Skip to main content
Students

ScM Students

The Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department is an inclusive community of pioneers, which includes our accomplished faculty, ambitious students, dedicated staff, and an extensive alumni network spanning the globe. From scientists to researchers to professors, we invite you to connect with them.

Second Year ScM Students

Mahnoor Abdullah

Second Year
From Islamabad, Pakistan

Malaria

Sullivan Laboratory

Explored bacteriophage role in poultry disease prevention at NUST. Co-founder of Vax Scene, promoting vaccine awareness. Passionate about science communication and education, inspiring curiosity and enthusiasm for science in young learners.

mabdul15@jh.edu 

Diana Appiagyei

Second Year
From Columbus, Ohio

Entervirus D-68

Pekosz Laboratory

Diana graduated from The Ohio State University in 2023 with a degree in Microbiology. During her undergraduate studies, she had the privilege of working alongside Dr. Rosa Lapalombella in her laboratory. Her research primarily focused on Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and the pivotal roles of TP53 and TET2 in its development. Transitioning into the field of Virology, she is currently part of Dr. Andrew Pekosz's Lab, where her main focus revolves around Enterovirus D-68 (EVD-68) and the characterization of the 2022 isolate. Beyond her academic pursuits, she finds joy in playing tennis and embarking on new adventures and experiences. 

dappiag1@jh.edu 

Rowan Bates

Second Year
From Nyack, New York

Vaccine Immunology

Markham Laboratory

Rowan graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology in 2023. She is now part of the Markham Lab and is researching sex differences in the immunological response for a DNA based tuberculosis vaccine. Outside of lab work, Rowan enjoys music, cooking, scary movies, and hiking. 

Jessica Garvin

Second Year
From Sandusky, Ohio

Manipulating thymic selection of T lymphocytes within transplantation, to alter immune responses and enhance tolerance induction

Raimondi Laboratory 

Jess graduated from the University of Dayton in 2023 with a BS in Human Biology. Currently, she's conducting research under Dr. Georgio Raimondi in the vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) lab within the SOM. Her project focuses on manipulating thymic selection of T lymphocytes with hind limb transplants, aiming to alter immune responses and enhance tolerance induction. Investigations assess the impact on recipient mice's anti-donor reactivity, potentially changing transplantation tolerance strategies. Outside of academics, Jess is an avid equestrian, winning national championships with her horse “Corndog” in 2018 and 2019. She also enjoys exploring new places and spending time outdoors.

jgarvin7@jh.edu 

Erin Kennedy

Second Year
From Leonardtown, Maryland

Mosaic Variant Surface Glycoproteins of T. brucei

Mugnier Laboratory 

Erin received her B.S. in Microbiology from Clemson University in 2023, where she became interested in tropical diseases. She is currently working on her thesis in the Mugnier lab researching mosaic variant surface glycoproteins in Trypanosoma brucei. Outside of school and lab, she enjoys reading, watching football, and hiking.

ekenne26@jh.edu 

Kimmy Kuhn

Second Year
From Michigan

Host-pathogen interactions, Mycology

Hardwick Laboratory

Kimmy graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. for a double major in Genomics & Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and a minor in Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy. She worked in the biotech industry for two years before coming to the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She joined the Hardwick Lab and studies death-resistance mechanisms in clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. Beyond the lab, she enjoys alpine skiing, hiking, and trying new foods/drinks.

kkuhn17@jh.edu 

Shruthi Mahaganapathy

Second Year
From Singapore, born in India

Neuronal regulation of airway allergy

Lajoie Laboratory

Shruthi graduated with a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the National University of Singapore. In the Lajoie lab, she studies how allergic reactions influence the crosstalk between neurons and the lung in the context of Type 2 Immunity. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, playing sports and traveling.

