Lab News

Here you will find the latest happenings from the members of the Janowiak Lab. The most recent updates are near the top, and the updates are in reverse chronological order. This is an ongoing process, and is by no means complete. 

Last updated: 5/17/2024

Summer 2024 - This summer we welcomed a medical student into the lab as part of the SLU Summer Research Program (SRP) - Jessica Huitsing, a returning undergraduate researcher as part of the DeNardo IDBI-SPUR - Imandi Mendis, and a new undergraduate researcher as part of the IDBI-SPUR - Julia Gaugel. Welcome and Congrats to all!

May 17, 2024 - Today was the biology department's awards assembly! We had some notable awards! Joan Ra from our lab won the Dr. Elizabeth J Keath Undergrad research award, while Laurine Shoki, one of the graduating TAs from my biochemistry course won the Dr. Judith Z Medoff undergrad teaching award! Congrats, Joan and Laurine! Another research student of mine, Henry Davis, was recognized as he won 1st place at the TriBete Regional Research Conference this spring! Congrats, Henry! Finally, at our grad party, one of my students from my research course, Erika Sloan, won the "Pin the peroxisome on the cell" contest. Congrats, Erika! Out of all my awardees, only Laurine was present, but I managed to get a selfie with her. 😀

May 16, 2024 - Today was pre-commencement for the College of Arts and Sciences, so we pre-partied with our Biology Department Senior Send-off. Below are some photos from the fun event. Congrats to all the grads! 

May 10, 2024 - The Janowiak Lab celebrated the end of the school year and another great year in the lab by eating ice cream at the Fountain on Locust. Fun was had by all. Below are photos from the outing.

Top row: Gwen, Jack, and Rutuja

Middle row: Henry, Esha, and Shreya

Bottom row: Lalitha and a group shot

May 2, 2024 - My research course wrapped up today with each group presenting their hard work to the class. It was such a pleasure teaching these students. This marks the last time that I will teach BIOL 4160: Microbial Ecology & Molecular Evolution, as I am handing off the course to a colleague.  Bittersweet. The photos below are from the last class. A) Bench "One"derful, B) TMNT, C) Biohazards, D) T4, E) Minus Infinity, F) The Streakers. 

April 3, 2024 - Our research lab and our research was well-represented at the Sigma Xi Research Symposium today. We had three reserach posters out of the research lab itself and 5 additional research posters stemming from my BIOL 4160: Microbial Ecology & Molecular Evolution course which contributes to our lab's research efforts! In total, two graduate students presented (Gwen Krekeler and Nikky Omole-Ohonsi) and 10 undergraduates (4 pairs and 2 individuals) presented on behalf of our lab's research program. Everyone did awesome and one undergraduate pair (Shreya Bollu and Lalitha Nair) won third place in the biological sciences undergraduate competition. Congrats! Below are photos from the event. 

September 8, 2023 - Today, our lab was well represented at the 2nd annual IDBI research symposium. Our grad student, Gwen Krekeler, presented the latest chapter of her research story. Additionally, Arjun & Aarti Sahai presented their preliminary findings of their senior capstone project. It was a great event! 

August 3, 2023 - Today Catherine Leonor, our National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP) Fellow, presented her work. Great job, Catherine! 

May 18-20, 2023: SLU celebrated our 2023 graduates at a variety of pre-commencement and commencement ceremonies. The Biology department also had a grad party on the 18th. Below are a selection of photos from all the fun activities and ceremonies. Congrats, again, Andy (PhD in Biology), Ali (BS in Biomedical Engineering), Riley (BS in Environmental Sciences), and Seth (BS in Biology)!!

May 9, 2023: Today, we celebrated the end of the year and our fabulous graduates! Below, please find some fun photos from the event at Fountain on Locust. We love ice cream!

April 21, 2023: Today we hosted the Biology Department Research Symposium. Our lab was well-represented with 4 undergrad posters! Top left: Henry & Dylan; Top right: Esha, Seth, & Riley; Bottom left: Ali; Bottom right: Joan & Rutuja

April 3, 2023: Riley represented our lab by presenting her research at the Sigma Xi Research Symposium. She did very well, and we are so proud. 

March 30-31, 2023: Gwen represented not only our lab, but also our University at the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition in Chicago, IL, after she solidly earned 2nd place at our University's competition in the PhD competition. Congrats, Gwen!

