Lab Members

Blythe Janowiak, Ph.D. (Fall 2010 - present)

Associate Professor of Biology

Co-Leader of SLU Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation (IDBI) 

Keystone Symposia Fellow (Class of 2011-2012)

Postdoctoral Fellowship (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) Harvard Medical School, 2010

Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Medical College of Wisconsin, 2006

B.A. (Chemistry and Biological Sciences) DePauw University, 2000

https://www.slu.edu/arts-and-sciences/biology/faculty/janowiak-blythe.php

Wayne Matsa, B.S.

Summer 2026

M.S. student in Health Data Science

Role in the Janowiak lab: unpaid intern in the IDBI Microbe Screening Core helping to discover new antibiotics against the ESKAPE pathogens

Project: "Investigating Novel Antimicrobial Strategies Against Multidrug-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens"

Gayathri Balaji

Summer 2026

Pursuing Neuroscience B.S. with a minor in Healthcare Ethics & Psychology

Expected Graduation- May 2029

IDBI-SPUR summer project: "To what extent does inhibition of glutathione synthesis sensitize Group B Streptococcus to oxidative stress, supporting glutathione biosynthesis as a potential antimicrobial target?"

Shruti Chakrapani

Spring 2026-Present

Pursuing Neuroscience major on pre-med track

Expected Graduation- May 2027

Project in the lab: "Development and Validation of Oxidative Stress Assays to Evaluate Glutathione Synthesis as an Antimicrobial Target in Group B Streptococcus​"

Meghana Gangireddy

Spring 2025-Present (on summer break)

Pursuing Biology and Health Management double major on pre-med track

Expected Graduation- May 2027

Project in the lab: "Screening potential biotherapeutics against multiple drug resistant bacteria"

Alia Hammad

Summer 2026

Pursuing Biology major on pre-med track

Expected Graduation- May 2028

IDBI-SPUR summer project: "Screening Microbial Isolates for Activity Against Acinetobacter baumannii"

Addison Lemmonds

Summer 2026

Pursuing Forensic Science major with Criminalistics concentration

Expected Graduation- May 2028

IDBI-SPUR summer project: "Investigating natural products from fungi as sources of antibiotics against Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens"

Tessa Mathew

Summer 2026

Pursuing Public Health major and minor in Helath Care Ethics on pre-med track

Expected Graduation- May 2027

IIDBI-SPUR summer project: "Screening Microbial Isolates for Activity Against Acinetobacter baumannii"

Aswina Neupane

Summer 2026

Pursuing Biological Sciences major and Computer Science minor at Webster University

Expected Graduation- May 2028

IDBI-SPUR summer project: "Computational and Experimental Discovery of Glutathione Synthesis Inhibitors Against Group B Streptococcus"

Rocky Meadows

Summer 2025 - present (on summer break)

Pursuing Biology B.S. & Neuroscience B.S. with a minor in French

Expected Graduation- May 2027

Project: "Discovery and characterization of novel antibiotics against mutidrug resistant ESKAPE pathogens from soil microbes"

Advika Varadharajan

Summer 2025 - present (on summer break)

Pursuing Biology B.S. & Women's & Gender Studies B.A. 

Expected Graduation- May 2027

Project: "Screening potential biotherapeutics against multiple drug resistant bacteria"