Current Lab Members
Helen earned her MD from Duke University. She completed her internal medicine residency at Harvard-Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and her fellowship and MPH at University of Washington. Her research is focused on emerging respiratory viral infections and maternal-fetal immunity against respiratory viruses.
Twitter: @HelenChuMD
Helen Y. Chu
MD, MPH, Professor, Internal Medicine & Infectious Disease
Tara Ogilvie serves as project manager for various projects in the Chu lab. She earned a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Washington and a B.S. in Psychology and Neuroscience from Seattle Pacific University. Her interest is in administrative support, including managing project logistics and communications, overseeing regulatory processes and grant management. Outside of work, Tara enjoys exploring new restaurants & coffee shops, listening to audiobooks and traveling with her family.
Tara Hatchie
MPH, Program Manager
A Colorado native, Erica earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from Ithaca College in upstate New York. After graduating Erica moved to Seattle, working for Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center in the HIV Vaccine Project for over 6 years. She then pursued a M.S. in Biology in Kansas studying Ferruginous Hawks. After graduating she again moved to Seattle with her husband. Her research interests include ecology, immunology, GIS and birds.
Erica Clark
MS, Research Scientist
Originally from New Jersey, Anna moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. She earned her MPH in Epidemiology and her B.S. in Public Health from UW. Her current areas of interest include infectious disease surveillance and epidemiology. Outside of work she enjoys trying new coffee shops, going on walks, and traveling.
Anna Adams
MPH, Research Coordinator
Alex Murray
MD, MS
Claire Quinlan
MD
Julia is a PhD student in UW’s Department of Epidemiology. Her research interests are vaccine-preventable disease epidemiology and infectious disease surveillance. Julia received her MSPH in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control with a certificate in Vaccine Science and Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and her BS in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Julia C. Bennett
PhD, MSPH
Collrane earned her PhD student in the University of Washington’s Department of Epidemiology. Her primary research interests include infectious disease epidemiology, vaccine delivery, maternal immunization, and clinical trial methods. She holds an MSPH degree in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a BA in Biochemistry from Occidental College.
Collrane Frivold
PhD, MSPH, Graduate Research Assistant
Sarah earned her MSPH in International Health: Global Disease Epidemiology and Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington. She has experience working in industry, government, & research, and is the co-founder of two global non-profit organizations. Sarah is passionate about vaccine implementation, infectious disease modeling, and reducing health disparities.
Sarah Cox Kraus
PhD, MSPH
Kyla Haggith
PhD Student, MSN, BSN
Kat Hoffman
PhD Student, MS, Graduate Research Assistant
Chidozie is a PhD Epidemiology student at the University of Washington. He holds an MSc in Microbiology and MPH in Epidemiology and Disease Control from South Africa. His research interest is focused on the epidemiology of emerging/re-emerging microbial diseases, respiratory disease surveillance, vaccines, and global disease burden. When he is not occupied with school or work, he is either hanging out with friends, biking, or listening to music, mostly Afrobeat!
Chidozie Declan Iwu
MPH, PhD Student, Graduate Research Assistant
Bruce graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S in Public Health Sciences and earned an MPH with a focus on Epidemiology from the University of Washington. His interests are in policy evaluation, community-based participatory research, and reducing health disparities. He is currently pursuing his PhD at UW's Department of Epidemiology.
Bruce Bello
MPH, Research Coordinator
Originally from San Diego, Zoe earned her B.S. in Microbiology from University of California, Los Angeles. She moved to Seattle to earn her MPH in Community-Oriented Public Health Practice from University of Washington. Her current interests include infectious disease, risk assessment, and community-based participatory research. Outside of work, you can catch Zoe at SIFF watching movies or spending time with her cat, Bean.
Zoë Finch
MPH, Research Coordinator
Susan earned her PharmD and MPH from the University of Washington and completed a Fogarty Global Health Fellowship in Kenya in 2019. She currently works at Seattle Children's Hospital and Fred Hutch Cancer Center as a Research Pharmacist. Her research interests include infectious disease epidemiology, vaccinology and global health. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, tinkering with recipes in the kitchen, and taking her Basenji pup on long walks.
Susan Jacob
PharmD MPH, Research Pharmacist
Erica has a BA in Biology from St. Olaf College, an MPH from Tulane University, and an MSc in epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She transitioned to data analysis work after working with international NGOs on health program management for many years, including 8 years Mozambique. Erica speaks Spanish and Portuguese fluently. Her interests include epidemiology of infectious diseases, especially malaria. Outside of work, she likes to hike, train for triathlons, travel, and spend time with family.
Erica A. Wetzler
MPH, BA, Senior Data Manager
Florence began their career working in homeless shelters and drop-ins, where they first took an interest in the social determinants of health. From there, they pivoted into public health and completed an MPH in health systems at the UW. Florence’s research interests include One Health, the impact of social connections on health, and the implementation of health programs in under-resourced health systems. In their spare time, Florence enjoys hiking, biking, trying new recipes, and exploring the Seattle arts scene.
