LAB TEAM
Current Lab Team Members
Dr. Ayelet Ziv-Gal
Jie Li
GRADUATE STUDENT
Jie earned her Master’s degree in Animal Science from Michigan State University. Since graduating, she worked in a contract organization, assisting in infusion toxicology studies.
Swarna Tisha
GRADUATE STUDENT
Tisha earned her undergraduate degree in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering from Bangladesh. She served as a Visiting Scholar in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology (UIUC) before joining our lab. After graduation, Tisha plans to pursue a career in the Biotech industry.
Emily Benedict
DVM STUDENT
Emily is a DVM candidate for the class of 2025 at UIUC. She earned her B.S. in Animal Sciences with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Findlay. Prior to attending UIUC CVM she worked at a contract research organization assessing general toxicology of pharmaceuticals during their pre-clinical trials. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a residency in laboratory animal medicine.
Hannah Pulcastro
DVM STUDENT
Hannah is a DVM canidate for the class of 2026. She completed her B.S. in Neuroscience at Washington State University with minors in biology and mathematics. She also completed an M.P.S. in clinical psychology at University of Maryland. Prior to beginning her DVM studies at UIUC, Hannah worked in several laboratories at WSU and Kennedy Krieger Institute. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in small animal/exotic emergency medicine.
Noah Fluharty
DVM STUDENT
Noah is a DVM candidate for the class of 2026. He earned his B.A. at Grinnell College majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Neuroscience. Prior to UIUC CVM he worked in a metabolomics lab assessing the biological effects of vitamin B3 precursors in times of metabolic stress. He hopes to pursue a residency in laboratory animal medicine after graduation.
Mackenzie Klein
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Mackenzie is a sophomore in Molecular and Cellular Biology minoring in History. After she graduates, Mackenzie plans on attending medical school where she hopes to continue her pursuits in the biological sciences.
Catherine Marquez
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Catherine is a rising junior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology. As a first generation college student, she is dedicated to advancing her education and contributing to scientific research. After graduating, Catherine plans on attending graduate school to further her studies in Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Past Lab Team Members
Matthew Kim
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Matthew is majoring in Integrative Biology. After graduating, Matthew plans on going to PA school in hopes to becoming a Physician Assistant in either General Surgery or OB/GYN.
Truman Poteat
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Truman is a Junior in the school of Molecular and Cellular Biology. He joined the lab team in the summer of 2022 helping with experimental work in the lab. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Truman plans to pursue a graduate level degree in biological sciences.
Shelby Lyon
DVM STUDENT
Shelby is a DVM candidate for the class of 2026 at UIUC. She earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences with minors in Psychology and French from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a residency in laboratory animal medicine.
Aleksandra Bysiek
DVM STUDENT
Aleksandra is a DVM candidate for the class of 2025 at UIUC. She earned her B.S. in Biology from Illinois Institute of Technology. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in feline medicine.