Adam D. Lietzan, DMD, PhD, MS

Adam is from a small town in southern Delaware. After completing undergraduate studies in Biology from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College), Adam received a PhD from Marquette University with an emphasis in structural biology. He then continued his desire for knowledge by obtaining a DMD from Temple University and recently completed his specialty training in periodontics and dental implantology from UNC. Fun Fact: Adam plays a vital role as the official team dentist for the Redinbo Lab.

Email: lietzan@email.unc.edu

Joshua B. Simpson, PhD

Josh was raised in Sneads Ferry, NC and received his BS in Biochemistry from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an undergraduate, he investigated mechanisms by which probiotic bacteria enhance host health and metabolism in the laboratories of Drs. M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril and Ian Carroll. Josh graduated in 2022 from the UNC Department of Chemistry with his PhD, where he explored endobiotic and drug metabolism by gut microbes using structural biology, bioinformatics, and mouse model techniques. He is currently a post-doc in the Redinbo lab. Some of Josh’s non-scientific hobbies include kayaking, playing musical instruments, and gardening.

Email: joshsimp@live.unc.edu

Jianan Zhang, PhD

Jianan is from Shijiazhuang, China. She has a B.S. degree in Food Quality and Safety from Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan; a B.A. degree in English from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan; a M.E. degree in Processing and Storage of Agricultural Products from China Agricultural University in Beijing; and a Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The research done during her Ph.D. investigated the dietary and environmental risk factors of colon inflammation and cancer. Currently, Jianan is a post doc in the Redinbo lab and will study the interactions of gut microbiota with NSAIDs. In her daily life, Jianan loves to watch movies, go to concerts, and hang around with friends and laugh hard.

Email: jiananz@unc.edu

Mark E. Kowalewski

Mark is from Belmont, North Carolina, and received his BS in Chemistry from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an undergraduate, Mark worked in the Dingemans lab studying high performance polymers. Following graduation, Mark worked for a small biotechnology company in Durham where he gained experience in drug discovery and development. Currently, Mark is a fourth-year graduate student in the Biochemistry and Biophysics department and is interested in using structural biology to guide drug design. Outside of lab, Mark enjoys watching and obsessing over UNC sports and playing video games.

Email: markek@live.unc.edu

Lauren E. Hutchinson

Lauren was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She received dual degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry in addition to a minor in music for flute performance from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. During her undergraduate career, she worked in the lab of Dale Wilger where she researched novel hydroarylation reactions using nickel catalysis. Lauren is currently a second-year student in the chemistry department and is investigating the gut microbiome’s role in drug reactivation and subsequent toxicity. In her free time, Lauren enjoys music, watching the Baltimore Orioles, and reading.

Email: lhutchi@unc.edu

Olivia L. Maurer

Olivia is from Frankenmuth, Michigan, and received her BS in Biochemistry from Grand Valley State University. As an undergraduate, she was a member of the Wallar lab where she investigated the structure/function relationship of beta-lactamases and their contribution to antibiotic resistance. Olivia is currently a second-year graduate student in the Biochemistry and Biophysics department and is interested in studying functional differences of gut microbial enzymes using structural biology. In her spare time, Olivia enjoys reading, trying new coffee shops, and attending local trivia nights with friends.

Email: maurero@email.unc.edu

Brian Jeong Joo Pyo

Brian is from Seoul, South Korea. He received his BS in Food Bioscience & Technology with a double major in Medical Convergence Engineering from Korea University, and MS in Pharmacy (Systems Toxicology) from Seoul National University. After graduation, he worked at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology for three years as a research scientist before he joined BBSP. Brian is currently a first-year student in the Curriculum of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine and is interested in studying the interaction between gut microbiome and xenobiotics. Outside of lab, Brian enjoys watching movies, playing tennis, cooking, baking, and brewing coffee with his manual espresso machine.

Email: brianpyo@med.unc.edu

Josh J. Sekela

Josh is a computational tech and lab manager from coastal NC. He currently works with Josh Simpson to investigate the activity of gut microbial enzymes using bioinformatics and data science. He is broadly interested in learning about the structure and function of proteins, as well as their roles in disease. Josh also enjoys nature, biking, and music.

Email: jsekela@email.unc.edu

Piper

Piper is a 9-and-a-half-pound Hemingway cat. What she lacks in people skills, she makes up for in her extra toes. Piper’s research interests include studying the capabilities of mammals to photosynthesize and ensuring that gravity is always functioning normally. When Piper isn’t researching, you can regularly find her on the back of any couch in the house, especially next to a window. Piper also enjoys practicing her boxing skills on Dean’s face.

Dean

Dean is an extra-large-sized corgi with a big personality. When he isn’t chasing his older sister, Piper, around the house, you can regularly find him becoming the physical embodiment of a couch potato. Some of Dean’s research interests include performing Jedi mind tricks on his parents for treats and seeing how long he can bark at nonexistent sounds before his parents tell him to be quiet. Dean also has a strong dislike for emotions of any kind and especially takes offense if you sneeze in his presence.