Graduate Trainees
Ibrahim Alshammari, PharmD, MS
Doctoral Student since 2023
Ibrahim Alshammari, a registered pharmacist in Saudi Arabia, is from Ha’il city, Saudi Arabia. In 2018, He earned a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the College of Pharmacy at University of Ha’il, where he was working as a teaching assistant in Pharmacology and Toxicology. In 2023, he also received a master’s degree in Toxicology from Colorado State University (CSU) and was a member of the Quantitative Systems Pharmacology and Toxicology Research Group at CSU, where his thesis was “A Physiologically Based Toxicokinetic Model to Predict the Disposition Fate of N, N-Dimethylformamide.” He is currently a Toxicology PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology in Dr. Ivan Rusyn’s laboratory. He is deeply interested in New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), such as microphysiological systems (MPS) and computational modeling. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, watching soccer games, hiking, reading, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends.
Nikki Barlow
Masters Student since 2023
Nikki Barlow is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. She graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2016 with a BS in Chemistry and a minor in Biology. During her time there, she worked for a microbiology lab for two years where she prepared samples and did data entry for clinical research involving mycoplasma pneumoniae. She also performed an independent research project during a summer internship funded by the NSF on the “Effect of Using Hot Start DNA Polymerase in a Custom Multiplex Reaction.” After graduating, Nikki spent seven years as a forensic drug chemist where she used analytical chemistry to test for the presence or absence of controlled substances. Currently, she is a Master’s student in the Toxicology program in the Rusyn laboratory. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing video games, traveling and spending time with family.
Ruifeng Chen
Doctoral Student since 2021
Ruifeng Chen is from China where he worked at the University of Science & Technology of China on Calcium imaging. His previous work is about the relationship between the striatum and certain behaviors such as running, grooming or seeking of mice. Now he is pursuing his Ph.D. in Dr. Jun Wang’s lab. His research focuses on alcohol abuse and striatum, applying fiber photometry. He likes biking and swimming in his free time.
Amon Cox
Doctoral Student since 2020
Amon Cox was born in Newport, Rhode Island, and grew up across the US with his military family, graduating from Texas A&M in 2020 with a BS in Public Health and a shiny gold ring. As a member of Dr. Jayaraman’s lab, he studies the fate of BPA and BPS in intestinal bacterial cultures to understand how these microbiota mediate the activity of dietary xenoestrogens like bisphenols. Amon is a past predoctoral fellow on the Texas A&M University Regulatory Science in Environmental Health and Toxicology Training Grant (T32 ES026568). In his free time, Amon enjoys live comedy, losing at board games, and getting a laugh out of his lab mates.
Kaylyn Dinh
Doctoral Student since 2022
Kaylyn Dinh is a current T32 fellow from Corpus Christi, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Biochemistry and a minor in Bioinformatics in May of 2022. Shortly after, she began working as an Environmental Health Sciences intern at ICF where she worked on multiple projects involving OFRs, PAHs, Next 20 chemicals, and PFAS, and continues to work flex part-time with the consulting firm. Currently, her research focuses on developing an extraction method for PFAS in dairy and breast milk and evaluating sorption capability using nutrient-amended clays as well as assessing respiratory toxicity in vitro. Outside of school and work, Kaylyn enjoys going to farmer’s markets, thrift shopping, and spending time in downtown Bryan.
Nikita Dougan
Doctoral Student since 2023
Nikita Dougan is from Albuquerque, New Mexico and graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2023 with a BS in Biochemistry. During his undergraduate studies, he gained research experience in multiple interdisciplinary fields, such as electrical engineering and plant biology, with a focus on how chemicals interact with non-biological materials. As a member of Dr. Jayaraman’s lab, he studies the fate of PFAS mixtures in intestinal bacterial cultures to attempt to understand how these microbiota interact with external chemicals that are seemingly ubiquitous in everyday life. In his free time, Nikita enjoys art, hiking, rock climbing and going to concerts.
Madeline English
Doctoral Student since 2023
Madeline English is from Plainwell, Michigan. She graduated in 2023 from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and a Public Health minor. At Michigan Tech, she worked on an in-vitro model to study the effects of dermal exposure to soil-Arsenic. She is currently rotating in Dr. Ivan Rusyn’s lab as a PhD student, focusing on high throughput in-vitro methods. She is a fellow of the NIGMS IMSD T32 federal training grant. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, crocheting, and reading.
Evan Farkas
Doctoral Student since 2022
Evan Farkas is a second-year graduate student in Dr. Stephen Safe’s lab. He was born in Houston, Texas but grew up in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Evan completed his B.S. in Biochemistry at Texas A&M in 2022 and is a loud and proud 2nd generation Aggie. During his undergraduate research career, he focused on the potential of sulfonamides as a novel inhibitor of malate synthase (GlcB) in tuberculosis. His current research is on NR4A1/2 ligands’ synergistic sensitization of glioblastoma cells to treatment with temozolomide. He is currently supported by the NIH TOXI T32 training grant and Texas A&M’s GREAT program and is a former HEEP Fellow. In his spare time, Evan enjoys watching sports, taking care of his pet dog and snakes, and a variety of outdoor activities like fishing and being painfully mediocre at golf.
Lucie Ford
Doctoral Student since 2020
View Lucie’s Superfund Research Center video
Lucie Ford is from Moncton, Canada. She received her Bachelors in Biology from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. During her undergraduate studies, she worked with human hepatocytes and exposure to PFAS chemicals. Lucie is a PhD student and University Merit fellow in Dr. Rusyn’s laboratory. Her PhD research focuses on inter-individual variability in response to environmental chemicals and mixtures. In her free time, she enjoys sailing, skiing, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Steven J. Jackson, PhD, RDN
Doctoral Student since 2021
Dr. Jackson is a former U.S. Army Medical Service Corps Biochemist/Physiologist (71B), and he recently completed a 5-year assignment as an industry scientist responsible for leading novel food ingredient safety assessments at one of the world’s largest agribusiness firms. Dr. Jackson currently volunteers his time as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Agricultural Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, while also studying toward a second doctoral degree in toxicology at Texas A&M University. His research and professional interests include phytochemical mechanistic toxicology, as well as issues of food safety along the supply chain from farm to consumer. Toxicology research is currently being conducted with the kind mentorship of Dr. Timothy Phillips in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences at Texas A&M University.
Isaac Juarez Hinojosa
Doctoral Student since 2022
Isaac Juarez is from the Rio Grande Valley and graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Forensic and Investigate Science. During his time at Texas A&M, he has been a member of the Corps of Cadets and is currently the company commander for N-1. In his undergrad, he began research on the usage of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the forensic identification of hair colorants. He is continuing research on Raman spectroscopy’s toxicological applications within Dr. Kurouski’s lab. Upon graduation, he plans to commission into the U.S. Armed Forces. In his free time, Isaac enjoys working out and studying philosophy.
Zachary Kobs
Doctoral Student since 2023
Zachary A. Kobs, “Zak,” hails from San Antonio, Texas. In 2023, he earned his BA in Biology with Honors and as a T34 trainee from St. Mary’s University. His undergraduate journey took him to the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. Here, he researched chronic liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy, and a senescent-like phenotype in neurons. Zak also ventured to the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in New Jersey. His research centered on the relationship between maternal diet and gene-related expression associated with organophosphate flame retardants in neonatal mice. Zak’s academic endeavors culminated in his published senior thesis at St. Mary’s University, “Mind the Gap: Revealing the Association between Depression, Marijuana Use, and Mental Health Care Utilization.” Today, Zak remains a passionate researcher focusing on computational toxicology, supported by the IMSD Training Grant at Texas A&M University. Beyond the lab, Zak finds solace and adventure in the great outdoors. He is an avid golfer, fisherman, hiker, and hunter.
Olivia Lampe
Doctoral Student since 2022
Olivia Lampe is from Lake Jackson, Texas, and she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BSA in Chemistry in 2022. She is a 1st-year toxicology student on the T-32 training grant, and is currently rotating in Dr. Natalie Johnson’s lab. Her current research is focused on the cleanup and extraction of PFOA and PFOS in cord blood samples. In the future, she will research untargeted approaches to PFAS compounds in human serum. In her free time, Olivia enjoys caring for her houseplants, board games with friends, and teaching her cat that the washing machine is not an eldritch horror.
Hsing-Chieh Lin, MS
Doctoral Student since 2021
Hsing-Chieh (Candice) Lin is a third-year Toxicology Ph.D. student in Dr. Weihsueh Chiu’s lab at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. in Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology from Kaohsiung Medical University, and her M.S. in Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering at National Taiwan University. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant for three years in the Optimization Modeling and Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment Lab at the National University of Tainan. There, she conducted research on developing toxicological models to simulate chemicals circulating within organisms and to predict toxicities. Her current projects focus on developing new in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) methods to improve the prediction of toxicokinetics and hazard for environmental chemicals.
