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, MS
TBD
Former Lab Members
Kismely Castillo-Dilone (Summer 2024)
Kismely Castillo Dilone is an undergraduate student at the University of Houston-Downtown, Class of 2024, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Microbiology. She has previous research experience implementing genetic approaches to generate screening data for Drosophila behaviors, working as a research assistant at UHD. She was awarded the Joan S. Abramowicz Undergraduate Research Scholarship to participate in the 2024 Microbiology Summer Undergraduate Research Program (MicroSURP), where she conducted research in the Walker lab. Her interests in neuroscience and microbiology have driven her academic and research pursuits.
Tayler Hunter
Tayler graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and majored in Molecular Cell Biology (Neurobiology emphasis) and Business Administration. She has previous research experience in behavioral science and neuroscience. She also held a research position at the University of California, Berkeley working in chemical engineering. Her interests include infectious diseases, climate change, and transformative medicine. She participated in the McGovern Medical School Summer Research Program for Undergraduates (Micro-SURP) in 2022 in the Walker Lab.
Ender Volkan, PhD
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.
Maristhela Alvarez (Summer 2023)
Mari Alvarez was a MicroSURP student in the Walker lab, who received the Abramowitz Fellowship for summer undergraduate research.
Taha Isa
Taha graduated from the University of Houston. He was a Pre-Medicine student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Biology. Taha has a variety of clinical experience and is involved in minority group relief volunteering. His interests include Neuroscience, immunology, and interested in studying host-pathogen interactions to help develop antibiotic-sparing treatment for common post-operational infections.
Mikaela Daum(Summer 2021)
Mikaela graduated from Texas Tech University (May 2022) and majored in Microbiology. She is interested in pathogenic microbiology and how host-microbe interactions on the molecular level lead to infection. She joined us during her time as part of the McGovern Medical School Summer Research Program for Undergraduates (Micro-SURP) and the GradSURP programs.
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Aayush Purohit (Summer 2020)
Aayush graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill majoring in Biology (Quantitative Biology track) and Statistics. His research interests are in immunology and pharmacology, particularly with host-pathogen interactions and their impacts on the immune response.
