Our Students

Danya Adams
danya.adams@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Georgetown University
Research Interests: Neuroscience

Kate Fairhurst
kate.fairhurst@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: University of Pittsburgh
Research Interests: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

Jasper Flint
jasper.flint@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Amherst University
Research Interests: Biostatistics

Nicole Gorny
nicole.gorny@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: University of Iowa
Research Interests: Neuroscience

Suyeon Ju
suyeon.ju@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Johns Hopkins University
Research Interests: Neuroscience

Nicole Minerva
nicole.minerva@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Interests: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

Ananthu Pucha
krishna.pucha@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Emory University
Research Interests: Neuroscience

Jacob Wagner
jacob.wagner@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: University of Maryland-College Park
Research Interests: Molecular Medicine

Yalan Wu
yalan.wu@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Boston University
Research Interests: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

Simon Doss-Gollin
sdoss-gollin@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Yale University
Research Interests: SARS-CoV-2

Jennifer Fang
jennifer.fang@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Columbia University
Research Interests: Microbiota and immune system

Nicole Flegel
nicole.flegel@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: University of Maryland-College Park
Research Interests: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

Isabella Horton
isabella.horton@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Interests: Bioengineering

Kijung Kwak
kijungkwak@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Northwestern University - Evanston
Research Interests: Bioengineering

Ethan McCaslin
emccaslin@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Boston University
Research Interests: Cancer Biology 

Kyli McKee
kylimckee@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: American University
Research Interests: Cancer Biology

Temiloluwa Okusolubo
tokusolubo@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
Research Interests: Sickle Cell

Gabrielle Voithofer
gvoithofer@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: Salisbury University
Research Interests: Novel models of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in transgenic zebrafish

Anam Ahmad
anam.ahmad@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Epidemiology and Human Genetics
Alma Mater: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Research Interests: Epidemiology and biostatistics

Issac Chaudry
ichaudry@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Biochemistry
Alma Mater: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Research Interests: Structural biology

Kelly Griffiths, MS
kgriffiths@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
Alma Mater: Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Research Interests: Cancer immunotherapy

Mary Hackbarth, MS
mary.hackbarth@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Biochemistry
Alma Mater: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Research Interests: Undiagnosed diseases program - lysosomal storage diseases

Alexander Laurenson
alaurenson@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Microbiology & Immunology
Alma Mater: University of Maryland-College Park
Research Interests: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

John Locke
jelocke@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Pursuing PhD at Cambridge University
Alma Mater: University of Maryland, College Park
Research Interests: Chronic pain

Neema Moin Afshar
neema.moinafshar@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
Alma Mater: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Research Interests: Dopamine signaling; learning and decision-making process

Alexandra Seas
alexandra.seas@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
Alma Mater: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Research Interests: Drug delivery, bioengineering

Nisita Dutta, MS
nisita.dutta@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Pursuing PhD at Cambridge University
Alma Mater: Johns Hopkins University
Research Interests: Drug Delivery, Cancer, Bioengineering

Darin Gilchrist
darin.gilchrist@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
PI: Stuart Martin, PhD
Alma Mater: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Research Interests: Cancer Biology and Metastasis

Oluwatomiwa Oladunni
Oluwatomiwa.oladunni@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Steffen Wolff, PhD; Brian Mathur, PhD
Alma Mater: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Research Interests: Neuroscience

Abagail Postle, MS
abagail.postle@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Todd Gould, MD
Alma Mater: Miami University (of Ohio), Case Western Reserve University
Research Interests: Behavioral changes of aging, geriatric neurology, Neurodegenerative diseases

Hassan Saadi, MS
hsaadi@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Graeme Woodworth, MD
Alma Mater: University of Maryland, College Park, Georgetown University
Research Interests: Neuropsychiatry

Talia Solomon
talia.solomon@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Bioengineering
PI: Steven Jay, PhD
Alma Mater: Carnegie Mellon University
Research Interests: Bioengineering, Drug Delivery, Immune Engineering

Yonit Addissie
yonit.addissie@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Microbiology & Immunology
PI: Stanley Lipkowitz, MD, PhD
Alma Mater: Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Research Interests: Medical Genetics, Immunology

Rosita Asawa
Rosita.Asawa@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Microbiology & Immunology
PI: David Serre, PhD
Alma Mater: Franciscan University of Steubenville
Research Interests: Infectious Disease, Therapeutic Development, and Drug Development

Ken Brandon
ken.brandon@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Bioengineering
PI: Kimberly Stroka, PhD
Alma mater: Oakwood University, University of Alabama-Huntsville
Research Interests: Cancer metastasis

Rebecca Lorsung
rebecca.lorsung@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Asaf Keller, PhD
Alma Mater: University of Minnesota
Research Interests:  CNS Injury, Therapeutic Ultrasound, Diagnostic Imaging, Electrophysiology

Adarsha Malla
apmalla@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
PI: Graeme Woodworth, MD
Alma Mater: Johns Hopkins University
Research Interests:  Neuroengineering, Interventional Radiology, Surgical Oncology, Focused Ultrasound

Anna Maximova
anna.maximova@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Margaret McCarthy, PhD
Alma Mater: College of William and Mary
Research Interests:  Neurobiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases

Shil Patel
shil.patel@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Microbiology & Immunology
PI: Rémy Bosselut, MD, PhD
Alma Mater: University of Pittsburgh
Research Interests: Cell-Microenvironment Interactions, Developmental and Regenerative Biology

John Quinlan
john.quinlan@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Bioengineering
PI: Huang Chiao Huang, PhD
Alma Mater: Drexel University
Research Interests: Cancer Biology, Biomedical Engineering, and Drug Development

