People

Mandy Muller Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst mandymuller@umass.edu
Education: – Damon Runyon Postdoc Fellow , Glaunsinger lab, UC Berkeley, CA, USA
– Ph.D in Virology with Caroline Demeret, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris VII, Paris, France
– Master’s degree in Biology, Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Lyon, France
Research interests: Oncogenic viruses, RNA decay, Comparative virology.
About me: I was born in the South of France, I always loved Science and was always fascinated by Viruses. When not sciencing in the lab, I like to paint (drawings on this website are all homemade!), hike and bake.

Yadi Bermudez 4th Year Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, ybermudez@umass.edu
Education: B.S. in Microbiology, UMass Amherst, MA. -PhD student in Microbiology at UMass Amherst.
Research Interests: Protein-Protein interactions, Molecular biology, Microscopy, Virology, RNA biology, Host-Pathogen interactions. 
About me: I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico.My interest in science intensified once I took my first advanced biology class. I would say my curiosity keeps leading me to investigate the mechanisms of infection pathogens use. As such, I am fascinated in understanding how viruses hijack host cellular processes and manages to evade the immune system. When I am not in the lab, I like to exercise, travel, watch movies, and spent time with family!

Adriana Garber Junior Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst adrianagarbe@umass.edu
About me: I am from Winchester Massachusetts, and have always had a passion for biology. Today, I am particularly interested in pathogenesis as well as the incredible tools viruses have to evade the immune system and optimize their replication. In my free time I like to spend time in the gym, watch movies, and go hiking.

Tarah Gervais: Senior Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology tigervais@umass.edu
Education: – Brockton High School, Brockton, MA
– AS in Biology, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA
Research Interests: Virology, Genetics, Molecular & Cellular Biology
About me: My entire life I grew up in Brockton Massachusetts. Ever since middle school, I could easily pick up and remember scientific facts. I found learning about the organelles in the cell cool in middle school. Ever since then I knew science was the right path for me. I hope to continue exploring my love and passion for science, and continue on with my education in a PhD program. Outside the lab I like listening to Kpop and writing essays, stories, or poems.

Kyla Gomard-Henshaw: Second Year Doctoral Student, Molecular and Cellular Biology, UMass Amherst, kgomardhensh@umass.edu
Education: B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, B.S. in Genetics
Research Interests: RNA modifications, Host-Pathogen interface, RNA-Protein interactions, Epigenomics, Infectious diseases, and Immunology
About me: I originally grew up in Madison, CT before moving to Atlanta, GA. As someone who prefers the cold, I’m happy to be back in New England. I have always been fascinated by infectious diseases and how they intertwine with human evolutionary history. I hope to pursue research in RNA modifications and how viruses can utilize these systems during infection. Outside of lab, I love to travel and cook/bake and am an avid gardener.

David Hatfield Second Year Master’s Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, dhatfield@umass.edu
Education: B.S. in Biology, United States Air Force Academy, CO
Research Interests: Virology, RNA-Protein interactions, Microscopy
About me: I was born and raised in Framingham, Massachusetts. My interest in science was inspired by my High School Biology teacher, who helped show me the beauty and complexity of molecular biology. Ever since, I have been fascinated in pursuing this complex field, where I believe I can help make a real difference in the world. In my free time, I enjoy working out, playing golf, playing chess, and gaming.

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Daniel MacVeigh-Fierro Fifth Year Doctoral Student, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program. dmacveighfie@umass.edu
Education: -B.S. in Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester MA -Ph.D in Molecular and Cellular Biology
Research Interests: RNA-Protein Interactions, RNA modifications, Phase Separations, Structural Biochemistry, Microscopy
About me: I developed an interest in virology lets see my first year of my PhD. I have always had an interest in science ever since I wanted to be a Marine Biologist at 5. It got more serious once I found out about DNA/RNA/proteins and how they make up and control everything. The mechanisms of RNA and protein interactions in viruses fascinate me. Although RNA is a new passion, I desire to understand it fully so I can help people in need of RNA therapies. I have the problem of uncontrollably singing every genre of music wherever I go. Outside of the lab I am an avid reader (does anyone have bookshelves I can take?), gamer, D&D enthusiast, and swimmer.

Jacob Miles Third Year Doctoral Student, Department Of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, jmmiles@umass.edu
Education: -Pittsford Mendon High School, Pittsford, NY -B.S. of Forensic Science and B.S. of Biotechnology University of New Haven, New Haven, CT
-M.S. in Microbiology, UMass Amherst
Research Interests: Bacteriophages (Phage therapy), Viral-Host interactions, Biofilms, Antibiotic Resistance, Gut Flora, Chaperone Proteins, Prions
About Me: My interests in microbiology developed during my undergraduate studies when I was exposed to bacteriophages and biofilms. I currently hope to one day pursue research relating to viral importance in prion based diseases and conditions involving protein plaques, such as Alzheimer’s, as well as the application of bacteriophages in combating the further development of antibiotic resistance and as a means of disrupting biofilms. In my free time I enjoy reading, creative writing, cooking, and miniature painting.

Samantha Schultz: 4th Year Doctoral Student, Molecular Biology and Cellular Biology Program slschultz@umass.edu
Education: B.S. in Biology and Biochemistry, University of New England
Research Interests: RNA-protein interactions, RNA modifications, structural biochemistry, infectious diseases
About me: I grew up in southeastern Massachusetts in a town called Taunton. Growing up, I had always been fascinated by pathogenic microorganisms and their impact on human health. My interest in viral-host interactions was fully realized during my first year of my Ph.D. I hope to pursue research which investigates viral RNA-protein interactions responsible for evasion and antagonism of host detection. In my free time, I enjoy going sailing, playing with my guinea pigs, and going on mushroom forays in the Amherst area.

Shai Shimoni: Senior Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology sshimoni@umass.edu
Education: Newton South High School, MA -B.S. of Microbiology candidate
Research Interests: Virology, Immunology, Pathology
About me: I was born in Israel and grew up in Newton, MA. While pursuing a career in healthcare, I became interested in working with viruses. I am particularly fascinated by viral evasion strategies and want to investigate them to help uncover novel treatments for diseases. In my free time I enjoy practicing yoga, watching movies, and spending time with my family and friends.



Alumni:
William Rodriguez: PhD Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now Postdoc at Princeton in the Cristea Lab.
Vi Pham: Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now Intern at Holobiome.
Tim Mehrmann: Undergraduate Student, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst. Now IRTA fellow at NIAID.
Shelene Mitchell: NIH PREP Scholar, UMass Amherst. Now in the Biomedical Science Ph.D program at UCONN Health.
Arielle Gray: Undergraduate Student, UMass Amherst. Now a Mental Health Technician.
Ashley Cadorette: Undergraduate Student, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst. Now in PA school.
Danielle Hoffman: Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Center for Genomic Medicine at Mass General Hospital
Angelina Cicerchia: Undergraduate Student, Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst. Now in Medical School.
Isiaha Price: Undergraduate student, Amherst College. Postbac at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Now PhD student at Harvard Medical School (Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology program)
Carlos Reyes-Sepúlveda: NIH PREP Student, UMass Amherst. Now in the graduate program of Immunology, Microbiology and Virology at University of Rochester
Quentin Bethune: Undergraduate Student, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst.  Now Associate Scientist, Upstream Process Development at Pfizer.
Aman Srivastav: Undergraduate Student, Department of Biology, UMass Amherst. Now a student at TCU School of Medicine in Fort Worth, Texas

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