For lab member bios, click on their picture.
Staff
Dr. Patrick Mitchell
Dr. Patrick Mitchell
Dr. Patrick Mitchell
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 nex
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.
Megan Littlehale
Dr. Patrick Mitchell
Dr. Patrick Mitchell
pronouns: she/her/hers
role: Lab Manager
Megan is from the greater Boston area and has lived in Massachusetts most of her life. While earning her B. A. in Biological Sciences and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College, she was an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Dr. Amy Camp, where she studied the localization of ATP synthase during
pronouns: she/her/hers
role: Lab Manager
Megan is from the greater Boston area and has lived in Massachusetts most of her life. While earning her B. A. in Biological Sciences and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College, she was an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Dr. Amy Camp, where she studied the localization of ATP synthase during sporulation in Bacillus subtilus. After graduating in 2019, Megan worked as a technician in the Laub Lab at MIT for two years, where she contributed to a variety of projects ranging from chromosome organization and DNA topology to toxin-antitoxin regulation to phage defense. She is now joining the Mitchell Lab as a lab manager, where she is excited to learn more about innate immunity and host-pathogen interactions. While working at UW, Megan will be pursing a Masters in Public Health with the hopes of building equitable health systems in under-served communities. In her free time, she enjoys exploring her new home in Seattle, baking and cooking, and going for day hikes with her partner.
Postdocs
Dr. Stefanie Krug
Dr. Stefanie Krug
Dr. Stefanie Krug
After growing up in Germany, Stef moved to Massachusetts where she received her Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from Greenfield Community College and her Bachelor’s with departmental honors in Biology from UMass Amherst. As an undergraduate researcher and lab technician, she investigated T. pallidum protein-protein interactions (Dr. Pe
After growing up in Germany, Stef moved to Massachusetts where she received her Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from Greenfield Community College and her Bachelor’s with departmental honors in Biology from UMass Amherst. As an undergraduate researcher and lab technician, she investigated T. pallidum protein-protein interactions (Dr. Peter Uetz); T. brucei kDNA replication (Dr. Michele Klingbeil); circadian rhythms (Dr. Eric Bittman); sexually divergent neuronal cell death (Dr. Nancy Forger); and HPT axis development (Dr. Ksenia Tonyushkina) before pursuing her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM) at the Johns Hopkins SOM under the mentorship of Dr. Bill Bishai. Her doctoral work identified the master regulator PARP1 as a host target of the antibiotic pyrazinamide and as a molecular determinant of sex differences in tuberculosis. Other projects focused on elucidating the roles of MDSCs, RIPK1, MDA5, and the integrated stress response in tuberculosis host-pathogen interactions. As a postdoc in the Mitchell lab, she is excited to study inflammasome activation as a mechanism of pathogen sensing. In her free time, Stef is a volunteer ski patroller and an avid disc golfer and mountain biker.
Dr. Ryan Tibble
Dr. Stefanie Krug
Dr. Stefanie Krug
Ryan hails from Port Huron, a town in Michigan’s ‘thumb’. He earned a BA and MS from Dartmouth College where he spent four years in the lab of F. Jon Kull studying the structure and function of unique kinesin-like proteins. Ryan then headed west to the University of California - San Francisco and received his PhD with John Gross. There, h
Ryan hails from Port Huron, a town in Michigan’s ‘thumb’. He earned a BA and MS from Dartmouth College where he spent four years in the lab of F. Jon Kull studying the structure and function of unique kinesin-like proteins. Ryan then headed west to the University of California - San Francisco and received his PhD with John Gross. There, he examined the regulation of decapping, a critical step in mRNA degradation, by disordered regions and phase separation. In the Mitchell lab, Ryan is excited to characterize new mechanisms of inflammasome activation and how they integrate various danger signals. When he’s not in lab, Ryan can be found outside hiking and biking or trying some new recipes in the kitchen.