smahaga1@jh.edu 

Sneha Mahesh

Second Year
From Chattanooga, TN

Sex Differences associated with Mycobacterium avium infection in mice

Klein Laboratory

I completed my BS in Biology with a minor in Health and Human Values at Davidson College. After graduating, I worked as a technician in Dr. Maria Blasi’s lab at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, studying the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 and HIV infection in the kidney and developing lentiviral vector vaccines against infectious diseases. In the Klein lab, I am interested in looking at sex differences in vaccine induced immunity. Outside of lab, I enjoy baking, board games, and playing tennis.

smahesh7@jh.edu 

Justin Malogan

Second Year
From Tracy, California

Gut Microbiome Research with an emphasis on how various drugs can impact the microbiome and how those alterations in the microbiome can influence metabolic and neurocognitive health of the host.

Suez Laboratory

I graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2022 with a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience. Before joining JHU's MMI Department, I was a research assistant exploring a novel mechanism to regulate gastric emptying as well as how spinal cord injury influenced overactive bladders. Outside of academia, I enjoying playing Dungeons and Dragons, cooking, baking, painting, and decorating for the holidays.

jmaloga1@jh.edu 

Lauren McDonnell

Second Year
From Menlo Park, CA

I am passionate about international health and infectious diseases. My research interests focus on leveraging computational methods to derive insights from data.

Casadevall Laboratory

I have a Bachelor's from UCLA in International Economics and a Master’s from Dartmouth in Biomedical Data Science. I am passionate about global health and previously volunteered for Engineers Without Borders on various clean water initiatives. Before attending the MMI program I worked as a data scientist and software engineer.

In my free time I like to swim, hike, run, travel, and explore the local food scene in Baltimore.

lmcdonn4@jh.edu 

Elizabeth (Liz) Murray

Second Year
From Alabama

Asthma & Allergies

Lajoie Laboratory

Bachelors in Immunology from UAB
Undergrad Lab Work: Dr. Carlos Orihuela studying reactivation of AMs in aged lungs
Hobbies: video games and embroidery

emurra21@gmail.com

Isaac Owusu-Frimpong

Second Year
From Ghana

My research focuses on the role of Anopheles mosquito in the transmission of malaria. In addition, I study the sporozoite stage of Plasmodium sp. to understand the molecular interactions between sporozoites and their mosquito and mammalian hosts.

Dimopoulos Laboratory and Sinnis Laboratory

Isaac holds an MPhil in Clinical Microbiology from KNUST and also graduated from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana with a B.Sc. He worked for a decade with the Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit of the CSIR-Water Research Institute, researching on human parasites and the role of vectors in disease transmission. Isaac employed molecular and parasitological techniques in areas such as molecular xenomonitoring, molecular diagnostics, and insecticide resistance studies. Currently, he is pursuing a second master's in molecular microbiology and immunology to research malaria control strategies.

iowusuf1@jh.edu 

Tianshu Qu

Second Year
From China

Molecular Biology, Cancer

Hamacher-Brady Laboratory

Undergraduate Education: China Pharmaceutical University, University of Strathclyde

tqu8@jh.edu 

Yunyi Ru

Second Year
From Suzhou, China

Virology

Pekosz Laboratory

Yunyi Ru is a first year ScM student in the MMI department at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She is interested in virology, respiratory infectious diseases, and science communication. 
She earned her BS degree in Cell & Molecular Biology at Duke Kunshan University in 2023. Her previous work includes an environmental microbiology project where she monitored bacterial antibiotic resistomes in Yangcheng Lake.
Outside of the lab, Yunyi enjoys digital painting and playing guitar.

yru3@jh.edu 

Matthew Seibel

Second Year
From Maryland

Antimicrobial Resistance

Lamichhane Laboratory

Born and raised in MD, Matt graduated from UMD with a BS in Microbiology and a BA in Japanese before heading to Boston to work as a clinical microbiologist at Brigham and Women's for a year. Afterwards, Matt worked at Harvard Medical School in the Lab of Thomas Bernhardt, studying Pseudomonas aeruginosa cell wall biogenesis. Now Matt has taken what he learned in the clinic and as a tech and incorporates them into antimicrobial resistance research in the Lamichhane Lab. 

