hoffman: Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Center for Genomic Medicine at Mass General Hospital
Angelina Cicerchia: Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now in Medical School.
Isiaha Price: Undergraduate student, Amherst College. Postbac at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Now PhD student at Harvard Medical School (Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology program)
Carlos Reyes-Sepúlveda: NIH PREP Student, UMass Amherst. Now in the graduate program of Immunology, Microbiology and Virology at University of Rochester
Quentin Bethune: Undergraduate Student, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst. Now Associate Scientist, Upstream Process Development at Pfizer.
Aman Srivastav: Undergraduate Student, Department of Biology, UMass Amherst. Now a student at TCU School of Medicine in Fort Worth, Texas