Current Trainees
Kaylee Arnold
Research Interests: Understanding the effects of anthropogenic stressors on the gut bacteria of disease vectors and Chagas disease transmission dynamics
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology from the University of Redlands (Southern California), 2013; M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 2016
Advisors: Nicole Gottdenker / Program: Ecology
Email: kaylee.arnold@uga.edu
Mandie Caulfield
Research Interests: Host-pathogen interactions, vaccinology, transmission, and the rise of pertactin-deficient Bordetella pertussis
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology, Quinnipiac University
Lab: Eric Harvill and Pejman Rohani / Program: Infectious Disease
Email: amanda.caulfield@uga.edu
Brandi Celia
Research Interests: NonCYP51A azole resistant Aspergillus fumigatus and the link between the environment and clinical setting
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology, Wingate University
Advisor: Michelle Momany / Program: Plant Biology
Email: brandi.celia@uga.edu
Emily Cook
Research Interests: Host-pathogen interactions, vaccinology, transmission, and the rise of pertactin-deficient Bordetella pertussis
Previous Education: B.S. in Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University; DVM, University of Georgia
Advisor: Brandy Burgess / Program: Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Email: ekc08088@uga.edu
Cody Dailey
Research Interests: Infectious disease epidemiology; exploring molecular phenomena and their implications for disease dynamics and population health; data analysis; malaria
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology with a Minor in French, UGA, 2015; dual degree MPH in Epidemiology/Biostatistics, UGA, 2017
Why IDEAS?: This program will facilitate my growth as a scientist by broadening my perspective for epidemiological research. Incorporating multi-discipline and -scale aspects to my work and having an opportunity for real-world application are some of the key perks in my mind.
Advisor: Ming Zhang / Program: Epidemiology
Email: daileyco@uga.edu
Lambodhar Damodaran
Research Interests: Phylodynamics and epidemiology of viruses, particularly influenza and HIV viruses
Previous Education: B.S. Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Why IDEAS?: I felt that the across scales and interdisciplinary focus would be extremely valuable in my research and my development as a scientist due to the ever-increasing interdisciplinary focus and complexity of biological research.
Lab: Justin Bahl / Program: Institute of Bioinformatics
Email: lambodhar.damodaran@uga.edu
Julia Frederick
Advisor: Travis Glenn / Program: Environmental Health Science
Email: julia.frederick@uga.edu
Anecia Gentles
Research Interests: Understanding transmission dynamics of bat-borne viruses in the fruit bats of Madagascar
Previous Education: B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University
Advisor: Nicole Gottdenker / Program: Ecology
Email: gentles@uga.edu
Deven Gokhale
Research Interests: Incorporating pathogen interactions within epidemic models to study their effect on the population dynamics of co-circulation and long term persistence
Previous Education: University of Vermont
Advisor: Pejman Rohani / Program: Ecology
Email: deven.gokhale@uga.edu
Brendan Haile
Mauly Hoyos
Research Interests: Understanding the dynamic of vector-borne diseases at the urban-forest interfaces. I am enthusiastic about exploring multi-pathogen and multi-host transmission cycles in tropical forest landscapes through ecological and molecular approaches.
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology, Universidad del Valle de Colombia; M.S. in Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes de Colombia.
