** Two Open positions (updated 21 Oct 2022) **
The FLU Team Project The Duhaime and Wigginton labs at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor are seeking a postdoctoral scholar to work with us at the intersection of engineering, virology, and public health to mitigate transmission of influenza in childcare settings. With immersion in both viral ecology (Duhaime Lab) and applied microbiology (Wigginton Lab) research groups, the project will involve microbial metagenomics (short and long-read sequencing), bioinformatics, and molecular biology techniques to identify novel biomarkers for the presence of human viruses in the environment. A good fit for someone with expertise in bioinformatic analysis of metagenomic sequence data, environmental microbiology and/or virology, computational biology. Please apply by forwarding a CV and contact information for at least 2 references directly via email to Dr. Melissa Duhaime (duhaimem@umich.edu) or Dr. Krista Wigginton (kwigg@umich.edu). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a suitable candidate is found. Start date is flexible, with a target on or before January 1, 2023. More information HERE.
ACE Southern Ocean Virome Ecological Networks The Duhaime and Zaman labs at UM are seeking seeking a postdoctoral scholar to join our team in a project titled “Viral ecogenomics of the Southern Ocean: unifying omics and ecological networks to advance our understanding of viral controls on Antarctic productivity and carbon cycling.” Building from the 2017 Antarctic Circumpolar Expedition (ACE) of the Swiss Polar Institute, this project will develop new approaches towards omics-informed multi-layered ecological network modeling to predict C flux in the Southern Ocean. This is a collaborative international team, working closely with microbial omics scientists from US, France, and Germany. This position is a good fit for someone with expertise in at least one of these areas and familiarity with/interest in learning the others: 1) viral and/or microbial omics analysis, 2) quantitative ecology, 3) bioinformatics. Please apply by forwarding a CV and contact information for at least 2 references directly via email to Dr. Melissa Duhaime (duhaimem@umich.edu) or Dr. Luis Zaman (zamanlh@umich.edu). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a suitable candidate is found. Start date is flexible, with a target on or before January 1, 2023. More information HERE.
Current Members
Melissa Duhaime
Principle Investigator | Pronouns: she/her/hers view CV 
Assistant Professor, University of Michigan, 2017
Assist. Research Scientist, University of Michigan, 2012
Postdoc, Sullivan Lab, University of Arizona, 2011
PhD, Max Planck Instit. for Mar. Microbiology, 2010, with distinction
MSc, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 2007
B.A., Biology - Microbiology, Cornell University, 2005
Rachel Cable
Graduate Student
Interests: All things viral. Conservation; hand-picking microplastics out of the Great Lakes, one piece at a time.
Morgan Lindback
Graduate Student | Pronouns: they/she
Interests: I study marine microbial ecology and evolution with a focus on viruses. I use lab, computational, and theoretical approaches to address how marine microbes influence biogeochemical cycles. I specialize in multo-omics approaches, population-level laboratory, experiments, and large metagenomic data analysis. I’m always learning and am particularly interested in gaining skills related to stable isotope probing, nanoSIMS, and thermodynamic models of infection. I enjoy sharing my science with the public, mentoring students, collaborating, and practicing open science. I also enjoy fermenting, moving in nature, reading cheesy detective novels, and spending time with other humans.
AJ Wing
Graduate Student
Interests: I am primarily interested in the role of phages in Great Lakes harmful algal blooms (HABs). Through omics-based techniques, I determine how phage influence the rise and demise of HABs from a community and population-level perspective. I use CRISPR-Cas system trends and host-phage gene transfer to understand infection histories and the metabolic impacts phage may have on their hosts. I carry a strong passion for scientific communication and public outreach in search of the next generation of stewards to protect our Great Lakes. When I’m not navigating the command line matrix, I’m immersed in home-improvement projects, hiking, farming, all things football, and reminiscing with friends old and new.
Eric Bastien
Graduate Student | Pronouns: he/him/his
Interests: My main research focus is to transform coffee into bioinformatics tools and approaches to study virus-host infection networks (VHINs) from environmental samples. I developed Virus Infection Predictions (VIP) to resolve VHINs in silico, and I am now interested in the application of network thinking/theory to better understand viruses’ impact on their microbial communities. When I am not staring at my spaghetti code, I enjoy cooking, running, nature, and anything remotely nerdy (DnD, board games!)
Lizy Michaelson
Lab Manager and Research Support
Max Murray
Undergraduate researcher
Interests: microbial degradation of plastics, microbial ecology, and conservation ecology.
Isabelle Montilla
Undergraduate researcher
Interests: Microbial degradation of plastic; Sustainability
Agniva Bhaumik
Undergraduate researcher
Jessica Choi
Postdoctoral Scholar
Adi Mizrahi
Undergraduate researcher
Lute Smith
Undergraduate researcher
Shannon Flynn
Visiting Professor
Safura Syed
Undergraduate researcher
Former Lab Members
James Riddell, PhD student Ohio State
Bridget Hegarty, assistant professor Case Western
Katie Langenfeld, postdoc, Stanford Univ
Jaspreet Singh Saini, Postdoc at EPFL
Joyah Watkins, PhD student, Rice Univ
Rebecca Chandross
Fang Wu
Cecelia Batterbee, UM '20, MSc student, SEAS
Nathalie O'Hernandez, UM UROP
Arjun Puri, Washington University in St Louis '20
Emily Chiang, 2018 Doris Duke Conservation Scholar, U Mich
Jordan Gumm, Progenity
Molly Radosevich, UM EEB '18, UM Immunology lab
Rachna Pannu, SFSU graduate program, de la Torre Lab
Brittan Scales, postdoc at IOW Warnemuende
Alexi Schnur, UM '18- Katie Klier, UM '18
- Payton Watt, UM '18
Isaac Klimasmith, 2017 Doris Duke Conservation Scholar, Wesleyan University- Alec Flores, 2017 Doris Duke Conservation Scholar, Santa Barbara Community College
Kaitie Benedek, UM PiTE '17, Wyoming State Forestry intern- Aaron Adiwidjaja, UROP, UM Environmental Engineering '20
- Yi (Sally) Qiu, UROP, UM Environmental Engineering '20
- Andrew Wong, UROP, UM Environmental Engineering '20
Brendan Locke, UM Chemistry grad program coordinator
Kat Wiles, UM History grad program coordinator
Michelle Berry
Greg Boehm, Senior Educator, California Science Center
Paulina Devlin, MSc student Univ Michigan
Shubhum Sidhar
Vinnie Gupta, University of Michigan
Melissa Freeland, University of Michigan
Sarah Halperin, grad student UCSB, Bren School Env Sci Man
Emma Borjigin-Wang, Harvard University
Nicole Dear, MPH, CDC fellow
Gabriel Vargas Asensio, PhD Univ of Chicago
Cody Sheik, Assist Prof Univ of Minnesota-Duluth
Opportunities to Join
Inquire with Professor Duhaime if you are interested in joining the lab.
Interested graduate students should be in touch and apply to the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Are you an interested undergraduate? Please address the following in your inquiry email:
- Share a CV, which includes (i) your research experiences and skills if you've worked in a lab previously (no worries if you haven't yet, this is the time and the place to do it), (ii) relevant coursework you have taken, (iii) your graduation year and major.
- Time frame you are looking for a position in our lab: how soon would you like to start and for how long/how many semesters do you anticipate involvement with research in the Duhaime Lab?
- Please share your future academic plans, remaining undergraduate time, upon graduation and beyond. What is your vision is currently for where you see yourself going? What skills do you hope to acquire with us that will help you get there?
- Why you feel joining our research group is a good fit for your academic or scientific interests.