Current Students
Erol Ikiz
Undergraduate: University of Illinois
Research: "Most of my undergraduate research was conducted in Kevin Hascup's lab at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment. During my time there, I investigated the effects of D-methionine on mechanosensitive Piezo1 cation channels and their role in the microglial clearance of amyloid-beta plaques in Alzheimer's disease mice. While our findings were not statistically significant in regard to cognitive improvements, D-methionine did induce some interesting metabolic changes that may warrant further investigation. I have also pursued additional research opportunities at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy and the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics in Minnesota."
Spencer Schmid
Undergraduate: University of Michigan
Department of Health Care Ethics
Research mentor: Erica Salter, Ph.D.
Research: "My undergraduate research was conducted at the University of Michigan's Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine. I was fortunate enough to be engaged in a wide variety of research projects, including studying gendered differences in health care-provider burnout, end-of-life care policies involving terminally ill cancer patients, community-based participatory research initiatives studying allocation of scarce health care resources, and educational outreach related to chronic kidney disease. At SLU, I am pursuing my Ph.D. in health care ethics and am hoping to build upon the work I did in my undergraduate philosophy degree in the spheres of end-of-life decision-making, the appropriate role of genetic technologies in preventative medical care, deontological approaches to public health and more."
Jacob (JJ) Adler
Undergraduate: New York University
Research: "My undergraduate research was in computational chemistry in the Arora Group at NYU. Peptides are chemically synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), a highly wasteful and costly process. Previous work in the Arora Group developed an intermolecular dual catalyst system to decrease waste produced from SPPS. I focused on developing a single-structure, intramolecular catalyst for more efficient peptide synthesis. Utilizing density functional theory, a quantum mechanic modeling method, I developed a computational workflow to analyze reaction energetics of various organocatalysts and predict catalytic efficiency. At SLU, I plan to pursue my Ph.D. in molecular microbiology and immunology."
Yasser Hussaini
Undergraduate: University of Washington, Seattle
Research: "Previously, in the Bruce Clurman lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, I investigated cancer therapeutics and biochemistry at the intersection of the cell cycle. Our group rectified an incomplete model of c-MYC degradation by the E3 ubiquitin ligase FBXW7, the former being a notorious proto-oncogene. My work also involved assessing therapeutic responses in-vitro and in-vivo to targeted therapies, for example against the WEE1 kinase (whose dysregulation is implicated in a number of cancers), as well as any corresponding inflammatory signaling changes in murine tumor grafts. Currently at SLU, I’m rotating in the Department of Biochemistry with an interest in cryo-electron microscopy and Rosetta/Robetta Modeling as structural tools for metamorphic protein design, with an end goal of implementing proteins in the treatment of diseases like cancer."
Monica Goodland, Ph.D.
Undergraduate: Missouri State University
Department of Pharmacology and Physiology
Research mentor: Susan Farr, Ph.D.
Research: My dissertation examined the impact of adenosine 3 receptor activation on memory impairment following traumatic brain injury and the implications for the development of dementia later in life. Our studies not only highlighted the importance of early intervention to prevent memory impairment but identified key molecular contributors to the disease processes of concussion and age-related dementia. Inflammation seems to be a potent driver of multiple complex pathologies that interact with genetic and environmental factors to cause memory impairment. In my future research, I hope to incorporate multi-modal therapies and non-invasive imaging to study the impact of neuroinflammation on learning, memory, and mental health disorders which may identify novel targets for therapeutic development.
Alex Piening, Ph.D.
Undergraduate: Rockhurst University
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Research mentor: Ryan Teague, Ph.D.
Research: "A key development in the field of cancer treatment has been the development of immunotherapies, biologic molecules that prime the immune system to specifically combat tumor cells. While checkpoint blockade immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, some patients still show no clinical response, and the mechanisms dictating therapeutic success remain largely unknown. My research in Ryan Teague’s lab broadly focuses on delineating factors that influence responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Specifically, we are interested in understanding how diet, obesity, and obesity -associated comorbidities impact responses to anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 combination therapy in melanoma."
Lindsay (Lou) Vinarcsik, Ph.D.
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Department of Health Care Ethics
Research mentor: Erica Salter, Ph.D.
Research: "Through my previous work conducting research in both biomedical and humanities contexts, I have come to recognize the imperative to build more robust historical and philosophical frameworks undergirding contemporary medical practice. My experiences in cooperative living and the provision of “indigent care,” as well, have spurred my commitment to understanding the possibilities and pitfalls of community-based medicine. My dissertation focused on the history of medicine in the United States during the 20th century, with an eye toward the conceptual and political formations that informed (and continue to shape) the development of so-called "free clinics." My approach is both theoretical and practical, and my research will inform my future practice as a community physician. As a primary care practitioner, I will provide accessible, quality care with an emphasis on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care."
Lily McMorrow
Undergraduate: Georgetown University
Department of Health and Clinical Outcomes Research
Graduate mentor: Leslie Hinyard, Ph.D.
