Thomas P. Burke, PhD – Assistant Professor
tpburke@uci.edu
Dr. Burke is originally from Fishers, Indiana and went to Indiana University for undergrad (go Hoosiers!) where he majored in Biology and Spanish. His undergraduate research focused on how plants resist infection by bacterial pathogens. In 2009 he took two suitcases on a plane to California to pursue his PhD at UC Berkeley in molecular and cell biology. In Dr. Dan Portnoy’s lab, he investigated Listeria monocytogenes lysozyme resistance, pathogenesis and host response to infection. After graduating in 2015, he joined Dr. Matt Welch’s lab at UC Berkeley as a postdoc, where he investigated how the tick-borne pathogen Rickettsia parkeri interacts with innate immunity. Outside of lab, Dr. Burke spends his time exploring SoCal his amazing wife and baby daughters Eliana and Maya.
Jessie Luu – PhD student (2022-)
Jessie comes to UCI after performing research in virology with Professor Melody Li (UCLA), where she studied Interferon Stimulated Genes (ISGs) that restrict Zika virus (Luu et al, 2021). Jessie is focused on discovering new ISGs that restrict Rickettsia. She’s secretly a foodie who knows all the best spots to eat in the OC!
Michelle Sun – Associate Specialist (2022-)
Michelle hails from Orange County and graduated summa cum laude from UCSD in 2022. She is investigating the molecular mechanisms of how Rickettsia parasitize nutrients from their hosts. She is on her way to medical school and volunteers with local hospice care. Michelle knows all things K-pop but modestly will tell you that she doesn’t know *all things* K-pop.
Meggie Danielson – PhD student (2023-)
Originally from Vermont, Meggie joined the CMB program in 2022 after completing a Master’s of Science in Microbiology and Immunology at Thomas Jefferson University. With experience working with preclinical melanoma models, in the Burke lab she is investigating new strategies for targeting innate immune receptors with small molecules for cancer immunotherapy. Meggie is a pro cross-country skier, and is devising strategies to translate these skills into a SoCal-style sport.
Michael Lee – Undergraduate researcher
Michael is an undergraduate at the School of Biological Sciences, where he plans to specialize in Immunology. Michael has a passion for cancer research and he is investigating novel innate immune agonist immunotherapies for cancer in mice. Michael has an inharmonious love for LA, snowboarding, and the Celtics, and will do almost anything for a plate of asado de tira.
Alejandro Guzman – undergraduate researcher
Alejandro grew up exploring the coniferous forests of Napa Valley, where he discovered his passion for biology. Currently, he is researching long-lasting immunity against Rickettsia infection. He is majoring in Microbiology & Immunology and hopes to enter a research career in industry. He enjoys indoor rock climbing in his free time and can make almost anything in a photo convincingly float mid-air using Photoshop.
Jason Suwan – undergraduate researcher
Jason is originally from Orange County and is an expert at event planning and cooking. He is investigating how obligate Rickettsia acquire eukaryotic-derived nutrients from the cytosol.
Aashi Patel – undergraduate researcher
Aashi is an undergraduate student studying biology and works with Meggie and Michael to discover how bacteria can target and reside in tumors. She is eager to learn more about interactions between pathogens and the immune system and how these findings can contribute to cancer immunotherapy. Beyond academia, her passions include dancing and traveling, one of her top bucket list items include swimming with jellyfish. Each day, she finds her enthusiasm for cancer research grows stronger, much like the mice in our lab.
Former trainees:
Thaomy Vo (Lab technician), current position: Graduate student (USC).
Camille Brzechffa (MD/PhD rotation student 2023), David Bojorquez (CMB rotation student 2023), Jasmine Posada (CMB rotation student 2023) .