Personnel

Carissa Hutchison, M.S., Graduate Student, Michigan State University (August 2023-May 2026). Carissa earned her MS degree studying L. pneumophila effector-metaeffector pairs. Her work revealed that a direct protein-protein interaction is required for the metaeffector LegA11 to regulate its congnate effector, SidL!

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Jason Pasikowski, B.S., Research Assistant, Michigan State University (October 2023-August 2025). Jason led the effort to get our high-content imaging pipelines running and kept the lab running smoothly. 

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Tshegofatso Brucken (neé Ngwaga), Ph.D., Graduate Student, Kansas State University (April 2018-March 2025). Tshego joined the lab as a Research Technician and transitioned to the Ph.D. program in September 2019. She pioneered our work on effector-mediated immunity and the very interesting effector, LegC4. 

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Grace Glavich, B.S., Undergraduate Researcher, Michigan State University (January 2024-December 2024). Grace spent two academic semester's and a summer in the lab. She worked on new Legionella metaeffectors and won a first place poster prize for her work.  She recently graduated from MSU and has applied to optometry school.

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Oscar Valenzuela, B.S. Undergraduate Researcher, Michigan State University (May 2023-May 2024). Oscar was our resident pull-down expert whose work focused on understanding the biochemical underpinnings of the LegC4-PA28alpha interaction.  He recently graduated, so keep an eye out for him if you want to recruit a graduate student.  

 

Meghana Atmakur., Undergraduate Researcher, Michigan State University (January 2023-December 2023). Meghana was the first undergraduate researcher to join the lab after moving to MSU!  She successfully generated multiple constructs and tools to study effector-triggered immunity.  

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Ashley Stein (neé Joseph), Ph.D., Graduate Student, Division of Biology, Kansas State University  (September 2018-November 2022).  Ashley's thesis work focused on understanding the mechanism by which metaeffectors regulate their cognate effectors and their roles in L. pneumophila host-pathogen interactions.

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Deepika Chauhan, Ph.D, Postdoc Fellow, Division of Biology, Kansas State University  (March 2019- April 2022). Deepika's work in the lab led to the novel discovery that the L. pneumophila metaeffector MesI promotes bacterial virulence by regulating the effector SidI intrabacterially!  

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William Sydzyik, B.S., Undergraduate Researcher, Division of Biology, Kansas State University (Aug 2021-May 2022). Will's work in the lab was focused on understanding the molecular basis of effector-metaeffector protein-protein interactions. He was awarded two K-INBRE Semester Scholar awards while in the lab!

 

Andrew Haskell, B.A., Medical Microbiology, Kansas State University, 2022. Undergraduate Researcher (Spring 2022). Andrew was with us to earn BIOL698 research credit and, in this short time, helped with collecting data for a manuscript submission!  In the future, Andrew plans to attend medical school.  

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Lilly Mick, B.S., Microbiology, Kansas State University. Undergraduate Researcher (Summer 2021-Spring 2022) Class of 2022. During her time in the lab, Lilly helped discern whether host protein targets of bacterial effectors localized to the Legionella-containing vacuole. Lilly plans to earn her PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology.  

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Ben Hulsing, B.S., Microbiology, Kansas State University, 2021. Undergraduate Researcher (Fall 2018-Spring 2021). Ben's research focused on whether Legionella effectors that augment host immunity can restrict other bacterial pathogens. His work also contributed to defining the interactions between LegC4 and its host-binding partners. Keep in touch, Ben!

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Emily Gibson, B.S., Biology, Kansas State University, 2021. Undergraduate Researcher (Summer 2018-Spring 2021). Emily's research involved understanding how Sorghum polyphenols and Legionella effectors influence Listeria monocytogenes intracellular replication. She is planning to attend P.A. school in the near future.  

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Adrienne Pohl, B.S, Microbiology, Kansas State University, 2021. Undergraduate Researcher (Fall 2018-Fall 2020).  Adrienne's research focused on understanding how effectors and metaeffectors interact. She is an author on our Infection and Immunity paper on SidI and MesI. Adrienne is interested in pursuing her Ph.D. in neuroscience. 

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Abigail Salberg, B.S., Biology, Kansas State University, 2021. Undergraduate Researcher (Spring, 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020). Class of 2021. Abigail's research has gotten us closer to understanding how the L. pneumophila effector LegC4 attenuates bacterial replication in cytokine-activated macrophages, and she will be a co-author on an upcoming publication! Abigail is currently completing her senior year at KSU. Keep in touch!
 

Aubrey McReynolds (neé Gilchrist), B.S., Microbiology, Kansas State University, 2020. Undergraduate Researcher (May 2019-Dec 2019) Class of 2020.  Aubrey's research revealed that sorghum bran polyphenols make macrophages less permissive to L. pneumophila (her first-author paper has been published in FEMS Microbiology Letters). Aubrey is currently earning her Ph.D. in the Bose Lab at KUMC, studying Staphylococcus aureus-host pathogen interactions.  

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TJ Ball, B.S., Biology, Kansas State University. Undergraduate Researcher (Jan 2018-May 2019) Class of 2020.  TJ's research involved defining the molecular mechanisms of Legionella effectors' function. He achieved a lot in the lab and his work has earned him authorship on a manuscript in preparation. He was the recipient of a College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Scholarship and plans to pursue medical school after graduation.

 

Alex Hydock, B.S., Biology, Kansas State University. Undergraduate Researcher (Oct 2017-Jan 2019) Class of 2020. Alex's research project involved investigating mechanisms of L. pneumophila effector-triggered immunity for which he earned authorship on the lab's first publication in the Journal of Bacteriology!  He was the recipient of a College of Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Scholarship, a Kansas-INBRE Semester Scholar Award and a Most Promising Student award from the Division of Biology!  Alex is currently in at KUMC earning his M.D.  Keep in touch, Alex!

 

Shraddha Shrestha, M.S., Research Assistant (Dec 2017-April 2018).  Shraddha was our first research assistant very helpful in getting us set up!  She has moved on to an exciting position at a company in Wiley, Texas.  Keep in touch, Shraddha!

 

Meghan Regher, B.S. Biology, Kansas State University (Spring 2018) Meghan was with us for one semester earning laboratory credit.  She was a joy to have in the lab!  Looking forward to seeing your future achievements, Meghan - Keep in touch!