ScM Students
The Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department is an inclusive community of pioneers, which includes our accomplished faculty, ambitious students, dedicated staff, and an extensive alumni network spanning the globe. From scientists to researchers to professors, we invite you to connect with them.
Second Year ScM Students
Tejashwini Alalamath
From India
Virology
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine - Infectious Disease
Tejashwini is interested in Virology, Genomics, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, and Public Health
Aditya Awasare
From Pune, India
Ticks and Tickborne Diseases
My name is Aditya Awasare and I am an international student from Pune, India. As part of the Norris lab, my area of research is tickborne diseases, specifically Lyme disease. Outside of the lab I am an avid hiker and nature enthusiast.
Han Bao
From China
Gut Microbiome
Han received her BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Peking University. She is interested in microbiome-modulating therapies. In her free time, she enjoys reading novels and listening to music.
Ruth Buh
From Cameroon
Membrane Contact Sites in Toxoplasma Gondii
Before coming to JHBSPH to pursue my second graduate degree, I earned my Bachelors degree from Montclair State University in New Jersey. I later moved to Philadelphia to pursue a Master of Science degree in Infectious Disease at Drexel University College of Medicine. After that I worked for a year at the Wistar Institute as a Research associate in Dr. Lieberman's laboratory where I studied the pathologies of viruses like EBV and KSHV, to identify putative novel drug targets. Perhaps my biggest reason for applying was the heavy focus and contributions of this institution to malaria research. Coming from a nation where malaria remains a serious public health threat, I wanted to broaden my understanding of all facets of malaria research, from the bench to policy level. I'm excited to carry on the knowledge, training, and skills I've acquired during my time here as I move forward with my academic career to pursue a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology in Fall 2024.
Jyothsna Girish
From Jakarta, Indonesia
Influenza A Surveillance and Characterization
Jyothsna is an MMI ScM student in the lab of Dr Andrew Pekosz. Her research focuses on characterizing seasonal Influenza viruses focusing on the H1N1 subtype. Overall, she is interested in understanding the intricate dynamics of host-pathogen interactions on a molecular level.
Chenkai Jiang
From Shandong, China
Virology
Chenkai did his undergraduate degree at Lanzhou University. As a ScM student at Johns Hopkins, he focuses on the Hepatitis B virus splice variants under the guidance of Dr. Chloe Thio. He enjoys working out, swimming, poker and traveling in free time.
Kayla Kimble
From Pennsylvania, USA
Virology
Kayla graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2022 with a B.S. in Immunology and Infectious Diseases, where she worked on determining the disease potential of foodborne pathogens. At Hopkins Kayla works in the Pekosz Lab with Enterovirus-D68 to characterize recent outbreak isolates to understand changes to outbreak dynamics. Outside of the lab, Kayla enjoys exploring the outdoors, riding horses, and curling up with a good book.
Jacob Meza
From Hawthorne, NJ
Vaccine Development
Markham Laboratory
Jacob completed undergrad at Boston University in 2019 with a major in neuroscience and a minor in film. Before joining MMI, he worked as a program coordinator at Takeda in Cambridge, MA, helping to facilitate the development of a first-in-class narcolepsy drug in the neuroscience division. Outside of academia and industry, Jacob enjoys fishing, photography, and traveling.
Anam Naseem
From Pakistan
Immunology
Bream Laboratory
Fascinated by the intricacies of human immunology and the remarkable power of T cells, Anam is currently conducting her master’s thesis research in Dr. Jay Bream’s laboratory. Here, she delves deep into the enigmatic realm of T cell dynamics, unraveling their ability to recognize conserved epitopes across diverse pathogens, with the influenza virus serving as the captivating model. Yet, amidst her scientific pursuits, Anam finds comfort in cooking, as well as in the calming routine of cleaning and organizing (embracing Monica Geller's iconic “Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it.”)
Shikhar Rastogi
From New Jersey
Thermal Conductivity of Melanin in Cryptococcus neoformans
Hello, I'm Shikhar! I got my bachelors in Neuroscience from Rutgers University, and before here, my research was on neuronal regeneration in skin wounds. In my free time I enjoy reading, cooking, working out, hiking, swimming, and exploring.
Zhen (Cathy) Shen
From Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Ferroptosis in acute respiratory distress syndrome
Pearce Laboratory
Education: BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Wake Forest University in 2022
Research interest: immunometabolism
Sarah Thomas
From Boston, MA
Allergic asthma
Before joining MMI, I obtained my BSc in Medical Biosciences from Imperial College London in 2022. I am interested in immunology, and have enjoyed studying the immunological mechanisms driving allergic asthma during my time at Bloomberg!
Yihan Wang
From Shanghai, China
Mammalian cell death
I completed my undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, majoring in Human Biology. Currently, I am in Dr. Hardwick's lab, investigating the BCL-2 protein family and mammalian cell death.
Ananyaa Welling
From Mumbai, India
Host-pathogen interactions
Ananyaa is originally from India and graduated from IIT Kharagpur with a major in biochemical engineering. She is studying NETosis in S. aureus infections in the Davis lab. She also likes playing the piano and running!
