September 2, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Danica Schmidtke, Bhatt and Sherlock Labs
”The prototypic-crAssphage, an abundant and prevalent gut phage, is a linear phage-plasmid"

12pm | Munzer Auditorium
 

June 23, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Elisa Benedetti Caffrey, Sonnenburg Lab
”Our extended microbiome: The human-relevant metabolites and biology of fermented food"

2pm | Clark Center
 

June 9, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Brian Ho, Kirkegaard Lab
"When stabilizers enter The Matrix: Targeting influenza M1 protein to fight infection"

2pm | Clark Center
 

June 6, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Elysse Grossi-Soyster, Sarnow & Schneider Labs
”The circular RNA landscape of SARS-CoV-2"

2:30pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

May 29, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Alma Mendoza, Boothroyd Lab
”3 Ps in a Pod: Characterizing 3 Toxoplasma Proteins Secreted into the Parasitophorous Vacuole"

1pm | Clark Center
 

May 27, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Mary DeFeo, Dodd Lab
"Anaerobic IAA production and its metabolic impact in select acetogenic gut bacteria"

2pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

May 16, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Daniel Navarrete, Egan Lab
"Investigation of a novel erythrocyte kinase and its impact on Plasmodium falciparum infection"

3pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

Apiil 21, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Lily Xu, Carette & Chiu Labs
"Structural Investigation of Virus-Receptor Interactions and Viral RNA"

9:30am | Li Ka Shing Center
 

Apiil 3, 2025

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Lauren Varanese, Carette Lab
"The discovery of MFSD6 as an entry receptor for enterovirus D68"

3pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

May 22, 2024

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Matthew Carter, Sonnenburg Lab
"Harnessing global metagenomic data and dietary intervention studies to investigate human-microbiome interactions"

10am | Li Ka Shing Center
 

March 11, 2024

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Ruth Schade, Monack Lab
"Profiling macrophages as a niche for intracellular Salmonella Typhi replication"

2pm | Munzer Auditorium
 

September 15, 2023

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Adam Kirosingh, Jagannathan Lab
"Insights into CD4+ T cell help in SARS-CoV-2 infection and malaria during pregnancy”

10:30am | Munzer Auditorium
 

August 29, 2023

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Alvin Han, Monack & Bhatt Labs
"Ambient temperature induces stress-mediated changes to mouse gut physiology"

2pm | Munzer Auditorium
 

May 23, 2023

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Christine Peters, Carette Lab
"Host Determinants of Neuropathogenesis"

1:30pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

May 22, 2023

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Oscar Diaz, Monack Lab
"Ambient temperature induces stress-mediated changes to mouse gut physiology"

2pm | Munzer Auditorium
 

May 19, 2023

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Rebecca Gellman, Sonnenburg Lab
“Differential carbohydrate metabolism shapes colonization by intestinal Bacteroidetes.”

10am | Alway
 

May 16, 2023

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Meagan Hamblin, Monack Lab
“Identifying Virulence Factors that Enable Salmonella Typhi Replication in Human Macrophages”

2:30pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

May 9, 2023

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Bokai Zhu, Nolan Lab
"Spatial-omics approaches to dissect host-disease interactions”

10:30am | Clark Center

September 12, 2022

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Sarah Ruddle, Monack Lab
"Salmonella liberates dietary arabinose to colonize superspreaders”

2pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

August 8, 2022

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Jasmine Moshiri, Kirkegaard Lab
“Mechanical force sensing drives extrusion of Enterovirus A71-infected cells from colonic epithelial organoids”

10am | Li Ka Shing Center
 

July 29, 2022

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Bryan Merrill, Sonnenburg Lab
“Discovery of lifestyle-induced vanishing microbes and bacteriophages through deep metagenome sequencing of the human gut microbiome”

10am | Li Ka Shing Center
 

May 17, 2022

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Kim Vasquez, Huang Lab
"Mapping colonization dynamics and evolution within the mammalian host"

1pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

May 12, 2022

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Dorothy Tovar, Kirkegaard & Hadly Labs
"CALCOCO2, a positively selected gene in bats, impacts host susceptibility to bacterial infection"

11am | Virtual
 

May 6, 2022

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Abel Ferrel, Boothroyd Lab
“MOSPD2 is a Prominent Player at the Interface between Toxoplasma and the Host Cells it Infects.”

