Dr. Kalan’s favorite part about her job is being able to work with everyone in the lab and having the ability to answer questions from multiple perspectives through computational methods and in the wet lab.

Dr. Kalan has always been interested in microbial interactions. During part of her PhD work she studied how antibiotics are made in the environment. She first got exposed to the field of microbiology as an undergraduate student at the University of Alberta in Canada. Dr. Kalan has always been interested in science but was unsure of what field she wanted to specialize in until she took a microbiology class and became fascinated with the subject.

Dr. Kalan’s advice to her younger self:

“Don’t worry too much about your future career, everything will work out in the end. As an undergraduate student, she worried about what to do next and as a result, tried many different things like working in a biotech company before graduate school to explore her interests and an internship with an individual to expose herself to different careers”.

Things Dr. Kalan would bring to a deserted island:

1. A fishing rod to catch food
2. Books to pass time
3. A water filter to stay hydrated

When Dr. Kalan is not working in the lab, she likes to travel and experience new cultures. One of her favorite places that she has been to is Indonesia. She enjoyed the positive and upbeat culture and how she could hike one-day and scuba dive the next day, she also liked exploring different restaurants in Indonesia. In her free time, she also likes to go on walks or runs for exercise and play with her kids.

Thy is a graduate student in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program interested in microbial interactions. She grew up in Arkansas and received her BS in Biochemistry from the University of Texas – Dallas.

Rauf is interested in evolutionary inference of factors underlying microbial community dynamics and constituent interactions. Specifically, he uses genomics to study the diversity, evolutionary trends and spatial distribution of biosynthetic gene clusters of bacterial species commonly found in healthy skin microbiomes.

Sherrie is an undergraduate student majoring in molecular and cell biology (University of Wisconsin) interested in microbial interactions. She is a pre-med student, who currently wants to pursue medicine as a future career path.

Kayla is an undergraduate student majoring in microbiology (University of Wisconsin). She likes to learn more about microorganisms and how they can impact society.

Nikola completed her BSc (Honours, Co-operative Education) from the University of Guelph in 2019 with a specialization in microbiology. She worked under the supervision of Dr. Nicole Ricker for her master’s degree in Pathobiology, which she completed in 2022. After working as a laboratory technician for her previous supervisor for a few months, Nikola joined the Kalan lab in September 2022.

Nikola’s favorite part of her job is being able to remain in academia and perform research while also building her professional skills in a managerial role. She also enjoys how the members of the Kalan lab come from diverse backgrounds with different areas of specialization, so she is exposed to many new research techniques. Nikola also loves training and getting to know the undergraduate students who come into the lab, and strives to ensure that their first experiences in a research lab are positive. She promises to try to keep her mother henning to a minimum.

When Nikola was in high school, she was fascinated to learn about the millions of molecular processes that are constantly occurring in cells. She wanted to understand how researchers came to the conclusions she was reading in her textbooks. Her interest in molecular and cellular biology led to her interest in bacteria, and she never looked back!

Nikola would like to tell the undergraduate version of herself:

“Invest more time in hobbies and courses that make you happy – you have so many resources in university to explore areas you are interested in and meet new people. Not everything you do needs to contribute directly to your end goal.”

If brought to a stranded island, Nikola would bring:

1. Snacks,
2. Sunscreen, so she could relax in the sand without burning,
3. A satellite phone, so she could call for help when her snacks/sunscreen run out and end her impromptu beach vacation

Outside of the lab Nikola likes to bake, although she hates washing dishes. She enjoys exercising and likes to try different classes – her favorite so far has been kickboxing! In her downtime, Nikola is likely taking a nap or cuddling with her cat, or both at once.

Owen’s favourite part of the job is the opportunity to explore new and exciting topics that are on the forefront of current research. Being able to look where no one has before in search of new ideas is not a chance everyone gets!

Owen became more and more interested in microbiology as he progressed through his undergraduate degree. He was impressed with how much of an effect microbes themselves and the compounds they produce have on almost every facet of our lives.

A piece of advice Owen would give his younger self:

Always seek new opportunities. It may seem scary, but trying something different can lead to some very fun and interesting experiences!

If brought to a deserted island, Owen would bring

1.  An e-reader loaded with as many books as it can fit.
2.  Flint and steel for lighting a fire.
3.  A Hawaiian sling and goggles for catching fish.

Outside of lab, Owen loves rock climbing, reading, and bookbinding!