En-Hsuan Lu, MS
Doctoral Student since 2021
En-Hsuan Lu is a third-year Toxicology Ph.D. student in Dr. Weihsueh Chiu’s lab at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. in Public Health and M.S. in Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene at National Taiwan University. After graduating, she worked as a legislative assistant for two and half years at Taiwan Congress (Legislative Yuan). There, she supported the legislator to review budgets and conduct health-related policy and legal research. Her current projects focus on improving uncertainty and variability of probabilistic risk assessment by using innovative in vitro and in silico approaches. She is also a coffee enthusiast. She enjoys staying at an indie coffee shop and relaxing there in her free time.
Kayla Morales
Doctoral Student since 2023
Kayla Morales is from the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), specifically Edinburg, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2022 with a BS in University Studies – Biomedical Science with minors in English and Public Health. She has long been passionate about the health disparities present in her hometown and the different ways to improve community health. She is a Certified Community Health Worker/Promotora through the Texas Department of State Health Services and has worked as a home health care provider on various occasions. Kayla was acknowledged as a TAMU HEEP Fellow. She hopes to apply both toxicological and public health perspectives to her future projects and will be working with Dr. Natalie Johnson, Dr. Garett Sansom, and Dr.Taehyun Roh in a Methodist Healthcare Ministries funded multi-year project assessing the environmental exposures experienced by marginalized communities residing in RGV colonials. In her free time, Kayla enjoys creative writing, exploring a variety of music genres, laughing at not-funny cat memes, and rewatching Pride and Prejudice.
Haley Moyer
Doctoral Student since 2020
Haley Moyer is from Waymart, Pennsylvania, and is a 2020 graduate of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Biology-Chemistry and a minor in Environmental Studies. She participated in a Research and Extension Experience for undergraduates at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during the summer of 2019 where she studied the effects of pesticides on monarch butterflies. Currently, she is a PhD student in the Toxicology program and was previously a Texas A&M OGAPS fellow. Haley is an active member of the Society of Toxicology and Texas A&M University Women in Science and Engineering. Her research in the Rusyn lab aims to characterize the ability of in-vitro models to mimic in-vivo systems. Overall, this project aims to evaluate the ability of microphysiological systems to replicate key characteristics of organs (absorption, distribution).
Samera Mulatu
Doctoral Student since 2021
Samera Mulatu was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. She graduated from Georgia Southern University Honors College in May 2020 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in two Research Experiences for Undergraduate internships (REUs) funded through the National Sciences Foundation. Before joining Texas A&M, Samera worked as a QC laboratory assistant for Arboris, LLC where she evaluated raw, in-processed, & finished plant sterol solutions to ensure quality specifications were attained before delivery of these solutions to other companies. Samera is a past predoctoral fellow on the IMSD T32 training program and a current Texas A&M OGAPS Fellow. Samera is currently working under Dr. Brinkmeyer- Langford to determine how co- exposures to environmental contaminants (e.g., ultrafine particulate matter) and Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis viral infection (TMEV) can affect neurological health. In her free time, she likes to cook new recipes, travel, and spend time with her dog, Rolo. Samera is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Jennifer Poole
Doctoral Student since 2022
Jennifer Poole is from Burlington, New Jersey. She received her bachelor’s in forensic chemistry from York College of Pennsylvania. While there, she worked on a research project, the Application of green chemistry to select forensic spot tests, which was presented at the Undergraduate Research Poster Session at the Spring American Chemical Society Meeting in San Diego (2022). In her spare time, she likes to read, write, and do a variety of crafts such as knitting, latch hooking, cross stitching, and diamond art.
Kelly Rathbun
Masters Student since 2020
Kelly Rathbun is a Master’s student in the toxicology program. After completing several terms of active duty in the Military Intelligence Corps of the U.S. Army, she earned a BS degree with an emphasis in biochemistry from The Evergreen State College, while also serving in the U.S. Army Reserves in Olympia, WA. She then spent two years as a quality control lab technician for a major vitamin production company in Arizona. Kelly is most interested in the health of our water and agriculture systems, and their broad impacts on individual body systems and human populations as a whole. She conducts research under the mentorship of Dr. Tim Herrman in the Office of the Texas State Chemist and is currently working on LC-MS/MS methods to identify potential antibiotic residues in commercial biosolid fertilizers.
