RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

tlc236@cornell.edu

Tawny is a senior post-doc who completed her PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was then a USDA-NIFA postdoctoral fellow in Department of Population Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell, before joining the Caddy Lab in 2023.

GRADUATE STUDENT (MICROBIOLOGY)

sarahwoodyear@cornell.edu

Sarah has a Masters from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in Medical Microbiology. She then spent a year working as a research assistant at The Pirbright Institute, UK prior to moving across the Atlantic to get the Caddy Lab started!

LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

tl485@cornell.edu

Tom completed his bachelor's in Communications from Rowan University in south New Jersey. Two years ago, he moved to Ithaca after being offered a Lab Animal Tech position at Cornell working with sled dogs. He enjoys painting, going to the gym, eating yummy food, and making people laugh!

GRADUATE STUDENT (BMCB)

Serena is a first year student in the BMCB program. She was a lab technician at the SUNY Buffalo before moving to Ithaca. Outside of the lab, Serena likes playing the flute and caring for her pets, which are all named after legumes

GRADUATE STUDENT (MPH)

Maryam is Middle Eastern raised and completed her Doctor of Pharmacology at Osmania University’22, India, before pursuing an MPH:IDEpi at Cornell University’25. She is passionate about the application of immunology, microbiology, and pharmacology to enhance patient care, education, diagnosis, and treatment. Maryam enjoys contributing to health and lifestyle blogs, reading, painting, and volunteering.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Natalie is a third year undergraduate studying biomedical engineering and chemistry. She is from Connecticut and aspires to a career in pediatric medicine. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking, and traveling

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Valerie is a sophomore majoring in animal science on the pre-vet track. She hopes to open her own clinic in the future to provide high quality vet-care for all the animals in need. In her free time, Valerie enjoys cooking, trying out new food, traveling to different countries, and watching Netflix.

VET STUDENT

Jess is a rising third year pursuing her DVM at Cornell. She joins the Caddy Lab as a Veterinary Investigator Program (VIP) summer student. She is interested in the intersection between clinical practice and immunology/genetics research. In her free time, she loves to spend time outdoors, listen to music, and attempt new recipes.

ROTATING GRADUATE STUDENT

Rachel Dufour is a first-year DVM seeking PhD student in the BBS program at Cornell University. She earned her veterinary degree from Louisiana State University in May 2024 and is excited to pursue a future in research. Her interests lie at the intersection of virology, pathogenesis, and host immune responses in both animals and humans, exploring how discoveries in one realm can drive advancements in the other.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Yael is a sophomore studying Human Biology Health & Society on a pre-med track. She loves being an EMT! In her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, or making her favorite avocado toast.

Basya is a Siberian cat who has journeyed far. From Yorkshire, to London to Cambridge in the UK and now Ithaca NY. She is now ~19 years old and deaf as a post, but this makes life living with Sarah’s kids much better. She is a good cat.

Barry the awesome Husky is a big brother to baby Nora. Here he is joining in a lab pool party at his home. His favorite snack is popcorn, and his favorite part of the day is when a siren goes by so he can start a howl.

Meatball (aka Steel), is a St. Bernard mix who loves sleeping, eating, and giving attitude. Even though he is an older and slower guy, he aspires to one day catch a bunny!

Dookie is Meatball's younger brother and loves to cuddle with him. When he is not trying to eat house plants, you can find him looking out a window and lazing in the sun.

Alfie (Alfalfa) is a guinea pig, who likes pets and head scratches. He also enjoys snacking on hay, and shoving his litter tray.

Peanut is a very photogenic dwarf hamster. He would sell his soul for mealworms and flaxseeds.

Lune (or Loon when she's naughty) is a less than one-year-old black domestic shorthair. When she is not YELLING for food or sprinting around the house, she loves to cuddle up and to watch movies.

Named by Sarah’s kids, these two little pigs are becoming bolder by the day. Their favorite food is cucumber. They are very good at squeaking when they hear the fridge door open.