1pm | Li Ka Shing Center
 

January 24, 2022

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Tamar Feldman, Egan Lab
"Uncovering host cell responses to malaria infection in the hematopoietic niche"

10am | Virtual
 

July 22, 2021

DISSERTATION DEFENSE

Hannah Wastyk, Sonnenburg Lab
“Determining Causal Relationships between the Microbiome and Immune System"

10am | Virtual
 

July 14, 2021

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Michael Lyons, Kim Lab
“Identification and Characterization of Neutralizing HIV Antibodies Targeting the gp41 Trimer-of-Hairpins Structure”

3pm | Virtual
 

May 5, 2021

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Dylan Dahan, Sonnenburg Lab
“Robust Variation of the Infant Gut Microbiome Across the World"

9am | Virtual
 

November 18, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Susan Brewer, Monack Lab
“A Salmonella Typhi RNA thermosensor regulates virulence factors and innate immune evasion in response to host temperature”

3 pm | Virtual
 

November 16, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Terence Theisen, Boothroyd Lab
“Transcriptional dynamics of a family of surface protein in Toxoplasma”

4:30pm | Virtual
 

October 16, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Alicja Cygan, Boothroyd Lab
“Identification of proteins at the parasitophorous vacuole membrane of Toxoplasma gondii” 

2pm | Virtual
 

August 26, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Will Van Treuren, Sonnenburg Lab
“Advancing microbial metrology to reveal microbe-microbe, microbe-host, and microbe environment interactions.”

10am | Virtual
 

August 23, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Spencer Cesar, Huang Lab
“Examining bacterial adaptation across conditions and timescales"

2pm | Virtual

August 12, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Andrew Guzman, Mudgett Lab
“Tomato Atypical Receptor Kinase 1 regulates resistance to bacterial invasion"

2pm | Virtual

July 30, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Kali Pruss, Sonnenburg Lab
“Toxin-mediated infection alters Clostridium difficile metabolic strategies”

11am | Virtual

July 20, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Nicole Davis, Schneider Lab
“The role of host arginine metabolism in murine malaria”

10am | Virtual
 

June 3, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Michelle Lissner, Schneider Lab
“The aryl hydrocarbon receptor limits kidney injury during malaria”

2pm | Virtual
 

March 3, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Kyler Lugo, Monack Lab
“Salmonella exploits the microbiota to gain a competitive advantage in the gut”

1pm | Clark Center
 

January 22, 2020

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Makeda Robinson, Einav Lab 
“The Roles of Virus-Host Interactions in the Pathogenesis of dengue and Zika Viral Infections”

2pm | Clark Center

September 18, 2019

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Suchita Rastogi, Boothroyd Lab
"Differential Impacts on Host Transcription by ROP and GRA Effectors from the Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii"

3pm | Munzer Auditorium
 

May 28, 2019

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Daniel Sprockett, Relman Lab
“Patterns and processes of community assembly in the human microbiome.”

11am | Munzer Auditorium
 

April 2, 2019

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Kevin Meng, Butte Lab
“Tissue mechanics tune T cell activation and metabolism through YAP”

1:45pm | Munzer Auditorium
 

November 16, 2018

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Michael Boucher, Yeh Lab
"Unbiased approaches to characterize the apicoplast proteome in malaria parasites”

10am | Munzer Auditorium
 

November 14, 2018

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Jonathan Diep, Carette Lab
“Enterovirus Infection Takes the Path of SETD3”

2:30pm | Munzer Auditorium
 

August 16, 2018

DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Connie Fung, Amieva Lab
“Location matters: Microniches in the gastric glands control Helicobacter pylori colonization of the stomach”

1pm | Munzer Auditorium