Lansaol Yang
From Kunming, China
Cancer Immunotherapy
Graduate from McGill University, have faith in immunotherapy and Real Madrid.
Jiaqi Zhang
From China
First Year ScM Student
Mahnoor Abdullah
From Islamabad, Pakistan
Malaria
Explored bacteriophage role in poultry disease prevention at NUST. Co-founder of Vax Scene, promoting vaccine awareness. Passionate about science communication and education, inspiring curiosity and enthusiasm for science in young learners.
Diana Appiagyei
From Columbus, Ohio
Entervirus D-68
Diana graduated from The Ohio State University in 2023 with a degree in Microbiology. During her undergraduate studies, she had the privilege of working alongside Dr. Rosa Lapalombella in her laboratory. Her research primarily focused on Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and the pivotal roles of TP53 and TET2 in its development. Transitioning into the field of Virology, she is currently part of Dr. Andrew Pekosz's Lab, where her main focus revolves around Enterovirus D-68 (EVD-68) and the characterization of the 2022 isolate. Beyond her academic pursuits, she finds joy in playing tennis and embarking on new adventures and experiences.
Rowan Bates
From Nyack, New York
Vaccine Immunology
Markham Laboratory
Rowan graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology in 2023. She is now part of the Markham Lab and is researching sex differences in the immunological response for a DNA based tuberculosis vaccine. Outside of lab work, Rowan enjoys music, cooking, scary movies, and hiking.
Jessica Garvin
From Sandusky, Ohio
Manipulating thymic selection of T lymphocytes within transplantation, to alter immune responses and enhance tolerance induction
Jess graduated from the University of Dayton in 2023 with a BS in Human Biology. Currently, she's conducting research under Dr. Georgio Raimondi in the vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) lab within the SOM. Her project focuses on manipulating thymic selection of T lymphocytes with hind limb transplants, aiming to alter immune responses and enhance tolerance induction. Investigations assess the impact on recipient mice's anti-donor reactivity, potentially changing transplantation tolerance strategies. Outside of academics, Jess is an avid equestrian, winning national championships with her horse “Corndog” in 2018 and 2019. She also enjoys exploring new places and spending time outdoors.
Erin Kennedy
From Leonardtown, Maryland
Mosaic Variant Surface Glycoproteins of T. brucei
Erin received her B.S. in Microbiology from Clemson University in 2023, where she became interested in tropical diseases. She is currently working on her thesis in the Mugnier lab researching mosaic variant surface glycoproteins in Trypanosoma brucei. Outside of school and lab, she enjoys reading, watching football, and hiking.
Kimmy Kuhn
From Michigan
Host-pathogen interactions, Mycology
Kimmy graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. for a double major in Genomics & Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and a minor in Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy. She worked in the biotech industry for two years before coming to the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She joined the Hardwick Lab and studies death-resistance mechanisms in clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. Beyond the lab, she enjoys alpine skiing, hiking, and trying new foods/drinks.
Shruthi Mahaganapathy
From Singapore, born in India
Neuronal regulation of airway allergy
Shruthi graduated with a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the National University of Singapore. In the Lajoie lab, she studies how allergic reactions influence the crosstalk between neurons and the lung in the context of Type 2 Immunity. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, playing sports and traveling.
Sneha Mahesh
From Chattanooga, TN
Sex Differences associated with Mycobacterium avium infection in mice
I completed my BS in Biology with a minor in Health and Human Values at Davidson College. After graduating, I worked as a technician in Dr. Maria Blasi’s lab at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, studying the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 and HIV infection in the kidney and developing lentiviral vector vaccines against infectious diseases. In the Klein lab, I am interested in looking at sex differences in vaccine induced immunity. Outside of lab, I enjoy baking, board games, and playing tennis.
Justin Malogan
From Tracy, California
Gut Microbiome Research with an emphasis on how various drugs can impact the microbiome and how those alterations in the microbiome can influence metabolic and neurocognitive health of the host.
I graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2022 with a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience. Before joining JHU's MMI Department, I was a research assistant exploring a novel mechanism to regulate gastric emptying as well as how spinal cord injury influenced overactive bladders. Outside of academia, I enjoying playing Dungeons and Dragons, cooking, baking, painting, and decorating for the holidays.
Lauren McDonnell
From Menlo Park, CA
I am passionate about international health and infectious diseases. My research interests focus on leveraging computational methods to derive insights from data.
I have a Bachelor's from UCLA in International Economics and a Master’s from Dartmouth in Biomedical Data Science. I am passionate about global health and previously volunteered for Engineers Without Borders on various clean water initiatives. Before attending the MMI program I worked as a data scientist and software engineer.
In my free time I like to swim, hike, run, travel, and explore the local food scene in Baltimore.
