Lisa Wagar, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine where her lab studies human vaccine responses and develops tools to investigate human adaptive immunity. Lisa is passionate about translational human immunology and collaborative efforts to improve and accelerate vaccine design for infectious diseases of global concern. UC Irvine is uniquely situated for multidisciplinary and collaborative efforts in vaccine immunology, with abundant interactions between the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute for Immunology, and the Vaccine R&D Center. The mission of the Wagar lab is to accelerate vaccine design and immunotherapies to ultimately understand, treat, and prevent human disease. Dr. Wagar received her PhD in Immunology (2013) at the University of Toronto under the mentorship of Dr. Tania Watts. During her doctoral work, Lisa completed projects related to human T cell responses against influenza and developed vaccination strategies to promote long-term protection against influenza. She then went on to a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Mark Davis’s lab at Stanford University, where she developed immune organoid technologies for investigating human adaptive immune responses to infectious diseases and vaccines in vitro.

Suhas Sureshchandra, PhD joined the Wagar lab in Autumn 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow. He received his engineering in biotechnology degree in Bangalore, India, and holds a master’s degree in bioinformatics from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a Ph.D. (2020) inImmunology from UC Irvine. His doctoral work under Dr. Ilhem Messaoudi focused on elucidating maternal and fetal myeloid cell adaptations with pregravid obesity. In the Wagar lab, Suhas is interested in leveraging the tonsil organoid system to study the contribution of T cells in the development of a durable humoral response to vaccines and pathogens. He is passionate about using an integrative systems approach that combines molecular, immunological, and clinical readouts to identify correlates of protection under different vaccine modalities. Outside of work, Suhas is an avid traveler and loves exploring the California coast on the weekends. He is also a huge fan of history and food documentaries.

Timothy Yates, PhD is a bioinformatics programmer in the Wagar laboratory. He completed his PhD at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the lab of Dr. Wellington Muchero. During graduate school, he studied genome evolution in bioenergy crops and had side projects in human genomics. He is passionate about applying bioinformatics methods to multi-omics data to derive biological insight. Outside of lab, Tim enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, camping, and playing beach volleyball.

Siyuan (Lily) Cheng, PhD was born and raised in China. She received her BS in Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She then completed her PhD in Genetics in Dr. Stefania Nicoli’s lab at Yale University, where she studied vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation. Lily examined development of vertebrate brain arteries using confocal fluorescence microscopy in the zebrafish model. Lily joined the Wagar Lab in December 2023 as a postdoctoral scholar; she is investigating the development and source of anti-drug antibody responses. She is excited about translational immunology and improving human health. Outside of the lab, she enjoys time with family and friends, Duolingo, and classical Chinese literature.

Gargee Bhattacharya, PhD joined the lab in Summer 2024 as a postdoctoral scholar. She earned her Master’s degree in Life Sciences from the Central University of Jharkhand, India, and pursued a PhD in Human Immunology in Dr. Satish Devadas’ lab at the Institute of Life Sciences, India. Her doctoral work centered on unraveling aberrant T cell responses in Rheumatoid Arthritis and their underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis. Her interest in leveraging immune organoid technologies for understanding nuances of adaptive immune responses drove her to Wagar lab, and here her project focuses on elucidating checkpoint blockade therapies beyond the tumor microenvironment. She is passionate about translating her research findings into tangible improvements in human health. Along with research, Gargee finds joy in reading fiction, sketching, cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Katrina Taylor Evans, PhD is an Orange County native. She joined the Wagar lab in July of 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow. She earned her BS in Cell Biology at Cal. State Fullerton (2010), and her PhD in Cancer Immunology from UC Irvine (2021). Her doctoral work under Dr. Devon Lawson focused on the tumor immune microenvironment in metastatic breast cancer in the brain. After her PhD, Katrina worked in industry for 2.3 years as a Technical Application Scientist and Project manager for Akoya Biosciences.  In the Wagar lab, Katrina is interested in leveraging the tonsil organoid system to study the humoral response to childhood and elderly respiratory and varicella virus and vaccines. Beyond Immunology, Katrina is passionate about science education and holds a California science teaching credential and taught high school science for 4 years in Orange County.

