Doctoral Student

>Rita recieved her B.S in Zoology and her M.S in Animal Physiology from University of Mumbai.At present she is working on Role of Nitric Oxidein oyster Crassostrea virginica under the guidance of Dr.Sokolova.

Doctoral Student

Bhawana received her M.S. in Molecular and Human Genetics from Banaras Hindu University, India. She graduated with an M.S. in Biology from Georgia Tech in Fall 2007. Her Master’s thesis at Georgia Tech focused on the effects of the components of the Get (Golgi-to-ER Traffic) pathway on prion propagation in yeast. She joined the Ph.D. program at UNC Charlotte in Spring 2008. Currently, she is doing a research rotation in Dr. Christine Richardson’s laboratory investigating chromosomal rearrangements common to leukemias.

Masters Student

Doctoral Student

Greg comes to us from New Jersey.  He received his BS is Biological Science in May of 2005 from Rutgers University.  He is currently working in Dr. Richardson's lab where they are developing genetically engineered cell lines in mice that will be used to screen multiple environmental and dietary toxins in promoting pre-cancerous genetic alterations associated with leukemia and lymphoma.

Doctoral Student

Dahlia received her BS in Biology at UNC Charlotte. As an undergraduate, she was in the honors program, with Dr. Huet as her mentor. Dahlia's honors project focused on investigating the effect of neonatal 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin exposure on c-myc and egfr expression in adult AHR congenic mice. Now, as a graduate student, she continues to work with Dr. Huet, as well as Drs. Schrum and Steuerwald. This collaborative project encompasses investigating how the gender effect on liver damage, caused by alcohol, may be related to the developmental differences of sex steroid hormones on liver alcohol metabolism.

Masters Student

Eric is from the phenomenal state of Massachusetts (Go Sox), from there he moved to North Carolina for Uncle Sam.  Eric spent 5 years as a U.S. Army Paratrooper at the beautiful Fort Bragg.  After the Army Eric took some time off to explore his soul, and once his soul was discovered he pursued education.  Eric received a BS in Economics from East Carolina University (Go Pirates) in 2004.  After ECU, Eric moved to Charlotte to work for big business, and when he discovered that business was not a “bag of chips” after all, he went back to school to pursue his first love; science.  Eric received his BS in Biology from UNCC in 2008, and is currently in the MS program for Microbiology.  He is continuing his research in Dr. Oliver’s lab where he started as an undergrad.  Eric is studying the effects of the quorum sensing molecule AI-2, and biofilm formation by the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus.  In addition, Eric is working on the identification and quantification of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus from North Carolina coastal water samples.

Doctoral Student

I received my BS degree in biology from University of Tehran and pursued a master's degree in biochemistry. Enjoying the friendly atmosphere, I am currently working on my PhD in Dr. Goodliffe's lab. Essentially, I work on fruit flies (scientists refer to them as drosophila), but that's too general, right? well, specifically I am looking at the mechanism of gene regulation by Myc, a celebrity in the transcription factors' community. Myc, reportedly, acts up now and then to make the cell crazy! by saying crazy, I mean cancer! That's why I care about Myc. I use a variety of techniques ranging from genetic screening and crosses for creating new transgenic flies to molecular biology (microarray, chromatic IP, qRT-PCR, etc.), to find out how Myc regulates expression of its targets at the genetics and epigenetics level. Recently, we found that there is something really cool out there, called "microRNA" and apparently this little non-coding microRNA has something to do with gene regulation and, much to our interest, to Myc.

Masters Student

Masters Student

Kristi Doyle obtained her BS in Biology from UNC Charlotte in 2008 and is currently continuing research that she began as an undergraduate in Dr. Oliver’s lab.  Kristi is interested in determining at which larval stage oysters are able to incorporate a human pathogen, Vibrio vulnificus, as part of their natural microflora.  Currently, she is also working on determining whether or not there is a correlation between the oyster parasite,Perkinsus marinus, and Vibrio vulnificus loads.

Masters Student

Masters Student

Masters Student

Ryan is from Charlotte, North Carolina and obtained a BS in Biology from UNC Charlotte in 2008. Ryan entered the MS program at UNCC in Fall of 2008, and is continuing research in Dr. Parrow’s lab that he began as an undergraduate. His research focuses on the ecology of freshwater algae causing harmful blooms in local environments such as drinking water reservoirs, and using 18s ribosomal RNA gene analyses to investigate the taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography of poorly-understood freshwater dinoflagellates.

Doctoral Student

Brett earned his BS in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology at UNC Charlotte.  He is continuing research in Dr. Oliver’s lab that he started as an undergraduate.  Brett is studying the estuarine bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, a human pathogen.  His areas of focus are the molecular and physiological mechanisms of virulence in V. vulnificus, specifically phase variation of the polysaccharide capsule, and the link between mannitol fermentation and the ability to colonize human blood.

Doctoral Student

Samantha received her B.S. in Biology from UNC Charlotte, where she graduated Cum Laude with departmental honors in biology.  Her current research in viral neuroimmunology involves studying the role of the cytoplasmic viral sensor RIG-I in the recognition of viral pathogens by resident CNS cells, and the initiation of lethal encephalitis in the CNS.  She looks forward to publishing many, many papers and working with Ebola when she grows up.

Masters Student

Doctoral Student

Richard is from Lincolnton, North Carolina and obtained a BS in Botany and a minor in Environmental Science from NC State University in 2004. Richard worked as a mycologist in a private environmental microbiology laboratory in New Jersey before returning to NC State for graduate studies. In the summer of 2008 he finished his MS degree in Wood and Paper Science. His thesis research examined lignin-selective fungal decay in genetically modified trees and fungal pretreatments for paper and lignocellulosic ethanol. He is continuing this research in Dr. Parrow’s lab by investigating new species of fungi for bioremediation and lignocellulosic ethanol.

Masters Student

Masters Student

Eric is from New York by way of Florida and California (where he was born). He graduated with a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Florida in 2003. Go Gators! Afterward he moved to New York City, worked for Parents magazine, and earned a culinary arts degree from the Institute of Culinary Education. He joined the staff of Gourmet magazine in 2005 and ate and ate and ate. Eager to try something new, Eric moved to Charlotte in 2008, took post-bacc classes at UNCC, and is currently pursuing graduate work focusing on virology.

Doctoral Student

Masters Student

Brian earned a BS, with a double major in Biology and Education, from Lenoir-Rhyne College (now known as LR University) in 1999. He has taught in the public school system in Gaston County, NC since graduating. While working on his MS, he is teaching high school biology at East Gaston High School. Currently Brian is working in Dr. Ringwood's lab studying toxic effects of both carbon and metal nanoparticles on the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica.