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Our Alumni

Matt Foley, PhD
Mentor: Casey Theriot, PhD; Co-Mentors:  Matt Redinbo, PhD and Rodolphe Barrangou, PhD
Dates covered by T32: 7/1/2019-6/30/2021
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow – Casey Theriot Lab NCSU
Topic of T32 Research Project: Functional characterization of Lactobacillus bile salt hydrolases (BSHs) for the rational design of the gastrointestinal bile acid pool and the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection.
Grants:

 

Erin Steinbach, PhD
Mentor: Shehzad Sheikh, MD, PhD; Co-Mentor: Scott Commins, MD, PhD
Dates covered by T32: 7/1/2019-6/30/2021
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine, UNC
Topic of T32 Research Project: Developing Intestinal Organoid Cultures to Study Food Allergy
Grants:

 

Joseph Burclaff, PhD
Mentor: Scott Magness, PhD
Dates covered by T32: 4/1/2018 – 3/31/2020
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow – Scott Magness Lab – UNC
Topic of T32 Research Project: Sox9 function in intestinal stem cells
Grants: F32 DK124929-01A1

 

Joshua Fletcher, PhD
Mentor: Casey Theriot, PhD; Co-Mentor:  Rita Tamayo, PhD
Dates covered by T32: 4/1/2018 – 3/31/2020
Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Trainee, University of Minnesota (on T90 DE 022732)
Topic of T32 Research Project:  Cytotoxin production by C. difficile benefits the pathogen of increasing the availability of amino acids
Grants:  NCSU Vet School Pilot Award (PI, 2018); UMN MinnCResT T90DE022732 Fellowship (Trainee, 2020)

 

Jennifer K. Heppert PhD
Mentor: John F. Rawls, PhD; Co-mentor: Susan J. Henning, Ph.D.
Dates covered by T-32: October 1, 2017-October 1, 2019
Current Position:  Postdoctoral trainee, University of Tennessee – Knoxville
Topic of T32 Research Project:  Investigating microbial control of a host transcription factor in the intestinal epithelium using the zebrafish as a model system

 

Amanda L. Ziegler, DVM, PhD
Mentor: Anthony Blikslager, DVM, PhD, DACVS; Co-Mentor: Scott T. Magness, Ph.D.
Dates covered by T-32: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2019
Current Position:  Assistant Professor, Dept. of Clinical Sciences, NCSU
Topic of T32 Research Project:  Age-dependent mechanisms of intestinal barrier repair in a neonatal porcine model of intestinal ischemic injury
Grants:  D01OD028207 (PI, 2019); LRPPRJQNS8893 (PI, 2019); P20DK034987 P/F (PI, 2019); R01HD095876 (Co-PI, 2019); USDA NIFA NCV-VMCG0065 (Co-I, 2019)

 

Dana M. Hardbower, Ph.D.
Mentor: Jenny Ting, Ph.D., Department of Genetics
Dates covered by T-32: July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018
Current Position: Scientist, Translational Medicine, Locus Biosciences
Topic of T32 Research Project:  The Interplay between NLRP12, an innate immune receptor, and the Gut Microbiome during Obesity-associated Colorectal Cancer
Grants:  F32CA232509 (PI, 2019)

 

Muyiwa Awoniyi, MD, Ph.D.
Mentor: Balfour Sartor, MD
Dates covered by T-32: July 1, 2016-June 30th, 2018
Current Position: 4th Year UNC GI Fellow (UNC) (1st year clinical training after 3 yrs. research)
Topic of T32 Research Project:  Understanding bi-directional interactions between resident microbiota alterations and primary sclerosing cholangitis associated with IBD.
Grants:  NRSA 5T32AI007273 (Trainee, 2018); Travel Award AGA (PI, 2018, 2019); Abadie Fund, GI Division (PI  2019); R25DK118761 (PI, 2021)

 

Jasmine Barrow, MD
Mentor: Shehzad Sheikh, MD, PhD
Dates covered by T32: July 1, 2016-June 30, 2018
Current Position: 4th Year UNC Gastroenterology Fellow (2nd yr clinical training)
Topic of T32 Research Project:  Exploratory mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis

 

Eric Bankaitis, PhD
Mentor:  Scott Magness, PhD; Co-Mentor: Susan J. Henning, Ph.D.
Dates covered by T-32: July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017
Current Position:  Scientist – Powered Research, Durham, NC.
Topic of T32 Research Project:  Sox9 Function in Intestinal Stem Cells
Grants:  F32DK115016-02 (PI, 2017)

 

Jeremy Wang, PhD
Co-Mentors:  Terrence Furey, PhD and Shehzad Sheikh, PhD
T32 Appointment:  6/1/2016-5/31/2018
Current Position:  Assistant Professor, Dept of Genetics UNC
Topic of T32 Research Project:  Pathway-based diversity analysis of existing microbiome data from CD/nonIBD study.  Nanopore-Based rapid Identification/Filtering of Metagenomes
Grants: KO1DK119582 (PI, 2019); P30DK034987 CGIBD P/F (PI, 2020); Carolina for the Kids Faculty Research Grant; Emerging Challenges in Biomedical Research Award; Amazon Web Services Cloud Credits for Research; Google Cloud Platform Research Credits

 

Aadra Bhatt, PhD
Mentor:  Matt Redinbo, PhD; Co-mentor:  Scott Bultman, PhD
T32 Appointment:  1/1/2016-12/31/2018
Current Position:  Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine (GI) UNC
Topic of T32 Research Project:  Pharmaceutical control of the microbiome to improve human health
Grants:  P30DK034987 CGIBD P/F (PI, 2018); Travel Award; FASEB Conferences (PI, 2017); Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Career Development Award (PI, 2017).

 

Adam Gracz, PhD
Mentor:  Scott Magness, PhD
T32 Appointment:  7/1/2014-6/30/2016
Current Position:  Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine Emory University
Topic of T32 Research Project: Sox 9 regulation of intestinal stem cells
Grants: K01DK111709 (2016, PI); AGA Research Scholar Award (2016, PI); Pilot Feasibility (internal) P30DK34987 (2016 and 2020, PI); Pilot (internal) 2KR612404 (2018, PI); R03DK122111 (2019, PI)

 

Allison Rogala, DVM
Mentor:  Ajay Gulati, MD
T32 Appointment:  6/1/2014-5/31/2016
Current Position:  Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pathology UNC
Topic of T32 Research Project: IRGM regulation of intestinal stem cells
Grants: P40OD0109952 (co-PI, 2019); NIEHS P42ES031007; U42-OD010924-21 (project PI, 2020); Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Co-I, 2019); NIEHS contract 75N96019P00186 (PI, 2019)