Josh got his PhD from MIT in the lab of Michael Laub and did his postdoctoral work at Rockefeller University with Luciano Marraffini. Outside of the lab, Josh enjoys cooking, eating, ball sports, and constantly filling his rear bike wheel with air. Josh wonders whether there is a hole or if that’s simply what it’s like to be a bike commuter, riding and pumping, riding and pumping. Josh claims to be training for a half-marathon, but some question his dedication, most of all, his wife Cleo. Cleo mentioned that there is a 5k on the same day as the half-marathon, and Josh felt patronized, which is exactly what Cleo wanted. Now, everyone’s watching to see what he will do…

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jmodell@jhmi.edu | @jwmodell

Bridget obtained a B.A. in Biology and B.A. in Statistics from Amherst College, where she studied a putative regulator of acetate metabolism in Vibrio cholerae. She then went even further north to Iceland to study mitochondrial DNA damage using platelets. Now in graduate school, she has found herself returning to both the swamp-like climate of the mid-Atlantic and to the study of prokaryotes. When not in lab, Bridget can be found absolutely dominating at trivia with her cohort, playing Catan and Monopoly Deal with friends, or otherwise dancing her way through life.​

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bcassat2@jhmi.edu

Marissa obtained her B.S. in Biology from Suffolk University in Boston, MA. She worked at the Broad Institute conducting CRISPR screens in human cancer cell lines before returning home to Baltimore, MD to dip her pipette into microbiology. Outside of lab, Marissa enjoys rock climbing, biking, visiting local breweries, going to the beach, and confidently singing the wrong lyrics to songs. She also collects musical instruments that she intends to teach herself, only to find she’s instead mastered the art of collecting dust on said instruments. Maybe if she didn’t binge true crime shows and podcasts, she’d actually have the time to learn.

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mfeeley1@jhmi.edu | @MarissaFeeley

Josh earned his B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from UAGM in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He then did his post-baccalaureate work at UNC Chapel Hill where he studied the contact-dependent growth inhibition system of Burkholderia thailandensis. He came to graduate school with an interest in bacterial defense mechanisms and is now at the front row watching bacteria/phage battles on his day to day. In his free time, Josh enjoys being active, doing sports, relaxing at a scenic spot, or driving someplace new.

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jgarci97@jhmi.edu | @JoshGarciaBS

Devin earned a B.S. in Biology and a B.S.M. in Microbial Ecology from the University of Montana – Go Griz! He became fascinated with phages during his undergraduate work with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After a brief stint at the NIH and two years of medical school, he is eager to return to the lab and pick up where he left off, exploring all things phage, host, and microbe. Outside the lab, Devin enjoys buying books that he may or may not get around to reading, baking treats inspired by esteemed dessert person Claire Saffitz, and cuddling his two cats – only one of whom reciprocates his affection.​

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dhunt22@jhmi.edu | @DevJHunt

Katie received BAs in Biology and Italian from UNC Chapel Hill where she studied how coagulation factors influence obesity and its comorbidities. She now spends her time at Hopkins warmed by the flame of a truly giant bunsen burner while exploring the rich lives of famously bloodless microbes. Outside of lab she can be found climbing (and falling) off rock walls, cooking questionable recipes, and perusing a graveyard of past hobbies that grows by the week. She has put her liberal arts experience to use by learning just enough Italian to say that un giorno governerà il mondo e tutti i microbi all’interno!

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kking91@jh.edu

Peter received a B.S. in Microbiology and a B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from UMass Amherst, where he studied membrane lipid remodeling in Mycobacterium smegmatis. He took a two-year hiatus from academia to work in biotech, developing CRISPR-based STI tests, and has since made his way to Hopkins to explore CRISPR systems in their native context. Outside of the lab, Peter enjoys recording covers of cyber prison jazz songs on one of his eleven neglected guitars, making POV cooking videos, and eternally waiting for a squat rack to free up at the gym.

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pnguye55@jh.edu

Bruria obtained her B.S. and Ph.D. in Microbiology and Bioinformatics from Tel Aviv University, Israel. Her doctoral work explored the complex interplay between bacterial defense systems, anti-defense mechanisms, and plasmids. Now in the Modell Lab, Bruria is expanding her research to include the world of phages and their interactions with microbial communities of clinical strains. She is broadly interested in how mobile genetic elements move through these communities to disseminate various traits, combining large-scale computational analysis with molecular biology. Outside the lab, Bruria enjoys hiking with her husband and kids and discovering new trails by foot. You can almost always find her with a good cup of coffee in hand—or, if the sun is down, an even better glass of wine.

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bsamue16@jh.edu

Rhett received his BS in Microbiology at Indiana University where he discovered his love for bacteria starting with Caulobacter crescentus. After studying the human immune system for a while, he decided to go back to his prokaryotic roots and research the (arguably cooler) bacterial immune system. When not in lab, Rhett is most often found caring for his vastly growing indoor jungle. The genus hoya is currently his favorite with over 150 species in cultivation. He hopes to one day utilize his honed skills from lab to hand-pollinate and create unique hybrid crosses. Outside of bacteria and plants, Rhett enjoys a variety of board games, time spent near any water source, and quiet evenings with his partner, Levi, and three cats, Jinx, Nixi, and Garbo.

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rsnyde32@jhmi.edu