Lab Alumni

Shahad Alqahtani 

Fall 2014 - August 2016

M.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2016

Thesis: "Comparison of gene expression in Group B Streptococcus in response to oxidative stress"

Bryan Branneky 

Fall 2013 - May 2015

B.A. in Biology, Truman State University, 2012

M.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2015

Thesis: "Effect of glutathione synthesis on the survival of Group B Streptococcus inside mammalian immune cells"

Abigail (Abby) Brown 

Fall 2017 - May 2019

B.A. in Biology, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2017

M.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2019

Thesis: "Effect of Glutathione Synthesis for Streptococcus agalactiae Infection of Mammalian Macrophage Cells"

Julia Nims 

Spring 2013 - August 2015

B.A. in Biological Sciences, Smith College, 2009

M.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2015 

Thesis: "Contribution of glutathione on the virulence of GBS in a mouse model of sepsis"

Rachel Treat 

Fall 2019

B.S. in Biology, St. Louis University, 2019

Project in the lab: "Glutathione's role in the host-microbe interactions"

Elizabeth Walker

Fall 2014 - May 2019

B.A. in Biology, Lindenwood University, 2013

Ph.D. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2019

Dissertation: "Glutathione's role in Streptococcus agalactiae for mammalian virulence and vaginal colonization" 

Andrew Wall

Fall 2017 - May 2023

B.S. in Biology, Lindenwood University - Belleville, 2016

Ph.D. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2023

Dissertation: "Streptococcus agalactiae use of Glutathione Synthesis and Import in Oxidative Stress Relief and Promotion of Transcriptomic Changes" 

Chao Xu

Fall 2012 - spring 2013

B.S. in Biological Science, Hangzhou Normal College, 2004

M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2008

Project in the lab: "Role of superoxide dismutase in glutathione-deficient Group B Streptococcus"

Negar Zati-Mahboob, M.S. 

Fall 2020 - August 2023

B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist, Guilan University of Medical Sciences - 2014

M.S. in Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - 2019

M.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2023

Thesis: "Group B Streptococcus use of glutathione in relation to a mammalian host immune response"

Rohit Bollineni 

Fall 2012 - spring 2013

B.A. in Biology at SLU, 2013

Project in the lab: "Macrophage-mediated killing of Group B Streptococcus"

Jaya Bommireddipally 

Summer 2015 - Spring 2017

B.S. in Biology at SLU, May 2017

Project in the lab: "Comparison of gene expression in Group B Streptococcus in response to oxidative stress"

Sara Brown 

Fall 2012 - spring 2014

B.S. in Biology at SLU, May 2014

Project in the lab: "Survival of Group B Streptococcus post exposure to immunologically-relevant oxidants"

Victoria Brooks 

Summer 2013

B.S. in Microbiology and Biotechnology at Missouri State University, May, 2014

Project in the lab: "Occurrence of Glutathione in Soil Bacteria in the Rhizosphere of St. Louis Parks"

 Luke Bergmann 

Spring 2019 - Spring 2020

B.S. in Health Management and Health Care Ethics at SLU, May 2021

Project in the lab: "Effects of Group B Streptococcus Glutathione Synthesis on a Robust Immune Response in a Mouse Model of Sepsis"

Ginny Bruce 

Summer 2011

B.A. in Chemistry from DePauw University, May 2012

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Superoxide on Growth of and Glutathione Synthesis in Group B Streptococcus"

Kristen Clement 

Fall 2018 - Spring 2021

B.S. in Biology (biochemistry & molecular biology concentration) from SLU, May 2021

Project in lab: "Glutathione Synthesis and Import Response to Primary Oxidative Stress in Group B Streptococcus"

Currently pursing PhD in microbiology at Tulane University

Anita Chacko 

Spring 2011 - spring 2013

B.A. in Biology from SLU, May 2013

Projects in the lab: "Oxidative damage on Group B Streptococcus caused by immunologically-relevant oxidants"

and "The Effects of Superoxide on Glutathione Synthesis in Group B Streptococcus"

Nupur Chowdury

Fall 2020 - May 2022

Double major in Public Health and Biology with minor in Health Care Ethics, May 2023

Project in lab: "The Role of Glutathione in Macrophage & Neutrophil Response to Infection of Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus)"

 Lizzie Connor 

Summer 2013

B.S. in Biology at University of Tulsa, May 2016

Project in the lab: "Effect of glutathione synthesis on the survival of Group B Streptococcus and Enterococcus faecalis inside mouse macrophages"

