Elis Fisk is pursuing a doctorate in the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s Combined anatomic pathology residency and PhD program as he investigates a phenomenon called acquired tick resistance in the lab of Dr. Dana Shaw in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology.
Cameron Coyle is pursuing a PhD in Immunology and Infectious Diseases as she explores innate immune memory in the American deer tick, which is of major public health concern as it transmits Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent of Lyme disease) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis). She is being mentored by Dr. Dana Shaw, an assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology.
Dr. Chris Akinsulie is pursuing a PhD in Immunology and Infectious Diseases under the mentorship of Dr. Susan Noh in the College of Veterinary Medicine. His research could help to identify vaccine candidates to protect cattle from Anaplasma marginale, a common tick-borne bacteria that can cause disease and death in herds.
Dr. Christine Haake will complete her residency in Veterinary Anatomic Pathology Residency this summer. Her residency has allowed her to handle a variety of interesting veterinary cases, in addition to assisting with research projects on various species, ranging from moose to smallmouth bass.
Bri Jones is pursuing a PhD in Molecular Biosciences and has focused her research efforts on archaea, tiny organisms that can live in some of the most diverse and harsh environments on the planet.
Jimena Ruiz is a first-generation college student from Los Angeles who is pursuing a PhD in Molecular Biosciences from WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Jimena is investigating the influences of mitochondrial stress and lipids on dietary-induced ferroptosis, which is associated with neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
Graduate student Albina Makio is studying how the infectious herpes simplex virus invades the cells of its host. It is research that could ultimately lead to new treatments and vaccines to target the virus, which is present in nearly half of the world’s population.
Graduate student Mustika Rahmawati hopes her research will one day help scientists and clinicians in the fertility field better diagnose and prevent male infertility. Mustika is pursuing a PhD in Molecular Biosciences.
Graduate student Charles Ugwu is leading research to identify strategies that can limit the ability of a common type of pathogenic bacteria to utilize the metabolic requirements critical for its proliferation.
