People
PI: Dr. Lindsey Crawford
PhD Microbiology and Immunology;
SUNY Upstate Medical University
BS Microbiology;
Oregon State University
BS Biochemistry and Biophysics;
Oregon State University
Current Members
Kamryn Pfenning
Research Technologist II
BS Biochemistry and BA Spanish
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Hi my name is Kamryn Pfenning. I grew up in Nebraska and graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in May of 2022 studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Spanish. I am currently completing a second gap year working as a research technician in the Crawford Lab and am applying to attend medical school in the fall of 2024.
Lucia Martinez Cuesta, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
PhD; University of Buenos Aires
I am a Biochemist from Tandil, a small city in Argentina. I did my Ph.D. at the University of Buenos Aires working on Bovine Leukemia Virus, a retrovirus that affects cattle causing a lymphoproliferative disease. During my graduate studies, I did an internship at Kansas State University at Dr. Raymond Rowland´s lab working on porcine viruses (PPRSV and PCV2). Later, I did a postdoctoral fellowship at the National University of the Center of Buenos Aires Province (UNCPBA) working under the supervision of Dr. Sandra Perez, studying the differences in neuropathogenesis between Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 and 5. During that time, I did a four-month internship at Boston University with Dr. Juan Fuxan Bass working on functional genomics and discovering novel cis-regulatory elements in DNA viruses.
In Dr. Crawford´s lab, my project aims to characterize the kinetics of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) latency and reactivation in different hematopoietic cell stages. My goal is to find crucial viral and cellular factors that control the recovery from latency that could be targeted with novel antivirals. My long-term plans focus on discovering novel antivirals for human and bovine herpesviruses.
Undergraduate Students
Amara Bryant, BS Biological Sciences, 2025
Chloe Deabler, BS Biological Systems Engineering, 2025 (UCARE 2023-2024)
Lexi Hauxwell, BS Biochemistry, 2025 (UCARE 2023-2024)
Emily Hogg, BS Biochemistry, 2024 (UCARE 2022, 2023), CASNR and Honors College thesis project
Kate Thorstenson, BS Biological Sciences, 2024 (UCARE 2023-2024)
Kai Waddell, BS Microbiology, 2025 (INBRE scholar 2023-2025)
If you are interested in joining the group, please see here.
Alumni
Spring 2023 Undergraduate Interns
(Back, left to right)
Kai Waddell, BS Microbiology, 2025
Kate Thorstenson, BS Biological Sciences, 2024
Chloe Deabler, BS Biological Systems Engineering, 2025
Lexi Hauxwell, BS Biochemistry, 2025
Amara Bryant, BS Biological Sciences, 2025
(Front, left to right)
Shorooq Al Hikamani, BS Microbiology, 2023, MBIO498
(Kamryn Pfenning, BS, Research Technologist)
Laura Lienemann, BA Music, Biochem minor, 2024
UNL Undergraduates
Laura Lienemann, intern 2023; BA Music, Biochem minor, 2024; current undergraduate student
Shorooq Al Hikamani, MBIO498 2023; BS Microbiology, 2023; currently undergraduate student
Sam Konwinski; intern 2022; BS Biological Sciences, 2023; currently undergraduate student
Summer REU Students
Mary Helms; USREV 2022; BS Biology, 2024, Wayne State College; currently undergraduate student
Visiting Students
Kamryn Pfenning, 2022; BS Biochemistry, 2022, Nebraska Wesleyan University; currently research technician