November 9-12, 2022: Tamia Scott, our summer virtual student from Howard University, attended and participated in the 2022 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) conference.  She presented her work and her poster was well received. This is Tamia's first conference presentation, and we are so proud. Excellent going, Tamia! In a pleasant surprise, our own Ali Hamed was funded at the last minute to also participate in the conference. Although he didn't present his research, he was able to  participate in the conference events and even see Tamia's presentation. 

November 2-4, 2022: Riley Demo, a senior undergraduate in our lab, presented her work at the 2022 National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Annual Conference in Dallas, TX. Her poster received great feedback and Riley learned a lot and had a fantastic experience at the conference. Great job, Riley!

September 24-25, 2022: Ali Hamed, our McNair Scholar in the Janowiak lab, presented his work at the 2022 Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska (MKN) Heartland McNair Research Conference in Kansas City, MO. He did an excellent job presented his work and we are very proud. Great job, Ali! Below are photos from the event, including his McNair Cohort. 

September 23, 2022 - Today, our lab was well represented at the inaugural  research symposium for the SLU Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation (IDBI). Andy Wall, our senior grad student, competed in the graduate student poster session. At the undergraduate student poster session , Ali Hamed and Dylan Bjorn shared their experiences from the summer. All the posters were well received. Great job, Andy, Ali, and Dylan!

August 24, 2022 - Today, we started a new school year! We are thrilled to welcome the three new members of the Janowiak Lab: Henry Davis, Rutuja Deoskar, and Joan Ra

May 20, 2022 - The College of Arts and Sciences Pre-commencement Ceremony was today! After the ceremony, all the graduating seniors were invited to the Biology Department's Senior Sendoff. It was great to get hugs from, photos with, and meet the families of my graduating seniors. We also showed the families the lab and perused our lab posters. Below are some photos of the fun. Congrats, seniors! You will be missed!

May 13, 2022 - Jade Samanta and Alka Ghadiyaram, both majors in chemical biology & pharmacology, presented their work from my lab at the annual Chemistry Department Award Symposium. They both did a fabulous job. Below are some photos from the event. 

May 5, 2022 - To celebrate the end of the 2021/2022 academic year and to celebrate our graduating seniors, the Janowiak lab ventured out to the Fountain on Locust for some yummy treats and great conversation. It was so great to spend time together as a group in-person. We were still missing a few lab members that had time conflicts, but they were there in spirit. Below are a couple photos from the fun event. 

April 22, 2022 - All of our fabulous undergrad researchers presented the ongoing research progress from our lab. We had five awesome posters! Below are some photos taken from the fun event! From left to right: The entire undergrad team strep with Andy; our FIVE graduating seniors - Jeremy ('22), Sarah ('22), Nikita ('22), Alka ('22), and Jade ('22); one of our presenting teams - Nupur ('23), Esha ('24), & Nikita ('22)

April 1, 2022 - It was no joke that our lab was well represented at this year's virtual Sigma Xi Research Symposium. Fantastic talks were given by Janowiak Lab Members,  Andy Wall, Jade Samanta, Alka Ghadiyaram, and Riley Demo! 

July 2021 - Dr. Janowiak participated in the SABER virtual conference where she got to present the lab's work on our DBER project. Undergraduates that participated in this work include Seth Ludford and Kylah Loftin. 

June 2021 - Andy Wall and Dr. Janowiak participated in the World Microbe Forum virtual conference where Andy presented our work as an iPoster. His work was well-received. The conference was a great learning opportunity for all. 

April 30, 2021 - Andy Wall presented his work at the SLU Graduate Student Association Research Symposium which was virtual this year. Andy presented his work in the biological sciences division for oral presentations. He did a great job representing our lab. 

June 14, 2021 - August 6, 2021: The Janowiak lab accepted an undergraduate mentee for the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project 2021 program. Kylah Loftin, pursuing a B.S. in Biology and Criminal Justice from North Carolina A&T State University, joined the Janowiak lab for an 8-week virtual summer research project. Kylah's project in the lab was: "Outcomes of a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Microbial Ecology and Molecular Evolution"

April 9, 2021 - Andy Wall presented his work at the Sigma Xi Research Symposium which was virtual this year. Andy presented his work in the graduate students in life sciences division for oral presentations. He did a great job representing our lab. 

March 19, 2021 - Andy Wall presented his work at the Missouri ASM Branch Meeting which was virtual this year. Andy presented his work as an oral presentation. He did a great job representing our lab. 