Kavita Darji 

Spring 2011

B.A. in Psychology from SLU, May 2013

Riley Demo

Fall 2021 - May 2023

B.S. in Environmental Science with minors in English, Medical Humanities, and Biology, May 2023

Project in the lab: "General Host Immune Response to Glutathione Synthesis in Streptococcus"

Priya Desai 

Fall 2012 - May 2015

B.S. in Health Care Management from SLU, May 2015

Project in the lab: "Comparison of hydrogen peroxide resistance and clearance between wild-type and glutathione synthesis - deficient Group B Streptococcus"

Yasmeen Dhindsa 

Fall 2015-Spring 2018

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2018

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide and Hypochlorous Acid on Growth of Group B Streptococcus"

Nicholas Faulconer 

Spring 2011

B.A. in Biology from SLU, May 2012 

Francis Fordjour 

Summer 2011

B.A. in Biochemistry from DePauw University, May 2013

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Nitric Oxide on the Production of Glutathione in Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Steptococcus, GBS)"

Andrea Gilmore 

Summer 2016-Spring 2018

B.S. in Health Care Sciences from SLU, May 2018

Project in the lab: "Macrophage Killing of Group B Streptococcus"

Tom George 

Fall 2014-Spring 2017

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2017

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide and Hypochlorous Acid on Growth of Group B Streptococcus"

Shree Govani 

Spring 2019

B.S. in Public Health from SLU, May 2022 (expected)

Project in the lab: "Monitoring antiseptic ability of certain treated plastics" 

Lauren Grant 

Fall 2016-Spring 2017

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2017

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide and Hypochlorous Acid on Growth of Group B Streptococcus"

Rimple Guron 

Summer 2014

B.A. in Psychology from SLU, May 2015

Project in the lab: "Construction of glutathione complemented glutathione-deficient Group B Streptococcus"

Ali Hamed

Summer 2022 - May 2023

B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Mathematics, May 2023

Project in the lab: "The contribution of metal nanoparticles embedded in electrospun templates on the clearance of Group B Streptococcus by human neutrophils"

Genevieve Hilliard 

Summer 2012 - spring 2013

B.A. in Biology from SLU, May 2013

Projects in the lab: "Complementation by glutathione synthesis of glutathione-deficient Group B Streptococcus" and "Survival of Group B Streptococcus post exposure to immunologically-relevant oxidative stresses"

Bria James 

Summer 2011, spring 2012

B.S. in biomedical engineering from SLU, May 2014

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Growth of Group B Streptococcus"

Luke James 

Fall 2016 - spring 2017

B.S. in Neuroscience from SLU, May 2018

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide and Hypochlorous Acid on Growth of Group B Streptococcus"

Tarush Khurana 

Fall 2012 - spring 2015

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2015

Project in the lab: "Macrophage & Neutrophil-mediated killing of Group B Streptococcus"

Nikita Kohli 

Spring 2019, Spring 2020 - May 2022

B.S. in Biostatistics at SLU, May 2022

Project in lab: "The Role of Glutathione in Macrophage & Neutrophil Response to Infection of Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus)"

Irene Liu 

Fall 2011 - fall 2013

B.S. in Investigative Medical Sciences from SLU, May 2014

Project in the lab: "The Effect of Group B Streptococcus Glutathione Synthesis on the Survival inside Mammalian Macrophages"

Jorge Llobet

Spring 2021 - Fall 2022

Biology major (Biological sciences concentration)

Expected graduation - May 2023

Project in the lab: "Determining the Role of Group B Streptococcus Synthesized Glutathione in Virulence in the Human Immune System"

Kylah Loftin

Summer 2021

B.S. Biology and Criminal Justice, North Carolina A&T State University (expected December 2021)

Summer fellowship recipient of the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP)

Project in the lab: "Outcomes of a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Microbial Ecology and Molecular Evolution"

Ami Modi 

Spring 2011 - spring 2013

B.A. in Biology from SLU, May 2013

Project in the lab: "Macrophage Killing of Group B Streptococcus"

Sarah Maher

Fall 2021 - May 2022

B.S. in Biology (Cell Biology and Physiology Concentration) at SLU, May 2022

Project in the lab: "How Glutathione Influences Group B Streptococcus Susceptibility to Reactive Oxygen Species"

