Members

Researcher 6 lamo0062[at]umn.edu

Elise Lamont, Ph.D. is a research associate within the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Minnesota (UMN). She has over 13 years of research focused on pathogenic mycobacteria, which includes 18 peer-reviewed publications, 2 book chapters, and 1 patent. She earned her B.S. degree in cell and molecular biology and Spanish with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. She received her Ph.D. at the College of Veterinary Medicine (UMN) investigating Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis-host interactions. She received the Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and National Institutes of Health Supplemental Award to transition her focus to M. tuberculosis and antitubercular drug resistance and susceptibility. Dr. Lamont’s work within the Baughn laboratory focuses on the contribution of the host response to drug efficacy and potentiation, particularly with the first line antitubercular drug, pyrazinamide (PZA). Her work involves the use of established and cutting-edge methods in cell and mouse models. Since joining the Baughn lab in 2016, she has become one of the lab’s leading mouse wranglers. Dr. Lamont’s independent research centers on a new frontier in the tuberculosis field—the contribution of the lung microbiome to tuberculosis resistance, susceptibility, and progression. She has received the Eppley Foundation for Research Grant to pursue these studies using a novel dirty mouse model. When not in the laboratory, Dr. Lamont enjoys writing screenplays (FilmNorth member), mentoring underrepresented students in STEM, and serving as a panelist to programs focused on increasing the participation and retention of minorities in STEM.

Postdoctoral Associate mrather[at]umn.edu

Muzafar is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Baughn Lab who completed his PhD studies at CSIR-IIIM, India. He is currently engaged in efforts to better understand the action and resistance mechanisms of existing and new antituberculosis agents. Outside the lab he enjoys cooking, fishing and foraging for wild edible foods.

PhD Student crook142[at]umn.edu

Taylor originally completed his undergraduate work at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. During his time in undergrad, his research focused on secondary bile acid metabolism and the gut microbiomes of non-human primates. After completing his degree in 2018, he went on to do a post-baccalaureate research program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His research primarily focused on bacterial-host interactions and their role in promoting endometrial cancer. Upon completion, he joined University of Minnesota as a PhD student in the Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology program. His interests include pathogenic bacteria, teaching, and writing as a comedian for the satirical scientific journal, DNAtured. His work can be found at dnatured.com/author/taylorcrooks/. 

Researcher 2 jiaxx275[at]umn.edu

Ziyi received his bachelor's degree in biochemistry and neuroscience at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in May 2021. He is currently taking a gap year and plans to go to medical school. He is currently working on projects aimed to understand mechanisms of action of several tuberculosis (TB) drugs, including pyrazinamide (PZA), para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS), and metronidazole (MTZ). Outside of lab, he enjoys watching Netflix and spending time with friends.

Undergraduate Student velez087[at]umn.edu 

Edgar is an undergraduate student in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. He first rotated in the Baughn lab during the spring term of his first year via the Minnesota Biomedical Undergraduate Research Program. He later joined the lab during the summer of 2023. He is currently working on projects that aim to better understand how specific mutations in Mycobacterium bovis confer resistance or susceptibility to antitubercular drug analogs as well as unveiling the mode of action for these compounds. Outside of the lab, he enjoys staying active by playing soccer and teaching Taekwondo classes.