July 8-9, 2020 - Dr. Janowiak attended the ASMCUE virtual conference, and learned a lot about remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the positives that came out of the pandemic was a free virtual conference for ASM members. It was an awesome opportunity. 

June 2020 - Andy Wall was scheduled to present his work at ASM Microbe 2020 in Chicago, IL, but, due to COVID, the conference was moved online. Unfortunately, that meant that Andy didn't get to present his work. However, we were given free access to ASM Microbe Online for the course of the summer. It was a great source of knowledge about COVID and safety measures. 

February 2020 - Dr. Janowiak hosted another fun "nerdy game night" with the Life Sciences Learning Community, this time in the Biology Department. We all had a great time playing chemistry and biology themed board games. "Organ Attack" was again the most popular game played. Fun was had by all. Below are some of the photos. 

September 2019 - Dr. Janowiak and Andy went on the Life Sciences Learning Community field trip to "Day at Reis" where we hosted an "agar art" activity with the life sciences learning community. Fun was had by all, and we got to experience some fun and creative art with microbes! Below are some of the many agar art masterpieces!

May 2019 - Commencement 2019! Dr. Janowiak got to "hood" her first Ph.D. student, and neither Blythe nor Elizabeth got hurt. Success! Here are some photos of the special day!

May 2019 - The end of another academic year means it's time for a lab party! This year's celebration was held at the Fountain. We all love ice cream parties! We celebrated our graduates in style. Congrats to Elizabeth, Abby, and Rachel!

May 2019 - Rounding out symposium season for spring of 2019 was the Sigma Xi Research Symposium. We had an excellent showing by the Janowiak Lab. From top to bottom, left to right: 1) Elizabeth, 2) Katie, 3) Kristen, 4) Abby, and 5) Andy. Everyone did a great job presenting and representing the lab. 

April 2019 - Another defense! This month Abby Brown successfully defended her M.S. thesis! We were so proud of her hard work. Here are the photos from her celebration!

April 2019 - The Janowiak lab is thrilled to announce the successful Ph.D. defense of Dr. Elizabeth Walker! Dr. Walker is Dr. Janowiak's first Ph.D. recipient. We are so proud! Congrats, Dr. Walker! Enjoy the photos from her defense and celebration!

April 2019 - This month it was time for our graduate students to shine. Both Andy and Abby presented their graduate work. They both did an excellent job presenting their work. Below are the photos. 

March 2019 - This month our undergrads presented their work at our departmental research symposium, which was - finally - back in Macelwane Hall! The undergrads did a fantastic job. Rachel Treat's presentation even won her the 2nd prize! Below are the photos form this year's event. From top to bottom, left to right: 1) Alka & Luke, 2) Kristen, 3) Katie, 4) Rachel, 5) Shree, 7) Nikita & Sihley, and 8) Jade & Jeremy.

February 2019 - Dr. Janowiak hosted a fun "nerdy game night" with the Life Sciences Learning Community. We all had a great time playing chemistry and biology themed board games. "Organ Attack" was the most popular game played. Fun was had by all. Below are some of the photos. 

December 2018 - Dr. Janowiak and a group of volunteers from the Life Sciences Learning Community helped pack lab course materials in preparation of moving out of the Biology Extension Building to the newly renovated Macelwane. Below is a photo form the packing party. 

November 2018 - Dr. Janowiak had a lot of fun giving paper Nico a tour of her work. Nico visited the lab, class, and the student center. Below are some of the photos. 

October 2018 - Dr. Janowiak participated in the Learning Community Symposium, showing off all the fun things that the Life Sciences Learning Community did during the annual "Day at Reis" field trip last month. The Life Sciences Learning Community Students were tasked with getting a selfie with me. Oh, what fun we had!

August 2018 - A new school year means new first year students! Dr. Janowiak participated in the Life Sciences Learning Community Orientation and helped to welcome all the new students. We had a great time getting to know each other. Below is a photo form the fun ice-breaker game that we played. Welcome to SLU, everyone!

August 2018 - At the start of this academic year, we found out that our own Rachel Treat received an ILEX award to help fund her senior capstone project! Congrats, Rachel!

May 2018 - Commencement 2018! Here are some photos from the party. It was supposed to be a BBQ, but the rain moved us inside the lecture hall lobby instead. we still had a grand time. Congrats to all the graduates!

May 2018 - This month our department threw a retirement party for Dr. Bill Stark. We all had a great time celebrating the life and work of Bill. 