Kelly Rivenbark
Doctoral Student since 2020
Kelly Rivenbark is from Wilmington, North Carolina, and received her BS in Chemistry from King University in 2020. She is a past predoctoral fellow on the Texas A&M University IMSD Training Grant and a University Merit fellow. She is conducting research in the lab of Dr. Tim Phillips where she develops sorbent materials for the remediation of hazardous pollutants from water, soil, and air. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, swimming, and watching movies.
Hannah Roe
Masters Student since 2023
Hannah Roe is from Plano, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2023 with a BS in Forensic and Investigative Sciences (Science Emphasis) and minors in Chemistry and Leadership Studies. During her undergraduate career, she conducted research on volatile organic compound (VOC) monitoring of food waste reduction using black soldier fly larvae at the Forensic Laboratory for Investigative Entomological Sciences (F.L.I.E.S) facility. She also conducted a systematic literature search into VOCs produced during organic matter decomposition and their biochemical origins for her undergraduate thesis. She is a master’s student in Dr. Rusyn’s lab conducting systematic literature searches of regulatory documents and expanding her knowledge of analytical techniques. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, and mentoring middle and high school students at her church.
Mariana Saitas
Doctoral Student since 2021
Mariana Saitas is a Texas A&M PhD Toxicology student from Austin, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Environmental Studies. During her undergraduate career, she interned at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the Toxicology Division as an Environmental Analyst tracking chemicals from Formosa Plastics facilities and air permitting. She is a member of Dr. Natalie Johnson’s lab and during her time here she interned with the Environmental Protection Agency at the Office of Land and Emergency Management and worked on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances focused projects. Her research focuses on the application of mobile monitoring in diverse environments and mixture assessment of volatile organic compounds. She has a passion for traveling, music, and sushi. In her free time, she likes to run on nature trails and spend time with friends and family.
Nadia Samiya
Doctoral Student since 2023
Nadia Samiya is from Allen, TX. She graduated from Austin College in 2018 with a BA in Biology and a minor in Psychology and received her MS in Biology from Tarleton State University in 2021. After graduating she worked as a research associate in Dr. Farida Sohrabji’s lab. Her research focuses on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure in a transgenic F344-AD rat model and investigates how exposure during development impacts aging and cognition. She is a predoctoral fellow in Dr. Rajesh Miranda’s lab, on the Texas A&M University Regulatory Science in Environmental Health and Toxicology Training Grant (T32 ES026568). Outside of academics, she enjoys skiing, traveling, drinking coffee, and spending time with friends and family.
Jesse Sandoval
Masters Student since 2023
Jesse Sandoval was born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Katy, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University and received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics in 2018. As an undergraduate, he performed research for two and a half years with the Center for Chemical Characterization and Analysis (CCCA) lab at Texas A&M where he focused on nanoscale homogeneity analysis by massive cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry. Afterward, he worked for the Office of the Texas State Chemist for 4 years as an analytical chemist performing analysis on food and feeds for vitamins, antibiotics, and toxins. Currently, he is a 1st year MS under the mentorship of Dr. Herrman. In his free time, Jesse likes to play tennis, listen to music, and hang out with friends.
Alexandra (Alex) Svetlik
Doctoral Student since 2021
Alexandra “Alex” Svetlik is from Georgetown, Texas, and graduated from King University in Bristol, Tennessee in 2021. She graduated with a BS in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, whilst playing for King University Women’s Soccer Team. During her time at King University, she spent two years conducting research with C. elegans. Specifically, she investigated the protective effects of nicotine on the neurodegeneration of C. elegans when exposed to the pesticide mancozeb. Alex is conducting research in Natalie Johnson’s lab. Alex’s research focuses on arsenic biomarkers in vulnerable populations: role of bladder and lung-derived extracellular vesicles. In her spare time, Alex likes to watch TV, hang out with friends, read, and continue to play sports such as soccer, tennis, and frisbee golf.
Devin Teri
Doctoral Student since 2022
Devin Teri is a PhD student in the Toxicology program. She is from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 2022 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Mathematics. At Randolph-Macon, she conducted research on a variety of topics including the effect of CBD oils on cytochrome P450s, CBD oil product concentrations, small ketone interactions with snow surfaces, and De Bruijn sequences. Currently, she is a member of Dr. Rusyn’s lab where her projects focus on characterizing petroleum products using various analytical techniques and the creation of a CCS database. In her free time, she enjoys being in nature, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family.