Graduate students
Amandine Chantharath
Amandine Chantharath
Amandine Chantharath
pronouns: she/her
role: Visiting scholar
Amandine is from France and has lived in Lyon, the 'Capital of Gastronomy' her whole life. She is pursuing a master’s degree in general biology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon. She’s particularly interested in immunology and infectious disease. She was an intern at the CIRI in Lucie Etienne’s
pronouns: she/her
role: Visiting scholar
Amandine is from France and has lived in Lyon, the 'Capital of Gastronomy' her whole life. She is pursuing a master’s degree in general biology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon. She’s particularly interested in immunology and infectious disease. She was an intern at the CIRI in Lucie Etienne’s lab where she studied restrictions factors and the evolutionary 'arms race' between viruses and mammals. In her free time, Amandine enjoys drawing, paintings, visiting museums or going on walking tours to discover street art. She’s also a huge fan of bats, one of the most misunderstood animals in the world, according to her. She is thrilled to join the Mitchell Lab for her first immersive experience in a foreign country and cannot wait to learn more about science and to discover the Pacific Northwest !"
Jessie Kulsuptrakul
Amandine Chantharath
Amandine Chantharath
role: Graduate student
Jessie is from the San Francisco Bay Area in sunny California. She earned her B.S in Pharmacology from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she had her first research experience in Denise Montell’s lab studying the role of stress granules in anastasis, a form of cell recovery. After graduating, she retur
role: Graduate student
Jessie is from the San Francisco Bay Area in sunny California. She earned her B.S in Pharmacology from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she had her first research experience in Denise Montell’s lab studying the role of stress granules in anastasis, a form of cell recovery. After graduating, she returned to San Francisco to work in the lab of Andreas Puschnik at the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub where she conducted genome-wide CRISPR screens to identify and characterize cellular host factors important for viral infection. Excited to further explore her passion for virology, Jessie bought a raincoat and moved to Seattle to pursue her Ph.D in the UW Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Graduate Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center under the co-mentorship of Patrick Mitchell and Michael Emerman (yes, the same one that mentored Patrick!). Outside the lab, Jessie enjoys biking, playing her ukulele, crocheting cute critters, and hanging out with her cat CRISPR Cats9
Undergraduate Researchers
Luka Bedalov
Luka Bedalov
Luka Bedalov
Luka was born and raised in Seattle and is a graduate of Garfield High School. Currently he is a student at the UW and majoring in biochemistry. Luka was a SHIP intern at Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center in the Simon lab working on a project aimed at curing a neurological disorder in women called Rett Syndrome by partial reactivation of
Luka was born and raised in Seattle and is a graduate of Garfield High School. Currently he is a student at the UW and majoring in biochemistry. Luka was a SHIP intern at Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center in the Simon lab working on a project aimed at curing a neurological disorder in women called Rett Syndrome by partial reactivation of the inactive X-chromosome. Luka is considering a future career in biochemical research or medicine. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and reading.
Joy Lee
Luka Bedalov
Luka Bedalov
Joy is from Redmond, WA and has called Washington her home her entire life. She is currently a senior majoring in Microbiology and hopes to continue her studies in the field of microbiology after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys visiting coffee shops, exploring new hiking spots, and collecting plants to add to her large houseplant
Joy is from Redmond, WA and has called Washington her home her entire life. She is currently a senior majoring in Microbiology and hopes to continue her studies in the field of microbiology after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys visiting coffee shops, exploring new hiking spots, and collecting plants to add to her large houseplant collection (let her know if you want plant cuttings!). Joy is very excited to be part of the Mitchell Lab and looks forward to learning new skills & experiences.
Selena Wong
Luka Bedalov
Selena Wong
Selena is from Bellevue, WA and has been a Washingtonian her entire life. She participated in Running Start where she received an Associate of Science from Bellevue College. Currently, Selena is a freshman majoring in Microbiology at the University of Washington. She hopes to eventually pursue a career as a medical laboratory technologist
Selena is from Bellevue, WA and has been a Washingtonian her entire life. She participated in Running Start where she received an Associate of Science from Bellevue College. Currently, Selena is a freshman majoring in Microbiology at the University of Washington. She hopes to eventually pursue a career as a medical laboratory technologist. Outside the lab, Selena likes to play basketball, volunteer at the local food bank, and chill with her corgi. Selena is excited to be a part of the team here at the Mitchell Lab.