In their spare time, Matt likes to play video games, go swimming and biking, and play with their dogs. They also work on basic Japanese translation work and tutoring for fun on the side.

mseibel2@jh.edu 

Ao Shen

Second Year

ashen15@jh.edu

Jayalaxmi Suresh Babu

Second Year
From Bahrain

Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy

WJH Laboratory

Jaya grew up in Bahrain and moved to the U.S. for her undergrad. She graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from University of Wisconsin-Madison where she developed a strong interest in immunology. Now, she is in the WJH lab where she studies the feasibility of targeting PTPN22 to enhance anticancer immune responses. Outside of lab, she enjoys cooking, exploring new restaurants and spending time with her friends.

jsuresh4@jh.edu 

Alannah Taylor

Second Year
From Williamstown, New Jersey

Tuberculosis

Markham Laboratory

Alannah obtained her BS in Health Science from Spelman College. While doing an internship at CZ Biohub (Stanford), she realized her passion for microbiology and immunology. After obtaining her ScM, she plans to apply to MD/PhD programs in order to combine her love for medicine and research. Alannah is a huge Eagles fan and enjoys spending her free time with her puppy Buttercup.

atayl149@jh.edu 

Juliet Trautman

Second Year
From Brooklyn, New York

Host-Pathogen Interactions

Pekosz Laboratory

Juliet got her BS and MS in Bioengineering at Northeastern University where she researched anti-cancer compound production by medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus. In her free time she enjoys hiking, baking, and reading.

jtrautm2@jh.edu 

David Villafuerte

Second Year
From Charlotte, NC

Viral Genomics

Mostafa Laboratory

Hi all! My name is David Villafuerte and I am a first year ScM student looking to enter the medical field.

dvillaf2@jh.edu 

Jenny Wang

Second Year

Zuxuan Wang

Second Year
From China

Cell Death

Hardwick Laboratory

Nanjing->Glasgow->JHU
19'QingZhou| 23' CPU/Strathclyde| 25' JHU MMI 
Self-pinning for immortality.

zwang443@jh.edu 

Juanyu Zhang

Second Year

Tianle Zhang

Second Year
From China

Characterize SARS-CoV-2 variants

Pekosz Laboratory

Tianle graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in May 2023 with bachelor’s degree in Immunology and Infectious Disease and a minor in Biology. He is interested in virology and immune response elicited by viral infections. In the Pekosz Lab, Tianle is currently working on SARS-CoV-2 infectious clones. Outside of the lab, Tianle enjoys playing basketball, listening to music, and watching animations and sports games.

tzhan105@jh.edu 

Xiyuan Zhang

Second Year
From China

Role of genes involved in Trypanosoma brucei pathogenesis

Mugnier Laboratory

Xiyuan is a master's student in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology program. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Virginia Tech where she became interested in immunology and genetics. Outside the lab, she likes to play guitar, visit museums, swim, and paint.

xzhan353@jh.edu 

Yuzi Zhang

Second Year

Yuxuan Zhao

Second Year

Jean Zheng

Second Year
From Canada

Vaccine Immunology

Markham Laboratory

Jean is an ScM student in the Markham lab. She completed her undergrad at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where she majored in Biotechnology. An undergrad project on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine immunology sparked interested in vaccine work, eventually leading her to BSPH. Outside the lab, she enjoys snowboarding and playing video games.

jzheng55@jh.edu 

Linghe Zhu

Second Year

Xindi Zou

Second Year
From China

Exploration of B cell Receptor Signaling in B-1 and B-2 Cells

Baumgarth Laboratory 

Research interest: Immunology and virology; personal interest: Photography, Diving (PADI OW Diver), Surfing

xzou14@jh.edu