Assistant professor
shawx166@d.umn.edu
Clara Shaw
I study environmental drivers of disease with a focus on pathogen spillover and emergence. Humans have drastically modified the environment, impacting wild species and influencing the dynamics and evolution of pathogens. Consequently, species of concern - ourselves included - are increasingly at risk of emergent pathogens from spillover infections. I use Caenorhabditis nematodes and Orsay virus to ask questions about the ecological conditions that modulate the ability of pathogens to infect novel hosts and the evolution and potential
emergence of pathogens after spillover - or the initial infection of a novel host. I began this work in collaboration with postdoctoral advisor Dr. David Kennedy at Penn State University. Prior to that, I completed my PhD studying the ecology of Daphnia and their parasites with Dr. Meghan Duffy at the University of Michigan. My CV is here.
I value learning, teaching, and mentoring. I recognize that I and those that I collaborate with and mentor are still progressing on academic and personal journeys. I celebrate small and large accomplishments on these journeys.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family, cooking and baking, running, skiing, and spending time in nature.
Courtney O'Kane
Hello! My name is Courtney and I am a graduate student in the Shaw Lab. I have a special interest in molecular, cellular, and physiological biology with an emphasis on virology, immunology, microbiology, cancer biology, and women's health. My ideal career would be a combination of science communication, mentoring, and a healthy dose of benchwork and research.
My graduate work in the Shaw Lab is focused on host-virus interactions and disease progression in the Caenorhabditis-Orsay virus model system. I am particularly interested in understanding how the host microbiome influences viral susceptibility and if these responses are conserved across different host species. My research will illuminate if biotic interactions with bacteria can influence virus spillover dynamics. The Caenorhabditis-Orsay virus model system is ideal in virology work because Orsay virus transmits naturally in large populations of
microscopic worms in controlled lab environments, mimicking large scale epidemics.
Importantly, the natural host for Orsay virus, Caenorhabditis elegans, is well studied and shares over 70% of their genetic makeup with that of humans. The results of my work will establish potential parallels between this host-virus model system and emergence events in humans that can lead to global pandemics.
Outside of my time in the lab, I love to hike, take long walks, ride horses, listen to audiobooks, puzzle, or watch women’s sports (Paige Bueckers is my all-time favorite!). I dearly love my family, friends, and Shelby, our family kitty, and I spend as much time in the mountains of my hometown of Sun Valley, Idaho with my family as I can.
Lukas Harries
I am a junior at UMD majoring in Biology. My research interests are in zoonotic diseases and cross-species transmission, particularly about understanding how zoonotic spillover events can be predicted, prevented, and mitigated. I am especially interested in developing strategies that reduce the risk of emerging infectious diseases and improve global health outcomes. After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in epidemiology or infectious disease research. Outside the lab, I enjoy singing, cooking, hiking, powerlifting, animal watching, travelling, and bug catching.
Katie Hopp
My name is Katie Hopp, and I’m a senior biology undergraduate student in the Shaw Lab. I am interested in all things cellular and molecular biology, more specifically infectious diseases, and how viruses, bacteria, and parasites interact with their host.
The wide range of diseases that infectious disease doctors come into contact with intrigues me, as well as the broad clinical experiences they diagnose and treat daily. I find molecular pathogens fascinating, as something so small can have such significant effects on the human body.
My hobbies include reading, playing video games, tending to my plants, lazing around at the lake, and photosynthesizing in the sun. When I can, I like to travel back to my hometown, Fargo, ND, to visit my family, especially my dogs and cats.
Lab Alums
Undergraduate Students
Jalyn Bad Horse
Ella Halvorson
Loralei Larson
Rachel Rhein
Quinn Shink
Shelbie Vandersteen
Joe Anderson
Masters Students
Qiaohui Zhang