May 2018 - The end of another academic year means it's time for a lab party! This year's celebration was held at the Fountain. We all love ice cream parties! We celebrated our graduates in style. Congrats to Andrea, Luke, and Yasmeen!

May 2018 - This month, Elizabeth won two more awards for her excellent research presentations! The two awards were: 1) 2018 Sigma Xi Research Symposium (Poster presentation) - 1st place biological sciences, and 2) 2018 Three Minute Thesis at Saint Louis University (Oral presentation) - 1st place PhD & people’s choice! We are so proud of Elizabeth! Below is an action shot from the Three Minute Thesis Competition. 

April 2018 - This month our three graduate students, Elizabeth, Abby, and Andy, all presented their work at the GSA Research Symposium. Elizabeth presented an oral presentation, while Abby and Andy both presented posters. I only have photographic evidence of the poster presentations, but Elizabeth won third place in the Biological Sciences division of the oral competition. Great job, everyone, and congrats, Elizabeth!

March 2018 - This month we found out that our own Elizabeth Walker received the Saint Louis University Dissertation Fellowship. This award supports the education and research of outstanding graduate students at Saint Louis University. Congrats, Elizabeth!

March 2018 - This month our undergrads presented their work at our departmental research symposium, once again. This year, we were a much smaller contingent than years past, but that doesn't mean that the research is any less impactful. These researchers really knew their stuff, and did a fabulous job presenting. Rachel Treat's presentation even won her the "honorable mention" prize! From left to right: 1) Yasmeen Dhindsa, 2) Andrea Gilmore, and 3) Rachel Treat. 

February 2018 - This semester I was teaching general microbiology lab, and it was a blast! The students did inquiry-driven research projects, and they were all super creative and engaging. Here are some photos from some of the fun moments - agar art and giant microbes! 

December 2017 - We found out this month that our own Abby Brown has received a Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid Award to help fund her research. Congrats, Abby!

May 2017 - Graduation time! We celebrated the achievements of all of our graduates of the class of 2017! Below are some photos of hte happy event. By the way, this was the last set of photos in the "old" Macelwane Hall. Out of the ashes came the "new" Macelwane Hall just 18 months later. 

May 2017 - This month our lab presented their research at the Sigma Xi Research Symposium. Some of my students enrolled in my microbial ecology & molecular evolution course presented their work, too (first photo). Below are some photos from the fun event. All the presentations were fantastic. In fact, Elizabeth Walker (third photo) earned first prize for her poster presented in the biological sciences division, and Yasmeen (second photo) won first prize in the same division for the undergrad level! Congrats, Elizabeth and Yasmeen! The fourth photo shows Jaya, Reeba, & Neha, and the fifth photo is Andrea & Stephen's photo debut. 

March 2017 - This month our undergrads again presented their work at our departmental research symposium. We spread everyone out this time so we didn't monopolize an entire hallway like last year. Everyone did a great job presenting their work in teams. Below are the photos to prove it. From top to bottom, left to right: 1) Jaya, Neha, & Reeba, 2) Matthew, 3) Bailey, 4) Luke & Akhil, and 5) Rachel.

August 10, 2016 - Today my third M.S. student successfully defended her thesis! Congrats, Shahad! She was so sweet and game me flowers and a super sweet gift. I'm so proud and humbled. Best wishes, Shahad!

July 2016 - This month we found out that our own Elizabeth Walker received a $50,000 Monsanto STEM Fellowship!! This award supports the research of high achieving women and minority students pursuing a PhD degree in agriculture or STEM related discipline. Congrats, Elizabeth!

July 2016 - We had a productive summer full of student-powered research! We hosted a record number of four high school students, each mentored by an undergrad or graduate student. We had such a fun time learning. Below are the photos from the final presentations for the STARS high school students. We'll miss these four students, for sure. Good luck, all!

March 2016 - This month our undergrads presented their work at our departmental research symposium. This year we had a "glutathione wing," in which our lab members took up an entire hallway. Everyone did a fabulous job, and we were very proud. 

July 17, 2015 - The two STARS students graduated from their program today! I was very proud and happy of their successes over the past 6 weeks. The Janowiak lab wishes them both the best in their future endeavours. Congrats, and we'll miss you, Angi & Sabrina!

June 9, 2015 - Today the Janowiak lab welcomed their two STARS students: Sabrina Bingham & Angeliki Lalioti! Welcome, Sabrina & Angie! We are thrilled to have you here for six weeks of researching fun! 