Florence Williams
MPH, BA Research Coordinator
Raised in Vancouver, WA, Jasdeep earned her B.S in Health Informatics and Health Information Management. Her interests lie in quality and efficiency improvements in the healthcare delivery system, with a particular emphasis on advancing geriatric care. Outside of the lab, she enjoys quilting, reading, and junk journaling. Fun fact, she keeps this website updated! She is currently pursuing her MHA in Healthcare Administration at the University of Washington
Jasdeep Atwal
BS, Research Assistant
A South Seattle local, Sami holds a BA in Natural Sciences and International Studies from Johns Hopkins. He is excited to be joining the Chu Lab as he completes his MSc in Global Health from National Taiwan University. His research interests in migrant health intersect with a passion for language learning, travel, and community engagement
Sami Ayele
BS, Research Coordinator
Originally from Kansas City, Mark and his wife moved to Seattle in 2009. He has worked in the Allergy & Infectious Diseases division at UW for over fifteen years. He joins the Chu Lab as a software engineer. He is a web developer, microcontroller tinkerer, cooking enthusiast, and dad to one toddler and one crazy dog.
Mark Drummond
BA, Software Engineer
Born and raised in Vancouver, WA, Alex earned his B.S. in Microbiology with a minor in Marine Biology from the University of Washington. His current areas of interest include data driven decision making, logistics automation, One Health approaches to healthcare, and the effects of the climate crisis on infectious disease. Outside of work, Alex loves to try new recipes in the kitchen, paddleboard on Greenlake, read outside in the (rare) Seattle sunshine, and enjoy a night in with his cat, Yuzu.
Alex Harteloo
BS, Research Coordinator
Hailing from Mercer Island, Melissa now lives in Seattle with her husband, daughter, and two cats. She has worked at the University of Washington for over seven years as a research scientist and research coordinator. In her free time she enjoys camping, reaching' ‘Queen Bee’ on the New York Times Spelling Bee, spending time with her daughter, and attending concerts.
Melissa MacMillan
BA, BS, Research Coordinator
Born and raised in India, Zarna moved to the PNW in 2015. She completed her BS in Genetics and has a deep interest in research. Over the years, she has contributed to various clinical research studies, including HIV prevention and longitudinal COVID-19 studies. Currently, she works as a research coordinator with the Chu Lab, focusing on studies involving viral respiratory infections. Outside of work, Zarna enjoys exploring the natural beauty of PNW, camping, hiking, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Zarna Marfatia
BS, Research Coordinator
Originally from Dallas, TX, Grace earned a B.S. in Public Health from the University of North Carolina with a concentration in Environmental Health and a minor in English Literature. Currently in the Chu lab she work as a lab technician, processing samples for the CASCADIA Study. Her interests include women’s health and reproductive rights and environmental sustainability.
Grace Marshall
BS, Research Scientist Assistant
Originally from Lake Forest Park, Washington, Kathryn attended the University of Washington where she graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics and an English Minor. Her current research interests include study design accessibility and public health. Outside of the lab, Kathryn enjoys baking new recipes, hiking, and playing board games.
Kathryn McCaffrey
BA, Research Coordinator
Devon graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Environmental Science. Most of her undergraduate studies focused on salmon conservation and habitat restoration, and she performed research engineered log jams providing refuge for Chinook salmon. Her current interests include environmental health, sustainability and backpacking.
Devon McDonald
BS, Research Coordinator
Jean F. Mernaugh
BS, Research Scientist Assistant
Born in Seattle and raised in Shoreline, Daniel pursued a Bachelors in Medical Anthropology & Global Health at the University of Washington. His current area of interests are public health, statistics, accessible design, and bioinformatics. Outside the lab, he enjoys photography, tennis, and exploring new food places.
Daniel Nguyen
BS, Research Scientist Assistant
Raised in Yakima County, Jari earned his B.A. in Biology from Heritage University. His interests focus on community-based participatory research aimed at reducing health disparities and improving access to care for underserved communities. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with his family
Jari Tavira
BA, Research Assistant
Originally from San Jose, CA, Brandon earned a B.S. in Health Education from San Francisco State University. He joins the team as a Research Coordinator with interests in epidemiology and respiratory viral infectious diseases. Outside of work, Brandon enjoys trying new food locations, watching sports, cat therapy from his two cats and exploring more of Seattle since his recent move with his wife in 2023.
Brandon Torres
BS, Research Coordinator
Lab Alumni
Lewis Back
Connor Beasley
Jim Boonyaratanakornkit
Roni Bowen
Izzy Brandstetter
Amanda Casto
Jennifer Chin
Shari Cho
Eric J. Chow
Erin Chung
Briana Del Rosario
Seda Ekici
Annie Emanuels
Lindsay Engelbert
Chintya Erlianti
Nicholas Franko
Jessica Heimonen
Dandi Huang
Katie Gustafson
Micaela Haglund
Madison Hollcroft
Nicole Horsley
Megan Kemp
Ashley Kim
Kyle Luiten
Jenny Lenahan
Amy Link
Denise McCulloch
Marta Martinez Perez
Ariana Magedson
Natalie Mazur
Tiffany Mei
Sandra McAteer
Dylan McDonald
Alex Murray
Callista Nackviseth
Kira Newman
Helen Nguyen
Jessica O’Hanlon
Audrey Osterbind
Erin Philpott
Brian Pfau
Julia Rogers
Sarah Sohlberg
Emily Scott
Kiel Shuey
Jody Sicuro
Nicholas Thuo
Arvind Venkatraman
Yongzhe Wang
Kino Watanabe
Rino Watanabe
Naomi Wilcox
Caitlin Wolf
Tessa Wright