Doctoral Student

Tiffany started her undergraduate studies at UC Denver, and received her B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Microbiology at UNC Charlotte in the Fall of 2008. After starting her research as an MS student, she is now in the lab as a PhD candidate. Overall, Tiffany’s research aims to expound on the physiological and ecological characteristics of Vibrio vulnificus in order to better understand how this bacterium behaves in its natural environment. Currently, her studies involve examining differences in in situ gene expression between the clinical and environmental genotypes of this pathogen. Specifically, she aims to elucidate the distribution anomaly between the C- and E- genotypes in the aquatic environment, in which both genotypes are found in roughly equal numbers in the water column while E-types predominate inside oysters. In addition to this, Tiffany has also been working on collaborative studies with Dr. Matt Parrow investigating quorum sensing interactions between microalgae and associated bacteria.