June 8, 2015 - Today the Janowiak lab welcomed two new undergraduate researchers - Jaya Bommireddipally and Reeba Varghese. Jaya & Reeba are both rising junior biology majors at SLU. Welcome Jaya & Reeba!

May 30 - June 2, 2015 - The Janowiak lab participated in the 115th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans, LA. Representing the lab were Dr. Janowiak, Bryan, and Julia. We had a great time expanding our networks, learning a lot, and having a little fun, too. 

May 15-16, 2015 - Happy Graduation time! This year the Janowiak lab graduated its first two graduate students, Julia & Bryan! In addition, 6 wonderfully talented undergraduate students flew the coop as well. It's always hard letting go, but we are happy to see them all graduate and succeed. We celebrated their accomplishments at our annual Janowiak lab frozen yogurt party. Congrats to all the graduates! Pictured: Bryan Branneky, Amisha Patel, Tim Baker, Priya Desai, (Dr. Janowiak), Tarush Khurana, Maria Schwabe, Alex Riffle, and Julia Nims. *Not pictured: Ravi Patel and Poojan Parikh

May 8, 2015 - Another happy day! Julia Nims successfully defended her M.S. project today! Congrats, Julia!

May 6, 2015 - The Janowiak lab graduated its first graduate student! Bryan Branneky successfully defended his M.S. project! Congrats, Bryan! 

May 2, 2015 - Wrapping up "symposium season," the Janowiak lab represented well at the Sigma Xi Annual Research Symposium in St. Louis, MO. Students presenting were (left to right): Tim, Amisha, Tom, Priya, Tanawat, Tarush, and Alex. Everyone did a fabulous job!

April 25, 2015 - Our lab sent four undergraduates to present their work at the St. Louis Area Undergraduate Research Symposium (STLAURS) in St. Louis, MO. The students presenting were (left to right in photo): Tanawat, Sharul, Tim, and McKenna. Our very own Tim Baker won Honorable Mention! Congrats, Tim, and congrats to all for presenting!

April 24, 2015 - Elizabeth Walker, our Ph.D. student, represented the Janowiak lab at the 21st annual Graduate Student Association Research Symposium. Elizabeth did a fantastic job. Congrats!

April 18, 2015 - Sharul Saxena and McKenna Murphy, two undergraduates in the lab working with Julia Nims, took their research project to the road, and presented their work at the Missouri Academy Annual Research Symposium in St. Joesph, MO. Their poster was well-received, and they had a good time road-tripping together. What an experience. Thanks for representing, Sharul & McKenna!

April 16, 2015 - Dr. Janowiak presented our lab's work at the Pediatric Science Days at the SLU school of medicine. It was great networking with all the physician scientists and fellows. There is quite the diverse research going on across SLU. 

April 16-18, 2015 - The Janowiak lab was represented by Sonam Vyas, a sophomore biology major at SLU, at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research in Spokane, WA. Sonam was funded to go in part by the SLU Knoedler Undergraduate Research Funds and the biology department. Sonam's poster was reviewed well, and she had a great time. Thanks for representing, Sonam!

March 20, 2015  - Today our undergraduates did a stellar job presenting our research at the annual Biology Department Research Symposium! Congrats goes out to all! Our groups were (from left to right): 1) Tom, Amisha & Priya, 2) Sonam, Sang & Poojan, 3) Sharul & McKenna, 4) Tarush & Tanawat. All did superb! 

May 15, 2015 - Five of our undergraduates were awarded funding for their research projects! Congrats to Ravi, Alex, Sang, McKenna, and Sonam! Nicely done!

October 16-18, 2014 - Dr. Janowiak was honored to be invited to participate in the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Los Angeles, CA. She was sponsored to participate as a Keystone Symposium Fellow. At the meeting, it became a reunion of sorts. What a fun networking opportunity. 

October 15, 2014 - Three of our undergraduate researchers were awarded funding for their projects! Congrats go out to Poojan, Tarush, and Sharul! Way to go!

October 6, 2014 - Today we celebrated Clara Sun's award at the 2014 LMI/STARS Awards for Excellence in Research Banquet. Congrats, again, Clara!

September 27, 2014 - Dr. Janowiak participated in the annual retreat for St. Louis Evolution, Ecology and Conservation (SLEEC) interest group, held this year at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Dr. Janowiak presented Elizabeth Walker's hypothesis poster. It was great networking with all the local scientists. 

