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Meet Our Team
Vanja Klepac-Ceraj
I am an Associate Professor in Biological Sciences at Wellesley College, where I study microbial ecology. My research focuses on the dynamics that govern microbe-microbe interactions, the mechanisms driving nutrient cycling, and how these interactions influence human and environmental health, using a combination of culturing and enrichment techniques, quantitative molecular approaches, metagenomics, and modeling. I earned my B.S. in Mathematics and Molecular Biology from Beloit College and a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the MIT-WHOI Joint Program. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School, before starting the VKC Microbial Ecology Lab at Wellesley.
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Shelley McCann
I am a microbial ecologist with experience in marine microbiology and trace metal biogeochemistry. I earned a M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Connecticut where I studied methyl bromide metabolism by marine microbes and microbial sulfur cycling in stromatolites. From there I moved west to the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, CA where my work focused on the biogeochemistry of Mono Lake, CA. After enjoying many sunny years in CA, I’m happy to back on the east coast and working in the VKC lab at Wellesley. I’m excited for the opportunity to explore microbial ecology in New England biomes, to expand my experience to the human microbiome, and to share my knowledge and love of growing anaerobes.
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Guilherme Fahur Bottino
I am a Bioinformatician employing Machine Learning to investigate the complex relationships between the gut microbiome and cognitive development, building predictive models that help improve human health. I started my career on the University of Campinas, Brazil, where I obtained my Ph.D. in Chemistry using neural network tools to build 3D protein models, and joined the VKC lab in 2022 to employ my AI knowledge on the lab projects.
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Meredith Swanson '25
I am a Biological Sciences and French major planning to pursue a career in medicine and/or research (that is hopefully related to microbes!). In lab, I investigate the impact of environmental conditions on the carbohydrate metabolism of Bifidobacterium infantis. When I'm not in lab, I enjoy lifting, climbing, hiking, and singing!
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Sally Song '25
I am a Biology major and Psychology minor. My project focuses on understanding the impact of microbial metabolism of neuroactive chemicals on C. elegans behavior. After Wellesley, I plan to attend graduate school with a research focus on health and diseases (the specifics of which I am exploring now). Outside of the lab, you can find me shooting arrows or swimming at the KSC, working in the Biology Lab Prep room, or exploring Boston!
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Nina Zhang '25
I am a biochemistry major planning to go to pharmacy school or graduate school after college. My project in the lab focuses on the connection between the gut microbiome and brain. More specifically, I use C. elegans as the model organism to study the effects of microbial metabolites with neuroactive potential on the development and behavior. In my free time, I enjoy dancing with the Wellesley Asian Dance Organization, playing piano, and doodling.
Aeka Tomita '26
Hi, this is Aeka! I'm a third-year student at Wellesley College from New York, majoring in chemistry. My project is purely computational - I study the infant gut microbiome and its role in a child's healthy development. I am currently in pre-health, but after college, I am open to working in any field that helps advance or maintain quality healthcare!
Rachel Chubb '26
I'm a biology and Spanish double major at Wellesley. In the VKC lab, I'm working on developing an accessible tool to detect the presence of vital microorganisms in gut microbiomes in low-resource locations. After Wellesley, I intend to pursue a PhD in biological sciences and then go into academia; I love teaching as much as I love doing scientific research. Outside of science, I founded the Wellesley chapter of Out in STEM, a national organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM fields, and I'm part of Wellesley's Latinx org. I also love to dance, and I'm a member of Wellesley's tap org.
Arla Hofer ('26)
I am a junior biology major with a Japanese minor. In the lab I am working with microbes from our campus’s lake and their role in the lake's biogeochemical cycling. Besides academics, I am also a part of the Wellesley basketball team. After college, I want to pursue research and go to a graduate program..
Lucia Corte ('26)
I am a Biological Sciences major and Statistics minor at Wellesley. I am working on uncovering the microbial communities that exist in Lake Waban and seeing how they change in response to disturbance events. Aside from lab, I also teach tap dancing for On Tap and work at the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens. After college, I am interested in pursuing graduate school for conservation science and becoming a field biologist.
Taeyu Kim ('27)
I'm studying biology and women and gender studies at Wellesley. I'm currently working on the Lake Waban project, which is super exciting! I'm planning on going into medicine, but for now, I'm enjoying playing chamber music, doing art, and dancing with groups on campus.
Gabriel Bazan ('26)
Hi! I am a junior Biochemistry major on the pre-medical track. Alongside science, I love art and during summer 2024 I designed two illustrations to supplement published research conducted by the VKC Lab on the infant gut microbiome. In the lab, I am on the Lake Waban research team studying antibiotic resistance in the lake's microbial environment. When I'm not at Wellesley, I'm back home in Queens, NY spending time with my two cats, biking, hiking, compiling playlists of my favorite music, and making art! After college, I'm planning to attend medical school to study oncology.
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