People

Alex is a graduate student in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program interested in microbial community interactions. He grew up in Klang, Malaysia and received his B.S. in Cellular, Molecular, and Integrative Biology from Beloit College, WI. Outside of lab, Alex enjoys cooking, biking, and playing volleyball.

Nicole is a Post-doc in the WiscART Training Program. She is interested in the role of microbial products in modulating the host immune response. She completed her PhD in the Cellular and Molecular Pathology Training Program at UW–Madison and her BS in Microbiology at the University of Iowa. When she has free time, Nicole spends it with her family, preferably exploring the outdoors, or in creative outlets.

Thy is a graduate student in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program interested in microbial interactions. She grew up in Arkansas and received her B.S. in Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Dallas. During her free time, she enjoys exercising, cooking, and drawing.

Rauf is interested in evolutionary inference of factors underlying microbial community dynamics and constituent interactions. Specifically, he uses genomics to study the diversity, evolutionary trends, and spatial distribution of biosynthetic gene clusters of bacterial species commonly found in healthy skin microbiomes. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking around various lakes in the Madison area and keeping up with the Premier League and NBA.

Shelby is a research specialist interested in microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions. She grew up in Minnesota and received her B.S. in Molecular Biology with a second major in Spanish from University of Wisconsin – Madison. Outside of lab, Shelby enjoys cooking, painting, and spending time outdoors.

Mary Hannah is a graduate student in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program interested in microbial ecology of the skin. She calls Pittsburgh, PA her home, and she received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Pennsylvania State University. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, painting, and trying to keep her plants alive.

Liz is a MD/ PhD student in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program. Her primary interests include understanding the interactions between the microbiome, human immune system, and disease progression as well as improving patient outcomes. She received a B.A in Biology and Music at St. Olaf College and completed a Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellowship at the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases. Outside of lab, Liz enjoys running, cooking, and performing classical music.