Researcher Guest Speakers
We are very grateful for all the guest speakers that have generously presented their work to our club! Below is a list of the researchers we have hosted in the past, along with some of their contact information if you wish to get in contact with them.
graduate Researchers
I'm a fourth-year graduate student at UCI working in the labs of Drs. Timothy Downing & Albert Siryaporn. My current project is investigating how innate immune cells called neutrophils use their DNA to form extracellular traps called (NETs) to trap and kill bacteria. I'm also working on developing a bioinformatics pipeline to predict what combinations of host-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), histones, and antibiotics will have synergistic killing effects on different bacteria species. Previously, I worked on a project investigating the epigenetic effects of DNA methylation on aging-associated inflammation. I hope to communicate science in a clear and accessible manner that encourages people to ask questions, think creatively, and have fun.
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Lauren Ashely Urban
Jessica Sanchez
I am a 4th year PhD graduate student in the Neurobiology & Behavior department where I study the influence of cytotoxic T cells in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis by conducting in vivo and in vitro work in different transgenic mouse models. My other passion is participating in STEM career outreach and neuroscience education, which allows me to be the mentor and role model I wish I had as a young motivated girl.
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I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the UCI Environmental Health Sciences Program, and I work in Dr. Sunny Jiang’s lab in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department. My research project focuses on coastal ocean microbiomes and water quality along urban communities. I want to examine how human pathogens carried by waste flowing to the ocean contributes to the health of the coastal ecosystem and the population of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in seawater and beach sand. I also want to connect how coastal environmental health impacts human health. My goal is to use my research experience to mentor future generations of scientists and to address environmental justice issues related to water quality.
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Alexis Guerra
Email: adguerra@uci.edu
Undergraduate Researchers
Hugo Mendez
My name is Hugo Mendez. I’m a senior and a biochemistry major. I conduct research in the Poulos Lab, where we study the structure and chemistry of metalloproteins!
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Email: hmendez2@uci.edu
Hello my name is JoAnne Villagrana! I’m a fifth year biological science major at UCI. For the past three years I have been involved in the unique research training program known as the Minority Science Programs (MSP). Through MSP I started conducting research in Dr. Mota-Bravo’s lab where we investigate antibiotic resistance found in bacteria that we collect from the natural environment.
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JoAnne Villagrana
Email: jnvillag@uci.edu
Gabriela Salcedo
My name is Gabriela Salcedo. I am a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major in my third year. I have been doing research under Dr. Weiss since my first year and I mainly focus on protein engineering!
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Email: salcedg1@uci.edu
My name is Giulianna Zelaya and I am currently a fourth-year Neurobiology major conducting research as a part of the Gall/Lynch lab at the Gillespie Neuroscience Center at the UCI Medical School. My research focuses on the study of the effects of adolescent THC exposure on memory formation, and includes observing behavioral, physiological, and synaptic differences, as well as the inclusion of the analysis of sex differences in terms of long term potentiation.
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Giulianna Zelaya
Jan Nathan Abestilla
Hello, I’m Jan Nathan Abestilla, a 4th year Human Biology major with a minor in Psychological Sciences! I’m currently doing research in two different labs at the School of Education with Dr. Richland and Dr. Jaeggi. My research involves creating music listening tasks for a project for elderly people and coding qualitative data into quantitative data from math packets that kids completed.
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Hi everyone! My name is James Stirwalt and I’m a 3rd year Bio major. I am a undergraduate researcher in the Frostig Dynamic Brain Reorganization lab where we study the effects of particular drugs on rats induced with an ischemic stroke. When I’m not in the lab or hitting the books you can find me somewhere outdoors, be it fishing, hiking, tossing a football, or enjoying a day at the beach. I love exploring new places and meeting new people, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
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James Stirwalt
Email: jstriwal@uci.edu