Geo

Geo

Jack

Jack

Alex

Alex

Steven

Steven

Isis

Isis

Brooke

Brooke

Hasnain

Hasnain

Jacob

Jacob

Joey

Joey

Kayla

Kayla

Magnus

Magnus

Pax

Pax

Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez (Geo)

Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, Microbiology
Email: geo_santiagom@uconn.edu

I am (he/him/él*) a microbiologist interested in the ecophysiology of archaea and anaerobic bacteria, and the biochemistry of biomolecules involved in their cellular processes. My research focuses on the regulation mechanisms of cellular processes in methane-producing archaea and how energy status influences their ability to resist environmental stress conditions. My research goal is to understand the function of archaea in biogeochemical cycles and host-associated microbiomes (archaeome). I am also interested in bringing up-to-date knowledge of archaea to the classrooms and outreach activities, as well as promoting more inclusive science through mentoring and service initiatives.

X (Twitter): @GeoSantiagoM Bluesky: geosantiagom.bsky.social                   *Hablo Español

  Jack Rodriguez
  • Position: Research Technician (Postbac)
  • Pronouns: He/him/his 
  • Major: Molecular and Cell Biology.
  • Research interests: Microbiology, immunology, anaerobes, host-associated microbiomes, metabolites, inflammation, cancer cell biology
  • Hobbies: In my free time, I enjoy going for swims and playing spikeball or Mario Kart. I also love taking road trips to go skiing / mountain biking!
Alexander N. Poulter (Alex).
  • Position: PhD student (First year)
  • Pronouns: He/him
  • Major: Molecular and Cell Biology (Microbiology)
  • Research interests: Archaea, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biofilm, Structural Biology, Extremophiles, Gut-microbiome.
  • Fun fact: I was named after a supermarket and was revealed this information on my 21st Birthday by my dad after he got me a beer.
  Steven Kilmetz
  • Position: PhD Student (First year) 
  • Pronouns: He/him
  • Major: Biochemistry.
  • Research interests: Physiology of extremophiles and how they live in such extreme conditions. I also intend to use an anaerobic extremophile from the domain Archaea, Methanosarcina acetivorans, as a model for astrobiology.
  • About me:I love card games, board games, history, and trivia (I would do well at history trivia categories if they ever happened).
  • More about me: Be kind to everyone whenever you can.
  Isis Del Mazo-Monsalvo
  • Position: Visiting Scholar (Research Assistant)
  • Pronouns: She/her 
  • Major: Biology. Master degree in Biological Sciences. 
  • Research interests: Microbiology, anaerobes,  kinetics, protein biochemistry. 
  • About me: Bad faking pretending I'm human... I'm an autistic person and HoH (hard of hearing) that's why I'm lost in space. 
Brooke Kvedar
  • Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant. UConn McNair Scholar. 
  • Pronouns: She/her/hers
  • Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
  • Research interests: My research interests align with astrobiology and biotechnology, and maybe a bit of bioinformatics! I currently work with Methanosarcina acetivorans under stress conditions, which has astrobiological implications. 
  • Fun fact: A fun fact is my middle name is actually Lynne, but my first name is Brooke. So almost like Brooklynne. In my free time I like to draw and read.
  • Social media: Instagram: Brookekvedar25, linkedin: brooke-kvedar
Hasnain Altaf
  • Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant
  • Pronouns: He/him/his 
  • Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
  • Research interests: archaea, biological pathways, proteins, planetary travel, extreme survival conditions.
  • More about me: I love ice cream!
Jacob Goldstein
  • Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant
  • Pronouns: He/him/his 
  • Major: Molecular and Cell Biology. Minors: Chemistry and Business Fundamentals
  • Research interests: archaea, astrobiology, biomedicine, cancer, human gut biome. 
  • Hobbies: In my free time, I enjoy skiing, traveling, going to the beach, and playing with my dogs Zeus and Sophie.
  • More about me: At UConn, I am part of the Honors Program and the Special Program in Medicine. I am involved in many organizations on campus, such as UConn KDSAP, the Medical Humanitarian Society, and UConn VITA.
Joseph Rich (Joey)
  • Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant
  • Pronouns: He/him/his 
  • Major: Allied Health Major with MCB minor. 
  • Research interests: archaea, biomedicine, genetics, immunology, biochemistry.
  • Fun fact: A fun fact about myself is my middle name is Spartacus and technically the 3rd Spartacus in my bloodline.
  • More about me: I am a co-founder of Turn the Page, a book club at UConn. I am also a Genome Ambassador and a volunteer with kids for 4-H Vernon every week. You can follow me on Instagram @joeyrich_!
Kayla Pollman
  • Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant
  • Pronouns: She/her/hers
  • Major: Molecular and Cell Biology.
  • Research interests: Microbiology, genomics, virology, metabolism, proteomics
  • Fun fact: I am left handed and play for UConn’s club ultimate frisbee team, but don’t throw left handed.
Magnus Ekstrom
  • Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant
  • Pronouns: He/him/his 
  • Major: Chemistry with an MCB minor. 
  • Research interests: archaea, metabolic pathways
  • Hobbies: In my free time I assist with anatomy labs in the PNB department and play Wii sports.
Paxton Tomko (Pax) 
  • Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant
  • Pronouns: She/hers
  • Major: Molecular and Cell Biology (Microbiology)
  • Research interests: Archaea, geomicrobiology, astrobiology, bioinformatics.
  • Fun fact: I grew 22 squash plants this summer.
  • Website: Here's my research gate
New lab members coming soon (Summer 2024). 
Do you want to joint our team?  Are you looking for a postdoctoral position? We currently have NO open positions, but the UConn Microbial Ecophysiology lab could sponsor your application for a national (USA) or international fellowships. Check the requirements for the following options: 1.- Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Marine Microbial Ecology  2.- NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (US citizens and permanent residents) 3.- NASA Postdoctoral Program (US citizens and permanent residents) 4.- NOAA Climate & Global Change (C&GC) Postdoctoral Program 5.- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships (EU citizens). 6.- BioGeoSCAPES Fellows Program 7.- Pew Latin American Fellows 8.- FULBRIGHT PROGRAM  9.- Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 10.- Programa de Estancias Posdoctorales y Sabáticas al Extranjero del CONACyT-Mexico.  11.- Any other program! Please note that these programs are very competitive and the process usually takes more than 6 months. Are we a good fit for your research and career goals? Do you meet the requirements of any of these programs? Feel free to contact me to discuss any ideas! (See my email at the top of this page).