Meet our Researchers

Dedicated to the pursuit of science.

Meet our Researchers

Kaitlyn Parra

Kaitlyn Parra

Undergraduate research assistant studying microbiology with a minor in chemistry. Kaitlyn’s research is focused on novel fungal species closely related to known human and mammalian pathogens.




Bridget Barker

Bridget Barker

Director of HCMMC, Associate Professor in Biology, Bridget oversees the HCMMC facility and supervises in vivo COVID-19 research effort and specialized in Coccidioides research.




George Testo

George Testo

Searching for the underlying mechanisms for chronic diseases, Research Assistant focused on the study of gut microbiota and its effects on host health with experience in next-generational sequencing (NGS) workflow.




Dawn Birdsell

Dawn Birdsell

With the focus on developing the next generation workforce, Dawn designs and organizes hands-on science training programs for PMI undergraduates. These programs fosters foundational skills essential for career success.




Heather Mead

Heather Mead

Manager of ABSL3 Facility, PhD Candidate in Biology, Heather manages day-to-day operations in the ABSL3 and facilitates smooth workflow, compliance with biosafety protocols and training of new staff.




Roxanne Nottingham

Roxanne Nottingham

After graduating from NAU with a degree in biology, Roxanne became the Laboratory Research Facility Admin Manager. She maintains compliance in the PMI SA BSL3 Facility and contributes to many bacterial select agent projects.




Sierra Jaramillo

Sierra Jaramillo

Undergraduate research assistant studying microbiology with a minor in chemistry. Works on novel fungal species closely related to known human and mammalian pathogens. The goal is to elucidate their role in the environment.




Breezy Brock

Breezy Brock

Research Assistant studying the prevalence, movement, and evolution of pathogens such as West Nile Virus (WNV), Rabies Virus, COVID 19, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, and Streptococcus sobrinus.




Adriana Avery

Adriana Avery

Research Assistant studying the basics of practical computing for biologists and learning how to analyze bacterial genomic sequences using computational tools, such as NCBI Blast and Mauve Align.




Noor Saeed

Noor Saeed

Undergraduate research assistant working on antimicrobial resistance mechanisms of Burkholderia psuedomallei, a bacterium that has the potential for bioterrorism. Working in a lab environment helped prepare her for dental school.




Matthew Morales

Matthew Morales

Undergraduate Researcher studying Microbiology with a minor in Chemistry. His work focuses on maintaining the hACE2 mouse colony for the HCMMC. The hACE2 murine model advances the understanding of disease progression of COVID-19.




Jessica Marshall

Jessica Marshall

Undergraduate research assistant studying Biomedical Science with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. Her research focuses on Multiple-Locus VNTR Analysis of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that is the causative agent of plague.