TRAINING & MENTORSHIP

The Food Safety Laboratory is committed to training scientists at multiple career stages, from high school students to postdoctoral researchers and visiting faculty. The laboratory provides research training and technical mentorship in microbiological methods, whole genome sequencing workflows, metagenomic analysis, and genomic data interpretation within the context of food and environmental systems.

While graduate students are primarily affiliated with collaborating laboratories, our group serves as a training hub for genomic and microbiological approaches integrated into interdisciplinary and international research projects.

CURRENT AND RECENT TRAINEES

VIP F.I.E.L.D.S. Team (Fall 2026)

• • Helia Cao – Fermentation Science
• • Olivia Cohen – Sustainable Food Systems
• • Jacky Hu – Public Health
• • Keshav Patel – Public Health
• • Sonu Pati – Biological Sciences
• • Mai Pham - Bioengineering
• • Trisha Ranjan - Biochemistry
• • Nico Romero – Biological Sciences

2026

• • Claire Barlow – PhD Student, University of Maryland (GEOH). Training in whole genome sequencing library preparation.
• • Mai-Trang Pham – Undergraduate Student, Engineering, University of Maryland. Molecular detection of foodborne pathogens (qPCR and dPCR).
• • Elisa Asante - Undergraduate Student, Public Health, University of Maryland. Genomic characterization of Aliarcobacter butzleri (Summer and fall).
• • Katelyn Santos – Undergraduate Student, Biological Sciences, University of Maryland. Salmonella biofilm formation evaluation and bioinformatics (Summer).
• • Nikkitha Katangury - Undergraduate Student, Biological Sciences, University of Maryland. Microorganisms in water (WOW lab), supporting Claire Barlow, PhD (c) (Summer).
• • Bridget Evinger – Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering, University of Maryland. Metagenomic-Bioinformatics (Summer).
• • Shivani Kataria – Undergraduate Student, Biochemistry, University of Maryland. Metagenomic-Bioinformatics (Summer).
• • David Harmon – Undergraduate Student, Public Health, University of Maryland. Metagenomic-Bioinformatics (Summer).
• • Taylor Lee – Undergraduate Student, Biology, University of Maryland. Whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics (Spring).
• • Laura Di Palma – Undergraduate Student, Biological Sciences, University of Maryland. Whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics (Spring).
• • Dia Nawathe – Undergraduate Student, Computer Science, University of Maryland. Metagenomic and quasimetagenomic bioinformatics (Spring).
• • Lauren Chung – Undergraduate Student, Biological Sciences, University of Maryland. Metagenomic and quasimetagenomic bioinformatics (Spring).
• • Clare Ijoma – Undergraduate Student, Public Health, University of Maryland. Metagenomic and quasimetagenomic bioinformatics (Spring).

2025

• • Carolina Unamuno – Master’s Student in Microbiology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile. Training in whole genome sequencing library preparation, sequencing, and bioinformatics (3 weeks).
• • Morgan Yan – High School Student, Winston Churchill High School, Potomac, MD. Summer research volunteer.

2024

• • Angelica Reyers – Associate Professor, INTA, Universidad de Chile. Training in whole genome sequencing library preparation.
• • Rachel Fischer – Undergraduate Student, University of Pennsylvania. Summer Intern, JIFSAN.
• • Anita Ma – High School Student, Sherwood High School. Summer research volunteer.

2023

• • Mathew Stocker – Postdoctoral Researcher, USDA. Training in whole genome sequencing library preparation.
• • Jaclyn Smith – PhD Student, USDA/University of Maryland. Training in whole genome sequencing library preparation.
• • Mauri Gao – Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Maryland (NFSC). Training in whole genome sequencing library preparation.
• • Qingyue Zeng – PhD Student, University of Maryland (NFSC). Training in whole genome sequencing library preparation.
• • Si Fan – PhD Student, University of Maryland (NFSC). Transcriptomics library preparation.
• • Samnhita Raychaudhuri – PhD Student, University of Maryland (NFSC). Transcriptomics library preparation.

2022–2023

• • Anamaria Mota Pereira dos Santos – Visiting Graduate Student, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil (Sandwich Internship at JIFSAN, University of Maryland). Whole genome sequencing library preparation, sequencing, and bioinformatics.