Laboratory Staff

	Siân Owen (Principal Investigator) Siân is originally from the UK and is a proud graduate of Cardiff University (BS and Master’s) and the University of Liverpool (PhD). She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Baym Lab at Harvard Medical School in Boston for 6.5 years before joining the Wadsworth Center in 2024 to establish the Phages & Mobile Genetic Elements Lab. When not busy pondering empty 96-well plates, she is probably building model phages and listening to BBC radio.
	Michael Schelling (APHL Postdoctoral Fellow) Michael completed his PhD at Iowa State University in the lab of Dipali Sashital, where he studied CRISPR-Cas specificity and bacteriophage immunity. His research interests center on the defense and counter-defense adaptations bacteria have evolved to survive competition with other organisms. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Owen Lab, he uses microbiological and biochemical approaches to investigate mechanisms of bacterial conjugation resistance. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing music, attending concerts, and playing strategy games. Publications _[1]
	Alecia Rokes (APHL Postdoctoral Fellow) Alecia completed her PhD in Vaughn Cooper’s lab at the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied the role of evolutionary history in shaping antimicrobial resistance. In the Owen Lab, she applies an evolutionary lens to plasmid–phage interactions, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms that dictate pilus production. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her two dogs, as well as crafting and cooking at home. Publications_[2]
	Rhiannon Mariano (MS Student) Rhiannon graduated from SUNY Cobleskill with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and an associate’s degree in Biotechnology. She is currently a master’s student in the Biomedical Sciences program at UAlbany, where she studies the conjugation of carbapenem-resistance plasmids and the potential application of plasmid-dependent bacteriophages to limit their spread.
	Hannah Kumar (APHL Postbaccalaureate Fellow) Hannah earned her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Immunology from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. As an APHL fellow in the Owen Lab, she is developing methods for the systematic discovery of plasmid-dependent phages in E. coli. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and going to the beach.
	Jessica Ermo (APHL Undergraduate Intern) Jessica is a Human Biology major with a minor in Biology at the University at Albany. In the Owen Lab, she studies how plasmids and plasmid-dependent phages interact in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading speculative fiction, baking vegan treats, and spending time with her rescue pitbull.
	Jeremy Selvarajah (APHL Undergraduate Intern) Jeremy is a Biology major with a minor in Chemistry at the University at Albany and a participant in the BS/MD program affiliated with Upstate Medical University. In the Owen Lab, he explores bacterial mutations that affect plasmid conjugation and phage resistance. Outside the lab, Jeremy enjoys playing soccer and piano.