Mitchell Lab

Lab Members

The Mitchell lab is recruiting. Positions for researchers at various career stages are now available as well as places for undergrad interns. Please visit the Join section to read more.

Amir Mitchell, PI.

I'm an associate professor in the Program of Systems Biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. I started my career in the interdisciplinary program at Tel-Aviv university majoring in Biology and Computer Science. I later move to the Weizmann Institute of Science and did my PhD research at Yitzhak Pilpel's lab where I explored how microorganisms can evolve to anticipate sequential changes in their environment analogous to classical Pavlovian Conditioning. Being fascinated with the synergistic potential of combining experimental and theoretical approaches I moved to Wendell Lim's lab at UCSF for my postdoctoral studies. During my postdoc my research there focused on identifying failure points in cell regulatory networks. This work uncovered resonance-like phenomenon in cell response to osmotic challenges. Currently I am heading a Systems Biology lab that is focusing on the Host-Drug-Microbiome interactions and the emergent properties of this complex system.

Serkan Sayin, Postdoc

I have received my B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey. Then, I moved to Germany to pursue my M.Sc. degree in Life and Medical Sciences at the University of Bonn. There, I focused on genome engineering of macrophages by CRISPR/Cas9 to study long range DNA interactions. I am a graduate student in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology program of Umass Medical School. I joined Mitchell lab as their first PhD Student in 2017 to perform my thesis research. My project here focuses on evolution of tumor bacteria against anti-cancer therapies and exploring effects of evolved bacteria on outcomes of the therapy. Besides my academic life, I enjoy traveling to places with good electronic music.

Brittany Rosener, Postdoc

I graduated from Clemson University with a B.Sc. in Genetics and a B.Sc. in Mathematics. At Clemson, I gained five years of genetics and bioinformatics research experience in inherited canine diseases and human cancer transcriptomics. Now, I am a graduate student in the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program at UMass Medical School. I joined the Mitchell Lab in 2018 and am interested in studying bacterial effects on cancer progression and treatment. I am exploring the complex interactions between the human microbiome and chemotherapeutic drugs. Apart from research, I enjoy fencing, food, D&D, and dog show competitions.

Mariana Noto, PhD student

I graduated from the University of Buenos Aires with a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Molecular Biology. In Dr. Adali Pecci’s lab, my undergraduate thesis focused on studying the role of the glucocorticoid and the liver X receptors in the modulation of inflammation. Currently, I am a graduate student in the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology program at UMass Medical School. I joined the Mitchell lab where I’m using a genomic approach to uncover the metabolic interactions in microbial communities. I am also working with Brittany to systematically understand the impact of host-targeted drugs on bacterial growth. When I’m not in the lab, I love to spend my time dancing or climbing.

Emily Lowry, PhD student

I graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with a B.A. in Biology and a minor in Italian. At F&M, I worked with Dr. Stephanie Stoehr studying the effects of iron and acetaminophen on hepatotoxicity in zebrafish embryos. After graduating, I worked as a technician in the Mitsiades Lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with Dr. Michal Sheffer studying tumor resistance and sensitivity to natural killer cells. Currently, I am a graduate student at Umass Medical School in the Cancer Biology program. I joined the Mitchell Lab in 2020, where I work on bacteria-tumor interactions and cancer cell adaptation in response to targeted therapies. Specifically, I am focused on a bacterial toxin and how it contributes to colorectal cancer. Outside of the lab I am usually reading, painting, cooking, or hiking.

Sydney Schock, PhD student

I graduated from Lafayette College in 2020 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Mathematics. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in Dr. Justin Hines’s biochemistry lab studying yeast prion-chaperone protein interactions. I am now a graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Program at UMass Medical School and have recently joined the Mitchell Lab. I am currently utilizing high-throughput screens to produce novel mathematical models of drug-microbe interactions. In my spare time, you can probably find me playing with my cat, baking macarons, or exploring New England.

Carmen Li, PhD student

I graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and a B.A. in Biology. Post graduation, I worked as a research assistant in the Santagata Lab in Brigham and Women's Hospital studying stress responses in cancer development and progression. Afterwards, I worked as a research associate at First Light Diagnostics developing a diagnostic for pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility. Currently, I am a graduate student in the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program at UMass Chan Medical School. I have recently joined the Mitchell Lab where I am working to understand the impact of host-targeted drugs on the antimicrobial resistance of bacteria. Outside the lab, I enjoy making pottery, watching kdramas, and eating good food with friends.

Michelle A. Narvaez Ramos, MD-PhD Student

I graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez in 2021 with a B.S. in Industrial Microbiology. As an undergrad, I worked in Dr. Miguel Castro’s lab studying H2S nanoparticles as a potential selective therapy for melanoma in-vitro. I also participated in summer internship experiences during my college years at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Vanderbilt University and MIT. Now as an MD-PhD student, I am interested in exploring new approaches to combat antibiotic resistance. Outside of science and medicine, I like to cook, walk my friends dogs and watch TikToks. 

Past lab members

Payam Khoshkenar / Research Associate 2017-2019

Nicholas Vecchietti / Research Associate 2016-2017

Fang Xie / Postdoc 2017

PAST lab INTERNS

Jacob Furman / undergrad intern 2023

Keona Burch / high-school intern 2023

Haroon Qureshi / undergrad intern 2020

Anastatia Thompson / undergrad intern 2019

Haylea Tricia Northcott / WPI undergrad (MQP) 2019

Amanda Wylie Moulaison / WPI undergrad (MQP) 2019

Esther Rodeman / undergrad intern 2018

Sarah Akbar / high-school intern 2018

Andrea Karduss / WPI undergrad (MQP) 2018

Shaimae Elhajjajy / WPI undergrad (MQP) 2018

Jackson Coole / undergrad intern 2017

Kush Patel / high-school intern 2017