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Current Lab Members

Karr Lab Dec 2021 (L to R: David Dinh, Dr. Karr, Selena Yaghoubi)

Selena Yaghoubi, M. Sc.

Selena is a Ph.D. candidate in the lab. She started in the lab in the Fall of 2019 and passed her general exam, and became a Ph.D. Candidate in Spring 2022. Selena received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida Gainesville. She received her Master’s in Microbiology in Spring of 2022.

Specialized Training, Awards, and Funding while in the Karr Lab:

2023 ASM Future Leaders Mentoring Fellowship, ASM Microbe, June 2023
2023 Hollingsworth Family Endowed Scholarship, Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences
2022 Louis Pfeister Scholarship, OU
2021 Provost’s Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Fall Semester, OU

Arabella Martin

Arabella is a sophomore microbiology major. She started in the lab in the Fall of 2022. She plans to complete her Honors Research after a few semesters of getting used to the lab.

*Karr Lab FALL 2019 (L to R) Selena Yaghoubi, Zane Mills, Dr. Karr, David Dinh, Rohan Moghe, Vy Dinh*

2021lab — Pandemic Era Karr Lab Photo (2020/2021)

Former Lab Members

David Dinh, M.Sc., Ph.D.

David defended his Ph.D. on November 29, 2022. He started in the lab in the Fall of 2016. David has an M.Sc. in Biology from Cal State Fullerton.

Specialized Training, awards, and funding while in the Karr Lab:

2021-2022 Robert E. and Mary B. Sturgis Award
2020-2021 David C. Steed (Dodge Family College of Arts & Sciences) Scholarship
2020/2021 RapiData at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory “Data Collection & Structure Solving: A Practical Course in Macromolecular X-Ray Diffraction Measurement”
2020 Robberson & Wethington Scholarship for prestigious training at another institution, OU
2020 Provost’s Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, OU
2018 Graduate Student Teaching Excellence Award, Department of Microbiology & Plant Biology, OU
2016 Provost’s Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Fall Semester, OU

Rohan Moghe

An OU undergraduate in Microbiology. He participated in the FYRE research program during the Spring semester of his Freshman year (Spring 2018) and completed his honors research project in the Fall of 2019. Currently in Medical School

Vy Dinh

An OU undergraduate in Microbiology. She began working in the lab in the Summer of 2018 and completed her honors thesis in the Fall of 2019.

Zane Mills

An M.Sc. student in the lab in the Fall of 2019. Zane received his undergraduate degree from UCLA. Zane left the lab to start dental school at OU.

Eric Moore

An OU undergraduate student that participated in the FYRE research program during Spring 2019. Eric began his Ph.D. studies in GPIBS program at OU HSC in Fall 2022.

Makenzie Bender

Undergraduate researcher 2017-2018. Makenzie is currently a Microbiology instructor at OU and is pursuing medical school.

Dominic Cortassa

Senior Thesis, 2017-2018. Dominic is currently working as a research technician in OKC and is in dental school.

Riya Koshy

NSF REU in Structural Biology Student, Summer 2017. Riya is currently in medical school.

Catherine Bishop-Isom, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher 2013-2017
Cat has worked in the biotech industry and academy. She is currently working as an Intro Biology lab instructor while pursuing a degree in licensed professional counseling.

Kristen Shelton, M.Sc.

Karr Lab Fall 2016 (L to R) Melissa Chanderban, Vy Trinh, Kristen Shelton, Dr. Karr, Cat Isom, Kylie Gilcrest, David Dinh, Jamarco

Master’s Student 2014-2017.
Currently a Microbiology Lecturer at OU and in a doctoral program in ILAC with a focus in STEM education.

Thesis title: “Exploration of the vinyl-4-reductase effector domain of the methanogen-specific transcription regulator, MsvR, in Methanosarcina acetivorans

Melissa Chanderban

Undergraduate Honors Research/Senior Thesis and LSAMP scholar. 2014-2017
Melissa received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas beginning in August 2017. She successfully defended her dissertation in Fall 2022 and is working in an industry postdoc position.

