Lab Members

Elia Tait Wojno, Ph.D.

Associate Professor (etwojno@uw.edu)

Elia grew up in the Catskill Mountains in New York. As an undergraduate at Drew University working with Dr. Bill Campbell, she developed a love for parasites. As a PhD student with Dr. Chris Hunter and a postdoc with Dr. David Artis at UPenn, she extended this interest into host responses to parasitism and has been studying immune responses at mucosal barriers ever since. Elia loves living in the PNW with her family and dog army. Outside of lab, Elia likes to hike, backpack, fish, cook, and garden. She is a desultory knitter and aspiring rock climber.

Eric Helm, Ph.D.

Post Doctoral Fellow (eyhelm@uw.edu)

Eric grew up in Seattle and attended Haverford College, where he received a BS in Biology and subsequently worked as Dr. Pamela Fink’s lab manager at UW where he developed a strong interest in immunology. He completed his PhD at the University of Florida in Dr. Dorina Avram’s lab, where he extended his interest in immunology to transcriptional regulation of immune cells, particularly in barrier tissues. Eric is excited to be back in Seattle. Outside the lab, Eric enjoys exploring nature with his wife and dog, and cooking BBQ.

Tighe Christopher

Ph.D. Candidate (tighec@uw.edu)

Tighe grew up in the Midwest and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a BS in biochemistry and microbiology. He is a first-generation student that is interested in studying intestinal epithelial immune responses and worms. Outside of lab, you can find him in the forest. He enjoys climbing, backpacking, hiking, and biking. He is an avid woodworker that spends way too much time admiring wooden furniture. He also REALLY loves his cat, Nugget, and snake, Tort (see photos tab for more details).

Alejandra Lopez

Ph.D. Candidate (alopezes@uw.edu)

Alejandra is a first-generation immunology graduate student! She is originally from Menlo Park, California, and is a fellow banana slug (UCSC '18, go slugs!) She joined the Immunology graduate program in 2021 and is interested in investigating the role of host iron metabolism during a type 2 immune response. Outside of lab, you can find her at local coffee shops, searching for the perfect affogato and lattes. Aside from research, art and crafts are her passion!

Natalie Santillano

Ph.D Candidate (nsantill@uw.edu)

Natalie is originally from The San Fernando Valley of Southern California. As an undergraduate she studied Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA (SKO BRU!) with a special interest in lipid immunometabolism. Today she is studying transcription factor KLF4 and it's role in immune cellular development and regulation. Aside from academics, she is an avid aquascaper, and casual Nintendo enjoyer. Do not challenge her in Mariokart unless you'd like to lose.

Vince Xiao

Lab Manager (vxiao@uw.edu)

Vince is from Overland Park, Kansas. He recently graduated from the University of Washington with a BS in Biochemistry. He is a first-generation student who aspires to practice medicine one day. Outside of lab, you can catch him playing volleyball, exploring restaurants, and learning to cook his mom's recipes.

Diya Patel

Undergraduate Researcher (diyap@uw.edu)

Diya is originally from Denver, Colorado and misses the apple tree in her backyard very much. She is currently an undergraduate studying Neuroscience at UW and hopes to practice medicine one day. Her favorite neurotransmitter is acetylcholine! For now, she is exploring interests in microbiology, immunology, and medical anthropology. Outside of the lab, you can find her exploring the cafes of Seattle and the lakes of Washington with her friends.