Who we are
Pronouns: she/her
Amanda L. Woerman, PhD
Principal Investigator
Amanda received her B.A. in Botany/Microbiology and Politics & Government from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2008, and her PhD in Molecular Medicine from The George Washington University in 2013. Working with Dr. David Mendelowitz, she designed the first animal model of perinatal exposure to the air pollutant sulfur dioxide and identified the mechanism by which it produces tachycardia and cardiovascular disease. In July 2013, Amanda joined Dr. Stanley Prusiner’s laboratory at UCSF as a postdoctoral fellow, where she developed cellular assays for tau and alpha-synuclein prions, which she employed to investigate the role of prion strains in neurodegenerative disease. Amanda was an Assistant Professor of Biology at UMass Amherst from September 2019-August 2023. In August 2023, she moved the lab to the Prion Research Center at Colorado State University, and is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology.
Outside of the lab, Amanda can be found swimming, biking, or running in preparation for her next triathlon, or playing with her Scottish terriers, Pepper and Gus.
melissa dexter
lab manager
Pronouns: she/her
Sara holec hammerstrom, phd
postdoctoral fellow
Sara received her B.S. in Biology from the University of South Dakota in 2014 and her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Immunology from Creighton University in 2019. Working with Dr. Jason Bartz, she characterized the role of nonhost factors, such as soil binding and enzymatic degradation, in PrP prion strain emergence to expand the knowledge of prion disease transmission in the environment. In February 2020, Sara joined the Woerman lab as a postdoctoral fellow with an interest in studying alpha-synuclein prion strains and understanding how strain differences contribute to human disease.
Outside of the lab, Sara can be found running, hiking, or camping with her husband, Alex, and their son.
Pronouns: he/him
Chase Khedmatgozar
MIP Phd student
Chase received his B.S. in Biology from California State University Channel Islands where he studied neural connectivity of decision-making in C. elegans. He then became an NIH PREP Scholar and received his M.S. at UMass Amherst. Chase has been with the Woerman Lab since 2022 and is currently a Ph.D. student in the Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology program at CSU. He is interested in the axonal transport of alpha-synuclein.
Outside of the lab, you can find Chase playing Dungeons and Dragons, running on the trails, or playing the piano and French horn.
Pronouns: she/her
Emma Szegvari
MIP Phd/dvm student
Emma received her B.A in Biochemistry from Hamilton College in 2021. She started the combined DVM/PhD program at Colorado State University in 2023 and is excited to have joined the Woerman lab to continue her studies.
Outside of the lab, Emma loves to backpack with her dog Mia, Nordic ski, and experiment with new vegetarian recipes.
Pronouns: she/her/they/them
avery lessard
Toxicology PHD rotation student
Avery Lessard is a Toxicology PhD student specializing in neurodegenerative disease research. Avery received her B.S. in Microbiology from Colorado State University, where she continued into the Post Baccalaureate Research Program after graduation. Her undergraduate research experience included working in the Zabel Lab, focusing on a strain typing project for Chronic Wasting Disease. After graduation, her research transitioned to identifying the role of inflammation in Canine Cognitive Disorder in the Moreno Lab.
Outside the lab, Avery enjoys skiing, hiking, and taking her dog on adventures around Colorado.
Kate mcCabe
mip DvM/Phd rotation student
Pronouns: she/her
Kate received her BS in neuroscience from Marymount Manhattan College in 2018, where she got her start studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of affective disorders. She recently joined the DVM/PhD program at CSU with an interest in studying age-related disease.
Outside of the lab, Kate loves going to concerts, spending time outside with her GSD Charley, and rooting for the Texas Longhorns football team.
Pronouns: she/her
shelbe schure
research fellow
Shelbe grew up in a small town in northern Colorado and received her Bachelors in biological sciences at Colorado State University in 2020. She started her Masters in Biomedical Sciences this year and will graduate May of 2024.
Outside of the lab, Shelbe enjoys drawing and painting, playing musical instruments, and chess.
Pronouns: she/they
Amy Geores
Undergraduate student
Amy grew up in Albuquerque, NM, and is currently working towards a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience at CSU. She is excited to join the Woerman Lab and begin her journey in research.
Outside of the lab, you can find Amy rock climbing, playing piano, or curled up with her cat.