Tera Levin, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
teralevin [at] pitt.edu
she/her
Tera obtained her B.A. in Biology and Biochemistry at Oberlin College, with an undergraduate research focus in disease ecology. She then trained in molecular biology and immunology at the NIH, before pursuing her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley. There, she worked with Nicole King to discover mechanisms of bacteria-induced multicellularity in microeukaryotes called choanoflagellates. For her postdoctoral training, she worked with Harmit Malik at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where she developed the Legionella-amoeba system as a model for the evolution of immunity and pathogenesis.
Outside of lab, Tera enjoys hiking, tide pooling, playing board games, and hanging out with her cats.
Maddi laubscher
Research Technician
MIL225 [at] pitt.edu
she/her
Maddi received her B.S. in Biology at Susquehanna University, where she researched spotted St. John’s Wort compounds and their antibacterial activity.
She grew up in Central Pennsylvania where she first found her love of microbes in fungus identification and wild mushroom foraging. In addition to foraging, Maddi enjoys hiking, crafting, and listening to podcasts.
Asier Bracho
Research Technician
asier.bracho [at] pitt.edu
he/him
Asier received his B.S. in Biology from Florida International University, with a minor in chemistry. He had various research experiences in forensic chemistry and herpetology. He went on to receive his M.S. in Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied the role of mlh-1 and mlh-3 genes in C. elegans meiosis.
He grew up in Miami, Florida. In his free time, he enjoys salsa dancing, drawing, cooking, and listening to podcasts.
Ed Culbertson
NSF PRFB Postdoctoral fellow
edculbertson [at] pitt.edu
he/his
Ed received his B.S. in Biochemistry at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, with research interests in organic chemistry. He then pursued his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. At Hopkins, Ed worked with Val Culotta to uncover how pathogenic fungi adapt to host-imposed micronutrient stress.
He grew up in Northwest Pennsylvania along the Allegheny River. In his free time, Ed enjoys reading science fiction and fantasy, playing Dungeons and Dragons, hiking, rock climbing, and running.
Mische Holland
ISB Graduate student
mische.holland [at] pitt.edu
they/them
Mische received their B.S in Biochemistry and Cell Biology with Minors in Music and Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego. Their research interests are microbial evolution and host-pathogen conflicts.
Mische is also passionate about science communication, outreach, and diversity. At Pitt, Mische is a news staff writer at The Pitt News, GASP board member, and BGSA D&I Committee member. In their free time, Mische enjoys rock climbing, baking, travel, and Netflix.
Emily Cruz-Lorenzo
PMI Graduate student
emc225 [at] pitt.edu
she/her
Emily obtained her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Genetics at the University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla. Then, she went on to work at UT Southwestern Medical Center as a Research Assistant in Ivan D’Orso’s lab where she studied mechanisms of HIV latency reactivation.
She grew up in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and enjoys cooking, trying out new restaurants, and playing video games.
Dani Farinella
MCDB Graduate student
dnf10 [at] pitt.edu
she/her
Dani received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Wake Forest University, where she researched how malaria impacts the gut microbiome.
Dani grew up on the east coast of Florida near the Indian River Lagoon. In her free time, she can usually be found rowing, trying new foods, or listening to a podcast on an obscure topic.
Neha Garlapati
Undergraduate Researcher
I am a current undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. I am majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry and Statistics while also working towards a certification in the conceptual foundations in medicine.
I was born and raised just outside of Pittsburgh. In my free time I enjoy listening to music, cooking, and traveling to new places!
Join us!
We are currently recruiting new scientists to join our team:
Undergraduate researchers
PhD students
Postdoctoral fellows
Please visit the Contact page for more information on how to apply!
And check out our Lab Culture and Expectations document to learn what it’s like to work with us!
Past lab members
Rachel Rutkowski (Undergraduate researcher, Aug 2022-Dec2023)
Maria Ramos (Undergraduate researcher [MIDS], Oct 2021-May 2022)
Darian Doakes (Research technician, Aug 2020-Jul 2022)
Silvia Giampapa (Research technician, Aug 2020-Jan 2021)