Advisor: Nicole Gottdenker and Sonia Altizer / Program: Ecology
Email: mjh58313@uga.edu
Hannah Kemelmakher
Research Interests: Modeling and treating joint infection, Using biologics to help combat antimicrobial resistance
Previous Education: B.S. in biochemistry, molecular biology, and animal sciences, University of Georgia
Advisor: Dr. John F. Peroni / Program: Comparative biomedical sciences
Email: hk30099@uga.edu
Noah Legall
Research Interests: Pangenomics for bacterial pathogen evolution, Reservoir of infection formation in Mycobacterium bovis systems
Previous Education: B.S. in Quantitative Biology, University of North Carolina
Advisor: Liliana Salvador / Program: Bioinformatics
Email: noahaus@uga.edu
Megan Lott
Research Interests: Microbial quality of water resources, water and wastewater infrastructure, and low-cost detection methods for water monitoring and treatment
Previous Education: B.S. Public Health and M.S., University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill
Lab: Erin Lipp / Program: Environmental Health Science
Email: megan.lott@uga.edu
Rachel Mercaldo
Research Interests: Epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Previous Education: B.A. in General Arts and Sciences: Science and Mathematics, Pennsylvania State University (2014)
Advisor: Andreas Handel / Program: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Email: mercaldo@uga.edu
Paige Miller
Research Interests: Integrating ecological, epidemiological, and dynamical systems theory to improve our ability to probe signals of tipping points in real data
Previous Education: B.S. Mathematics and Biology, Gustavus Adolphus College
Why IDEAS?: I was drawn to the IDEAS program because of the emphasis on preparation for government and industry career paths.
Advisors: John Drake and Chris Whalen / Program: Ecology
Email: paige.miller@uga.edu
Maria Luisa Muller Theissen
Research Interests: Cross-species transmission dynamics and determinants of host range using milkweed butterflies and their protozoan parasites
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Field Epidemiology, Center for Health Studies, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala
Lab: Sonia Altizer and Nicole Gottdenker / Program: Ecology
Email: maria.mullerthe25@uga.edu
Mike Newberry
Research Interests: Observing the interactions between mosquito vectors and the environment, investigating the microbiome of mosquitoes, and determining implications for disease transmission
Previous Education: BS in Biology and Environmental Studies, Emory University
Advisors: Courtney Murdock and Mike Strand / Program: Ecology
Email: pmnewberry@uga.edu
TJ Odom
Research Interests: Understanding the effects of climate change on animal movement and disease transmission over space and time
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology, University of West Alabama; M.S. in Biology, Georgia Southern University
Advisors: Sonia Altizer and Andrew Park / Program: Ecology
Email: tj.odom@uga.edu
Alexandria Purcell
Research Interests: My research focuses on the gram negative bacteria outer membrane and the modifications made to the outer membrane that allows for bacterial survival and resistance
Previous Education: BSc Microbiology, University of Georgia
Why IDEAs? IDEAs will allow me to expand my research outside of my focused interests, and it also allows me to experience research outside of the University through an internship.
Advisor: M. Stephen Trent / Program: Infectious Diseases
Email: alexandria.purcell25@uga.edu
Isabella Ragonese
Research Interests: Studying the intersecting areas of animal behavior, spatial ecology, and anthropogenic change as they relate to disease dynamics in wild populations
Previous Education: B.A. in Integrative Biology, Skidmore College, 2017
Advisors: Sonia Altizer and Richard Hall / Program: Ecology
Email: isabella.ragonese@uga.edu
Kate Sabey
Research Interests: Understanding how gut microbiota shape and are shaped by nutrition, behavior, and disease physiology in wildlife
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology from Juniata College
Advisor: Vanessa Ezenwa / Program: Infectious Diseases
Email: kate.sabey@uga.edu
Darren Seidel
Research Interests: Investigating ruminal microorganism dynamics when altered through nutritional or natural factors, how these alternations affect animal growth/performance, and how specific foodborne pathogens enter supply chains through food animal vectors
Previous Education: B.S. in Animal Science and Geosciences, Angelo State University (2015), M.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University (2017)
Advisor: Todd Callaway / Program: Animal and Dairy Science
Email: darren.seidel@uga.edu
Nikki Solano
Research Interests: Understanding the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on mosquito traits that are important for disease transmission through empirical and experimental studies in order to improve mathematical models
Previous Education: B.A. Dance, Agnes Scott College
Why IDEAS?: There simply wasn’t another program that aligned this well with my personal and career goals (professional development, science communication, interdisciplinary collaborations, and quantitative skills).
