Lauren grew up near Seattle and earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Washington, Seattle. She then moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her doctoral studies, later moving with her advisor Dr. Diana Downs to the University of Georgia, where she completed her PhD. As a postdoc at Vanderbilt University Medical Center with Dr. Eric Skaar, she developed her interests in Acinetobacter baumannii infections and the role of nutrients at the host-pathogen interface.

Hannah is a GEMS PhD student (MIII concentration). She graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry from Grand Valley State University where she first became interested in research. As an undergrad she worked with Dr. Agnieszka Szarecka in Computational Biology on the bacterial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii. Her interest in further research and graduate school was solidified after her REU at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her general research interests are on the molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis.

John Geary joined the lab as an undergraduate student majoring in Biochemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He graduated with his Associate of Science Degree receiving High Honors from the College of Dupage in 2020. John first developed interests in research after having a research paper on the societal impacts of climate published in a 2019 edition of Essai. John graduated from UIC with honors in 2023 and joined the lab as a Visiting Research Specialist.

Xiaomei was trained at Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and earned her M.S and Ph.D. there.  Her previous research focused on the pathogenic molecular mechanism of Riemerella anatipestifer. After graduation, she moved to Chicago and joined Dr. Palmer’s lab to continue bacteriology research. Currently, her research focuses on the effect of metabolism on Acinetobacter baumannii-host interactions.

Mason is originally from Kentucky and graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2021. At Vanderbilt he conducted undergraduate research in chemical biology with Lars Plate. He joined the UIC MSTP program in summer 2021 and started his PhD research in the Palmer lab in summer 2023.

Hi, I'm Kia Holt, hailing from Cleveland, OH! I earned my B.S. in Biology from THE Ohio State University, and my M.S. in Biology from North Carolina A&T SU.  I am currently pursuing my M.D./PhD at UIC.  For my PhD, I am investigating ways that Acinetobacter baumannii grows anaerobically.  I have a very very small business, called The Double Doc, where I create pins that celebrate diversity in medicine and science.  In my free time I enjoy listening to music, reading and I trying new recipes.

Riley is an undergraduate student majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Public Health, expected to graduate in 2026. She first developed an interest in microbiology in high school and is excited to take part in research. After graduation, she plans on obtaining a Masters of Public Health and then attend medical school.

Bryan is an undergraduate student majoring in Biological Sciences and expects to graduate in 2026. Bryan is a Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) and SROP+ scholar and plans to continue his education in medical school after graduating from UIC.

Puffin and Zephyr enjoy playing together and trying to steal food from Lauren.

Dziedzom Bansah is a first-generation college graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with a Pre-medical concentration and a minor in Art. As an undergraduate, she did research with Professor Leslie Fung and developed an interest in bacterial and in vivo studies. Dziedzom started medical school at the American University of the Caribbean in 2023.

Jessie was a post-bacc from Vanderbilt University where she graduated with a double major in Medicine, Health, and Society and Biological Sciences. At Vanderbilt, she did research with Professor John C. Ayers studying groundwater quality and contributions to streamflow in the Harpeth River Watershed located in Nashville, TN. Jessie is now a PhD student at University of Wisconsin-Madison.