SKAAR LAB

Laura (Anzaldi) Mike

Originally from Pittsburgh, Laura received her BS in Chemistry and Pharmacology from Duke University in 2008. Her research focuses on how S. aureus and B. anthracis sense and respond to heme, which is a source of nutrient iron for these bacterial pathogens.

James Cassat, M.D., Ph. D.

An Arkansas native, Jim earned his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed his doctoral work in Microbiology and Immunology in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Smeltzer, where he focused on the pathogenesis of S. aureus in musculoskeletal infections. Jim subsequently completed a Pediatrics Residency at Vanderbilt, and is currently a Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellow. Jim's current research focus is on the mechanisms used by S. aureus to invade, proliferate within, and destroy bone.

Allison Farrand, Ph.D.

Allison is originally from Oklahoma where she earned her B.S. in Microbiology from Oklahoma State University. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the lab of Dr. Rod Tweten, where she studied the cholesterol recognition mechanism of bacterial toxins known as the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins. Allison’s current work is focused on studying the interaction of S. aureus with hemoglobin in infection.

Kathryn Haley

Kathryn graduated from Edinboro University in 2004 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in metalsmithing. She currently studies the intracellular degradation of heme by Staphylococcus aureus.

Neal Hammer, Ph.D.

An Illinois native, Neal received a B.S in Cell and Structural Biology and M.S. in Microbiology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan working on curli biogenesis with the world renowned Dr. Matthew Chapman. Neal’s current focus is studying heme trafficking in S. aureus.

Amanda Hirsch

Originally from Illinois, Amanda is an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University majoring in Chemistry. She studies pathways that support metabolic flexibility in S. aureus

Thomas Kehl-Fie, Ph.D.

Thomas received his B.S. in Microbiology and Biochemistry from the University of Washington. He received his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis in the laboratory of Dr. Joseph W. St Geme III, where he studied the pathogenicity of Kingella kingae. His current work is focused on understanding the role of metal availability in S. aureus growth and disease.

Julie Lemen

Originally from Atlanta, Julie earned her B.S. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Georgia in 2012.  Her current projects in the Skaar Lab target revertant mutants of the ISD system in S. aureus as well as optimization of hemoglobin-based growth assays.

Brittany Mortensen, Ph.D.

Brittany is originally from Illinois where she got her B.A. degree in Biology/Premed with a minor in Spanish. She then earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology at Univeristy of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where she studied Francisella tularensis pathogenesis in the laboratory of Dr. Tom Kawula. Her current projects in the lab revolve around A. baumannii acquisition of metals and interactions with the host during infection.

Mike Noto, M.D., Ph.D.

Mike is originally from Long Island, New York.  He moved south to Virginia where he obtained a BS in biology from James Madison University.  He went on to complete his MD and PhD at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.  He completed his doctoral work in Microbiology and Immunology in the laboratory of Gordon Archer, MD where he studied antibiotic resistance in S. aureus.  He has since completed Residency in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is currently a clinical fellow.  Mike's current research focus is on the innate immune response to Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia.

Matthew Surdel

Matthew, originally from Minnesota, received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Music from Davidson College in 2010. He joined the Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program and is currently pursuing his PhD in microbiology. He studies the responses of S. aureus and B. anthracis to heme.

Catherine Wakeman, Ph.D.

Catherine, a Louisiana native, received her B.S. in Biology from Louisiana Tech University in 2004. Shortly thereafter, she attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center as a Ph.D. student where she studied metal-sensing regulatory RNAs under the tutelage of Dr. Wade Winkler. Catherine's current project focuses on understanding the metabolic pathways involved in heme toxicity and the study of potential small RNAs involved in heme and iron acquisition in S. aureus.

Yaofang Zhang, Ph.D.

Yaofang received her B.S. in Applied Chemistry in 2002 and then obtained M.S in Green Chemical Technology with a concentration in metal-organic chemistry in 2005 from University of Shantou, China.  She received her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from University of Cincinnati under the direction of Dr. Joseph A. Caruso. Her thesis focused on investigating metalloid and metal containing species in various biological systems including virus, cerebrospinal fluid and cells, by using comprehensive metallomics techniques.  In January 2012, she joined the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University as a Staff Scientist to help establish the elemental imaging and analysis with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) at the Mass Spectrometry Research Center (MSRC).  Yaofang brings expertise in elemental spatial imaging, elemental speciation profiling and qualitative /quantitative elemental analysis.

Keith Adams

In May 2008, Keith earned his B.S. in Biology, and B.A. in Spanish from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. His area of research was focused on generating and verifying transposon mutants of Staphylococcus aureus. Keith is currently teaching high school in Chicago.

