Matt Barber
Associate Professor of Biology
Member, Institute of Ecology and Evolution
he/him | mfbarber[at]uoregon.edu
CV
Matt grew up in the United States and Japan before completing his undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology at Colgate University. He then earned his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Stanford University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with Nels Elde at the University of Utah studying the evolution of bacterial-host interactions. He opened his lab as an Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon in 2016. Outside of lab Matt enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and exploring the Oregon outdoors.
Titas Sil
Ph.D. Student
Molecular Biology and Biophysics Training Grant Fellow
she/her | tsil[at]uoregon.edu
Titas is from India, where she completed her Bachelor’s and Masters’s studies as the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal with a Biology major. Her Master’s project with Dr. Vineet K. Sharma focused on the interactions between skin microbes and metabolites. Currently as a Ph.D. student at the University of Oregon, she is exploring conflicts between hosts and microbes over nutrient metals. In her free time Titas likes to cook, watch/read thriller series, photographing nature, and plan for trips in upcoming vacations.
Kendal Tinney
Ph.D. Student
Genetics Training Grant Fellow
she/her, they/them | ktinney[at]uoregon.edu
Kendal grew up off of Lake Michigan in Holland, Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University, where she worked in the lab of Dr. Kristin Parent. Here she used phage hunting to identify novel Shigella bacteriophages and investigated the molecular interactions of phage tail attachment to their host. Kendal is a graduate student in the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, and is interested in the evolution of microbe-parasite interactions. In her spare time, Kendal enjoys doing crafts, baking, and spending time outdoors either climbing or snowboarding.
Katy Bunn
Postdoctoral Fellow
she/her | kbunn[at]uoregon.edu
Katy grew up in Tennessee before completing her undergraduate degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in immunology in Heather Pua’s lab at Vanderbilt University. Her thesis work identified a role for T cell extracellular vesicles in promoting eosinophil survival during allergic lung inflammation. As a postdoc in the Barber Lab, she is interested in the evolution of eosinophil granule proteins and granulocyte receptors. In her free time, Katy enjoys walking with her dog, reading, and starting (but rarely finishing) needlepoint crafts.
Grace Schulte
Undergraduate Student
Grace grew up in San Diego, and is currently working towards an undergraduate degree with a major in Biochemistry and minor in English. Her interests include bacteria-host interactions, microbiology, and viruses. As a Clark Honors College student, she is working on her thesis in the Barber lab exploring how S. aureus strains are susceptible to phage infection given changes in host nutrient conditions. In her spare time Grace enjoys baking, crochet, knitting, calligraphy, and gaming with friends.
Amalie Odegaard
Undergraduate Student
she/her
Amalie grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon and is currently a student in the Clark Honors College majoring in Biology and Human Physiology at the University of Oregon. Under the mentorship of Titas, she is studying how pathogens acquire resistance against host immune proteins. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside running or mountain biking, seeing friends, and eating good Japanese food.
Barrett Greenwalt
Lab Aide
Barrett grew up in Portland, Oregon, and is currently working towards her Bachelors of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. After graduating, she plans on pursuing higher education in medical or disease research. She is specifically interested in epidemiology, medicine, and outer space. In her free time, she loves climbing, painting, reading, hiking, and baking copious amounts of sweet treats.
Lab Alumni
Killian Campbell, Ph.D. Student (2020-2025)
Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota
Omoshola Aleru, Masters Student (2025)
Caitlin Kowalski, Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-2025)
Currently: Assistant Professor, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Dante’ James, Undergraduate Student (2022-2025)
Currently: PhD Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Kristin Kohler, Senior Research Associate (2017-2025)
Currently: Clinical Research Scientist, Ambry Genetics
Sylvia Khalil, Undergraduate Student (2022-2024)
Currently: Lab Research Coordinator, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
EmilyClare Baker, Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2024)
Currently: Senior Research Lab Specialist, University of Michigan
Mary Darby Jackson, Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-2022)
Currently: Assistant Professor, Mississippi College
Filadelfia Tadjibaeva, Research Assistant (2021-2022)
Currently: Research Technician, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Emma Thompson, Undergraduate Student (2021-2022)
Clara Rehmann, Research Assistant (2020-2021)
Currently: Ph.D. Student, University of Oregon
Ryan Sayegh, Research Assistant (2019-2021)
Currently: Ph.D. Student, CU Boulder
Wyatt Borman, Undergraduate Student (2019-2021)
Currently: Medical Scribe, Roseburg, Oregon
Nicole Paterson, Ph.D. Student (2019-2021)
Currently: Bioinformatician, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Hussein Al-Zubieri, Undergraduate Student (2019-2020)
Currently: Dental Student, UCSF
Jasmine Garcia, Undergraduate Student (2020)
Currently: Ph.D. Student, UCSF
Dimitra Fellman, Undergraduate Student (2018-2020)
Currently: Research Associate II, PHI Cancer Registry of Greater California
Eden Brush, Undergraduate Student (2017-2019)
Currently: Genetic Counselor, New York City, NY
Jacob Laser, Research Assistant (2017-2018)
Currently: Medical Resident, Geisinger College of Health Sciences
Madeleine Balcer, Undergraduate Student (2017-2018)
Currently: Account Manager, Denver, CO
Hanna Buechi, Research Assistant (2016-2017)
Currently: Project Coordinator, The Energy Coalition
Barber lab 