September 24-36, 2014 - The Janowiak lab particpated in the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center 16th annual fall symposium. Elizabeth Walker presented a hypothesis poster, and we networked with all the local scientists involved in the microbiome. What a great time!

September 2, 2014 - The Janowiak lab welcomes our new undergraduate researchers: Sharul Saxena, McKenna Murphy, and Tom George. Welcome to the team!

September 2, 2014 - Today we welcomed our newest graduate student, Shahad Alqahtani, who is here to pursue a M.S. in biology under my supervision. Welcome, Shahad!

August 11, 2014 - We found out today that Clara Sun, one of our esteemed STARS students, won the LMI Aerospace Inc Award for Excellence in Research in the category of life sciences! Congrats, Clara!

August 1, 2014 - Today we welcome our newest graduate student, Elizabeth Walker, to our lab! Elizabeth comes to us from Lindenwood University. Elizabeth is pursuing her Ph.D. in the lab. Welcome, Elizabeth!

July 18, 2014 - Alas, the 6 week STARS program came to an end today with the confirmation ceremony. We bid adieu to our two fantastic STARS students. Great job, Clara and Aishwarya! We wish you the best in the future!

June 28-June 29, 2014 - Dr. Janowiak was honored to be chosen to attend the MAC 9th Annual Junior Faculty and Postdoctoral Fellows Career Development Workshop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, sponsored by The American Society for Cell Biology. It was a great networking and learning experience in a beautiful location. Thanks, ASCB-MAC!

June 10, 2014 - The Janowiak lab is thrilled to be working with the STARS (Students and Teachers as Research Scientists) program again this summer. We welcome our two high school STARS students, Clara Sun and Aishwarya Mogulothu! Clara is a rising junior at Parkway West High School, and Aishwarya is a rising senior at Fort Zumwalt South High School. Clara is working with Sonam to characterize the glutathione knockout strains of Group B Streptococcus, while Aishwarya is determining the level of detection for detecting Salmonella contamination from environmental samples. Welcome, Clara Sun and Aishwarya Mogulothu, and we hope you have a great summer of research!

June 9, 2014 - The summer crew of 2014 expanded today as Sonam Vyas joined the lab! Sonam is an Investigative Medical Sciences (IMS) major (biology minor), and she is a rising junior at Saint Louis University. Sonam is helping the Janowiak lab with characterizing the glutathione knockout strains of Group B Streptococcus. Welcome, Sonam!

June 2, 2014 - The summer crew of 2014 began to form today with the welcome of new lab member, Rimple Guron. Rimple is a rising senior psychology major (biology minor) at Saint Louis University. Rimple is helping the Janowiak lab with molecular biology experiments, namely constructing complements to our existing genetic knockouts. Welcome, Rimple!

May 17 - 21, 2014 - The Janowiak lab traveled to Boston, MA, for the 114th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Representatives of the lab were Dr. Janowiak, Victoria Brooks (summer 2013), Maria Schwabe (summer 2012-present), and Poojan Parikh (Fall 2012-present). We had a fantastic time presenting our work, learning microbiology, and exploring Boston.

May 16, 2014 - Dr. Janowiak returned to Boston to help honor Dr. John Collier, her postdoctoral advisor, who was retiring. There was a fantastic symposium in his honor entitled, "Bacterial Toxins: Structure, Function, and Applications", and it was so great to see many familiar faces. 

May 14, 2014 - We graduated 6 fantastic seniors this year. It is always sad to see them go, but I am happy and proud of all of their accomplishments and know that they will continue to be fabulous and succeed in all that they do. Congrats to Kena Vyas, Jennifer Poad, Claire Kranz, Sara Brown, Shiragi Patel, and Irene Liu. Here's a photo from our ice cream party in their honor. The graduate students helped me celebrate. *Irene Liu is not pictured. 

April 29, 2014 - We had both graduate and undergraduate student representation for the Sigma Xi Research Symposium. Everyone did a fabulous job. I was so proud! Kudos go out to Julia Nims and Bryan Branneky (the graduate students) and undergraduates Shiragi Patel, Kena Vyas, Maria Schwabe, Priya Desai, Amisha Patel, Sara Brown, Tarush Khurana, and Poojan Parikh. *Graduate students not pictured.

