Current Students

Sushmita Adhikari
2nd year PhD student

Advisor: Stacey Gilk, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BS, University of Nebraska - Omaha

Monisha Alla
3rd year PhD student

Advisor: Rey Carabeo, PhD
Research: Pathogen recognition of iron-starved Chlamydia trachomatis.
Education: MS, Vellore Institute of Technology, India

Ridhi Bhola
1st year PhD student

Advisor: Rotating
Research: TBD
Education:  BDS, Pandit Bhagwat Dayal University of Health Sciences, India

Taylor Burke
1st year PhD student
MD/PhD Scholars Program

Advisor: Paul Fey, PhD
Research: TBD
Education:  BS, BA, Creighton University, NE

Ashish Das
3rd year PhD student

Advisor: David Oupicky, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: MS, South Asian University, New Delhi

Srijanee Das    
5th year PhD student

Advisor: Howard Gendelman, MD
Co-Advisor: Benson Edagwa, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BS/MS, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, India

Del Dsouza
2nd year PhD student

Advisor: M. Jana Broadhurst, MD, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BS, University of Nebraska-Omaha, NE

Taylor Dunning
1st year PhD student

Advisor: Rotating
Research: TBD
Educaton: BS, Webster University, MO

Christi Ellis
2nd year PhD student

Advisor: Derrick Samuelson, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: MS, Southeast Missouri State University, MO

Amanda Fernandes
3rd year PhD student

Advisor: Santhi Gorantla, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: B.tech., Manipal Institute of Technology, India

Francis Fontanilla
4th year PhD student

Advisor: Rey Carabeo, PhD
Research: Structural and biophysical studies of DNA repair proteins like Replication Protein A
Education: MS, University of Philippines

Valerie Fousek-Schuller
5th year PhD student

Advisor: Gloria Borgstahl, PhD
Research: Structural and biophysical studies of DNA repair proteins like Replication Protein A
Education: BS, Wayne State College, NE

Advisor: M. Jana Broadhurst, MD, PhD
Research: Development of immunological tests for emerging infectious diseases including SARS-CoV-2
Education: BS, Peru State College, NE

Advisor: Marilynn Larson, PhD
Research: Characterization of the Stress Response in Francisella tularensis
Education: BS, Northern Arizona University, AZ

Advisor: Benita McVicker, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BS, Nobel College Affiliated to Pokhara University, Nepal

Advisor: Vinai C. Thomas, PhD
Research: Investigating the metabolic pathways Staphylococcus uses to respond to oxidative stress
Education: BS, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Advisor: Stacey D. Gilk, PhD
Research: Manipulation of the host endocytic pathway during Coxiella burnetii infections
Education: BS, Peru State College, NE

Advisor: Howard Gendelman, MD
Research: TBD
Education: BS, Oregon State University, OR

Aaron Jensen 
5th year PhD student

Advisor: Scot Ouellette, PhD
Research: Proteomic turnover in the context of chlamydial developmental cycle progression
Education: BS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Brigham Killips
4th year PhD student

Advisor: Stacey D. Gilk, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BS, University of Kansas

Elizabeth Klug
4th year PhD student

Advisor:  Joshua Santarpia, PhD
Co-Advisor:  St. Patrick Reid, PhD
Research: Intrinsic Factors Impacting Viral Aerosol Stability in the Environment
Education: BS, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Haley Knowles
3rd year PhD student

Advisor: Elizabeth Rucks, PhD
Research: Impact of Chlamydia trachomatis on host cell vesicular trafficking
Education: BS, Saint Andrews University, NC

Jaxon Kramer
1st year PhD student

Advisor: Rotating
Research: TBD
Education: BS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Mojisola Ogunnaike
2nd year PhD student

Advisor: Larisa Poluektova, MD, PhD
Research: CRISPR- based curative technologies for Hepatitis B virus
Education: MS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE

Megan Otte
3rd year MS student

Advisor: Amar Singh, PhD
Research: Molecular mechanisms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Education: BS, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Advisor: Siddappa Byrareddy, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: MS, South Dakota State University

Advisor: Derrick Samuelson, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BS, Michigan State University - East Lansing

Advisor: Dr. Martin Conda-Sheridan
Research: TBD
Education: MS, Federal University of Parana, Brazil

Advisor: Rotating
Research: TBD
Education: BS, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Advisor: Paul D. Fey, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: MS, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE

Advisor: Rey Carabeo, PhD
Research: Molecular Pathogenesis
Education: MS, Microbiology, Texas Tech University

Advisor: St. Patrick Reid, PhD
Research: Understanding the dynamics of Chikungunya virus-induced impairment of bone homeostasis during infection
Education: MS, University of Calcutta, India.

Advisor: Stacey D. Gilk, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BS, North South University, Dhaka

Advisor: Rotating
Research: TBD
Educaton: BS, Tafila Technical University, Jordan

Advisor: Maher Abdalla, PhD
Research: Targeting Heme Oxygenase-1 in Prostate Cancer
Education: BS, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Thomas Schulze
7th year PhD student

Advisor: Paul Davis, PhD 
Research: TBD
Education: MS, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Zachary Scott
5th year PhD student

Advisor: Prabagaran (Praba) Narayanasamy, PhD
Research: investigating the mechanisms of action of gallium-based antibiotics
Education: MS, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Ryan Singh
7th year PhD student

Advisor: Vinai C. Thomas, PhD
Research Area: physiological significance of bacterial NOS in Staphylococci
Education: BS, University of Chicago, IL

Amanda Stastny
4th year MS student

Advisor: Rey Carabeo, PhD
Research: Iron Acquisition and Regulation by Chlamydia trachomatis
Education: BS, University of Nebraska at Lincoln

Advisor: Elizabeth Rucks, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BA, Carleton College, MN 

Reegan Sturgeon
3rd year PhD student

Advisor: Rakesh Singh, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: BS, University of Dubuque, IA

Advisor: Siddappa Byrareddy, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: MS, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal

Advisor: Tammy Kielian, PhD
Research: The association between metabolism and epigenetics during S. aureus craniotomy infection
Education: BS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Advisor: Paul D. Fey, PhD
Research: TBD
Education: MS, University of Nebraska – Omaha

Advisor: Elizabeth Rucks, PhD
Research: Eukaryotic SNARE Protein Recruitment to and Interactions with the Chlamydia trachomatis Inclusion
Education: BS, South Dakota State University, SD