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Graduate Student Directory

Masters Students
PhD Students

Xander Beagley

Xander Beagley
Masters Student
Research Lab: Robison

Research Description: I am investigating the relationship between exposure to disinfectants called quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and correlated changes in antibiotic resistance in the bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Exposure to these disinfectants has been reported in many studies with conflicting results, showing increased resistance in widely different antibiotic classes. My research aims to help clarify the relationship between exposure to QACs and antibiotic resistance.

Alexa Carlson

Alexa Carlson
Masters Student
Research Lab: Robison

Research Description: My research focuses on expanding the pentaplex real-time PCR assay, designed by Dr. Taalin Hoj and Dr. Richard Robison, to include Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Enterobacter cloacae. These opportunistic pathogens are clinically significant and are among the common causes of nosocomial infections worldwide. By designing and validating genus- and species-specific primers and probes targeting novel genetic markers, I aim to create a rapid and sensitive diagnostic assay that can be used for the precise identification of those organisms. This tool will provide clinicians with the ability to rapidly diagnose patients and reduce the misuse of antibiotics in hospital-acquired infections.

Brianna Davis

Brianna Davis
Masters Student
Research Lab: O'Neill

Research Description: My research focuses on CAR T cells, an immunotherapy in which a patient's own T cells can be extracted and then engineered to be specific for specified antigens. We work to understand the mechanisms of exhaustion in CAR T cells and to develop CAR strategies for autoimmune diseases such as Grave's disease, antiphospholipid syndrome, and Goodpasture's syndrome.

Leslie Ewool

Leslie Ewool
Masters Student
Research Lab: Pickett

Research Description: I’m researching on bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotic therapy with emphasis on phage stability after lyophilisation under different storage conditions and excipients. I am also doing a genomic analysis of a group of phages and determining conserved proteins and functions between the families they fall under.

Chloe Ganiaris

Masters Student
Research Lab: Tessem



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Austen Gleave

Austen Gleave
Masters Student
Research Lab: Poole

Research Description: I am investigating the effects of the Aleutian Mink Disease Virus (AMDV) on gene expression in the American Mink. AMDV is an economically important disease that can kill up to 90% of the mink it infects. My research aims to better understand how this virus changes the gene expression of macrophages and lung cells and how those changes influence disease progression. Understanding the changes in gene expression will help in the development of treatments that will reduce the high mortality rate of infected mink.

Topher Haynie

Masters Student
Research Lab: Weber



Research Description: I am researching antibody approaches to treating disease. Many immunotherapies rely on antibodies as the basis for treatment. Antibody specificity for a target can be utilized for specific targeting strategies such as my work with cancer target TK1. Antibody receptor binding is also critical to many treatments. I aim to improve the efficacy of treatments by studying the antibody and Fc receptor relationships. I am using machine learning approaches to understand the importance of post-translational modification on the structural function of the antibody to bind and cause signaling through the Fc Receptor. Finally, I am implementing software improvements such as automated workflows for Flow Cytometry, a technique that utilizes antibody staining of cells to identify unique cellular populations and characteristics.

Claire Kwon

Masters Student
Research Lab: TBD



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Samye Lloyd

Masters Student
Research Lab: Robison



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Angelina Macwan

Masters Student
Research Lab: Tessem



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Natalie Olsen

Masters Student
Research Lab: Grose



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Bea Reynolds

Masters Student
Research Lab: Tessem



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Alina Rodriguez

Masters Student
Research Lab: Weber



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Miranda Sharp

MirandaSharp
Masters Student
Research Lab: Weber

Research Description: My research investigates the role of the T cell surface protein CD6 in regulating the metabolic pathways that are essential for T cell function during infections. I'm particularly interested in understanding how the deletion of CD6 affects these pathways and how this impacts T cell efficacy in combating pathogens.
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Sakhawat Ali

Sakhawat Ali
PhD Student
Research Lab: Grose

Research Description: My research focuses on the regulation of NAD kinase, an enzyme that phosphorylates NAD to NADP and in turn helps maintain the cellular levels of NADPH. The reduction potential of NADPH is required for over 300 reactions in the cell including cell growth and protection from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Highly proliferating cells, such as cancer cells, need more NADPH for growth and protection from ROS, therefore, we propose that NAD kinase is a key potential target in cancer treatment.

