Lab Members
Michelle received her B.S. in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. As a graduate student in Eric Skaar's Laboratory at Vanderbilt University her thesis focused on the role of heme degradation in Staphylococcus aureus. During her post-doctoral fellowship in Dan Portnoy’s laboratory at UC Berkeley she studied the intricacies of virulence gene regulation in the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. The Reniere Lab at UW is investigating the mechanisms by which L. monocytogenes recognizes the host environment in order to activate its virulence program.
Michelle Reniere, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Lauren received her B.S. in Biology from Harvey Mudd College. During her graduate work in Andrew Camilli's laboratory at Tufts University, she studied pathogenesis of Vibrio cholerae through a molecular genetics lens. As a postdoctoral scholar in the Reniere lab, Lauren is applying her interest in bacterial genetics and pathogenesis to investigate how Staphylococcus aureus colonizes the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. When she's not in the lab, you're most likely to find Lauren at a bookstore, brewery, or tattoo studio.
Lauren Shull, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Nicole (Nikki) received her B.A. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University in 2017. She completed her undergraduate thesis in Teresa Pawlowska’s laboratory, where she studied interactions between bacteria and the filamentous fungus Rhizopus microsporus. After graduating, she spent two years at the NIH as a Post-Bac studying the skin microbiome with Dr. Heidi Kong. In the Reniere Lab, she is interested in host-pathogen interactions during L. monocytogenes infection. Outside the lab, Nikki loves cooking, going to art museums, and downhill skiing.
Nicole (Nikki) received her B.A. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University in 2017. She completed her undergraduate thesis in Teresa Pawlowska’s laboratory, where she studied interactions between bacteria and the filamentous fungus Rhizopus microsporus. After graduating, she spent two years at the NIH as a Post-Bac studying the skin microbiome with Dr. Heidi Kong. In the Reniere Lab, she is interested in host-pathogen interactions during L. monocytogenes infection. Outside the lab, Nikki loves cooking, going to art museums, and downhill skiing.
Nicole Schwardt
Graduate Student
Madison (Maddy) received her B.S from the University of California, San Diego in 2020 after attending Mira Costa College in San Diego. She completed her undergraduate research at the J. Craig Venter Institute under Dr. Sinem Beyhan, where she studied c-di-GMP regulatory genes and phenotypes that contribute to biofilm formation in Burkholderia pseudomallei. In the Reniere Lab, Maddy is interested in studying interactions between L. monocytogenes and macrophages during infection. Outside of the lab, Maddy enjoys backwards roller skating, baking, and taking multiple photographs of her cat.
Madison Sanchez
Graduate Student
Shania received a BS in Microbiology from the University of Washington as part of the class of 2021. She plans on exploring her interests in microorganisms by continuing laboratory work after graduation. Outside of the lab she enjoys baking, painting, bullet journaling, and playing with her pet rabbit, Oreo.
Shania-Kate Leano
Research Technician and Lab Manager
Timothy is a student at the University of Washington and is expected to graduate with his B.S. in Microbiology in Winter 2024. In the Reniere Lab, he is working with Lauren to understand an uncharacterized operon present in the genome of Staphylococcus aureus. After graduating, Timothy has potential plans of going to medical school, or pursuing a second Bachelors in Medical Laboratory Sciences. On his free time, he likes to listen to music, binge watching TV shows on Netflix, and try new food whenever possible.