Advisors: John Drake and Courtney Murdock / Program: Ecology
Email: nsolano@uga.edu
Daniel Suh
Research Interests: Relationship between biodiversity and disease transmission; impact of introduced species and other anthropogenic factors; macroecology of infectious diseases; mathematical modeling
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology, Pepperdine University, 2016
Lab: Andrew Park / Program: Ecology
Email: daniel.suh@uga.edu
Alec Thompson
Research Interests: Parasitology, molecular sciences, and wildlife disease, and the population biology and ecology of exotic arthropods
Previous Education: B.S. in Microbiology, University of Okalahoma, 2017, NIH Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) in Infectious Diseases, UGA, 2018
Lab: Michael Yabsley / Program: Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Email: alec.thompson@uga.edu
Megan Tomamichel
Research Interests: Exploring the interactions between populations, the environment, and disease; particularly in aquatic systems, and using this information to inform management to mitigate impacts of disease outbreaks
Previous Education: BA in Zoology and Creative Writing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MS in Conservation Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Why IDEAS?: I find the program’s emphasis on complex, multi-level interactions unique and very inspiring.
Advisors: Jeb Byers and Richard Hall / Program: Ecology
Email: megan.tomamichel@uga.edu
David Vasquez
Research Interests: Exploring the interactions between populations, the environment, and disease; particularly in aquatic systems, and using this information to inform management to mitigate impacts of disease outbreaks
Previous Education: B.S. in Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2015; Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program, University of Missouri; Population Biology of Infectious Diseases REU participant, 2014
Why IDEAS?: When IDEAS launched, I discovered that there wasn’t another program in the country that could compete with it. With IDEAS, I am most excited to participate in an internship that will utilize the skills I have acquired on campus in a real world environment.
Advisors: Andrew Park / Program: Ecology
Email: dvasquez@uga.edu
Visit David Vasquez’s Website
Joy Vaz
Bodie Weedop
Research Interests: Incorporating pathogen interactions within epidemic models to study their effect on the population dynamics of co-circulation and long term persistence
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology, Utah State University
Advisor: Pejman Rohani / Program: Bioinformatics
Email: keegan.weedop@uga.edu
Christina Welch
Research Interests:Understanding the impacts of the gastrointestinal microbiota in the prevention of bovine respiratory disease and the transmissibility of Mannheimahaemolytic in calves during weaning
Previous Education: B.S. in Animal Science, University of Tennessee; M.S. in Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia
Advisor: T. Dean Pringle / Program: Animal and Dairy Science
Email: christina.welch@uga.edu
Anna Willoughby
Research Interests: Human-wildlife interactions, One Health, multi-species and zoonotic pathogens
Previous Education: B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology, Duke University
Why IDEAS? Not only does IDEAS provide a network of disease ecology experts, but it also encourages creative application of theory and methods from other disciplines. I believe the collaboration provided through this interdisciplinary research fosters novel perspectives and solutions to the complex challenges of infectious diseases.
Advisors: Sonia Altizer and John Drake / Program: Ecology
Email: anna.willoughby@uga.edu
Cali Wilson
Research Interests: Understanding how anthropogenic disturbances affect wildlife behavior, community composition, and disease transmission
Previous Education: B.S. in Biology, Bucknell University, 2018
Advisors: Sonia Altizer and Richard Hall / Program: Ecology
Email: cali.wilson@uga.edu
Cece Working
Research Interests: Disease ecology; community ecology in domestic and wildlife populations
Previous Education: B.S., Biology and Philosophy, Mills College (Oakland)
Lab: Vanessa Ezenwa and Rico Holdo / Program: Ecology
Email: cworking@uga.edu
Ruijie "Rachel" Xu
Research Interests: Evolution and transmission of leptospirosis from both genomics and ecological perspectives
Previous Education: B.S. in Biochemistry, University of Georgia, 2018
Lab: Liliana Salvador / Program: Bioinformatics
Email: ruijie.xu25@uga.edu