Team

Charlie Mo, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, he/his

Charlie was born in China, grew up in England and Germany, and came to the US in 2003. He received a BA in Biochemistry from Swarthmore College, his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed postdoctoral training in Luciano Marraffini’s lab at the Rockefeller University.  Outside of the lab, Charlie enjoys tennis, birding, and cheering on his favorite football team, Bayern Munich.

My Tran, B.S., Graduate student, MDTP

My was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and lives in the Midwest since 2005. She received a B.S. in Integrative Biology, minor in Studio Art and Chemistry at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. My is interested in phage biology and microbial evolution. In her free time, My enjoys playing video games, weightlifting, and making art.

Angel J. Hernandez Viera, B.Sc., Graduate student, MDTP

Angel was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He recieved a BSc in Industrial Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Later he joined the Biochemistry Department at Vanderbilt University as a research assistant. He is interested in processes that affect bacterial evolution and genome stability. Outside of lab, Angel enjoys reading, trying new food, and going on walks.

Doran Goldman, B.S., Graduate student, MDTP

Doran was born in the SF Bay Area and grew up in Seattle. He received a B.S. in Biology from Stanford University, where he studied the ecology of the human gut microbiome. He is interested in how ecology and evolution can be used to study phage biology and bacterial defenses. Outside of science, he enjoys birding, reading (especially absurdist literature), singing, and playing the piano.

Christian Lapitan, B.S., Graduate student, MDTP

Christian was born in the Philippines and moved to Long Beach, California in 2008. He received a B.S. in Biology at UCLA in 2020. He then began working as a research technician at the infectious disease division at The Lundquist Institute. Following that experience, he worked at Allerdia Inc., an allergy testing startup company as a project researcher. Christian is interested in antibiotic and phage resistance development and how this research can be translated to treatments. In his free time, Christian enjoys baking, going to concerts, playing board games, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.

Naomi Gross, Undergraduate researcher

Naomi grew up near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is studying biology at UW-Madison and is expected to graduate in 2027. Naomi is interested in bacterial evolution and immunity. In her free time, Naomi enjoys running, watching movies and sports, and exploring Madison.

Sean Lee, Undergraduate researcher

Sean grew up in Long Island, New York, and is majoring in microbiology and global health, along with a certificate in science communication. He is expected to graduate in 2028. Sean is interested in phage biology, particularly bacterial resistance mechanisms. When not in the lab, Sean enjoys hanging out with friends, playing video games, crocheting, and watching horror movies.

Jennie Matthews, Undergraduate researcher

Jennie grew up in the Midwest and has been living in Madison for over 2 decades. She is studying biology at UW-Madison. Jennie is interested in phage-bacteria interactions. In her spare time, Jennie enjoys forest baths, bubble baths, and laughing with her kids.