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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.