People

Dr. Kevin D. Kohl - Principal Investigator

Dr. Kohl is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

Curriculum Vitae - Updated September 21st, 2022
Dr. Kohl's GoogleScholar Page

Samantha Fontaine - Graduate Student

Sam's research interests include host-microbe interactions, disease ecology, conservation biology, and herpetology. She is specifically interested in how environmental factors and anthropogenic stressors can affect the relationship between ectothermic hosts and their associated microbes, ultimately impacting animal physiology, ecology, and evolution. In the Kohl lab, Sam is studying the impact of temperature on amphibian gut microbiota, and the resulting functional effects on animal performance, which will be important in predicting animal responses to climate change. As an undergraduate at SUNY Oneonta, she studied disease dynamics in green frogs and wood turtles of upstate New York. Before beginning her graduate studies at Pitt, Sam was lucky enough to work on conservation projects involving threatened and endangered species such as eastern box turtles, Wyoming toads, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles.

Elizabeth Rudzki - Graduate Student

Elizabeth’s research interests encompass host-pathogen interactions, microbiology, immunology, and developmental biology. Elizabeth is using a diversity of study systems to understand the relative contributions of genetics and the environment in structuring the composition of the gut microbiome, especially in early life. Prior to graduate school, Elizabeth worked as a research specialist at the University of Pittsburgh in Dr. Jon Boyle’s lab, studying Toxoplasma gondii and how it crosses the placental barrier during congenital infection. As an undergraduate at Edinboro University, Elizabeth researched the presence of angiogenic inhibitors in the hemolymph of corn furrow spiders, as well as assisted in a large-scale study of big game migration in Botswana.

Karen Peralta Martínez - Graduate Student

Karen is interested in host-microbe interactions, microbiology, genetics, and cellular biology. In the lab, Karen is studying how, under different diet strategies, the activity of the gut microbiota aids hosts with rapid physiological adaptations. She is excited to explore this question using a combination of metagenomics, cellular and molecular techniques. Before moving to Pitt, she worked as a laboratory technician under the mentorship of Dr. Clement Chow in the department of Human Genetics at the University of Utah. A central research focus of her job was to identify the impact of genetic variation on the outcome of N-Glycanase 1 (NGLY1) deficiency, a rare, autosomal recessive disease. As an undergraduate at Bucknell University, she studied chloroplast relocation in ferns grown in the dark and supplemented with cytokinin.

Cory Duckworth - Graduate Student

Cory is broadly interested in microbial ecology, host-microbe interactions, herpetology, and conservation. More specifically, Cory is interested in investigating the complex interplay between environmental and host-associated microbial communities in herpetofauna, especially under anthropogenic changes. In the Kohl Lab, Cory is studying how land-use and geographic distance shape pond microbial communities and how this variation may impact tadpole microbiome assembly and, ultimately, host health and performance. As an undergraduate at the University of North Georgia, Cory’s research focused on reptile diversity and distribution in North Georgia with a dovetailing project investigating the prevalence of snake fungal disease in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Jess Diaz - Graduate Student

Jess is interested in exploring the connections between gut microbiome and host physiology in the context of changing environments. She is specifically interested in applying gut microbiome research to inform animal management and conservation practices. In the Kohl lab, her research focuses on how changes in gut microbial composition associated with artificial rearing practices in Whooping Cranes could potentially lead to adverse health outcomes. Prior to graduate school, Jess was a lab manager at the University of California San Diego where she studied the influence of captivity on the deer mouse gut microbiome. As an undergraduate at Harvard University, she researched the effects of human milk oligosaccharide diversity on gut microbial structure and metabolic function.

José Goyco-Blas - Research Technician

José has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla. He also earned a master’s degree from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, where he specialized in Environmental Law and Regulation. He is interested in how environmental effects can impact a species, changed its microbiome and physiological components. His most recent experience was working as a field and laboratory technician in CECIA Department at the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico. His focus was the identification of E. coli, Giardia and Salmonella in the NON-PRASA water systems in Patillas, Puerto Rico and offering seminars to the community. Jose also worked in diverse research within the fields of ecology, biology, and chemistry.