Patricia Román-Carrasco, PhD grew up in Madrid, Spain and studied Nutritional Sciences and Food Science and Biotechnology at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. After working in the Food Microbiology unit as a research technician at the University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, she joined the research group of FH-Prof. Univ. Doz. Dr. Ines Swoboda at the Competence Center for Molecular Biotechnology (in the Molecular Biotechnology Section at the FH Campus Wien) as a PhD candidate. Patricia’s doctoral work investigated red meat allergies, with a special focus on allergy to the α-Gal oligosaccharide. Following graduation, she joined Dr. Swoboda’s group as an immunology postdoctoral scholar and served as a visiting scientist in the research group on ticks and tick-borne microorganisms at the Medical University of Vienna. In Autumn 2024, Patricia joined the Wagar lab to investigate the immune responses to tick saliva that induce the development of the alpha Gal syndrome.

Mahina Tabassum Mitul grew up in Rangpur, a small town in Bangladesh. She completed a bachelors and a masters degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Following her research passion, Mahina then pursued a masters degree in Infection & Immunity from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. During her masters research, she explored how the functions of innate immune cells are modulated by micronutrients, the tissue microenvironment, and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. She determined how these factors direct the effector immune response in the contexts of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and in autoimmune conditions such as celiac disease. Aside from research, Mahina is passionate about teaching. She taught Biochemistry and Biotechnology undergraduate students at the Independent University Bangladesh for several years. Mahina is performing her doctoral research in the Wagar lab.

Zach Wagoner is a SoCal native born and raised in Lakewood, California. He graduated from California State University Long Beach (CSULB) in 2016 with a bachelors in general biology where he studied complement protein 1q and its ability to modulate immune cell function in atherosclerosis. Following graduation, he was accepted to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Bridges to Stem Cell Research & Therapy Program, which brought Zach to UCI. During this time, he investigated how epigenetic modifications influence the stable expression of multi-gene constructs in vivo. Zach was admitted to the CMB Graduate Program and is now pursuing his PhD in the Wagar lab. His interests lie in utilizing tonsil organoids to better understand how vaccines elicit protective responses and using this information to guide new vaccine design. Outside of the lab, Zach enjoys gaming with friends, trying out new food and beer, and hiking and camping in the great outdoors.

Erika Joloya is a long-time anteater and graduated from UC Irvine with a B.S in Developmental & Cell Biology in 2021. Before grad school, she continued in her undergraduate lab as a lab manager and studied how endocrine disrupting chemicals resulted in a predisposition to obesity. Now a PhD student in the Wagar lab, Erika’s research interests include studying differential host responses to vaccines. She is particularly interested in how repeated flu vaccination and infections early in life may influence immune responses to subsequent flu antigen exposures. Erika is passionate about outreach and scientific literacy. Outside of lab, she loves to read, crochet, eat towards a Yelp Elite status, and spend time with her dog, friends, and family.

Samuel Kim is a SoCal native and obtained his B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from UC Irvine. He is currently preparing to apply to graduate school. His prior research experience was in Dr. Melissa Lodoen’s lab, where Sam studied the cellular and molecular interactions between the protozoan pathogen Toxoplasma gondii and the host immune system. His research interests include innate adaptive immune interactions, host pathogen interactions, and genetic engineering. He previously worked as a medical assistant and phlebotomist, and administered vaccines during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Outside of work, Sam enjoys listening to music, hanging out with friends, and gardening.

Arjun Nair joined the Wagar lab as a PhD student in Summer 2024. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management as a University Scholar Fellow. Arjun holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the College of Arts and Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of Business. Before starting his PhD, Arjun worked as an investment banker and consultant to the biotech industry at Locust Walk Partners. He earned his Master’s in Biomedical Sciences from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His thesis, under the guidance of under Dr. Andrew Ji,  focused on the role of fibroblasts in skin diseases. Arjun is particularly interested in immunology and using advanced genomic tools to understand protective vaccination determinants and B/T cell receptor diversity. Beyond academics, he enjoys sports, the outdoors, and learning about music production.

Mariam Mohagheghi is a PhD student in the Wagar and Halbrook labs at UC Irvine. She earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of New Mexico and her M.S. in Medical Sciences from Creighton University. Before starting her PhD, Mariam worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she contributed to the development of vaccine candidates targeting Chlamydia trachomatis. Her current research integrates immunology and cancer biology, focusing on interactions between pancreatic tumors and immune cells. Mariam is broadly interested in host-pathogen interactions, tumor immunology, and translational vaccine strategies. Outside of research, she enjoys pilates, coffee, and spending time with friends, family, and her cat!