Sarah Maller 

Summer 2019 – Spring 2021

B.S. Neuroscience at SLU, May 2021

Project in the lab: "Glutathione and the Susceptibility of Group B Streptococcus Exposed to Reactive Oxygen Species"

Currently pursuing MD at Saint Louis University Medical School

Akhil Mulpuru 

Fall 2016 - Spring 2017

B.S. in Health Management from SLU, May 2019

Project: "The Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide and Hypochlorous Acid on Growth of Group B Streptococcus"

McKenna Murphy 

Fall 2014 - Spring 2016

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2016

Project: "Contribution of glutathione on the virulence of GBS in a mouse model of sepsis"

Pichayut (Sang) Nithagon 

Fall 2013 - Spring 2017

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2017

Project: "Comparison of gene expression in Group B Streptococcus in response to oxidative stress"

Madeline (Maddie) O’Neill 

Summer 2018

B.S. Biological Engineering – Cellular and Biomolecular from Purdue University, May 2019

Project: "Visualization of apoptosis of macrophages by Group B Streptococcus"

Jeremy Palacio 

Spring 2019 – May 2022

B.S. in Forensic Science at SLU, May 2022

Project in lab: "How Glutathione Influences Group B Streptococcus Susceptibility to Reactive Oxygen Species"

Poojan Parikh 

Fall 2012 - spring 2015

B.S. in Neuroscience from SLU, May 2015

Project: "Oxidative damage on Group B Streptococcus caused by immunologically-relevant oxidants"

Amisha Patel 

Fall 2012 - spring 2015

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2015

Project: "Comparison of hydrogen peroxide resistance and clearance between wild-type and glutathione synthesis - deficient Group B Streptococcus"

Ravi Patel 

Fall 2013 - spring 2015

B.S. in Health Care Management from SLU, May 2015

Project: "Contribution of glutathione to the mouse vagina microbiome"

Shiragi Patel 

Summer 2013 - spring 2014

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2014

Project in the lab: "Effect of glutathione synthesis on the survival of Group B Streptococcus after exposure to oxidative stresses"

Sihley Pawaskar 

Spring 2019

B.A. Psychology from SLU, May 2021

Project in the lab: "Evolutionary genomics of glutathione attainment in streptococcal species"

 Jessica Puricelli 

Summer 2011

B.S. in Biology from Notre Dame University, May 2014

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Peroxynitrite on Growth of and Glutathione Synthesis in Group B Streptococcus"

Jennifer Poad 

Fall 2011 - spring 2014

B.A. in Biology from SLU, May 2014

Projects in the lab: "Macrophage-mediated killing of Group B Streptococccus" and "Isolation of fresh macrophages from mice"

Joan Ra

Fall 2022 - spring 2024

B.S. in Biology with a minor in Music from SLU, May 2024

Project: "The role of glutathione on murine survival among clinically relevant Group B Streptococcus strains using a mouse model of sepsis"

Alex Riffle 

Fall 2012 - spring 2015

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2015

Project: "Neutrophil-mediated and Macrophage-mediated killing of Group B Streptococcus"

Stephen Rowse 

Summer 2015-Spring 2016

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2017

Project in the lab: "Macrophage Killing of Group B Streptococcus"

Esha Sachdev

Fall 2021 - Spring 2024

B.S. in Public Health from SLU, May 2024

Project in the lab: "The Role of Glutathione in Macrophage & Neutrophil Response to Infection of Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus)"

Jade Samanta 

Spring 2019 - May 2022

B.S. in Chemical Biology & Pharmacology at SLU, May 2022

Project in lab: "Group B Streptococcus glutathione and gene expression response to hydrogen peroxide stress"

Aarti Sahai

Summer 2023-Spring 2024

B.S. in Public Health at SLU, May 2024

Project in lab: "Topical Efficacy of Curcumin-Piperine Medicated Sutures in the Management of Surgical Site Infections"

Arjun Sahai

Summer 2023-Spring 2024

B.S. in Neuroscience at SLU, May 2024

Project in lab: "Topical Efficacy of Curcumin-Piperine Medicated Sutures in the Management of Surgical Site Infections"

Neha Satya 

Fall 2016 - Spring 2017

B.S. in Health Management from SLU, May 2019

Project: "Comparison of gene expression in Group B Streptococcus in response to oxidative stress"