Learn more about Sakhawat here!

Rajesh Bogati

Rajesh Bogati
PhD Student
Research Lab: Poole

Research Description: I am studying the regulation of group 3 capsules in Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli (EXPEC). My project focuses on the relationship of capsule synthesis and bile salts, and uniformity and reversibility of capsule synthesis in populations of strain M12.

Olivia Brown

Olivia Brown
PhD Student
Research Lab: Robison

Research Description: I am passionate about understanding and combating the significant threat posed by B. anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. My research focuses on the unraveling the intricate interactions between B. anthracis and bacteriophages, as well as understanding the genomic variation and functional implications of the pagA gene, a virulence factor. Through this research journey, I hope to contribute knowledge about host-pathogen interactions and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the world of microbiology and infectious disease.

Tyler Brown

Tyler Brown
PhD Student
Research Lab: Wilson

Research Description: Finding vulnerable points at the intersection of cell wall synthesis and D-amino acid metabolism in Staphylococcus aureus. Historically, the bacterial cell wall has been a major target of antibiotics; today, those same antibiotics are largely ineffective, and our understanding of the bacterial cell wall is still incomplete. Better understanding of the synthesis and structure of the bacterial cell wall may result in new and effective treatment options.

Will Brugger

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PhD Student
Research Lab: Davis

Research Description: My research focuses on uncovering potential links between multiple sclerosis patients’ response to treatment and their underlying genetics through ancestry-aware bioinformatics.

Abby Cheever

Abigail Johnson.jpg
PhD Student
Research Lab: O'Neill

Research Description: Cell therapies are currently revolutionizing how we treat disease. CAR T cells are one of these therapies, where a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is engineered with a highly specific binding domain that activates the T cell's cytotoxic abilities. This allows for specific targeting and elimination of cancer cells. We are developing cell therapies based on the CAR T cell concept that can effectively target and treat cancers and autoimmune diseases.

Learn more about Abby here!

Charlie Chou

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PhD Student
Research Lab: Pickett

Research Description: My research focus on interpretating biological sequencing data with graph theory and data mining annotations. My focus of diseases are preeclampsia and intrauterine Growth Restriction and their effects on electronic cigarette smoke.

Carlton Collins

PhD Student
Research Lab: Schachterle



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Charity Conlin Jennings

Charity Conlin Jennings
PhD Student
Research Lab: Kenealey

Research Description: My research focuses on whey proteins. Specifically, I am trying to quantify the different proteins in whey by using a differential scanning calorimeter to evaluate their thermal properties. I am using each protein's enthalpy value and denaturation temperature to quantify the proteins in a mixture.

Rachael David Prince

Rachael David Prince
PhD Student
Research Lab: Erickson

Research Description: Escherichia coli, is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that is capable of causing Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) infections, which come from a variety of sources including animals. Some of these isolates cause diseases like urinary tract infections, meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis syndrome which may even result in death. E.coli possess major virulence factors including capsules. Capsules (K antigens) are composed of polysaccharides that make the outermost layer and protect some bacteria from phagocytosis and complement-mediated death. Several ExPEC strains produce capsules that belong to groups 2 and 3. Unfortunately, there is fewer known studies focusing group 3 capsule and their transcriptional regulations. Our research system includes, over one hundred ExPEC strains, all of which are obtained from clinical isolates of bovine mastitis known as Mastitis-associated E.coli (MAEC). Some strains of E. coli (MAEC) that are linked to mastitis include genes that are linked to ExPEC pathogenicity, including immune evasion and host attachment capabilities. However, we are unsure if the other MAEC strains that have genes related to ExPEC require group 3 capsules to be virulent and cause infections. Thus, the goal of my proposed research is to investigate the importance of group 3 capsule formation and its transcriptional regulations that cause extraintestinal infections in humans.

Maddie Duffy

Madison Duffy
PhD Student
Research Lab: Grose

Research Description: I am studying PAS kinase and ATAXIN-2 to determine their effects on cellular metabolism. We are also looking at how mutations in these genes lead to diseases like ALS, diabetes, and hypothyroidism and what is happening within the cells metabolic pathways to cause disease.

