Students

Sara grew up in Saudi Arabia, and received her Bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science.  Her current research interest is mucosal immunity and intestinal microbiota. In her free time, she enjoys baking and spending time with her cats.

Rebecca graduated from Cedar Crest College in 2021 cum laude, earning her Bachelor's of Science in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. She has a passion for microbes of all kinds and how science is communicated with the general public.

Zareef earned his Bachelor's Degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Hertfordshire.  His research interests include multiple aspects of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDROs), including resistance mechanisms, how bacteria evade the immune system, and the importance of developing antibiotics to combat MDRO infections.

Amal calls herself a multi-lingual mix, born in Pakistan but having grown up in Saudi Arabia. Her cat (Mr. Max) is a great companion, although he's best friends with her husband!  Amal loves to run, swim and hike, read historical period novels, and enjoys everything Marvel.  She's also a huge foodie and one of her long term goals is to experience different street foods from around the world. Her undergrad degree is in Biotechnology and she is aiming for a career in cancer clinical research.

Sana grew up in Kashmir and earned her undergraduate degree in plant pathology.  She moved to Rochester in 2020, and found that she enjoyed the diversity of people, quiet neighborhoods, and parks offered here.  In her spare time, Sana likes to read, practice calligraphy, and cook.   Her research interests lie in Immunology.

Tyrus graduated from the University of Rhode Island studying in Cell and Molecular Biology. In his free time he enjoys reading, cooking, and sewing.

Shelby is from Charlotte, NC and received her BA in Biology at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. Her resarch interest and work in the Pavelka Lab is to examine the interrelationship between the 4-3 and 3-3 peptidoglycan crosslinking pathways in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Saloni is an incoming Masters student from India, passionate about research in Immunology. She loves to connect with other people from the field. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and watching TV shows.

Catherine joins us from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where she earned a BS in Human Biology.  She was a collegiate soccer player there, as well as during time spent at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Zirui is from Jiangxi, China, and received her Biological Science BS from the University of Vermont in Burlington. Her research interest is in virulence gene regulation, and her hobbies include skiing, swimming, reading detective novels, and cooking. Plus, she is a huge LEGO fan!