The Brown Lab

Postdoctoral Scholars



Grad Students

Idan Banson, B.Sc.
Ph.D. Student (2023-)
Education
……B.Sc. University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana.
Ph.D. Project: Comparative genomics and genomic manipulation in Amoebozoa

Nicholas Fry, B.Sc.
Ph.D. Candidate (2019-)
Education
……B.Sc. University of Arkansas
Ph.D. Project: Comparative Genomics of Amoebozoa with a particular focus on sporocarpic amoebae

Tristan Henderson, B.Sc.
Ph.D. Student (2021-)
Education
……B.Sc. Houston Baptist University
Ph.D. Project: All things protist


Felicity Kleitz-Singleton, B.Sc.
Ph.D. Student (2022-). NSF-GRFP Fellow
Education
……B.Sc. Mississippi State University
Ph.D. Project: Diversity and evolution of Discosea

High School Students

Violet Jira
The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (themsms.org)
Project: Amoeboid cell cytoskeletal imaging using immunofluorescence confocal laser scanning microscopy


Danielle McConnell
The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (themsms.org)
Project: Discosean diversity.

Visiting Scholars and Grad Students

Alfredo Leonardo Porfirio de Sousa, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Student
(3/2018-8/2018)
(2/2022-1/2023)
Alfredo is getting his Ph.D. in Dr. Daniel J.G. Lahr's laboratory in Sao Paulo Brazil. He is working on testate amoeba transcriptomics

Kina García Martín, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Student
(9/2015-12/2015 | 6/2016-11/2016)
Kina is getting her Ph.D. in Prof. Carlos Lado’s laboratory in Madrid Spain. She is working on Myxogastrid Transcriptomics.


David Žihala, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Student
(11/2018-12/2018)
David is an expert programmer working on software development on phylogenetics.

Undergrad Students

Jayden Bess
(2022-2023) Microbiology, B.Sc., Mississippi State University

Emily Dale
(2022) Microbiology, Mississippi State University

Nicholas Gibson
(2022-) Microbiology, Mississippi State University

Felicity Kleitz-Singleton
(2021-) Microbiology, Mississippi State University

Maggie Shepherd
(2021-) Microbiology, Mississippi State University

Former Trainees
Postdoctoral Scholars

Quentin Blandenier, Ph.D
Education
……Ph.D. Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
……B.Sc. Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
……M.Sc. Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Alexander Tice, Ph.D.
As of August 2023: Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences Texas Tech University
Education
……Ph.D. Biology, Mississippi State University
……B.Sc. Biology, University of Arkansas
……M.Sc. Biology, University of Arkansas

Mgr. Tomáš Pánek, Ph.D.
Fulbright Scholar, Biological Sciences
2018-2019

Education
B.Sc. Charles University in Prague (summa cum laude)
M.Sc. Charles University in Prague (summa cum laude)
Ph.D. Zoology, Charles University in Prague; supervisor: doc. RNDr. Ivan Čepička, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research
2015 – 2019: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Ostrava, Department of Biology and Ecology, Marek Eliáš lab
Current Position
2019 – on: Assistant Professor (Equivalent) Charles University Prague

Grad Students

Robert Jones, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate (2018-2024)
Education
……Ph.D. Biology, Mississippi State University
……B.Sc. Biology, Mississippi State University
Ph.D. Project: Bioinformatics in Phylogenomic and Comparative Genomics

Seungho Kang, Ph.D.
Ph.D. 2020 (student 2014-2020)
Education
……Ph.D. Biology, Mississippi State University
……B.Sc. (Honors) Biology, University College London
……M.Sc. Molecular Medical Genetics, Aberdeen University
……M.Sc. Applied Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Liverpool
Ph.D. Project: Phylogenomics of Amoebozoa

Alexander Tice, Ph.D.
Ph.D. 2020 (student 2014-2020)
Education
……Ph.D. Biology, Mississippi State University
……B.Sc. Biology, University of Arkansas
……M.Sc. Biology, University of Arkansas

Gabriel Schuler, M.Sc.
M.Sc. Graduate (2016-2018)
Education
……B.Sc. Biology, St. Francis University
M.Sc. Biology, Mississippi State University
M.Sc. Project: Evolution of zoonotic amoebae
Currently a Ph.D. student at Cornell University in Microbiology

Undergrad Students

Christopher Lebeau, B.Sc.
2019
Education
……B.Sc. Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University




Nate Hyams, B.Sc.
2021
Education
……B.Sc. Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University

Sammira Rais-Rohani, B.Sc.
B.Sc. Bio-Engineering Undergraduate Researcher
(2018-2019) Amoebae from Mississippi State University campus

G. Robert Berry, B.Sc.
B.Sc. General Science Undergraduate Researcher
(2017) Diversity of protosteloid amoebae

Emily Foreman, B.Sc.
B.Sc. Microbiology Undergraduate Researcher
(2016-2017) Diversity of zoonotic amoebae.
Peter Kooienga, B.Sc.
B.Sc. Biochemistry Undergraduate Researcher
(2016-2018) Diversity of marine amoebozoans.

Priya Patel, B.Sc.
B.Sc. Biology Undergraduate Researcher
(2017) Acrasid cellular slime mold development.

Austin Walthall (2015-2017)
B.Sc. Microbiology Undergraduate Researcher
Project: Diversity of freshwater amoebae in Mississippi ephemeral pools


Nicholas Bailey (2014-2015)
B.Sc. Biology Undergraduate Researcher
Project: Protosteloid amoebae of Mississippi


Nicolas Lee (2013)
B.Sc. Biology Undergraduate Researcher
Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University
Project: Protistan parasites of Mississippi anurans  
Funded by:
……MSU Department of Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Award
……Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Undergraduate Research Award


Stephanie Sorrell (2013-2014)
B.Sc. Medical Technology Undergraduate Researcher
Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University
Project: Amoebozoa phylogenomics
Society of Scholars


Pamela Watson (2013-2015)
B.Sc. Biology Undergraduate Researcher
Project: Diversity of ruminate inhabiting amoebae