Second-year Ph.D. students join research labs

Posted on September 10, 2026

At the end of their first year of studies, students in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program choose a major professor who will mentor them throughout the program. This selection also determines the students’ program track affiliation. At the beginning of their second year, they join the labs with which they “matched,” and this lab home is where they will conduct research for their dissertation through graduation.

Below are five second-year Ph.D. students who have joined research labs:

Catherine Bostwick
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
Education: B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology, Pensacola Christian College
BMS track and faculty mentor: Neuroscience, Dr. Mike Lin
Research focus: Alzheimer's disease, pneumonia and its relation to cognitive deficits
Why did you choose to join this lab? I knew I wanted to do something with Alzheimer's disease, and this lab had a project available that allowed me to work on a similar topic. I also loved the people I got to work with and the lab environment. They are very supportive and helpful, while also pushing me to do my best and work my hardest.

Stefan Bourgeois
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
Education: B.S. in Biomedical science, B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science
BMS track and faculty mentor: Cancer Biology, Dr. Aishwarya Prakash
Research focus: Classifying variants of unknown significance for the DNA mismatch repair protein PMS2
Why did you choose to join this lab: The first thing that drew me to the Prakash lab was how much I genuinely enjoyed being around the people in the lab and the overall atmosphere. After my initial meeting and as I continued talking with Dr. Prakash, I realized that her mentoring approach would be particularly beneficial to my scientific development and long-term career goals.

Ahmed Garba
Hometown: Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
Education: DVM, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria; M.S., Medical/Veterinary Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
BMS track and faculty mentor: Infectious Disease and Host Defense, Meghan Hermance, Ph.D
Research focus: Understanding how persistence of the Rickettsia buchneri endosymbiont influences Powassan virus replication and vector competence in Ixodes scapularis.
Why did you choose to join this lab: I chose the Hermance Lab because its research closely aligns with my interests in emerging tick-borne viruses, vector competence, and the biological factors that influence pathogen transmission. I was particularly drawn to the lab's use of tick–host–virus models to investigate how ticks acquire, maintain, and transmit arboviruses such as Powassan virus. The lab's strong emphasis on BSL-3/ACL-3 research with emerging arboviruses was also especially appealing, given my previous experience and continued interest in high-containment research. In addition, I was already familiar with the lab culture and research direction through my experience as a research technologist for approximately two years, which further reinforced my decision to join the lab.

Sergio Guerrero
Hometown: Barranquilla, Colombia
Education: B.Sc. in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Jacksonville State University
BMS track and faculty mentor: Cardiovascular Lung Biology, Dr. Thiago Bruder
Research focus: I am focused on how endothelial cells can react to challenging environments like hypertension and are able to rearrange their physical shape to sense blood flow and have proper relaxation for smooth muscle cell vasodilation.
Why did you choose to join this lab? I joined this lab because I enjoyed its nourishing and welcoming culture. I felt I could discuss science openly without fear of being wrong. In the Bruder lab we teach and help each other and I wanted to be part of a group where I enjoy working for the next three years.

Elisa Pizzocaro
Hometown: Pavia, Italy
Education: B.S. in biology, Southern Utah University
BMS track and faculty mentor: Microbiology and Immunology, Dr. Timothy Casselli
Research focus: Type I Interferon in Lyme Neuroborreliosis
Why did you choose to join this lab? I chose this lab because I wanted to be in a supportive environment where I could learn and grow. Everyone is always willing to help, answer questions, and share their knowledge, which makes it easy to learn something new every day.