Kenneth Ewool

Kenneth Ewool
PhD Student
Research Lab: Grose

Research Description: My research work focuses on two different subjects, the Dynamics of PAS kinase and the use of bacteriophages for human benefit. PAS kinase is a kinase that has been found to be at the pivotal point of glucose allocation to either metabolic respiration or lipid biosynthesis. PAS kinase acts on other kinases and transcription factors to bring about this effect. One of these is USF1, a global transcription factor, implicated in the development of dyslipidemias. Much research has been done on the involvement of USF1 in dyslipidemia. However, little to nothing is known about its effects on respiration under the influence of PAS kinase. My research focuses on how respiration is affected by USF1 in mammalian cells and how this can be leveraged for human benefits in metabolic diseases.

Iqra Farooq

Iqra Farooq
PhD Student
Research Lab: Nielsen

Research Description: A major goal of my proposed work is to determine changes in plant gene expression in response to inoculation with halophilic bacteria (salt-tolerant), when the plants grow in the presence or absence of salt and to identify the bacterial properties that contribute to plant growth enhancement. For this purpose, I'm working on the Alfalfa crop (salt sensitive) to analyze the response of halophilic bacteria in salty conditions. In Utah, where BYU is located, alfalfa is the major top crop produced. The use of halophilic bacteria inoculant to stimulate alfalfa crop productivity in saline soil would thus be of great benefit.

Jono Gal

Jono Gal
PhD Student
Research Lab: Johnson

Research Description: My research is focused on Arthrospira platensis, a photosynthetic cyanobacterium that is commonly referred to as ’Spirulina.’ This organism contains very high amounts of edible and nutritious protein. It is a growing part of the global food chain, especially in India and China where high population densities demand greater amounts of nutrition. Cultivation of Spirulina is generally done in tubular photobioreactors, and the per acre rate of protein production by tubular photobioreactors has been estimated at 200x that of cattle farming. It also uses less water. Thus, Spirulina offers a means to improve global nutrition in a land and water efficient manner. NASA is also looking at Spirulina as a nutritional source for space missions.

Alka Gaur

Alka Gaur
PhD Student
Research Lab: Weber

Research Description: My research aims to understand the role of the co-receptor CD6, which is predominantly found on the surface of T cells, B cells, and some NK cells. I will investigate how the absence of CD6 affects the activation kinetics of T cells. Additionally, I plan to generate CD6KO CAR T cells specific for CD19 and compare their cytotoxicity against cancerous B cells at different time intervals to measure the efficiency of CAR cytotoxicity.

Maliea Holden

Maliea Holden
PhD Student
Research Lab: Hansen

Research Description: Anaerobic digestion is a process in which organic waste is decomposed into gas through a community of bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Anaerobic digestion provides an alternative path for solid waste (such as manure and sewage) that would otherwise be disposed of in a landfill; the gas produced during anaerobic digestion is used as a source of renewable energy. My research makes anaerobic digestion more efficient by implementing a biological pretreatment before anaerobic digestion. The pretreatment process consists of a specialized bacteria which degrades compounds that are recalcitrant to microbial decomposition in the anaerobic digester. I study the effectiveness of the pretreatment process as well as changes in the microbial communities of the anaerobic digester with the implementation of the pretreatment process. Improving the anaerobic digestion process results in less landfill waste and increased sources of renewable energy.

Misha Iqbal

Misha Iqbal
PhD Student
Research Lab: Griffitts

Research Description: In vivo DNA assembly is a key tool in genetic engineering that joins DNA fragments directly inside a living cell, but it can be inefficient and error prone. My project focuses on engineering E. coli to improve the efficiency of DNA assembly reactions. However, a major limitation is the degradation of DNA fragments by host nucleases. To overcome this, our research targets native E. coli exonucleases to enhance fragment joining through short homology regions. A better understanding of this system could enable the construction of small genomes/ plasmids directly in E. coli.

