The Graduate Program in Microbiology and Immunology features a diverse student body. Our graduate students come from all over the United States and the world and the resulting cultural diversity contributes to a vibrant and highly interactive student body. Explore these student profiles to learn about the research interests and accomplishments of some of our current students and recent graduates.
1st Year Graduate Students
2026-27 Academic Session
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Stony Brook University
Abigail Maciejewski (abigail.maciejewski@stonybrook.edu)
I earned a B.S. in Biology from Duke University, where I conducted undergraduate research in the Volkan Laboratory investigating the genetics of olfactory neurons in Drosophila and completed an honors thesis in the Vilgalys Laboratory focused on mycoremediation. I subsequently earned my M.D. from New York Medical College. Prior to beginning my Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at Stony Brook University, I joined the Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where I conducted viral surveillance of avian influenza (H5N1). My research interests include viral pathogenesis, host–pathogen interactions, immune responses to infectious diseases and cancer, and vaccine development.
Amanda Huang (amanda.huang.1@stonybrook.edu)
In my previous lab at the Feinstein Institutes, I studied the role of Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 (IRF5) in autoimmunity. My work utilizing a TLR7-mediated murine model of Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which IRF5 drives the differentiation of a specialized hemophagocytic macrophage population seen in MAS. I continue to be interested in learning about signaling pathways that give rise to diseases in hopes of identifying therapeutic targets for the development of treatments.
Ashley Sevier (ashley.sevier@stonybrook.edu)
I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Stony Brook University. My research interests lie in the intersection of microbiology, immunology, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering. I am particularly interested in understanding how stem cells and the immune system interact during tissue repair and regeneration, and how these processes can be leveraged to develop therapies for autoimmune and degenerative diseases. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to translational research that bridges fundamental biological discoveries with innovative treatments that improve patient outcomes.
Firdaus Muhammad (firdaus.muhammad@stonybrook.edu)
I received dual B.S. degrees in Microbiology and Public Health Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in May 2026. My undergraduate research investigated the effects of PFOS exposure on pancreatic development in zebrafish, while additional microbiology research experiences strengthened my interest in infectious disease. My research interests include host-pathogen interactions, microbial pathogenesis, immune responses to infection, and the development of vaccines and novel therapeutics to prevent and treat infectious diseases.
Matthew Callaghan (matthew.callaghan.1@stonybrook.edu)
I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the Microbiology and Immunology program at Stony Brook University. My research interests lie at the intersection of immunology, therapeutic antibody engineering, and translational drug discovery, with a focus on developing biologic therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Prior to joining Stony Brook, I earned an M.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology (Immunology) from Villanova University, where I developed a novel oral antibody-drug conjugate platform for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This work resulted in multiple patent applications related to technology. I also worked in Early Bioprocess Development at Pfizer, contributing to vaccine research. My research experience encompasses therapeutic design, antibody engineering, in vitro and in vivo preclinical research, and advanced immunological and cell-based assay development.