Current Trainees

Makda Asrat

VSTP, PhD5
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Integrative Pathobiology
Major Professor: Dr. Fauna Smith
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Damian Genetos/Group 3
Research Interests: Immune characterization of sheep and goats, reproductive and developmental immunology, field research on novel approaches to prevention and management of infectious diseases of sheep and goats.

Maxwell Bales

VSTP, V2
[email protected]

VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Danika Bannasch/Group 7
Research Interests: Male infertility diagnostics, regenerative reproductive medicine, reproductive toxicology, and assisted reproductive technologies for wildlife.

Yeji Cho

VSTP, PhD1
[email protected] 

Graduate Group: Immunology 
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Aijun Wang/Group 1
Research Interests: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Host-Pathogen Interactions, and Translational Research.

Olivia Cords

VSTP, PhD6
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Epidemiology
Major Professor: Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Jessica Morgan/Group 8
Research Interests: Epidemiology, One Health, and Infectious Disease.

Brittany Davis

VSTP, PhD4
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Neuroscience
Major Professor: Dr. Pam Lein and Dr. Angie Gelli
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Renée M Tsolis/Group 2
Research Interests: Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neuroendocrine System, Neuroinflammation, and Neuropharmacology.

Sofie Dinglasan

VSTP, V1
[email protected] 

VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: 
Research Interests: translational research, metabolic health, environmental effects and wildlife disease, One Health.

Catherine Dombroski

VSTP, PhD4
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology
Major Professor: Dr. Mark Huising
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Jessica Morgan/Group 8
Research Interests: Metabolic Disease, Diabetes, Nutrition, Genetics, and Translational Research. 

Ashleigh Domulevicz

VSTP, V4
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Integrative Pathobiology
Major Professor: Dr. Bart Weimer
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Sara Thomasy/Group 5
Research Interests: Enterolithiasis, Small Animal Urolithiasis, the Microbiome, Equine Gastrointestinal Health and Disease, Urinary System Health and Disease.

Kalena Gottwald

VSTP, PhD1
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Molecular Cellular and Integrative Physiology
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Kristin Grimsrud/Group 4
Research Interests: Animal welfare and behavior, evidence-based refinements in animal care and use, animal agriculture, and environmental impacts of food systems.

Donnel Gray

VSTP, V1
[email protected]
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: 
Research Interests: Mitochondrial Function, Dairy Production Systems, Epidemiology and Herd Health, Bovine Metabolic Stressors, Genomics, Ruminant Nutrition.

Sophie Gretler

VSTP, PhD5
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Pharmacology and Toxicology
Major Professor: Dr. Renée M. Tsolis
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Danika Bannasch/ Group 7
Research Interests: Host-pathogen interaction and host response to infection. Characterization of genes linked to the host specificity of Salmonella strains.

JuJu Hallum

VSTP, PhD3
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Integrative Pathobiology
Major Professor: Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Aijun Wang/Group 1
Research Interests: Histology, stem cells, hematopoiesis, cancer biology, embryology, comparative histopathology, and general pathology.

Erin Hisey

VSTP, V4
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Integrative Pathobiology
Major Professor: Dr. Brian Leonard
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Brian Bird/Group 6
Research Interests: Ocular surface pathology, lipid biology, gland biology, and Evaporative Dry Eye Disease (EDED).

Megan Jacobs

VSTP, V1
[email protected]

VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: 
Research Interests: Mitochondrial Function, Dairy Production Systems, Epidemiology and Herd Health, Bovine Metabolic Stressors, Genomics, Ruminant Nutrition.

Daniela Jimenez

VSTP, V4
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Immunology
Major Professor: Dr. Christine Toedebusch
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Sara Thomasy/Group 5
Research Interests: Immunology, Cancer Immunology, Comparative Oncology, brain tumors, glioma associated microglia/macrophages.

Hailey Johnson

VSTP, V2
[email protected] 

VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Kristin Grimsrud/Group 4
Research Interests: Zoonotic disease, global health, food safety, and microbial stewardship 

Matt Kramer

VSTP, PhD2
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Major Professor: Dr. Danika Bannasch
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Brian Bird/Group 6
Research Interests: Comparative Oncology, Bioinformatics, and Cancer Biology.

Madison Luker

VSTP, V4
[email protected] 

Graduate Group: Immunology 
Major Professor: Dr. Robert Rebhun
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Aijun Wang/Group 1
Research Interests: Immunology, comparative oncology, canine osteosarcoma, and cytokine immunotherapy.

MJ Marshall

VSTP, PhD4
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology
Major Professor: Dr. Crystal Rogers
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Aijun Wang/Group 1
Research Interests: Reproductive biology, developmental biology, environmental toxicology, regenerative medicine, analgesia and anesthesia, molecular biology, corticosteroids, endocrinology.

Eleanor (El) Pressman

VSTP, V4
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Animal Biology
Major Professor: Dr. Ermias Kebreab
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Damian Genetos/Group 3
Research Interests: Environmental impact of animal agriculture, dairy farming, ruminant nutrition, enteric methane and methane-inhibiting feed additives, and mathematical modeling.

Raneesh Ramarapu

VSTP, PhD4
 [email protected]

Graduate Group: Integrative Pathobiology
Major Professor: Dr. Sara Thomasy
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Danika Bannasch/Group 7
Research Interests: Bioinformatics (Machine-learning, high dimensionality data, single cell), Stem Cell Dynamics, Gene Regulatory Circuits, Cellular Reprogramming.

Brooke Seelenbinder

VSTP, V2
[email protected] 

VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Sara Thomasy/Group 5
Research Interests: Neuroscience, Oncology.

Juliana Sullivan

VSTP, PhD3
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Pharmacology and Toxicology
Major Professor: Dr. Heather Knych
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Sara Thomasy/Group 5
Research Interests: Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics, Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Drugs.

Victoria Tobin

VSTP, PhD6CalTech
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Biology
Major Professor: Dr. Michael Elowitz and Dr. Matt Thomson
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Kristin Grimsrud/Group 4
Research Interests: Immunology, Comparative Medicine, Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, CAR T cells, and Synthetic Circuits.

Amber Van Hecke

VSTP, V2
[email protected] 

VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Jessica Morgan/Group 8
Research Interests: Immunology

Jalena Wouters

VSTP, PhD1
[email protected] 

Graduate Group: Biomedical Engineering 
Major Professor: Dr. Randy Carney
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Damian Genetos/Group 3
Research Interests: Genetics, Genomics, Novel Therapeutics, Translational Models, and Biomedical Engineering.

Raymond Zurich

VSTP, PhD2
[email protected]

Graduate Group: Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology
Major Professor: Dr. Jeroen Saeij
VSTP EC Mentor/Peer Mentor Group: Dr. Renée M Tsolis/Group 2
Research Interests: Animal Models of Human Disease, Development, Wound Healing and Regeneration, Infectious Diseases.