Jamarco Prim

High School Senior Shadowing in the Lab, 2016-2017. Jamarco will be attending OU in the fall.

Vy Trinh, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher, 2015-2017
Vy went on to run the Microbiology Prep Center at OU. She is currently working for Cytovance Biologics in OKC.

Kylie Gilcrest, M.Sc.

Karr Lab Fall 2015 (L to R) Melissa Chanderban, Jack Lee, Vy Trinh, Dr. Karr, Kristen Shelton, Cat Isom, and Kylie Gilcrest

Master’s Student, 2014-2016.
Currently working in the biotech industry.

“Substitutional analysis of cysteine residues and preliminary regulon analysis of the redox-sensing transcription regulator MsvR in Methanosarcina acetivorans”

Krutik Soni

Undergraduate Research, Summer 2016

Hannah Malone

NSF REU in Structural Biology Student, Summer 2016

Moriah Cheng

Honor’s College FYRE program student, Spring 2016

Jack Lee

Graduate Research Assistant, 2015-2016, Non-thesis Master’s. Jack is working as a sales representative for a scientific instrumentation company.

Karr Lab Fall 2014 (L to R) Cat Isom, Kristen Shelton, Dr. Karr, Kylie Gilcrest, Melissa Chanderban

Gabriel Dunbar

NSF REU in Structural Biology Student, Summer 2015

Megan Folkerts, M.Sc.

Research Scientist, February 2013-Sept 2014
Currently a Research Associate II at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Flagstaff, AZ.

Alyssa Grossen, M.D.

Undergraduate Honors Research, Master’s Research, August 2012-May 2014
Completed Medical School in Spring of 2018 and is currently a medical resident at OU Medical Center

Lillian Flannigan

Undergraduate Honors Research, August 2013-May 2014
Completed a Master’s in Public Health & Epidemiology at Emory University, 2017. Lillian has completed medical school and is currently a pediatric resident.

Fall 2013 (L to R): Alyssa Grossen, Kristen Shelton, Cat Isom, Dr. Karr, and Megan Folkerts (not pictured: Lilly Flannigan)

Jenny Perry, M.D.

Undergraduate Honors Research, August 2012-May 2013
Completed Medical School in Spring 2018

Rachel Wilson

Undergraduate Honors Research, June 2012-December 2012
Completed Medical School in Spring 2018

Patrick Block, M.D.

Undergraduate Honors Research, January 2012-December 2012
Began Medical School Fall 2014

Spring 2013 (L to R) Jenny Perry, Cat Isom, Alyssa Grossen, Dr. Karr, Megan Folkerts

Julianne Bonifield

Undergraduate Honors Research, August 2011-May 2012
Began Pharmacy School in Fall 2013

Jessica Turner Harper, M.Sc., P.A.

Master’s Student, August 2009- December 2011
Undergraduate Research, June 2008-July 2009
Completed the OU Physician Assistant Program Dec 2014

Thesis Title: “Mutational analysis of key amino acids within the vinyl-4-reductase domain of the redox-sensing transcriptional regulator, MsvR”

Chrystle McAndrews

Graduate Research Assistant, August 2009-July 2011

Fall 2012 – (L to R) Jenny Perry, Patrick Block, Alyssa Grossen, Dr. Karr, Rachel Wilson, and Cat Isom

Ashley Robbins, M.D.

Undergraduate Honors Research, January 2008-2011
Worked for Teva Pharmaceuticals
Completed Medical School in Spring 2018

Namisha Thapa, M.D.

Undergraduate Honors Research, March 2010-March 2011
Completed Medical School in Spring 2017

Chelsea House

Undergraduate Honors Research, August 2010-March 2011

Marika Sauter, O.D.

Undergraduate Honors Research, September 2008- May 2009
Completed Optometry School at U. of Houston

Shaer Islam

Undergraduate Senior Thesis, June 2008 – December 2008
Completed a Master’s Degree in Microbiology at Southern Illinois University

Anbu Chellam Vijay

Undeclared Graduate Student, Summer 2010

Evan Francis

Independent Study, August 2009- December 2009