Sharul Saxena 

Spring 2014 - Spring 2016

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2016

Project: "Contribution of glutathione on the virulence of GBS in a mouse model of sepsis"

Tamia Scott

Summer 2022

Pursuing a B.S. Clinical Laboratory Science at Howard University (expected graduation - May 2025)

Summer fellowship recipient of the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP)

Project in the lab: "Changes in Gene Expression of Group B Streptococcus in Response to Glutathione Availability and Hydrogen Peroxide"

Hae Shim 

Summer 2013

B.A. in Biology from SLU, May 2015

Project in the lab: "Construction of glutathione-deficient Enterococcus faecalis and its isogenic complement"

Pranusha Venkata 

Spring 2011

B.A. in Psychology from SLU, May 2013

Reeba Varghese 

Summer 2015 - Spring 2017

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2017

Project: "Comparison of gene expression in Group B Streptococcus in response to oxidative stress"

Tanawat Vongsurbchart 

Fall 2013 - Spring 2016

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2016

Project: "Macrophage & Neutrophil-mediated killing of Group B Streptococcus"

Sonam Vyas 

Summer 2014 - Spring 2016

B.S. in Biology from SLU, May 2016

Project: "Comparison of gene expression in Group B Streptococcus in response to oxidative stress"

Bayleigh White 

Fall 2016 - Spring 2017

B.A. in Biology from SLU, December 2018

Project: "Contribution of glutathione on the virulence of GBS in a mouse model of sepsis"

Summer 2011

Michael Flom

Christian Brothers College

Project in the lab: "The Effects of Hypochlorite on Growth of and Glutathione Synthesis in Group B Streptococcus" 

Summer 2012

Natalie Yocum

Missouri Academy

Project in the lab: "Comparison of oxidative damage between wild-type and glutathione-deficient Group B Streptococcus: Lipid hydrogen peroxides as biomarkers"

Michael Flom

Christian Brothers College

Project in the lab: "Glutathione-deficient Group B Streptococcus: Chlorotyrosine as a biomarker"

Summer 2013

Aliki Stogiannou Anatolia College, Thessaloniki, GREECE

Project in the lab: "Correlation between antibiotic production and antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria"

Valerie Irwin 

Parkway North High School

Project in the lab: "Correlation between antibiotic production and antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria"

Clara Sun 

Parkway South High School

Project: "Comparison of growth between wild-type and glutathione synthesis - deficient Group B Streptococcus"

Summer 2015

Sabrina Bingham 

Westminster Christian Academy

Project in the lab: "Toasting contaminated Scottish Bonnet Peppers to eliminate potential Salmonella typhimurium"

Angeliki Lalioti 

Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, GREECE 

Project in the lab: "Altered antioxidant gene expression patterns in glutathione-deficient Group B streptococcus upon exposure to oxidative stress"

Summer 2016

Madelyn Trost

Westminster Christian Academy

Project: “The effects of exposure time and concentrations of reactive oxygen species on the survival of Group B Streptococcus”

Supriya Ellina

Parkway Central High School

Project: “The Role of Glutathione Synthesis on the Survival of Group B Streptococcus Post Exposure to Hydrogen Peroxide and Hypochlorous Acid”

Balaji Cherupalla

Parkway Central High School

Project: “The Contribution of Glutathione Synthesis to the Virulence of Group B Streptococcus in a Mouse Model of Invasive Disease” 

Alex Curylo

Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School

Project: “Macrophage-mediated killing of Group B Streptococcus” 

Summer 2017

Adrian Fedorko

St. Louis Priory High School

Project: “The Effect of Geometry on Manuka Honey Impregnated Tissue Engineering Scaffold Efficacy”

STARS student co-mentored by Dr. Scott Sell in Biomedical Engineering 

Summer 2018

Meher Arora

Parkway North High School

Project: "Temperature Regulation of Glutathione Synthesis in Group B Streptococcus"

Summer 2019

Leah Lepore

Orchard Farm High School

Project: "The Effect of Acidic Stress on the Synthesis and Import of Glutathione in Group B Streptococcus"

Summer 2020

The STARS program took a small hiatus this year, and we all know why. Here's a comic from The Awkward Yeti to help us laugh about an empty lab. 

Summer 2021

The STARS program went virtual this year, but the Janowiak lab wasn't ready to host a virtual high school student. We instead hosted a virtual undergraduate student through the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP) - See Kylah Loftin's entry up in the undergrad section.