Embedded Files
Leonor García-Bayona, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
Leonor grew up in Bogota, Colombia and completed her Chemical Engineering and Microbiology undergraduate studies at the University of the Andes. During her doctoral work in the lab of Michael Laub at MIT, she acquired a strong background in bacterial genetics, physiology, genomics and interbacterial antagonism. She then became a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Laurie Comstock, first at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School and later at the University of Chicago. In the Comstock lab, Leonor trained in intestinal anaerobe microbiology, advanced microscopy and bioinformatics. Leonor is deeply committed to promoting access for all to STEM.
Nathania Said, B.S.
Life Science Research Professional
Teni Shosanya, B.S.
Life Science Research Professional
Kate Schubert, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Kate graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology with a designated emphasis in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology. Kate is passionate about microbial genetics and is currently working to characterize novel plasmids that naturally circulate in the human intestinal microbiota. She is broadly interested in understanding how differences in human lifestyle impact the biology of these plasmids and the evolution of the human microbiota. When she’s not in the lab, Kate enjoys reading Sci-Fi novels, gardening, hanging out with her cats, and exploring nature!
Thao Pham, B.S.
Gnotobiotic Specialist
Andrea Carroll, B.S.
Ph.D. Student, Microbiology and Immunology
Andrea joined the lab in 2025 as a Ph.D. student in the department of Microbiology and Immunology. Born and raised in Washington, she graduated from Seattle University with a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology where she studied the population genetics and evolution of freshwater green algae with Dr. Michael Zanis. She then worked as a technician in Dr. Harmit Malik’s Lab at the Fred Hutch Research Center investigating genetic conflict and rapid evolution at the centromere in Drosophila. This fascination with genetic drivers of evolution and her interest in microbial communities lead her to join the Garcia-Bayona lab where she is excited to uncover how plasmids shape microbial ecology in the gut.
Outside of lab, Andrea enjoys connecting with nature through hiking and camping, spending time on her many half-finished art projects, and treating herself with reality TV.
Sayde Perry, M. Sc.
Ph.D. Student, Microbiology and Immunology
Sayde joined the lab in 2025 as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. She is co-mentored by Dr. Ami Bhatt. She graduated from Pomona College in 2022, where she studied how Vibrio cholerae persists both in the environment and the human host. During that time, she became fascinated by phage–bacteria arms races and how they shape microbial evolution and disease dynamics. After college, Sayde received a Fulbright Scholarship to work at the Becky Mayer Centre for Phage Research in the UK, where she investigated lytic phages that infect and replicate within dormant bacteria. These experiences sparked her broader interest in microbial ecology and horizontal gene transfer, which now motivates her current goals to understand what makes highly prevalent mobile genetic elements so successful, particularly in the context of the gut microbiome.
Outside the lab, Sayde enjoys walking, knitting, being outdoors, grocery shopping, and sending mail!
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse