Meet the Team

  • Valerie O'Brien

    Valerie P. O'Brien, Ph.D.

    Lab Director

    Post Doc, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Salama Lab)

    Ph.D., Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Washington University in St. Louis (Hultgren & Lewis Labs)

  • Rayna Bandy

    Graduate Student, MCMP

    M.S., Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center

    B.S., Chemistry, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

  • Lehao Wu

    Graduate Student, MCMP

    M.S., Pharmacology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

    B.S., Pharmacy, Shandong University, China

  • Image of Xuyao

    Xuyao (Yvonne) Zhao

    Graduate Student, MCMP

    M.S., Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California

    B.Agr., Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University

  • Farhat Firdous, Ph.D.

    Postdoctoral Research Associate

    Ph.D., Chemistry, Lahore University of Management Sciences

    M.Phil., Biochemistry, University of Punjab

    B.S., Biochemistry, Lahore College for Women University

  • Jennifer Sturgis

    Jennifer Sturgis

    Lab Manager

    B.S., Molecular Biology, Purdue University

  • Nick Wojcicki II

    Lab Technician

    B.S., Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology, Purdue University

  • Rachel Rudnicki

    Undergraduate Researcher

    B.S., Health and Disease, Purdue University, anticipated Spring 2026