April 11, 2014 - Julia Nims and Bryan Branneky presented their graduate research performed in our lab at the SLU Graduate Student Association Research Symposium. Their work was well received. In fact, Bryan tied for first place with another biology graduate student for the highest honor. Congrats, Bryan!

April 1-6, 2014 - Dr. Janowiak represented the lab at the Keystone Meeting entitled. " Exploiting and Understanding Chemical Biotransformations in the Human Microbiome." The meeting was held in Big Sky, Montana - a picturesque location for a fantastic week of science. Dr. Janowiak had a wonderful time meeting new people, networking, and learning more about this exciting field. Thanks, Keystone Symposia, for funding this amazing opportunity!

March 28, 2014 - Our lab was well represented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Biology Department. The poster presentations were fantastic. Nice job, Alex Riffle, Shiragi Patel, Maria Schwabe, Sara Brown, and Claire Kranz!

February 15, 2014 - Two of our undergraduate students won Knoedler Undergraduate Research Awards to help fund their travel to the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston, MA, this May. Congrats to Maria Schwabe and Poojan Parikh!

February 6, 2014 - Julia Nims successfully competed to win a Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid Award to help fund her research. Congrats, Julia! 

January 15, 2014 - Victoria Brooks, one of our summer students from the summer crew of 2013 has received the competitive American Society for Microbiology Undergraduate Research Capstone Award! With this award she will be fully funded to attend and participate in the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston, MA, this May. Congrats to Victoria!

October 2-6, 2013 - Dr. Janowiak represented the lab at the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX. What an inspiring meeting! 

October 1, 2013 - Two of our esteemed undergraduate students won Knoedler Undergraduate Research Awards to help fund their projects. Congrats to Kena Vyas and Shiragi Patel!

August 16, 2013 - Time for more congratulations! Aliki Stogiannou, one of our STARS students this summer, just heard that her research paper won the LMI Aerospace Inc Award for Excellence in Research in the category of life sciences! Congrats, Aliki! 

July 19, 2013 - Sadly, the STARS 2013 program has come to an end. Valerie and Aliki graduated from the program and presented their work. The presentations (and their papers) were fabulous! Congrats to Valerie and Aliki, and we wish you both the best!

July 14-16, 2013 - Dr. Janowiak attended the "Keystone Symposia 2013 Fellows Training Conference: Keys to the Future," in Denver, CO. Dr. Janowiak met a lot of new contacts as well as re-connected with others. The conference also helped Dr. Janowiak in terms of mentoring, grants, and navigating academia. Thanks, Keystone Symposia for the wonderful opportunity!

June 10, 2013 - The Janowiak lab is participating in an exciting opportunity for local high school students: STARS. We are lucky to have two STARS students for the 6-week internship this summer. Valerie Irwin, a rising high school senior, comes to us from Parkway North High School. Aliki Stogiannou, a rising junior, comes to us all the way from Greece (Antolia College). Welcome, Valerie and Aliki!

June 5, 2013 - Another undergraduate joined the Janowiak Lab for the summer! Welcome to Hae Shim, a rising junior at SLU. Hae is majoring in Biology and taking classes this summer. She is gaining research experience every day after her summer classes. Way to multi-task! Welcome, Hae!

May 29, 2013 - The Janowiak Lab received notification of funding by the Beaumont Faculty Development Fund! This one-year grant will be used to fund preliminary data for the microbial ecology experiments in the Janowiak Lab, specifically characterizing glutathione metabolism in soil organisms. Congrats to the microbial ecology division of the lab!

May 28, 2013 - Three new undergraduates joined the Janowiak Lab for the summer! Lizzie Connor, a rising sophomore at the University of Tulsa, is a biology major looking for her first research experience. Shirgi Patel, a rising senior here at SLU, is a Medical Scholar and Biology major looking to earn her senior inquiry experience. Victoria Brooks, a rising senior at Missouri State University, is majoring in Microbiology and Biotechnology and is trying to decide if microbiology graduate school is in her future. Welcome, Lizzie, Shiragi, and Victoria!

May 18 - 22, 2013 - Dr. Janowiak represented the lab and presented some of the lab's results at the American Society of Microbiology General Meeting (ASM2013) in Denver, CO. She presented work entitled, "The Contribution of Glutathione to the Survival of Group B Streptococcus". The poster included undergraduate student authors: MinJun Hur, Sabina Lin, Kiran Singh, Anita Chacko, Raina Kulkarni, and Ami Modi. The work was well-received. Nice work, everyone! Dr. Janowiak was also honored to receive an ASM General Meeting Minority Travel Grant to help fund the trip. Thanks, ASM (and NIH NIAID)!

