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 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.
Erick Nilsen, B.S. 
Research Specialist
Erick was born and raised in Madison, WI and received a BS in microbiology from UW-Madison in 2022. Erick is interested in bacterial genetics and molecular biology, especially transcriptional and translational machinery. In his free time Erick enjoys skiing, playing video games, and spending time with his two cats.
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.
Anna Moyer, B.S.
Graduate student, RA
Anna was born in Corvallis, Oregon, grew up on the bay in Annapolis, Maryland, and now is from the mountains of Ogden, Utah. She received a B.S. in Medical Microbiology with a minor in Chemistry from Weber State University. Anna has an interest in genetics, evolution, and how they apply to phage biology. In her free time, Anna loves all outdoor activities and physical challenges, which include but are not limited to, skiing, yoga, soccer, hiking, and camping!
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.
Omar Shahin
Undergraduate researcher
Omar grew up in Fairfax, VA. He is studying microbiology at UW-Madison and is expected to graduate in 2026. Omar is interested in bacterial immunity, and virology. In his free time, Omar enjoys playing bass guitar, boxing, watching basketball (if the Raptors are playing), and reading.
Lily Tran
Undergraduate researcher
Lily was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and has lived in Chicago since 2009. She is an animal and veterinary biosciences major, and a studio art minor. Lily is interested in bacteria and phage biology. In her free time, Lily enjoys playing video games, reading, painting, and cross-stitching.
