Meet the Team

pronouns: he/him

role: Principal Investigator

A proud Pitzer College alum, Patrick received his Ph.D. from the UW Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Graduate Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center under the mentorship of Harmit Malik and Michael Emerman, where he studied the evolution of host-virus interactions. Patrick next conducted his postdoctoral training with Russell Vance at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied the evolution, mechanisms, and functional consequences of innate immune sensors that detect 'pathogen-specific activities.' He's thrilled to be back in Seattle as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at UW. When not in the lab, Patrick enjoys cooking and exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. He's also an avid Seattle sports fan.

pronouns: she/her

role: Research Technician

Olivia grew up in Sammamish Washington, and recently completed her B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology at Western Washington University. While pursuing her undergrad, she tried out a few different research fields before finding the one that clicked. Her research journey originally started in a Marine Mammal Ecology Lab where she got to watch adorable seals swim around the bay. But after a few weeks of sitting out in the rain, she quickly decided that fieldwork wasn’t for her. She eventually found her way to Dr. Dan Pollard’s Genetics Lab where she studied the dynamics of gene expression in S. cerevisiae. While at WWU, Olivia was engaged in many community groups supporting marginalized identities, and holds particular passion for advancing Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in STEM. As she establishes her career in science, she hopes to both address human health disparities, and help make the field more equitable and inclusive. Looking to learn more about how organisms stay healthy, and needing a break from being a student, she joined the Mitchell Lab and is excited to work closely with Dr. Ryan Tibble to examine inflammasome activation. Outside of research, Olivia enjoys cooking, weightlifting, and can often be found crocheting or knitting with an audiobook or TV show.

pronouns: she/her

role: Research Technician

Shania was born in Dededo, Guam before moving to Puyallup, WA where she spent most of her childhood. She went to the University of Washington and graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology. Her research career began her senior year when she joined the Reniere lab as a laboratory assistant and moved up to an undergraduate researcher position. During her time as an undergraduate researcher she was under the tutelage of graduate student Monica Cesinger. The two sought to learn more about the role of the transcriptional regulator spxA1 in Listeria monocytogenes in terms of determining cell shape. This was done by creating a GFP-FtsZ protein that would be put into L.monocytogenes and be used to observe the irregular septum ring formation that’s characteristic of ΔspxA1 bugs. Shortly after graduation, Shania was employed to be a full-time research scientist assistant and lab manager for the Reniere lab. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking/baking, drawing, going to farmers markets, and spending time with her rabbit, Oreo.

pronouns: he/him

role: Research Technician II

Born and raised on Guam, Zach is a proud CHamoru/Filipino who moved to Seattle and joined the Mitchell Lab to gain more experience in infectious disease research. He received his Bachelors of Science in Biology at the University of Guam and discovered his interest in research after interning at various labs. This includes his time under the mentorship of Dr. Floyd Reed, where he helped investigate methods of genetic pest management for invasive Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes from spreading vector-borne diseases in human and wildlife populations in Hawai’i. After graduation, he was a field technician for several local and federal agencies researching methods of eradication for invasive Brown Treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam, where many of its native species of plants and animals have become threatened or extinct due to the introduction of various invasive species. He is excited to apply his experience working with animals to help Dr. Stef Krug with managing the laboratory mouse colony and assisting with her research. Outside of work, you can find Zach binging TV shows, exploring the outdoors, or cooking up his favorite foods.

Miles grew up in Southern California where he received a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of California, San Diego. While completing his degree, he had the privilege of working under Dr. Matthew Daugherty, where he investigated host-viral arms races involving innate antiviral proteins and viral proteases. With a fascination for viruses and the Pacific Northwest (and a fear of finding a real job), Miles decided that pursuing a PhD with the UW Microbiology program was the ideal path forward. Under the guidance of Dr. Patrick Mitchell, he is excited to study the determinants of inflammasome activation and viral pathogenesis. In his spare time, Miles indulges in video games and frequents the climbing gym to participate in Seattle’s greatest pastime. 

Christina was born and raised in California, where one can drive for multiple hours in any direction and find themselves still in California. Her interest in fictional pathogens from films and novels inspired her to pursue a B.S in Microbiology from the University of California, Davis. After graduating from UC Davis (literally the day after), Christina disappeared across the country to Maryland and spent the summer in the Vaccine Research Center at the NIH in the laboratory of Dr. Barney S. Graham. Her summer research project focused on targeting the conserved stem region of influenza hemagglutinin by displaying “headless” HA trimers on self-assembling nanoparticles. Following her summer internship, she returned as a postbaccalaureate research fellow where she focused on the structural characterization and conformational stabilization of influenza neuraminidase. The culmination of her research experiences motivated Christina to pursue her Ph.D. in the UW Microbiology Graduate Program under the mentorship of Patrick Mitchell (who reminded her that inflammasomes exist). During her free time outside of lab, you can either find her asleep or at the boxing/kickboxing gym.

Marisa was born and raised in the greater Seattle area. While earning her BS in Biology at the University of Washington she had her first research experience in Dr. Billie Swalla’s lab at UW's Friday Harbor Laboratories marine station where she spent a quarter studying the genetics of central nervous system regeneration in marine worms. Upon returning to Seattle, she spent the rest of her undergraduate career studying cleft palate pathogenesis in Dr. Kai Yu’s lab at Seattle Children’s. After graduating in 2018, she returned to her love of marine invertebrates and genetics and worked as a research technician at Pacific Northwest Research Institute in the lab of Dr. Michael Metzger where she studied transmissible cancers – cancer cells that have evolved to jump between individuals just like pathogens – in clams and mussels. Finding the rain suits her just fine, Marisa chose to stay in Seattle and pursue a PhD in the UW Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) program where she is super excited to learn more about innate immunity and host-pathogen interactions under the mentorship of Dr. Patrick Mitchell. While away from the bench, you can often find her cooking/baking, reading, or at one of Washington’s many beaches, looking for sea slugs.