Monica Mugnier, Principal Investigator

Monica joined the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2016 as faculty in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. She completed her PhD at Rockefeller University in Nina Papavasiliou's lab, where she developed VSG-seq, an approach for measuring VSG expression in T. brucei populations in vivo. When she's not in the lab, she likes to hang out with her animals, Bailey and Odie. 

Jaime So, PhD Student

Jaime received her B.S. in Microbiology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and completed her Master’s at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Monica Mugnier’s lab, where she worked on optimizing methods for sequencing trypanosomes in host tissues. She is now a PhD student in the Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology program and has returned to the lab to study antibody responses to VSG. Outside of the lab, Jaime enjoys exploring the outdoors and browsing farmers’ markets.

LuLu Singer, PhD Student

Lulu is a PhD student in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology program. She received her BS in Biology from George Mason University, where she became interested in neglected tropical diseases and host-pathogen interactions. Outside of lab, she enjoys crocheting, ice cream, and walks around Patterson Park.

Olivia Tea, ScM Student

Olivia is a master’s student in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. She received her B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from UC Irvine in 2024, where she investigated anti-microbial resistance in S. maltophilia and T. gondii. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, watching netflix dramas and playing games!

Zach Brown, ScM Student

Zach is a master’s student in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology program. He received his B.A. in Biology and History from McDaniel college. Outside of school and lab, he enjoys reading classic novels, watching sports, and documentaries.

Saruul Zorigt, ScM Student

Saruul is a master’s student in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology program. She received her B.S. in Biology from NYU Abu Dhabi in 2024, where she became interested in genetics, microbiology, and host-parasite interactions. When Saruul isn’t in the lab, she likes reading, hiking, and cooking with friends

Dharani Moorthy, Undergrad

Dharani is an undergraduate student at JHU studying Molecular and Cellular Biology. Outside of the lab, he likes playing soccer, biking with friends, exploring museums (especially science museums!), and trying different restaurants and cuisines. He hopes to go to medical school after college and eventually live in New York City.

Bob Gilman

Bob is a professor in the Department of International Health and our collaborator for all of our T. cruzi projects. In his free time, he enjoys trying to convince the entire Mugnier lab to study Chagas disease.

Sneider Gutierrez, Postdoc

Sneider obtained his Ph.D. in Biology in Colombia at the Universidad de Antioquia. He is interested in integrating wet lab techniques with bioinformatic analysis to explore gene expression mechanisms in trypanosomatids. Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, whether it's sharing beers, snacks, or engaging in fun conversations.

Caroline Duque, MD/PhD Student

Carolina is a MD/PhD student in the Pathobiology program. She received a B.S in Biological Science from Cornell University s in 2018. Carolina is interested in studying the host-pathogen interplay of parasitic infections. In her free time she likes hiking, spending time with friends/family and travelling.

Jill Hakim, PhD Student

Jill is a PhD student in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology program. She received a BA from Johns Hopkins in public health, and an MPH in molecular epidemiology from the University of Michigan. Jill is interested in studying pathogen biology and neglected tropical diseases and in her free time likes reading and playing video games with friends.

Jane Dawson, ScM Student

Jane is a master’s student in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology department. While completing her BA at Smith College, she became interested in parasitic neglected tropical diseases and gene regulation. Outside the lab, she enjoys running, fencing, reading, and cooking.