Dr. Blaustein is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science since 2022. His focus on microbial ecology in food and agriculture systems extends from interdisciplinary themes in metagenomics and human health (Postdoc training at Northwestern University and National Institutes of Health), crop-microbiome interactions (PhD, University of Florida, 2017), and foodborne pathogen fate and transport modeling (MS, University of Maryland, 2014). Connect on LinkedIn. Email: rblauste@umd.edu

Dr. Mairui Gao joined the lab in 2024. She received her PhD from the University of Connecticut, focusing on applying probiotics to promote poultry production and food safety. As a postdoctoral researcher, she incorporates artificial intelligence and genomics to explore the evolution, transmission and adaptation of foodborne pathogens across the food supply chain, including Cronobacter sakazakii and Campylobacter jejuni. In addition to genomics, she studies microbiomes in urban farming and organic produce. Connect on LinkedIn. Email: mrgao@umd.edu

Qingyue is a second-year PhD student. She is deeply interested in exploring the microbiome research to address pressing challenges in food science. Currently, she is leading a project that investigates microbial dynamics in food waste composting, focusing on the impacts of environmental conditions on food safety and antimicrobial resistance. Her work aims to enhance composting practices to support sustainable solutions in food waste reuse. Email: zengqy@umd.edu

Erin is from St. Louis, Missouri and joined the lab in August of 2024. She has an interest in using genomics to identify food safety risks in agriculture systems such as antibiotic resistance. During her undergrad at Missouri State University, she studied rhizobial endophytes in soybean root systems. She also spent two summers at the USDA studying pathogenic organisms found in dairy cattle using whole genome sequencing as well as metagenomics. In her spare time, Erin loves to bake and spend time with her cat Velma. Connect on LinkedIn. Email: eharrels@umd.edu

James joined the lab in 2024, coming from a Food Science and Technology background at Texas A&M University. Their research focuses on the microbiome of vineyards in Maryland and novel wine fermentation utilizing natural microflora. Connect on LinkedIn. Email: jeffrey2@umd.edu