May 17, 2013 - The Janowiak Lab graduated their first class of undergraduates: Min Jun Hur, Sabina Lin, Kiran Singh, Anita Chacko, Raina Kulkarni, Ami Modi, Shuran Ma, and Genevieve Hilliard. Congrats, everyone, and we wish you the best of luck in the future! We know that you will make us proud!

May 3, 2013 - We honored many of the members of the Janowiak Lab at the yearly Biology Department Awards Assembly. Anita Chacko and Kiran Singh received their first prize award for the Biology Department's Research Symposium, while Irene Liu and Minjun Hur picked up their second prize, and Sabina Lin nabbed her honorable mention. Congrats to all!

April 29, 2013 - Many members of the Janowiak Lab presented their work at the Annual Sigma Xi (SLU Chapter) Research Symposium. The presenters were: 

1) Anita Chacko and Kiran Singh presenting "Effect of immunologically-relevant oxidative stresses on glutathione synthesis in Group B Streptococcus" 

2) Ami Modi and Minjun Hur presenting "Contribution of glutathione on survival of Group B Streptococcus in murine macrophages"

3) Jennifer Poad presenting "Contribution of glutathione synthesis on survival of Group B Streptococcus and macrophages during an infection of fresh intraperitoneal murine macrophages"

4) Sabina Lin presenting "Human neutrophil and whole blood clearance of glutathione-deficient Group B Streptococcus"

All posters well-received and given lots of accolades. Nicely done, team! The TOP PRIZE for undergraduate research at the symposium went to two of our own: Anita Chacko and Kiran Singh! The lab was gushing with pride. Congrats, Anita and Kiran!

April 23, 2013 - Two of our projects were represented at the Senior Legacy Symposium:

1) Ami Modi and Minjun Hur presenting "Contribution of glutathione on survival of Group B Streptococcus in murine macrophages"

2) Sabina Lin presenting "Human neutrophil and whole blood clearance of glutathione-deficient Group B Streptococcus"

Great jobs were done by Ami, Minjun, and Sabina. They all made us proud!

April 11-12, 2013 - The Janowiak Lab participated in Pediatric Research Days held at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. Two of our projects were represented:

1) Anita Chacko and Kiran Singh presenting "Effect of immunologically-relevant oxidative stresses on glutathione synthesis in Group B Streptococcus" 

2) Irene Liu and Minjun Hur presenting "Contribution of glutathione on survival of Group B Streptococcus in murine macrophages"

We all had a great time networking and learning more about pediatric research being conducted at SLU.

April 8, 2013 - One of our very own, Minjun Hur, won the James D. Collins Award for Outstanding Senior for the Biology Department  Dr. Janowiak was pleased to present Minjun her award at the James D. Collins Award Presentation. Minjun made the entire department proud!

March 3, 2013 - The Janowiak Lab was well-represented at this year's Biology Department Undergraduate Research Symposium. The presenters were:

1) Anita Chacko and Kiran Singh presenting "Effect of immunologically-relevant oxidative stresses on glutathione synthesis in Group B Streptococcus" 

2) Irene Liu and Minjun Hur presenting "Contribution of glutathione on survival of Group B Streptococcus in murine macrophages"

3) Sabina Lin presenting "Human neutrophil and whole blood clearance of glutathione-deficient Group B Streptococcus"

4) Raina Kulkarni and Genevieve Hilliard presenting "Genetic knockout and complementation of glutathione synthesis in Group B Streptococcus"

First Place honors went to our own Anita Chacko and Kiran Singh! Irene Liu and Minjun Hur won second prize and their project was selected to represent Biology at the Senior Legacy Symposium. Honorable mention went to Sabina Lin. Sabina Lin's project was also selected for the Senior Legacy, and she went representing the Clinical Lab Sciences department. Congrats to all!

January 10-15, 2013 - Dr. Janowiak won a Keystone Symposia Fellows Meeting Award to attend her first Keystone Symposia research meeting. Dr. Janowiak attended "Pathogenic Processes in Asthma and COPD" and had a wonderful time meeting new people, networking, and learning more about this exciting field. Thanks, Keystone Symposia!

January 2, 2013 - Julia Nims joined the Janowiak lab as an incoming M.S. (research) student. Julia comes to us with a B.A. in Biology from Smith College. Welcome, Julia!