Our Team

Connie Yang is a 2nd year MSTP student from Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. She completed her BSc in Biochemistry at McGill University in Montreal in 2021 where she conducted research in cancer biology. Outside of lab and medical school Connie enjoys rock climbing, running, and reading.

Lingxia Zhao grew up in Heibei, China and earned her BA while working in an analytical chemistry lab in Beijing. She has extensive work experience in analytical chemistry and molecular biology research at both Washington University and NewLeaf Symbiotics. With her time outside of the lab, she enjoys gardening, fishing, and going on walks with her family.

Jessica Tung is a 2nd-year MSTP student from Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. She completed her BSc in Biology at the University of Texas at Arlington in 2019, where she conducted research in protein evolution and biochemistry. She later developed a love for microbiology while studying host-pathogen dynamics as an NIH post-bacc research fellow. Outside of lab and medical school, Jessica enjoys working on graphic design projects, cooking and baking, and playing with her two cats.

Isabel Erickson is a first year MMMP student from Bar Harbor, Maine. She completed her BA in Biology at Swarthmore College in 2018, where she conducted research on the hummingbird gut microbiome. Since then, she has conducted research on the skin microbiome and on the role of glucocorticoid signaling in the immune pathogenesis of obesity. In her spare time outside the lab, she enjoys cooking, reading and spending time outdoors.

Jaeden Flury obtained her BS in biology at California State University, San Marcos, where she also conducted research in molecular microbiology. More recently, Jaeden was a postbaccalaureate researcher at WUSM working to functionally classify variants within the Sonic Hedgehog Pathway. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to visit her family and friends, playing tennis, baking and playing music.

Izzy Gonzales is a second-year pre-medical student at Washington University in St. Louis. She is originally from Marin County, California and has conducted research on language barriers in healthcare, alternative long-term birth control methods and the history of vaccines for patients in emergency departments. She has developed a passion for combatting Latino health disparities and wants to pursue a career in public health. Outside of the lab, Izzy enjoys running, hiking, reading and working as an EMT at WashU.

Julia Trost is a third-year pre-medical student majoring in Biochemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. She is from Columbia, Maryland and has previously conducted research on helicases, investigating synthetic lethality in mouse models. In her free time, she enjoys running, playing piano and watching major league baseball.