Kevin Bonham

I am a microbiologist and immunologist using computational methods to explore the relationships between the human gut microbiome and childhood cognitive development, and to understand complex microbial communities. I also teach about the immune system and infectious disease, as well as introductory programming for biology students, and am interested in investigating and addressing barriers to women entering computational biology.

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Sophie Rowland ('17)

I majored in Biology and Classical Civilization (and dabbled in music) while at Wellesley ('17). I began my work in the VKC lab as a junior investigating how microbes in anaerobic environments use and transform minerals. Now as a Research Associate in the lab, I’m focused on the ECHO Grant exploring the relationship between the human gut microbiome and cognitive development. When I fully depart from the Wellesley bubble, I intend to pursue a masters in science writing so I can share the fascinating intricacies of science with a wider audience.

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Danielle Peterson ('20)

I am a biological sciences major, and statistics minor ('20). I have been passionate about microbiome research since high school, and have recently gotten interested in the intersection of data science and biology. I work on the ECHO project investigating the role of various environmental factors on the development of children’s gut microbiota and cognitive development. I am also very excited to be working on my senior thesis comparing the efficacy of 16S and metagenomic sequencing in analyzing infant and child microbiomes. Outside of the lab, I am a member and captain of the varsity swimming and diving team. After graduation, I plan to go to graduate studies to pursue further studies in computational biology, bioinformatics, or biostatistics.

Lauren Tso ('20)

I am a Biology and Computer Science major interested in using computation to understand the microbiome. I joined the lab in Spring 2017 and am involved in the ECHO project. Our goal in this project is to investigate the relationship between the gut microbiome and child health and development. Currently, I am working with Dr. Kevin Bonham on analyzing the evolution of the microbe Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis and its presence in American infants. Outside of lab, you can find me chasing a frisbee on the Wellesley Whiptails or looking for dogs to pet around campus.

Alexa Gross ('21)

I'm a Neuroscience and Studio Art major passionate about systems neuroscience, mental health, and the intersection of art and science. I enjoy working with microbes in a combined science and art context.

Jacquelyn Cai ('22)

I am studying Neuroscience and Computer Science at Wellesley. I am working on the ECHO project with Hannah, summarizing general trends in the metadata. After college, I want to work in the healthcare industry. In my free time, I enjoy playing on the squash team, baking, and working out.

Stephanie Consuegra ('22)

As a rising sophomore, I am still debating what my future career looks like. I am currently thinking about majoring in French while also pursuing the pre-med track, to then attend Law school and become specifically invested in the public health of women. Mentoring, guiding, and providing any kind of support for others has always driven me. Yet the endless amount of hours I spent around my dance teammates while in high school and the year I just completed at Wellesley, has proven to me that I feel the most passionate when I am enabling and encouraging other young women like myself. Besides women empowerment, I absolutely love to bake sweets and dance!  Being a part of the VKC Lab has pushed my boundaries of academic exploration further and has sparked in me the idea that I could seek joy in combining my interests of both law and medicine; which once seemed so unrelated. I hope to continue working on the ECHO project, even though I am excited about the possibility of participating in any other project the lab becomes involved with.

Vanja Klepac-Ceraj

I study microbial ecology, looking at the dynamics that govern microbe-microbe interactions, mechanisms that drive nutrient cycling, and how microbe-microbe interactions drive human and environmental health. We address these questions using a combination of culturing and enrichment techniques, quantitative molecular approaches, metagenomics, and modeling.
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Hannah Dong ('22)

I am interested in biology and film studies. I am working on the ECHO project with Jacquelyn. Together, we use R Studio to understand the metadata. Outside of the lab, I am a part of the Wellesley Asian Dance Organization and the Chinese Student Association. I have not planned what I want to do after college, so I am excited for what the future holds.

Cassie Potter ('23)

I plan on majoring in biochemistry and minoring in Chinese, but as a rising sophomore, nothing is set in stone yet. I do not yet know what project I will be working on in the lab, so I am excited to see what the future holds in terms of the direction of my research. I love being able to better understand the world around me through scientific research (especially about microbes!), and I hope to use my passion for scientific discovery to help others, in whatever form that ends up taking. When I'm not in the lab or submerged in a p-set, you can find me playing on the lacrosse team or being an RA in the best dorm on campus (Bates).

Catherine Dhennezel ('21)

I am studying Biology and Psychology and I am particularly interested in the interaction between physical and mental health. I am currently working with probiotics, their relationship with the gut microbiome and if the claims they make are true . I am a pre-med student and I hope to keep working on health related topics after I graduate. Outside of lab I really enjoy cinema and going to concerts!

Aditi Kannan ('22)

I am majoring in Biochemistry and interested in minoring in music. In lab, I will be investigating the microbial community in bokashi fertilizer with Nisreen. I hope to go into research in the future, though I am still exploring different scientific paths! Outside of lab, I am on Ministrare Council, I am a DJ for the college radio (WZLY), and I play the violin in Chamber Music Society.