Germaine Mendez joined the Wagar lab as the Lab Manager. He recently earned a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Immunology from UC Berkeley. During his undergraduate studies, he gained research experience in various labs, working with a protein complex related to neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in projects regarding tissue regeneration and the virulence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Germaine is passionate about scientific research and its role in bridging the gap between the known and the unknown. Ultimately, Germaine aims to pursue a Ph.D. in Immunology. Outside the lab, he enjoys staying active and gaming on his PC.

Evien Cheng is a SoCal native and a UCI undergraduate student double majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computer Science. Evien plans to pursue a PhD in computational biology or chemistry and hopes to apply her skills in the pharmaceutical industry in the future. Evien’s research interests lie in bioinformatics, drug discovery, vaccine development, molecular property prediction using machine learning, and single cell RNA sequencing. When Evien isn’t studying or working on her research projects, she enjoys crocheting, playing video games, and exploring new food locations with family and friends.

Haven Beares grew up in Snoqualmie, Washington and is now an undergraduate student at University of California, Irvine working on a double major in Music Performance and Biological Sciences. His research interests include immune cell interactions, vaccine development, genetic engineering, and autoimmune disorders. Haven plans to pursue a PhD in Immunology or Biochemistry. Outside of the lab, Haven enjoys playing bass trombone in the UCI Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Band, going to the gym, and spending time with friends and family.

Arman Thoresen is from the Los Angeles area and a second-year undergraduate student here at UCI, double majoring in Applied Physics and Biological Sciences. His research interests lie in vaccine design, immunology, biophysics, and using computational methods to explore the biological world. Arman plans to pursue a PhD after undergrad in a field where he can apply computational and quantitative techniques to biology. In his free time, he enjoys practicing Hapkido, teaching martial arts, playing music, and hiking.

Jenna Kastenschmidt, PhD is an immunologist and research specialist in the Wagar laboratory. She completed her BS in Human Biology in 2010 at Minnesota State University, Mankato and holds a PhD (2020) in Immunology from the University for California, Irvine. Jenna completed her dissertation under the mentorship of Dr. Armando Villalta, where her work focused on understanding the immune regulation of tissue repair and regeneration, specifically in the context of muscular dystrophy. In addition to all things immunology, Jenna is passionate about tool development and research commercialization, as well as the business side of science. When not in the lab, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, and yoga.

Andrew Sorn is a SoCal native that recently completed a B.S. in Biological Sciences at UC Irvine and is preparing for a career in healthcare. Andrew has previously done research under Dr. Brad Hughes in K-12 educational development and under Dr. Armando Villalta in muscle immunology. His life science research interests include immunology, exercise physiology, and bioinformatics. His clinical research interests include rural and underserved health, physician burnout, trauma/acute care medicine, and precision medicine. Andrew previously worked in healthcare as an EMT and as an EKG technician. His ultimate goal is to become an academic physician focused in trauma care or emergency medicine. Outside of school, Andrew’s hobbies are in photography, cinematography, and cars while his passions are in olympic weightlifting and good food.

Kyle Batucal was a Computer Science undergraduate student in the lab. Specializing in artificial intelligence and minoring in both Statistics and Bioinformatics, Kyle applied his knowledge in characterizing the TCR repertoires of different tissues and understanding inter-individual differences in the function and phenotypes of T cells. Kyle plans to pursue a PhD in Computer Science and continue applying his skills to other biological fields. When he is not busy at the lab, Kyle enjoys sim-racing, playing chess, and practicing at the archery range. Kyle completed his undergraduate studies in 2023 and received his Bachelors of Computer Science.

Aviv Benchorin is a San Francisco Bay Area native currently pursuing his B.S. in Computer Science at UC Irvine. Aviv has previously done bioinformatics work under Dr. J.J. Emerson at UC Irvine and Dr. Minoree Kohwi at Columbia University, where he primarily helped perform DNA-Seq and RNA-Seq analyses on Drosophila Melanogaster. Aviv is interested in applying his knowledge in machine learning to the study of immunogenicity in human tonsil organoids, with the goal of building predictive models for vaccine efficacy. When not at school or the lab, Aviv enjoys playing badminton, listening to music, and spending time with friends.