Elizabeth (Liz) Murray
From Alabama
Asthma & Allergies
Bachelors in Immunology from UAB
Undergrad Lab Work: Dr. Carlos Orihuela studying reactivation of AMs in aged lungs
Hobbies: video games and embroidery
emurra21@gmail.com
Isaac Owusu-Frimpong
From Ghana
My research focuses on the role of Anopheles mosquito in the transmission of malaria. In addition, I study the sporozoite stage of Plasmodium sp. to understand the molecular interactions between sporozoites and their mosquito and mammalian hosts.
Dimopoulos Laboratory and Sinnis Laboratory
Isaac holds an MPhil in Clinical Microbiology from KNUST and also graduated from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana with a B.Sc. He worked for a decade with the Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit of the CSIR-Water Research Institute, researching on human parasites and the role of vectors in disease transmission. Isaac employed molecular and parasitological techniques in areas such as molecular xenomonitoring, molecular diagnostics, and insecticide resistance studies. Currently, he is pursuing a second master's in molecular microbiology and immunology to research malaria control strategies.
Tianshu Qu
From China
Molecular Biology, Cancer
Hamacher-Brady Laboratory
Undergraduate Education: China Pharmaceutical University, University of Strathclyde
Yunyi Ru
From Suzhou, China
Virology
Yunyi Ru is a first year ScM student in the MMI department at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She is interested in virology, respiratory infectious diseases, and science communication.
She earned her BS degree in Cell & Molecular Biology at Duke Kunshan University in 2023. Her previous work includes an environmental microbiology project where she monitored bacterial antibiotic resistomes in Yangcheng Lake.
Outside of the lab, Yunyi enjoys digital painting and playing guitar.
Matthew Seibel
From Maryland
Antimicrobial Resistance
Born and raised in MD, Matt graduated from UMD with a BS in Microbiology and a BA in Japanese before heading to Boston to work as a clinical microbiologist at Brigham and Women's for a year. Afterwards, Matt worked at Harvard Medical School in the Lab of Thomas Bernhardt, studying Pseudomonas aeruginosa cell wall biogenesis. Now Matt has taken what he learned in the clinic and as a tech and incorporates them into antimicrobial resistance research in the Lamichhane Lab.
In their spare time, Matt likes to play video games, go swimming and biking, and play with their dogs. They also work on basic Japanese translation work and tutoring for fun on the side.
Ao Shen
ashen15@jh.edu
Jayalaxmi Suresh Babu
From Bahrain
Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy
Jaya grew up in Bahrain and moved to the U.S. for her undergrad. She graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from University of Wisconsin-Madison where she developed a strong interest in immunology. Now, she is in the WJH lab where she studies the feasibility of targeting PTPN22 to enhance anticancer immune responses. Outside of lab, she enjoys cooking, exploring new restaurants and spending time with her friends.
Alannah Taylor
From Williamstown, New Jersey
Tuberculosis
Markham Laboratory
Alannah obtained her BS in Health Science from Spelman College. While doing an internship at CZ Biohub (Stanford), she realized her passion for microbiology and immunology. After obtaining her ScM, she plans to apply to MD/PhD programs in order to combine her love for medicine and research. Alannah is a huge Eagles fan and enjoys spending her free time with her puppy Buttercup.
Juliet Trautman
From Brooklyn, New York
Host-Pathogen Interactions
Juliet got her BS and MS in Bioengineering at Northeastern University where she researched anti-cancer compound production by medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus. In her free time she enjoys hiking, baking, and reading.
David Villafuerte
From Charlotte, NC
Viral Genomics
Mostafa Laboratory
Hi all! My name is David Villafuerte and I am a first year ScM student looking to enter the medical field.
Zuxuan Wang
From China
Cell Death
Nanjing->Glasgow->JHU
19'QingZhou| 23' CPU/Strathclyde| 25' JHU MMI
Self-pinning for immortality.
Tianle Zhang
From China
Characterize SARS-CoV-2 variants
Tianle graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in May 2023 with bachelor’s degree in Immunology and Infectious Disease and a minor in Biology. He is interested in virology and immune response elicited by viral infections. In the Pekosz Lab, Tianle is currently working on SARS-CoV-2 infectious clones. Outside of the lab, Tianle enjoys playing basketball, listening to music, and watching animations and sports games.
Xiyuan Zhang
From China
Role of genes involved in Trypanosoma brucei pathogenesis
Xiyuan is a master's student in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology program. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Virginia Tech where she became interested in immunology and genetics. Outside the lab, she likes to play guitar, visit museums, swim, and paint.
Jean Zheng
From Canada
Vaccine Immunology
Markham Laboratory
Jean is an ScM student in the Markham lab. She completed her undergrad at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where she majored in Biotechnology. An undergrad project on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine immunology sparked interested in vaccine work, eventually leading her to BSPH. Outside the lab, she enjoys snowboarding and playing video games.
Xindi Zou
From China
Exploration of B cell Receptor Signaling in B-1 and B-2 Cells
Baumgarth Laboratory
Research interest: Immunology and virology; personal interest: Photography, Diving (PADI OW Diver), Surfing