Dr. Michelle Howard professional headshot

Michelle Howard, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator
Dr. Kathryn Spitler professional headshot

Katie Spitler, Ph.D.

Research Associate
Sarah professional headshot

Sarah King, BS

Post-Baccalaureate Fellow
Bogdan Buzdugan professional headshot

Bogdan E. Buzdugan, BS

Post-Baccalaureate Fellow
Jack Reynolds

Jack Reynolds

Undergraduate Fellow

Lab Alumni

Bri O'Leary Ph.D.

2024 - 2025 Senior Research Scientist

Rana Rheem

Undergraduate Research Fellow (2023-2024) & Post-Baccalaureate Fellow (2025)

Joanie Whitaker

2025 Rotating Graduate Student, Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Claire Graham

2021-2025 Undergraduate Research Fellow

Current role: Graduate Student (BME) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN 

Dangran Li

2025 Rotating Graduate Student, Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Eryka Appiah-Amaning

2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Intern, Prairie View A&M, TX

Alyson Honeyman

2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Intern, University of Kansas, KS

Aaron Smith

2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Intern, University of Iowa, IA

Shane Solst Ph.D.

2021 - 2024 Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Lianna Fiore

2023 Rotating Graduate Student, Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Koffi Amegble

2023 Post-Baccalaureate Rotating Fellow, ICARE Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Brock Althiser

Summer 2022 Biomedical Scholars Summer Undergraduate Research Program participant, Bemidji State University, MN 

Kyle Current

2021-2022 Rotating Graduate student, University of Iowa, IA

Every person, every background, every story is welcome here.

Our research lab is committed to creating a respectful environment where all members can contribute fully to our scientific mission. We believe these experiences strengthen our research and collaboration. We strive to work constructively with individuals and groups, remove barriers to participation, and ensure that every voice is welcomed, supported, and heard.