Our Trainees
Rachel DuMez-Kornegay, PhD
Mentor: Aadra Bhatt
Topic of T32 Research Project: Exploring the role of probiotic microbes in maintaining and restoring intestinal barrier function during health and disease.
Rachel grew up in Virginia and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Richmond graduating with her B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Leadership Studies. She moved to North Carolina in 2019 conducting her graduate training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the lab of Dr. Rob Dowen. While in graduate school Rachel became interested in metabolism and the gut microbiome. She also started homebrewing Kombucha which led to her thesis work exploring the host response to the consumption of kombucha using C. elegans as a model system. Rachel continues to be interested in the intersection of gut health, metabolic syndrome, probiotic consumption (particularly those found in fermented foods), and the gut microbiome. As a postdoc in Dr. Aadra Bhatt’s lab, she will continue building upon her scientific interests by investigating how probiotic microbes and the metabolites they produce may support gastrointestinal health and resiliency during disease. As a scientist Rachel is passionate about science outreach, communication and mentoring. Outside of lab Rachel enjoys exercising, art, attending UNC sporting events and tending to her many plants.
Hannah Hrncir, PhD
Mentor: Kathleen Caron
Topic of T32 Research Project:
Adam Rosenstein, MD, PhD
Mentor: Shehzad Sheikh
Topic of T32 Research Project:
Martha Johnson, PhD 
Mentor: Jean Cook and Scott Magness
Topic of T32 Research Project: Investigating the roles and mechanisms of cell proliferation and arrest while maintaining normal tissue homeostasis in intestinal epithelial cells.
Chemistry from Jackson State University. Martha then moved to the Hampton Roads area, where she completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with a focus on Bioanalytical Chemistry at Old Dominion University in 2019. She is currently a fourth-year postdoctoral scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, co-mentored by Dr. Jean G. Cook and Dr. Scott Magness. Her research focuses on investigating the roles and mechanisms of cell proliferation and arrest while maintaining normal tissue homeostasis in intestinal epithelial cells. Socially active and engaged, Martha is involved in numerous groups and professional organizations at UNC, including serving as co-chair for the UNC Postdoc Association.
Kylie Reed, PhD
Mentor: Lawrence David and Ian Carroll
Topic of T32 Research Project: Quantifying and validating novel genomic biomarkers of dietary intake within the context of the intestinal microbiota in anorexia nervosa
Kylie received her B.S. in Health and Exercise Science from Wake Forest University. She earned her PhD in Nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, where she explored the role of intestinal microbiota in weight regulation, anxiety-related behavior, and energy harvest in anorexia nervosa (AN). During her doctoral studies, she completed a minor in epidemiology and earned a Certificate in Translational Medicine. As a postdoc in the David and Carroll labs, Kylie will be applying a novel genomic biomarker of food intake to better understand the impact of severe caloric restriction on the gut in individuals with AN and develop microbiome-driven approaches to implement in AN treatment. Outside of science, Kylie loves spending time outside, teaching fitness classes, consuming delicious food, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Abby Gancz, PhD
Mentor: Casey Theriot
Topic of T32 Research Project: Metabolic Mechanisms Underlying Fecal Microbiome Transplant Efficacy in Recurrent C. Difficile Infection (CDI)
Abby received her bachelor’s degrees in public health (biostatistics) and anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019. She then earned a doctorate in anthropology from the Pennsylvania State University in 2024 for her thesis research into ancient human oral microbiomes and their evolutionary associations with noncommunicable diseases. As a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of the Dr. Casey Theriot, Abby will be integrating multi-omic datasets to investigate the relationships between the gut microbiota and novelly defined lipids in patients undergoing fecal microbiome transplants (FMTs). In her personal time, Abby is an avid baker, a lover of animals, and a huge science fiction and fantasy nerd.
Jihad Aljabban, MD
Mentor: Shehzad Sheikh
Topic of T32 Research Project: Biochemical pathways that influence myofibroblast activity in fibrostenotic and penetrating disease.
JIhad is a gastroenterology fellow investigating intestinal fibrosis in Crohn’s Disease. Through metabolomic analysis, I will elucidate the biochemical pathways that influence myofibroblast activity in fibrostenotic and penetrating disease with intent to develop new treatments for this phenotype.” When not in the lab Jihad likes to go biking, play indoor soccer and travel.
Anna Salvador, RD, PhD
Mentor: Shehzad Sheikh, Aadra Bhatt
Topic of T32 Research Project: Role of the diet in the etiology of inflammatory bowel diseases
The role of diet in the in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease remains unresolved. I am a dietitian-scientist with an interest in dietary antigens contributing to inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis in genetically susceptible individuals. My hobbies include running, bouldering, and kayaking.
Courtney Rivet-Noor, PhD
Mentor: John Rawls
Topic of T32 Research Project: The role of HNF4a in transcriptional regulation of intestinal programs in inflammatory disease, viral infection, and microbiome/mucus disruption
Courtney was born and raised in Michigan. She attended the University of Michigan where she studied Neuroscience. After undergrad, Courtney earned her PhD from the University of Virginia in Neuroscience with a focus on Neuroimmunology. In grad school, she studied the role of the microbiome and the mucus layer in stress-induced depression under her mentor, Alban Gaultier. As a post-doctoral scholar in the lab of John Rawls, Courtney will be studying the role of HNF4a in transcriptional regulation of intestinal programs in inflammatory disease, viral infection, and microbiome/mucus disruption. Outside of the lab, Courtney enjoys baking, spending time with her 2 nephews, listening to audio books, and boring her husband with all the known mucin facts.
Valerie 
Gartner, PhD
Mentor: Terry Furey
Topic of T32 Research Project: Functional genomics methods to identify molecular characteristics of IBD phenotypes
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Bryn Mawr College in 2014, then received a Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award fellowship at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. I completed my PhD training at Duke University in the Genetics and Genomics program in 2022. My thesis work was done in the lab of Greg Wray studying evolutionary genomics of the malaria parasite P. vivax. As a postdoc in Terry Furey’s lab, my goal is to leverage evolutionary signals to better interpret the functional significance of genetic variants associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. During my free time I enjoy reading, power lifting, playing video games, and quilting.