Olusegun Aranmolate

Olusegun "Sheg" graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor degree in Psychology in 2005 and his master's degree in Applied Molecular Biology in 2006 from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Sheg’s research project involved identifying the staphylococcal and host proteins that do battle during infection. He is currently a medical student at the University of Tennessee.

Ahmed Attia, Ph.D.

Originally from Egypt, Ahmed got his B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Master's Degree in Microbiology and Immunology from Cairo University. Ahmed earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in the laboratory of Dr. Eric Hansen working on serum resistance of Moraxella catarrhalis. While in the Skaar Lab, Ahmed focused on studying a permease that is a part of an ABC transporter, which is required to protect S. aureus from heme toxicity. Ahmed is currently an assistant professor at Cairo University.

Danielle Bagaley

Danielle received her B.S. in Microbiology with a minor in Chemistry from Louisiana State University. Following college, Danielle obtained her M.S. in Biological Sciences (specializing in Molecular Biology and Bacteriology) from Louisiana State University focusing on bacterial diversity in hyper-arid environments. Danielle worked on small molecule transport in S. aureus. She is currently a Physician Assistant in New Orleans, LA.

Brian Corbin, Ph.D.

Brian received his B.S. in Microbiology and Master's Degree in Biology from Texas State University. Brian earned his Ph.D. in the laboratory of Dr. William Margolin at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston studying E. coli cell division. Currently Brian’s research here focused on elucidating the mechanisms used by S. aureus to protect itself against neutrophil-mediated killing. Brian Corbin is a Scientist at Vybion, Inc.

Susan Dickey

Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, Susan entered Vanderbilt University as an undergraduate in 2006, where she majored in math and biological sciences. While in the Skaar lab, her research was focused on the Isd system of heme transport.

Indriati Hood, Ph.D.

Indriati's work in the Skaar lab focused on Acinetobacter baumannii antibiotic resistance and pathogenesis. She completed her Ph.D. in May 2012 and is currently completing her final years of medical school.

Marcella Luercio

Marcella worked oninactivating S. aureus genes for use in pathogenesis studies. She is currently enrolled in a research training program at the National Institutes of Health.

Jeff Mason, M.D.

Jeff received his B.S in Zoology from the University of Arkansas. He earned his Master´s degree in the laboratory of Dr. Timothy Kral, Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas studying Archaea. He received his M.D. with honors from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and performed research with Mark Smeltzer, Ph.D. developing a multiplex PCR protocol for the diagnosis of staphylococcal infections. He completed his internal medicine residency training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2006 . Jeff worked on the development of a murine staphylococcal pneumonia model and understanding the pathophysiology behind iron utilization in this environment. Jeff is now an Infectious Disease Specialist in Memphis with a private practice including St. Francis Hospital, Baptist East Hospital and Germantown Methodist Hospital.

Lorenzo Olive

Originally from Mississippi, Lorenzo received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Middle Tennessee State University in 2010. His work in the lab was focused on elucidating a novel two-component system in B. anthraces. He is currently a student ETSU James H. Quillen College of Medicine.  

Gleb Pishchany, Ph.D.

Gleb received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from David Lipscomb University in 2005. He earned his Ph.D. in the laboratory of Dr. Eric Skaar studying heme acquisition as an iron source by Staphylococcus aureus. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Roberto Kolter’s laboratory at Harvard Medical School.

Michelle Reniere, Ph.D.

Michelle received her B.S. in Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology and entered the IGP here at Vanderbilt University in 2005. Her research focused on intracellular metalloporphyrin metabolism. Michelle is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Dan Portnoy's laboratory at The University of California, Berkeley.

Brad Sabatini

Brad obtained his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University in Neuroscience. His past projects in the lab included using TMBZ staining to look for novel heme-binding proteins and creating S. aureus mutants to find possible antimicrobial targets. He is currently attending Medical School.

Devin Stauff, Ph.D.

Devin is from the great state of Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. degree in Biochemistry from Grove City College. Devin´s research focused on how Staphylococcus aureus acquires and responds to the nutrient iron source heme. In his spare time, Devin watched Walker: Texas Ranger reruns with his wife, Amy. He is now an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Grove City College.

Victor Torres, Ph.D.

Victor received his B.S. in Industrial Microbiology from University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez campus and his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Vanderbilt University in the laboratory of Dr. Timothy Cover. Victor's current research focuses on understanding the staphylococcal pathways involved in responding to host molecules. In January 2009, Victor began a tenure-track appointment as Assistant Professor of Microbiology at New York University School of Medicine.

Melissa Watts

Melissa received her B.A. from Lipscomb University in 2003. In this lab she studied the relationships between heme transport systems in S. aureus pathogenesis. She is currently attending Medical School .

Amanda McCoy

Amanda received her B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. Her research focuses on the mechanism of heme degradation by Gram positive pathogens. Amanda is currently teaching high school in Nashville.