Lab Team

Hazem Abdelaal

Fellow PhD

Hazem got his bachelor’s degrees at Cairo University and his MS at the University of Alexandria, Egypt. He got his PhD in deciphering the virulence mechanisms of Mycobacterial infections at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His interests include developing vaccines and therapeutics against MTC organisms and NTM, and he works to advance diagnostic approaches for early detection of Mycobacterial infections. He has a passion for mentorship and teaching and enjoys photography and hiking.

Sasha (Larsen) Akins

Research Scientist IV

Sasha works to advance therapeutic and vaccine candidates against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in both preclinical and clinical settings. She helps lead clinical trial efforts for an array of known and emerging infectious diseases including SARS-CoV-2.

Susan Baldwin

Research Scientist, Senior

Susan’s interest involve preclinical immunology and the use of adjuvants and adjuvant formulations to induce appropriate innate immunity to steer an effective, adaptive T helper immune response following vaccination against these infectious pathogens.

Bryan Berube

Research Scientist IV

Bryan’s research interests center around host-pathogen interactions and preclinical and clinical development of vaccines and therapeutics to impact human diseases caused by infectious agents.

Bryan Brown

Acting Assistant Professor

Bryan focuses on identifying biomarkers associated with progression to active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. He is also interested in how phages can be used for effective post-exposure prophylaxis to Mycobacteria.

Debora Ferede

Research Technician I

Debora joined the Coler Lab as an undergraduate TRTC TB Scholar in January 2022. She is interested in vaccine development, and addressing distrust in healthcare and medical research among underrepresented populations.

Matthew Harband

Research Technician I

Matthew joined the Coler lab in February 2023. He graduated from the University of Washington in 2021, where he became fascinated with biology and excited by the many ways biologists can make change in the world. Prior to the Coler lab he spent time in the startup world, where the passion and accomplishments of several enterprising biologists helped inspire him to pursue research. He is also an avid outdoorsman and a passionate environmentalist and can often be found in the mountains with his friends.

Rakhi Harne

Fellow PhD

Rakhi received her master of science degree in biotechnology from the University of Pune, India. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Coler Lab, she is working on the analysis of immune responses generated against various infectious pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2 and schistosomiasis. Outside of lab, she loves to spend time with family and friends, try out new restaurants and travel to new cities and parks.

Suhavi Kaur

Research Technician II

Suhavi has a background in preclinical research, specializing in monitoring the effects of test article during administration and in post-mortem tissues. Her passion for vaccine and therapy development originates from her drive to contribute to a more equitable future and society for all.

Khanyisile Kgoadi, PhD

Fellow PhD

Khanyisile received her PhD (Clinical Science and Immunology) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Her BSc degree from the University of Johannesburg and BSc Hons & MSc from the University of Pretoria. Her PhD work elucidated cellular immune mechanisms associated with central nervous system tuberculosis and her postdoc work at Emory University investigated the impact of HIV on human bronchoalveolar lavage responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). She is currently part of the team working on the Immune Mechanisms of Protection Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Centers (IMPAc-TB) in the Coler lab. She is passionate about saving lives, improving health, teaching and mentoring students. She enjoys music, fashion designing, swimming and hiking.

Dana Miller

Research Technician I

Dana joined the Coler Lab in October 2021. She graduated with honors from Arizona State University in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in applied biological sciences and a goal to work in biological research. Her interests include novel therapeutic development and improving therapeutic outcomes for high-risk individuals with MTb. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing tabletop role-playing games with friends and spending time with her family.

Deepika Nag

Fellow PhD

Deepika got her Ph.D. in Microbiology from CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource & Technology and Guru Nanak Dev University, India. Her research interest focuses on the development of advance therapeutics and vaccines against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M.tb, in preclinical and clinical settings. Apart from research, she enjoys yoga, meditation, painting, and hiking.

Tiffany Pecor-Korman

Research Associate III

Tiffany is our resident expert at ELISAs and has helped create an ELISA SOP in our lab to test for antibodies against SARS-CoV2. Tiffany also does much of the ordering and scheduling in the lab along with writing IACUC amendments.

Valerie Reese

Research Associate III

Valerie has contributed assays for a clinical trial of the ID93+GLA-SE vaccine developed in large part by Dr. Coler. She looks forward to an improved tuberculosis vaccine preventing the large burden that TB imposes on the world.

Thomas Smytheman

Research Technician II

Thomas studied genetic epilepsy disorders with the Kalume Lab at Seattle Children’s Research Institute while earning his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Washington. Now, in the Coler Lab, he is interested in vaccine development and testing in the hopes of improving global health outcomes for children.

Brittany Williams

Graduate Student

Brittany is a graduate research assistant in the pathobiology PhD program. Brittany received her BS in molecular and cellular biology at the University of Arizona. Her work in the lab focuses on TB co-infections, immunopathology, and vaccine development.

Zhiyi Zhu

Research Scientist II

Zhiyi focuses on qualified and validated Pseudo-neutralization and Plaque Reduction Neutralization Titer assays against SAR-CoV2 for clinical trials. He is also interested in vaccine development against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria through the discovery of new candidate antigens and delivery to induce robust and effective immune responses.