Principal Investigator
Martin Horvath
Martin Horvath
Principal Investigator
Dr. Horvath obtained his B.Sc. from Brown University. He pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago earning his Ph.D. in 1994. Martin loves research and is passionate about undergraduate research and education, especially how to teach critical thinking & communication in science. In the fall, Martin teaches Biol 3525/Chem 3525: Molecular Biology of DNA Lab. Every spring, he co-instructs Biol 3510/Chem 3510: Biological Chemistry I. Outside of the lab or the classroom, he enjoys spending time with family, trail running, reading and learning new things! Currently, Martin is invested in learning all things astrobiology!
Fun fact: Martin abandoned two of his children above the arctic circle and uses this story as a metaphor for mentoring and teaching.
Graduate PhD Student
Danielle Yama
Danielle Yama
Graduate PhD Student
Danielle Yama is a Ph.D. student who joined Martin Horvath’s lab in 2024 studying the evolution of the enzyme MutY and how early life organisms could have developed DNA protecting mechanisms on a young Earth. Prior to this, she had earned her BS in Biology from the University of Idaho with some focus on studying antifungal proteins. Danielle has a particular fondness for evolution, genetics, and heredity as well as gene therapy bases systems, and of course, the amazing structures of molecules. She has many passions, likely not enough time to pursue them all, but in her free time she enjoys writing novels, dance, climbing, hiking/exploring and being outdoors. She has recently developed a love for public speaking and seeks to one day try what is probably one of the most frightening subjects/skillsets in the world: keynote speaking. She also wants to become an eventual author and teacher.
Graduate PhD Student
Bryan Vasquez
Bryan Vasquez
Graduate PhD Student
Bryan Vasquez is a graduate student in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah. He is primarily interested in how bacterial weapons, "tailocins", can be used as novel antibiotics against growing antibiotic resistance, with a focus on how these weapons selectively recognize and kill their bacterial targets. If he’s not in the lab, he’s probably hiking somewhere.
Graduate PhD Student
Alexis Enright
Alexis Enright
Graduate PhD Student
Alexis is currently working with the Tailocin project and absolutely love it. She wants to pursue her PhD in Biological Chemistry here at the University of Utah this next year and is super excited for the opportunity. In her free time, she loves to read, snowboard, travel, and collect house plants!
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher
Alexa Thoms
Alexa Thoms
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher
Alexa joined the Horvath Lab in August 2024 and is working on the Talocin Project to research how talocins find and target specific bacterial pathogens. Outside of her research, Alexa is an active volunteer at different healthcare facilities in Salt Lake City. She also enjoys playing on the University Club Soccer Team, snowboarding, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher
Avery Weathers
Avery Weathers
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher
Undergraduate Researcher
Ethan Morris
Ethan Morris
Undergraduate Researcher
Undergraduate Researcher
Olivia Christensen
Olivia Christensen
Undergraduate Researcher
Liv Christensen is an undergraduate student who joined the lab in Summer of 2025 to work on Vincent May’s gene editing project. She is now working on the tailocin project while earning her BS in Biochemistry at the University of Utah, and is expected to graduate in Spring 2026. She loves the intersection between medicine, biology, and chemistry, and wants to focus on that through research. Outside of the lab, she works as an EMT and greatly enjoys music.
A Very Good Boy
Ron Horvath
Ron Horvath
A Very Good Boy
Former Lab Members
Undergraduate Honors Student
Lauren Winn
Lauren Winn
Undergraduate Honors Student
Research Assistant
Emily Nuibe
Emily Nuibe
Research Assistant
Undergraduate Student
Galilee Thompson
Galilee Thompson
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Beckman Scholar
Sonia Sehgal
Sonia Sehgal
Undergraduate Beckman Scholar
Undergraduate ACCESS Student
Bridget Raymundo
Bridget Raymundo
Undergraduate ACCESS Student
Undergraduate Honors Student
Kenzie Montzingo
Kenzie Montzingo
Undergraduate Honors Student
Graduate Student
Valerie O'Shea
Valerie O'Shea
Graduate Student
Graduate Student
Peyton Russelburg
Peyton Russelburg
Graduate Student
Research Assistant
Markell Kolendrianos
Markell Kolendrianos
Research Assistant
Undergraduate Student
Evan Drage
Evan Drage
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Kyle Knutsen
Kyle Knutsen
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Harini Srinivasan
Harini Srinivasan
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Pamela Giahi
Pamela Giahi
Undergraduate Student
MS Graduate Student
Keelah Barger
Keelah Barger
MS Graduate Student
Graduate Student
Vincent Mays
Vincent Mays
Graduate Student
Vincent graduated from Missouri State University as a biology major emphasizing in microbiology and biotechnology and a minor in chemistry. Vincent joined the Horvath lab in May of 2021. Broadly, his research interests are centered around how organisms simultaneously maintain and evolution their biological information. Specifically, he focuses on MutY and its role in DNA repair. Outside of devoting countless hours in the lab, Vincent enjoys jiu-jitsu, programming, weight training, and outdoor adventuring! Fun fact: Vincent has a tattoo written in Quenya, an elvish language from Lord of the Rings!
Graduate Student
Alex Ballinger
Alex Ballinger
Graduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Ethan Mousser
Ethan Mousser
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Aidan Connor
Aidan Connor
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Quyen Trần
Quyen Trần
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Maddison Bailey
Maddison Bailey
Undergraduate Student
Research Assistant
Karina Cedeno
Karina Cedeno
Research Assistant
Undergraduate Student
Payton Utzman
Payton Utzman
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Honors Student
Tara Tazehabadi
Tara Tazehabadi
Undergraduate Honors Student
Undergraduate ACCESS Student 2020
Mary Fairbanks
Mary Fairbanks
Undergraduate ACCESS Student 2020
Undergraduate Student
Annabel Lee
Annabel Lee
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate ACCESS Student 2022
Maggie Leavitt
Maggie Leavitt
Undergraduate ACCESS Student 2022
Undergraduate Student
Evan George
Evan George
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Kyle Wynn
Kyle Wynn
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate Student
Genesis Viquez
Genesis Viquez
Undergraduate Student