Julia Willett, PhD Assistant Professor 

I grew up in central Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010.  I earned my PhD with Dr. Chris Hayes at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I studied contact-dependent bacterial inhibition systems in Gram-negative bacteria and was supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.  I came to the University of Minnesota for postdoctoral research with Dr. Gary Dunny, where I was supported by an NIH T32 in Lung Science, an American Heart Association postdoc fellowship, and an NIH K99/R00.  I am interested in discovering the function of uncharacterized bacterial genes (bacterial "dark matter"), mechanisms of polymicrobial interactions and interbacterial competition, the underlying genetics of biofilm formation, and how Enterococcus faecalis establishes and persists in the gastrointestinal tract.  I am so excited to be starting my own lab where I will get to do cool science and train/mentor the next generation of researchers!

LIKES:  cats, K pop, Selling Sunset, Cheez-Its

DISLIKES:  mayonnaise

Ruth Isenberg, PhD NIH K12 IRACDA Postdoc Fellow

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest near Tacoma, Washington. I graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2016. I earned my PhD in Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023 in Dr. Mark Mandel’s lab where I studied cyclic diguanylate regulation of beneficial host colonization using the Vibrio fischeri-Hawaiian bobtail squid symbiosis as a model system. In the Willett lab, my research focuses on investigating the mechanisms that underlie Enterococcus faecalis killing by Streptococcus mutans. My goal is to become a professor at a primarily undergraduate institution where I can continue teaching and mentoring undergrads in the classroom and the lab!

LIKES: knitting/crocheting, seafood, video games, reality TV

DISLIKES: untangling yarn

Carlo Castillo Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology PhD Program

I am from the Chicago area and graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Chemistry in 2017. Post-graduation I spent a year volunteering at a refugee resettlement agency in Denver, CO teaching workforce readiness classes. From 2018-2020 I was a postbac research fellow at the NIH in the lab of Dr. Ian Myles, where I studied the skin commensal bacterium Roseomonas mucosa and its role in atopic dermatitis. In 2021 I began my PhD in Microbiology at the University of Minnesota, and I am interested in microbial ecology, host-pathogen interactions, and co-culture models. 

LIKES: hiking, fishing, camping, taquerias, Tottenham Hotspur FC

DISLIKES: billionaires

Gabi Farulla-Bastian Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology PhD Program

I grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. During my time as an undergraduate, I completed an honors thesis developing a novel targeted cancer therapy based on the bacterial pore-forming protein Perfringolysin O. After graduating, I worked for three years at Kephera Diagnostics where I worked with my supervisor to create new diagnostic tools for acute and chronic Chagas Disease and Liver Fluke. I moved to Minnesota in 2023 to pursue my PhD in Microbiology at the University of Minnesota where I am working in the Willett lab to elucidate mechanisms of biofilm formation on catheters and urothelial cells during UTI.

LIKES: cats, videogames, sewing, horror movies, old seasons of Jersey Shore

DISLIKES: contamination

Alex Snell, BS Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Master’s Program

I grew up near Minneapolis and graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a BS in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior in 2022. I then started in the Willett lab as a lab technician, and eventually opted into graduate school due to my interest in the field. My current research in the lab focuses on investigating the physiological effects that arginine metabolism has on Enterococcus faecalis.

LIKES: video games, coffee, nature/hiking, EDM, Halloween

DISLIKES: fluorescent lights 

Erna Karic, BS

I was born and raised in Minnesota, though my family is from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2024, I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Microbiology. As an undergrad, I worked in the Willett lab investigating understudied species of Enterococcus isolated from dirt samples in Minnesota by conducting growth curves and biofilm assays, as well as preparing DNA for sequencing. After graduation, I transitioned to a Lab Technician position, where I am now delving into pigment production and function in Enterococcus mundtii. 

Likes: nature, animals, crafting

Dislikes: pickles, chewing sounds 

My research endeavors have been assisted by my service animal, Nemo. He is a golden retriever/poodle mix and is about 5 years old. He is owner-trained. 

Likes: eating, cuddling, swimming, playing (in that order)

Dislikes: popping sounds, heat 

Jenny Geng

I am currently a junior at the University of Minnesota studying biochemistry with minors in health psychology and mathematics on a pre-medical track. I grew up in Iowa City, Iowa. The project I am working on for the Willett lab involves studying E. faecalis biofilm formation in simulated wound conditions, and I am really excited to explore this further!

LIKES:  the outdoors, Gilmore Girls, swimming, reading, ducks

DISLIKES:  milk

Faduma Mohamed

I am currently a junior at the University of Minnesota studying Biomedical Engineering on a Pre-Med track. My current project in the Willett lab is examining the role of the PrsA protein in Enterococcus faecalis antibiotic resistance as well as polysaccharides extraction and purification for mutant strains. I am excited to continue working on this project, learning new research techniques, and hearing about my lab members' research! My current hobbies are crocheting, reading, playing games, and hanging out with my friends!

LIKES: books, cheese, bigfin squids, crochet/sewing, shows, games

DISLIKES: blue cheese, green beans, heat

Celine Sackih

I am a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development. I hope to eventually declare a minor in English and continue onto pharmacy school after undergrad. The main project I'm working on in the lab is investigating the expression of the gelatinase protease in E. faecalis.

LIKES: crocheting, podcasts, pho, pink, and weighted blankets

DISLIKES: cottage cheese and spiders

Sarah Zar

I'm from St. Louis, MO and moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota, where I'm currently a senior majoring in microbiology.  I'm working with E. faecalis strains that were isolated from prosthetic joint infections; specifically, I'm investigating the aggregation of E. faecalis in synovial fluid.  I plan to pursue graduate school in the field of microbiology.  I'm excited to keep learning new techniques for studying bacterial genetics and aggregation as I continue to explore my interests within microbiology!  

LIKES: Mystery books, cooking, botanical gardens, dogs

DISLIKES: Overhead lighting, peanut butter