Han-Hsuan (Doris) Tsai, MS
Doctoral Student since 2021
Doris Tsai is a PhD student in the Toxicology program. She is from Taipei, Taiwan and she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Environmental Health from National Taiwan University, and MPH in Epidemiology from Emory University. After graduating, she worked as a researcher in a consulting company of chemical management, Safety and Health Technology Center in Taiwan, to help the industry and governmental sectors properly manage risks from chemical uses/exposures. Her current project in Dr. Rusyn’s lab is to analyze gene expression of chemical exposure in in vitro models. In her free time, she enjoys biking, Pilates, reading novels, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Wai Ning (Tiffany) Tsui
Doctoral Student since 2023
Tiffany is from Hong Kong. She received her B.S. in Animal Science at National Chung Hsing University and graduated from Colorado State University with a M.S. in Toxicology in 2020. She then worked as a research assistant at the Molecular Research and Development Lab, at Kansas State University, focusing on molecular diagnostic assay development and validation. Currently, Tiffany is a Ph.D. student under the guidance of Dr. Safe with her research centers around cancer immunology. In addition to her scientific pursuits, Tiffany is a sports enthusiast. She also has a deep affection for cats and is the proud owner of an incredibly cute and intelligent companion, Leo.
Yu Xi
Doctoral Student since 2020
Yu Xi is a Ph.D. student in the toxicology program. He comes from Taizhou, China. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Nankai University, China. Then he spent three years as a graduate student in Zhejiang University in molecular and cell biology. Now he is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Peng’s lab where he studies how RNA secondary structure is regulated during blood vessel and lymphatic vessel formation. Yu is also working on Cdc42-regulated signal transduction in response to the environmental factors during heart development. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and playing video games with friends.
Postdoctoral Trainees
Danila Cuomo, PhD
Postdoc since 2018
Danila Cuomo received her PhD In Science for Environment and Health from the Università del Sannio in Italy during 2018. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. David Threadgill’s laboratory. Dr. Cuomo’s research is focused on identifying genetic susceptibility loci controlling lead (Pb) distribution and disease responses to early life Pb exposure. Specifically, Dr. Cuomo is interested in how Pb exposure during early life modulates the epigenome to adversely impact subsequent diseases later in life with the goal of identifying biomarkers for those individuals with heightened susceptibility to Pb exposure and intervention studies to reduce the effects of Pb exposure.
Eva Vitucci, PhD
Postdoc since 2022
Eva Vitucci is from Titusville, FL and is a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. Natalie Johnson’s lab. She received her Ph.D. in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Dr. Vitucci’s research focused on developing in vitro models of the human airway and using these models to investigate how exposure to air pollution affects both the directly exposed airway epithelium and the indirectly exposed cells lying below the epithelial layer. Building upon this experience, Dr. Vitucci will investigate how inter-individual differences in children’s airway epithelium enhance their likelihood of developing asthma after exposure to inhaled toxicants and viruses. The overall goal of her research is to improve our understanding of the cellular mechanisms driving air pollution-induced respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Outside of her research interests, she enjoys hiking, running, and enjoying the great outdoors with friends and family.
Gharhett Wyatt
Postdoc since 2022
Garhett Wyatt received his PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University in 2022. He is currently a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Weston Porter’s laboratory. Dr. Wyatt’s dissertation research was focused on the role of Single-minded 2s (SIM2s) in breast cancer progression. He identified a novel role for SIM2s in Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression, and Semaphorin 7a (SEMA7A) expression. Specifically, Dr. Wyatt is interested in determining the relationship between SIM2 and circadian rhythms. Biological clocks play an important role in how organisms adapt to changes in the environment via rhythmic regulation of metabolism and sleep, to name a few. Disruption of these circadian rhythms can result in significant physiological consequences, such as metabolic disorders and increased risk for stroke and cancer. The overall goal of his research is to investigate a potential role for SIM2s to cross-talk with the molecular clock and complement the NIEHS prioritized role in the disruption of circadian rhythms on toxin metabolism, exposure, and disease. Garhett also enjoys outdoor activities with family, watching sports, and country music, and listening to podcasts about a wide array of topics.
Meichen Wang, PhD
Postdoc since 2020
View Dr. Wang’s Superfund Research Center video
Meichen Wang earned a Bachelor of Science from Beijing University of Chemical Technology studying Pharmaceutical Engineering and then began researching at Texas A&M University, where she earned a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Toxicology. She is currently a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. Phillips’ laboratory. Dr. Wang’s research is focused on developing therapeutic strategies using broad-acting sorbents to reduce human and animal exposure to environmental chemicals. Specifically, she is interested in investigating the sorption efficacy and safety of carbon- and clay-based mitigants. Dr. Wang enjoys hiking, running, swimming, and traveling in her free time.