Dr. Patrick Mitchell (Principal Investigator)
pronouns: he/him
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.
Graduate students
Jessie Kulsuptrakul
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
Research Staff
Michael Lindberg
As a native Seattleite, Mike has found himself back in the beautiful Pacific Northwest after receiving a B.A. in Molecular Biology and minor in Spanish from Pitzer College. Mike’s passion for science extends from basic research to translational medicine. Having previously managed the Wiley Lab at Keck Science Department, Mike was able to conduct research and coordinate projects designed to identify proteins responsible for gene expression in Tetrahymena thermophila. Additionally, Mike was a SURP intern at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the Kiem Lab working on a collaborative project aimed at developing immunoconjugates as a potential HIV cure. As the lab manager of the Mitchell Lab, Mike is excited to build on his prior research and leadership positions to gain experience in infectious disease research. Outside the lab Mike is active in the community volunteering to assist at risk youth, playing soccer, and skiing on weekends.
Megan Littlehale
pronouns: she/her/hers
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.
Undergraduate Researchers
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 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.
Taran Paul
Taran is from Everett WA and has lived here in Washington her whole life. She is a rising senior pursuing a degree in microbiology with a minor in bioethics at the University of Washington. She hopes to attend a master’s program in virology or immunology in the next few years to further her studies. When she isn’t working in the lab or on homework she works as a student assistant at the UW virology lab, listens to music, and enjoys learning to cook/bake new things. She is very excited to participate in the research here at the Mitchell lab and cannot wait to learn more!
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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. 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.