Ryan Scalsky
ryan.scalsky@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Epidemiology & Human Genetics
PI: Joana Carneiro da Silva, PhD
Alma Mater: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Research Interests: Pharmacogenomics of Cardiovascular, Chemotherapeutic and Antibiotic Medications

Madeline Alizadeh
madeline.alizadeh@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
PI: Jacques Ravel, PhD
Alma mater: University of Maryland, College Park
Research Interests: Gut and Vaginal Microbiome, Vertical Transmission

Matthew Eason
matthew.eason@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
PI: Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, PhD
Alma mater: University of Maryland, College Park
Research Interests: Cancer biology and metastasis

Casey Hofstaedter
casey.hofstaedter@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
PI: Robert Ernst, PhD
Alma mater: Lehigh University
Research Interests: Host-microbe interactions

Aishwarya Iyer
Aishwarya.iyer@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Biochemistry
PI: Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, PhD
Alma mater: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Research interests: Biochemical and biophysical approaches to investigate structure-function relationships of vital biomolecules in disease pathology

Adrienne Kambouris
adrienne.kambouris@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology
PI: Alan Cross, MD
Alma mater: Augusta University
Research Interests: Microbial pathogenesis 

Katie Kruk
katie.kruk@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Jessica Mong, PhD
Alma mater: Grand Valley State University
Research interests: Neural networks, applying/optimizing imaging techniques to help detect abnormalities.

Bilal Moiz
bilal.moiz@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program:  Bioengineering (UMCP)
PI: Alisa Morss Clyne
Alma mater: University of Rochester
Research Interests: Drug delivery, biomaterials, physiological barriers, neurodegenerative disease.

Mitchell Moyer
Mitchell.moyer@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: J. Marc Simard, MD, PhD
Alma mater: University of Pittsburgh
Research interests: Neurodegeneration/Metabolism

Chimdiya Onwukwe
Chimdiya.onwukwe@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Jessica Mong, PhD
Alma mater: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Research interests: Addiction, Neurobiology, Tissue Engineering

Justin Schumacher
justin.schumacher@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Bioengineering (UMCP)
PI: Giuliano Scarcelli, PhD (UMCP)
Alma mater: University of Rochester
Research interests: Biomedical engineering and medical imaging, particularly with medical devices, spectral imaging, quantitative imaging biomarkers, and image-guided interventions

Kieran Tebben, MSc
kieran.tebben@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate program:  Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
PI: David Serre, Dr. rer. nat.
Alma Mater: The Ohio State University, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Research Interests: Genomics, malaria, natural selection and evolution, parasitology

Erin Wildermuth, MA
erin.wildermuth@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
PI: Seth Ament, PhD
Alma mater: American University, London School of Economics
Research interests: Molecular Aging

Saif Yasin
saif.yasin@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program:  Biochemistry
PI: Michael Summers, PhD (UMBC)
Alma mater: Drew University
Research Interests: Molecular Structures and Enzyme Kinetics,

Alexa Ciesinski Blanchard, PhD
alexa.ciesinski@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
PI: Margaret McCarthy, PhD
Alma mater: Wake Forest University
Research Interests: Neuroimmunology, Neurodevelopment, Sex differences

Franklin Ning, PhD
franklin.ning@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate program:  Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
PI: Christina Annunziata, MD, PhD (NIH)
Alma mater: University of Maryland, College Park
Research Interests: Drug resistance, metastasis, immunotherapy

Thuan Nguyen, PhD
thuan.nguyen@som.umaryland.edu
Alma Mater: University of Virginia, George Washington University, Georgetown University
Research Interest: Innate immunity, Host-Pathogen interaction, Cancer Biology

Alexandra Vlk, PhD
Alexandra.vlk@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program:  Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
PI: Stefanie Vogel, PhD
Alma mater: Towson University
Research Interests: Immunology and infectious diseases

Anthony Cole, PhD
anthony.cole@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Scott Thompson, PhD
Alma mater: University of Central Florida
Research Interests: Depression, Neurophysiology, Optogenetics, Behavior, Neurosteroids

Talia Guardia, PhD
talia.guardia@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
PI: Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, PhD
Alma mater: Barry University
Research Interests:  Mechanisms of tumor development and metastasis

Niaz Zafar Khan, PhD
niaz.khan@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
PI: Alan Faden, MD
Alma mater: University of Pittsburgh
Research Interests: Exosomes, Extracellular Vesicles, Neuroinflammation, Traumatic CNS Injury

Jackline Joy, PhD MS
jacklinejoy.lasola@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Microbiology & Immunology
PI: Ryan Pearson, PhD
Alma mater: University of California-Berkeley and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Research Interests: innate immune signaling pathways, inflammation, immunomodulation, immunotherapies, immune engineering, biomaterials

Trevor Mathias, PhD MS
trevor.mathias@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Medicine
PI: Stuart Martin, PhD
Alma mater:  University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
Research Interests: Cancer Biology, Breast Cancer, Cancer Genomics, Metastasis

Michael Sikorski, PhD
michael.sikorski@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program:  Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
PI: Myron Levine, MD, DTPH and David Rasko, PhD
Alma mater:  University of Maryland, College Park
Research Interests: Comparative genomics, Microbiology, enteric infections, global public health

Ellis Tibbs, PhD
ellis.tibbs@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology
PI: Xuefeng Cao, PhD
Alma mater: University of Missouri-Columbia
Research Interests: Studying suppressive functions of MDSCs

Gideon Wolf, PhD
gideon.wolf@som.umaryland.edu
Graduate Program: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology
PI: Nevil Singh, PhD
Alma mater: Columbia University
Research Interests: Immunology and T cell biology