Lab Members

CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

FORMER LAB MEMBERS

Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Ottavia Benedecenti (2020-2022). Ottavia investigated the lungfish skin immune system and th role of NETosis during estivation. Ottavia is now a researcher at the Norwegian Veterinarian Institute

PhD student Aurora Kraus (2016-2022): Dr. Kraus did her PhD in zebrafish neuroimmunology. She was awarded the Weintraub award for her PhD work in 2022. She joined the Weinstein lab at NIH in October 2022 as a postdoctoral researcher.

Visiting PhD student Fen Dong (2020-2021): Fen visited our lab from the Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China, for 12 months amidst COVID. She worked on the discovery of organized NALT in teleost.

PhD student Ryan Heimroth (2015-2020): Dr. Heimroth's PhD investigated the mucosal immune system of the African lungfish and the role of the cocoon during estivation. He joined Max Cooper's lab at Emory after his PhD.

PREP Scholar Ryan Brown (2016-2018): Ryan was first an undergraduate in the lab and then stayed as a PREP student. his worked focused on salmonid micro biomes. He is now a PhD student at the University of Virginia Neuroscience program.

Undergraduate student Mariela Cisco (2019):  worked in the lab for a year on Atlantic salmon microbiome questions. Mariela is now a Law student.

Visiting PhD student Alba Martin Martin: Alba visited us in 2019 for 3 months. Her PhD focused on trout plasma cells.

Undergraduate Student Alejandra de la Cruz: Alejandra was an IMSD student and graduated in Biology at UNM in 2019. She is now at dental school. Her worked focused on the metabolic contribution of microbiota to host lipids.

PhD Student Dr. Ali Sepahi (2013-2018): Ali did his PhD in the Salinas lab 2013-2018. He went on to do his postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and then Harvard. He is now a project leader in a human immunology pharma company in Boston.

Undergraduate Student Mariah Sanchez: Mariah was an IMSD student who joined the lab in summer 2016. She worked on sphingolipids derived from microbiota and their anti-inflammatory properties.

Undergraduate Student Alissa Cabada-Gomez: Alissa joined the lab in Fall 2016 and worked on lungfish T cell repertoire. She is an MD/PhD student at UNM.

Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Susana Magadan (2016-2017): Dr. Magadan worked in the laboratory in 2016. Her work produced the first characterization of nasal B cell repertoire in a non-mammalian species. She continues to collaborate with us. She is a PI now at the University of Vigo, Spain. 

Undergraduate Student Kristin Reid: Kristin is a Biochemistry major with a passion for vertebrate immunology, viral diseases and microbiota. She worked on Atlantic salmon microbiome. She works now running political campaigns for the right reasons.

Undergraduate Student Samantha Kao: Sami was Biochemistry Major undergraduate. She joined the lab in Fall 2014 and worked with us for 1 year. She worked on trout nasal vaccines. Sami is now a lawyer. 

Undergraduate Student Cecelia Kelly: Cecelia was a Biochemistry major. She was a Stephanie Ruby Scholar for two years and worked in the lab 2014-2016. Her work discovered the direct binding of trout secretory component to microbiota and pathogens in the trout mucus. She is now a PhD student at Duke University (Rawls lab).

Visiting PhD student Pedro Castrillo: Pedro visited us in 2018 from the University of Lugo for 3 months but we still miss him!

Undergraduate Student Thomas Sauters (2014-2016): Thomas was a Biochemistry major and part of the IMSD program. He worked in the lab from 2014-16. Thomas obtained his PhD at Duke in 2022 and is now a posttdoc at Vandervilt.

Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Luca Tacchi (2012-2016): Dr. Tacchi worked on lungfish and teleost mucosal immunity and the integration of mucosal immune  responses at the molecular and cellular level. He lives and works in the Netherlands working at Leica Biosystems.

Undergraduate student Jane Manthei:

Undergraduate student Rami Musharrafieh: He was a federal work study award and worked in the lab for 3 years. He has graduated with a Biochemistry major at UNM. Rami got his PhD at the University of Arizona and is now a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps.

Undergraduate student Kyle Crossey: Kyle worked as an undergraduate in the lab and has now a Masters in Laboratory technician and works at the VA hospital.

Undergraduate IMSD student Erin Larragoite: Starting Summer 2012 Erin joined the lab for two years  as part of the NIH program Initiatives to Maximize Student Diversity. She graduated in May 2014 and completed her PhD student at the University of Utah in 2021.

Graduate Student Liam Lowrey: Liam Lowrey was a Masters Student at the Biology  Department. Liam's thesis investigates the microbiome of rainbow trout. He graduated in Spring 2014 and he continued to get a degree in Computer Sciences at the University of Arizona.

Undergraduate Student Josh Trujeque: Josh was a McNair Scholar and worked in the lab until Fall 2013. He then did his MD at UNM Medical School.