LAB MEMBERS
Current Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Juliet Morrison, PhD
Juliet Morrison is an Assistant Professor in the Microbiology and Plant Pathology department at UC Riverside. There she researches host-pathogen interactions and teaches on topics pertaining to host responses to human viruses. Her research combines immunological and virological methods with computational analysis to address questions at the host-pathogen interface. After completing her BA in Biology at Bard College, she earned her PhD in Microbiology at Columbia University. After graduate school, she completed postdoctoral fellowships at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and University of Washington.
Since 2018, the Morrison lab has been investigating host responses to important viral pathogens. Her goal is to translate her findings into host-targeted virus therapeutics.
Juliet is from the beautiful island of Jamaica, and speaks English and Jamaican Patois. Her hobbies are urban farming, cooking and travel.
email: juliet.morrison@ucr.edu
twitter: @JumoDr
Graduate Student
Roksana Shirazi
Roksana started her undergraduate degree at Irvine Valley College and graduated from UCLA with a BS in Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics. During her time at UCLA, Roksana worked in Dr. Sherie L. Morrison’s, Dr. Thomas Graeber’s, and Dr. Kris Reddi's laboratories. After graduation, she worked as a Staff Research Associate II in Dr. Robert L. Modlin laboratory for three years. Now, Roksana is a PhD student in the Morrison lab. She looks forward to facing new challenges to achieve her goal of becoming a PhD scientist. Her work at the Morrison lab focuses on studying the mechanisms leading to macrophage differentiation related to mitochondria, which have the potential to lead to novel therapies for controlling inflammatory diseases.
Undergraduate Student
Pranav Hastak
Pranav is a first year undergraduate student, majoring in Microbiology. During his time in highschool, he worked as an intern in Dr. James Ford's lab. Pranav aspires to pursue research through his undergraduate years, and attend medical school post-grad.
In his free time Pranav enjoys working out, hiking, and playing with his dog.
email: pranav.hastak@email.ucr.edu
Undergraduate Student
Kayla Chow
Kayla Chow is a fourth-year undergraduate student, majoring in Microbiology. She is interested in learning more about host responses to viruses and techniques used in microbiology research labs. Kayla aspires to pursue a career as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist and earn a master's degree in microbiology post-undergrad.
In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, traveling, and exploring new coffee and tea shops
email: kayla.chow@email.ucr.edu