People
Summer 2024
Left--> Right
Hunter Novacek,
Lucia Martinez Cuesta PhD, Kai Waddell,
Cassandra Scully, Amara Bryant,
Bryan Suriano, Dana Parker
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
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.
Summer 2024 Undergraduate students
Amara Bryant, BS Biological Sciences, 2025 (UCARE 2024+2024-2025), CAS and Honors College thesis project
Bryan Suriano, BS Biochemistry, 2025 (McNair scholar 2023-2025, UCARE 2024-2025)
Kai Waddell, BS Microbiology, 2025 (INBRE scholar 2023-2025), CAS and Honors College thesis project
Welcome to our REU students from Redox and Virology - starting June 2024....Cassandra Scully (Biochemistry Redox) and Dana Parker (Virology USREV), and Hunter Novacek (SCC partnership)
Undergraduate Students
Amara Bryant, BS Biological Sciences, 2025 (UCARE 2024+2024-2025), CAS and Honors College thesis project
Bryan Suriano, BS Biochemistry, 2025 (McNair scholar 2023-2025, UCARE 2024-2025)
Chloe Deabler, BS Biological Systems Engineering, 2025 (UCARE 2023-2024, ARD fellowship 2024-2025)
Lexi Hauxwell, BS Biochemistry, 2025 (UCARE 2023-2024), Honors College thesis project
Kai Waddell, BS Microbiology, 2025 (INBRE scholar 2023-2025), CAS and Honors College thesis project
Sarah Larson, BS Biochemistry, 2027, BIOC 098 student
If you are interested in joining the group, please see here.
Spring 2024
Left--> Right
Emily Hogg, Chloe Deabler, Kate Thortenson,
Lucia Martinez Cuesta PhD, Kai Waddell,
Kamryn Pfenning BS, Lexi Hauxwell,
Laura Lieneman, Amara Bryant,
Sarah Larson, Bryan Suriano
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
Employees
Kamryn Pfenning BS, 2022-2024; Research Technologist II; current: medical school
UNL Undergraduates
Emily Hogg, UCARE 2022, 2023, UHON499 2024; BS Biochemistry 2024, CASNR and Honors College senior thesis; current: Histology technician Bryant Health.
Kate Thortenson, intern 2022-2023, UCARE 2023-2024; BS Biological Sciences 2024; current: University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
Laura Lienemann, intern 2023, 2024; BA Music, Biochem minor 2024; current undergraduate student
Shorooq Al Hikamani, MBIO498 2023; BS Microbiology, 2023
Sam Konwinski; intern 2022; BS Biological Sciences, 2023
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