Members

Group Leader

Professor Garg received a Bachelors in Engineering in Biotechnology from University Institute of Technology and Masters in Science from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. During her masters, she spent several months in Berlin, Germany while conducting research with Professor Marion Ansorge Schumacher at Technical University, Berlin as an DAAD Fellow. Garg obtained her Ph.D. in 2013 from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign under the direction of Professor Wilfred A. van der Donk and Professor Satish Nair. She then joined Professor Pieter C Dorrestein's research laboratory as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of California, San Diego. Garg joined the faculty at GeorgiaTech in 2017.

Graduate Students

Jiangpeiyun (Joy) Jin is from Chengdu, China. She graduated with a BS in Mathematics and Chemistry from Gordon College. She is currently a fourth-year graduate student in the Chemistry and Biochemistry PhD program. Joy is interested in solving biological problems using analytical chemistry skills. She is currently studying metabolomic features of cystic fibrosis associated pathogens.

Alex Doty is from Gainesville, GA, and graduated with a BS in Biochemistry with a minor in Mathematics from College of Charleston. After graduation he worked as an ORISE fellow and Battelle contractor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A CDC he was involved in monitoring trans fatty acids using mass spectrometry, method development for top-down analysis of parathyroid hormone via mass spectrometry, and quantification of various protein hormones with chemiluminescent immunoassays. Alex is currently interested in studying metabolites associated with coral reef disease and elucidating the small molecule mediated communication between corals and endosymbiotic algae using untargeted tandem mass spectrometry.

Mónica Monge Loría is from Costa Rica. She graduated with a BS in Chemistry from UCR, Rodrigo Facio. She is currently a third-year graduate student in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. Mónica is studying metabolites associated with the coral holobiont using analytical chemistry tools.

Atharva Kulkarni is from India and graduated with a B.Tech in Pharmaceutical Technology from the Institute of Chemical Technology. He is currently a second-year graduate student in the Chemistry and Biochemistry PhD program. His interests lie in studying the metabolic environment born out of the complex interactions in microbial communities.

Daniel Hicks is from Macon, Georgia and graduated with a BS in Biochemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is currently a first-year graduate student in the Chemistry and Biochemistry PhD program. He is interested in studying host microbiome interactions during bacterial infection using analytical chemistry techniques.

Eunice A. Lazau is from Buford, Georgia, and graduated with a BS in Biochemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology. After graduating, she worked as an ORISE fellow at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzing cardiovascular biomarkers using mass spectrometry. She is currently a second-year graduate student in the Chemistry and Biochemistry PhD program. Eunice is interested in using analytical chemistry to unveil intricate biological mechanisms and improve human health.

Gabriel Foster is from Cedartown, Georgia, and graduated with a BS in Biochemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology. His interest in chemistry is a result of his love of nature and his curiosity to learn how it all functions. Currently, Gabriel is developing imaging mass spectrometry based methods to study complex interplay of chemical interactions between holobiont members. When he isn’t studying, you can usually find Gabriel writing or exploring nature.

Leah Park is from Cumming, Georgia, and graduated with a BS in Chemistry with concentration in forensic science from Augusta University. After graduation, she worked as a forensic toxicologist at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) analyzing drugs and alcohol content using mass spectrometry. She is currently studying the metabolites produced by interaction between antibiotics and cystic fibrosis pathogens using analytical chemistry techniques.

Sabrina Barata is from San Jose, California, and graduated with a BS in Chemistry and a minor in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She is a first-year PhD student in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department. Sabrina is currently working with untargeted mass spectrometry to investigate the metabolomics of healthy and diseased coral holobionts.