Research: "As a Ph.D. student in Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, I am currently studying qualitative and quantitative research methodology, developing skills for complex data analysis. I hope to continue my work evaluating and addressing the impact of social and structural inequity on health by applying an intersectional feminist lens to my research."
Zachary Foulks
Undergraduate Institution: Missouri University of Science and Technology
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research Mentor: Kyle McCommis, Ph.D.
Research: "My undergraduate research, conducted in the lab of Honglan Shi, Ph.D., primarily involved characterizing the biosynthetic pathway of pteridines in human epithelial breast cells with the final goal of identifying trends of these compounds in urine that can be used to detect and diagnose breast cancer. I also led a project to identify pheromones and other signaling biomolecules used by brown recluse spiders with an ultimate goal of spider population control. At SLU, I am in the lab of Kyle McCommis, Ph.D., where I am using cellular and mice models to investigate the role of diet and mitochondrial pyruvate carrier protein mutations in the development of liver and heart disease."
Samantha Cooke
Undergraduate: Carleton College
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Research mentor: Elise Alspach, Ph.D.
Research: "I am currently working with Dr. Elise Alspach in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology I where we are studying sex differences in tumorigenesis and mechanisms, such as T-cell responses, which may be driving these differences."
Carter Gottlieb
Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angles
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Research mentor: Ryan Teague, Ph.D.
Research: "Under John Adams, I produced a high-throughput cathelicidin bioassay via CRISPR-Cas-9 directed knock-in of a fluorescent protein in a human monocytic cell line, assisted in elucidating the mechanism by which Mycobacterium lepra evades the host innate immune response, and investigated the role of exosomes in the regulation of the Toll-like receptor-mediated immune response. In Karen Lyons' lab, I performed micro- CT analysis of destabilized mouse knee joints as a model for osteoporosis. I also worked on a method to measure the mechanical properties of rat Achilles tendon to calcaneus enthesis to yield applicable data in designing a novel 3D-printed scaffolding for enthesis repair. In the Teague lab at SLU I am studying the mechanism by which obesity and nutritional factors lead to a functional defect in the CD8 T cell response to cancer."
Elisabeth DeMarco
Undergraduate: Purdue University
Department of Health and Clinical Outcomes Research
Research mentor: Leslie Hinyard, Ph.D.
Research: "My undergraduate research with Estuardo Robles, Ph.D., characterized the normal development of neuronal dendritic spines in vivo using a transgenic zebrafish line and explored the use of this tool to model spine development in mutant models. At SLU, I will be pursuing research related to Parkinson's disease, mental health, quality of life, and the experience of patients and care partners. My training will include assisting clinicians and researchers as part of SLU's AHEAD Institute, learning methodology and statistical techniques, and exploring data science."
Reagan McGuffee
Undergraduate: Millsaps College
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research mentor: David Ford, Ph.D.
Research: "My undergraduate research was conducted in the lab of Wolfgang Kramer, Ph.D., where I synthesized photoactivatable N-alkoxy-substituted heteroaromatic compounds as photodynamic therapy (PDT) drug candidates aimed at treating certain cancers. My Ph.D. work at SLU is being performed under the guidance of David Ford, Ph.D. My project involves utilizing lipidomics, various cell imaging techniques, and animal models to investigate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of plasmalogens in the setting of sepsis. This research can lead to a better understanding of the role(s) of these lipids in sepsis, particularly in the modulation of cellular reactive oxygen species levels, and it may suggest benefits to their administration alongside the standard of care."
Stella Hoft
Undergraduate: Pitzer College
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor: Richard DiPaolo, Ph.D.
Research: "My Ph.D. work at SLU is conducted under Richard DiPaolo, Ph.D., within the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. My thesis work is focused on understanding how chronic gastric inflammation, either induced by autoimmunity or infection, instigates metaplastic changes in the tissue and ultimately drives gastric carcinogenesis. Using cutting-edge techniques like single-cell and spatial transcriptomics I am capable of understanding at the transcriptional level how the immune response triggers distinct epithelial cell transformations."
Robert Kousnetsov
Undergraduate: Santa Clara University
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor: Daniel Hawiger, M.D., Ph.D.
Research: "My research focuses on the use of single-cell technologies to better understand the functions of dendritic cells and T cells in the regulation of immune responses."
Di (Andy) Wu
Undergraduate: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor: Rajeev Aurora, Ph.D.
Research: "My work in Rajeev Aurora’s lab focuses on osteoimmunology, which is the interplay between the skeletal and immune system. Ovariectomized (OVX) mice is a well characterized mice model for post-menopausal osteoporosis. Previous work in the lab has shown that osteoclasts (OC) can induced CD8+ regulatory T-cells (Tcreg), which has a bone anabolic effect in OVX mice. I am interested in how inflammation affects osteoblasts (OB) and how this contributes to bone loss in OVX mice. The goal is to identify cellular pathways that can be potential targets for new therapeutics."