Kyson Jensen

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PhD Student
Research Lab: Griffitts

Research Description: The ability of microorganisms to adapt to environmental stressors is the key to their ability to occupy different ecological niches. No one microorganism can specialize to cope with every possible environmental stressor. This principle accounts for much of the diversity and niche specialization we commonly see in bacteria. The overall objective of my project is to understand the mechanism by which microorganisms adapt to environmental stressors, specifically towards toxic heavy metals. We have previously isolated closely related bacterial strains of the genus Mesorhizobium from both regular soils and heavy metal (serpentine) soils in northern California. While isolated strains are closely related, those from serpentine soils are significantly more tolerant to Ni. The aim of this project is to examine and identify molecular contributors to metal tolerance and evaluate how these tolerance mechanisms influence fitness in the absence of metal stress. This work will enhance our understanding of mechanisms of heavy metal tolerance and may provide clues about evolutionary pathways giving rise to this trait.

Carlos Moreno

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PhD Student
Research Lab: Weber

Research Description: My research focuses primarily on the role of an inhibitory co-receptor called CD5 found on the surface of T cells in the context of periodontitis and cancer immunotherapy development. CD5 has been shown to attenuate T cell receptor signaling and inhibit T cell activation. Additionally, the Weber lab has shown that the metabolic profile of CD4+ T cells deficient in CD5 is altered. Specifically, the rates of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in CD5 knockout T cells are increased and several intracellular metabolites are significantly different. Also, preliminary data indicates that CD5KO T cells have increased levels of cytokine production post-stimulation. We aim to determine whether CD5 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of periodontitis, and we are generating chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells deficient in CD5 and characterizing their functionality.

Caleb Parker

PhD Student
Research Lab: Griffitts



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Hyrum Pech

Hyrum Pech.jfif
PhD Student
Research Lab: Chaston

Research Description: I am studying the genetics behind bacterial interactions in the fruit fly microbiota. In particular, I'm interested in learning about and characterizing the genes that are necessary for acetic acid bacteria to benefit from lactic acid produced by lactic acid bacteria. I am also comparing how these interactions behave differently when happening on agar plates and when happening inside of the fruit fly gut.

Sidney Sithole

Sidney Sithole.jfif
PhD Student
Research Lab: Berges

Research Description: My research revolves around understanding the factors that make certain individuals susceptible to developing AIDS after contracting HIV, while others do not. While several host factors also contribute to HIV progression, my research focus is on HIV genetics, specifically HIV vpr, which has been implicated in playing an important role in HIV progression. A single nucleotide mutation in HIV vpr has been associated with individuals that either rapidly progress (rapid progressors (RP)) or delay progression (Long-Term Non Progressors (LTNP)) towards AIDS. Using molecular tools, my research will unfold the mechanisms employed by HIV Vpr that result in either a RP or LTNP phenotype. Since HIV is a human-specific pathogen that does not cause disease in most conventional small animal models, we have validated the use of a “humanized mice” model to study HIV progression. A humanized mouse refers to a mouse that has undergone a transplantation of human cells. Specifically, we transplant mice with human hematopoietic stem cells, resulting in the production of diverse human blood cell types and the development of a human immune system within the mouse. Consequently, the mouse is capable of generating antibody and cellular immune responses originating from humans. With this model, I will better understand the role of HIV Vpr in AIDS progression by studying different methods and mechanisms of cell death such as apoptosis and necrosis exhibited by different HIV vpr polymorphisms in vivo.  

Nate Walker

Nate Walker.jpg
PhD Student
Research Lab: Tessem

Research Description: My research focuses on the transcription factor Nr4a1 and how it affects diabetes outcomes. Specifically, I am investigating mechanisms of popular diabetes and weight loss medications like GLP1s and Harmine, focusing on Nr4a1 related pathways. These medications increase beta cell proliferation and insulin secretion. Nr4a1 is essential for both of these pathways under normal circumstances. My research focuses on determining if Nr4a1 is necessary to see the positive effects of these medications, and on how we can increase these benefits.

Kate Whalen

Kate Whalen.jpg
PhD Student
Research Lab: Tessem

Research Description: The focus of my research is to investigate the role of transcription factor Nr4a3 and its effect on the pancreatic beta cell and diabetes outcomes. Specifically, I am investigating which diabetes-related phenotypes it impacts (glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and beta cell proliferation among others), and identifying its binding partners. My research aims to determine the effects and importance of Nr4a3. Gaining an understanding of this transcription factor may lead to improved diabetes treatments in the future.
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