Our Team
Dr. Walker is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at UTHealth Houston’s McGovern Medical School. Dr. Walker joined the department in 2019. Her research focuses on understanding the host-pathogen-device mechanisms that dictate chronic disease outcomes.
Dr. Walker is a recipient of the Texas Rising STAR award (2019).
Email: Jennifer.N.Walker@uth.tmc.edu
Office Number: 713-500-5428.
Jesus M. Duran Ramirez, MPH, ALAT
Jesus obtained his B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University at Galveston. There he worked on his undergraduate research project funded by the Texas Sea Grant and the ACES program.
Jesus worked as assistant laboratory animal technician for CLAMC at UTHealth. There he gained animal handling and care experience.
Jesus completed his MPH in Epidemiology at UT Health School of Public Health and is now pursuing his PhD at the UT Health MD Anderson Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Email: jesus.m.duranramirez@uth.tmc.edu
Office number: 713-500-5520
Jana Gomez, M.S.
Jana Gomez is a PhD student at the UT Health MD Anderson Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She completed her B.S. degree in Biomedical Sciences and her M.S. degree in Microbiology at Texas A&M University at College Station. Her research interests include microbiology and infectious diseases
Shane Cristy, M.S.
Shane Cristy is a PhD Candidate at the UTHealth MD Anderson Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He completed his B.S. degree in Biochemistry from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas and his M.S. Degree in Biomedical Sciences at the UTHealth MD Anderson Graduate School, Houston, Texas. His research interests include Candida biofilm formation, antifungal drug discovery, and fungal genetics.
Carlos Amaya Vargas, undergraduate research technician
Carlos Amaya Vargas is an undergraduate student at San Jacinto College, Class of 2028, pursuing a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Kinesiology. He aspires to attend medical school and become a sports medicine physician, dedicated to helping athletes of all ages heal, recover, and return to peak performance following musculoskeletal injuries.
Former Lab Members
Ryan Allen (Summer 2025)
Ryan Allen is an undergraduate student of microbiology at Washington University in St. Louis. His research interests include infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
Ender Volkan, PhD (2022-2023)
Ender Volkan was born and raised on the island of Cyprus. She received her BSc in Biology (major) and Chemistry (minor) at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. She received her PhD in Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis from Washington University in St. Louis in the laboratory of Scott Hultgren. Her PhD thesis focused on dissecting the mechanisms associated with Chaperone Usher Pilus biogenesis in Uropathogenic E. coli. Her current research work focuses on COVID-19 responses in Cyprus as well as investigation of endemic resources from Cyprus as potential anticancer and antibacterial tools. She has worked as the Vice Dean of the Cyprus International University Faculty of Pharmacy and chaired the departments of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. She worked with Dr. Jen Walker at UTHealth as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar to evaluate the Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Endemic/Non-Endemic Plant Species of Cyprus on Drug Resistant Clinical Bacterial Isolates.
Kaushani Das Biswas, MPH (Fall 2024, Spring 2025)
Kismely Castillo-Dilone, BS (Summer 2024)
Maristhela Alvarez, BS (Summer 2023)
Taha Isa, BS (2021-2023)
Tayler Hunter, BS (2021-2023)
Mikaela Daum, BS (Summer 2021)
Aayush Purohit, BS (Summer 2020)
