DNA strand double helix

The Quantitative Cell and Molecular Biology (qCMB) Training Program at Colorado State University provides comprehensive and flexible training in quantitative approaches to facilitate transdisciplinary and collaborative research in the broad field of Cell & Molecular Biology. We produce outstanding graduates with the skills to meet the computational and professional demands of modern life science research.  

The qCMB program is designed to support students engaging in collaborative research projects requiring the generation and analysis of large biological datasets, particularly those generated through sequencing, imaging and flow cytometry. We introduce our early-stage trainees to coding and its applications through a gateway course led by a supportive community of preceptors and more experienced trainees.  As students build confidence, a plethora of elective computational courses support their individual research interests by expanding their quantitative skillsets.  Symposia, workshops and group meetings will enhance and support collaboration between program members and between the qCMB program and other campus communities.  Preceptors will hone their mentoring skills and learn strategies to ensure mentees engage in reproducible research through qCMB resources and trainings.  qCMB graduates are prepared to enter the workforce by engaging in career management and leadership training and through opportunities such as internships and guided mentor training.   

Throughout their PhD studies, qCMB trainees experience an inclusive, welcoming and safe environment within a community that values their contributions, celebrates their successes and guides them through the challenges of graduate school.   

The qCMB program is supported by the NIH NIGMS Award T32 GM132057.

Leadership

Administration

Carol Wilusz
Professor
Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology
Carol.Wilusz@ColoState.Edu
(970)491-4919

Recruitment, Admissions & Mentoring

J. Lucas ArguesoJ. Lucas Argueso
Professor
Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences
lucas.argueso@colostate.edu
(970)491-3681

Internships

Jean PeccoudJean Peccoud
Professor
Chemical & Biological Engineering
jean.peccoud@colostate.edu
(970)491-2482

Curriculum

Dan Sloan, Associate Professor, Biology, Colorado State University, March 11, 2020

Dan Sloan
Associate Professor
Biology
dan.sloan@colostate.edu

Alumni

Casey-Tyler Berezin (Vigh Lab)Casey-Tyler Berezin
(PhD, 2023)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2020 – 21
LinkedIn

Postdoctoral Researcher at Colorado State University

Ikaia Leleiwi (Wrighton Lab)
(PhD, 2023)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2020-21
LinkedIn

Postdoctoral Researcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Reed Woyda (Abdo Lab)
(PhD, 2023)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2020-21
LinkedIn
Github

Postdoctoral Researcher at Colorado State University

Sean Merriman

 

Sean Merriman (Argueso Lab)
(PhD, 2023)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2019 – 20
LinkedIn

Kristin Scott

Kristin Fluke (Santangelo Lab)
(PhD, 2023)
GAANN Teaching Fellow 2018 – 19
qCMB T32 Fellow 2019 – 20
LinkedIn

Postdoctoral Researcher at Colorado State University

Kailee Reed

Kailee Reed (Montgomery Lab)
(MS, 2021)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2019 – 20
LinkedIn

Senior Bioinformatician at Watchmaker Genomics


Alissa WilliamsAlissa Williams (Sloan Lab)
(PhD, 2021)
GAANN Teaching Fellow 2015 – 16
NSF-GRFP Fellow 2016 – 18
qCMB T32 Fellow 2019 – 20
LinkedIn

Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Minnesota

Publications

  1. Incompatibility and Interchangeability in Molecular Evolution. Sloan DB, Warren JM, Williams AM, Kuster SA, Forsythe ES. Genome Biol Evol. 2023 Jan 4;15(1):evac184. doi: 10.1093/gbe/evac184. PMID: 36583227 Free PMC article. Review.
  2. Thermococcus kodakarensis provides a versatile hyperthermophilic archaeal platform for protein expression. Scott KA, Williams SA, Santangelo TJ. Methods Enzymol. 2021;659:243-273. doi: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.06.014. Epub 2021 Jul 13. PMID: 34752288 Free PMC article.
  3. Endogenous opioid signaling in the retina modulates sleep/wake activity in mice. Berezin CT, Bergum N, Luchini KA, Curdts S, Korkis C, Vigh J. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms. 2022 Jun 26;13:100078. doi: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2022.100078. eCollection 2022 Nov. PMID: 35800978 Free PMC article.
  4. Long-read transcriptome and other genomic resources for the angiosperm Silene noctiflora. Williams AM, Itgen MW, Broz AK, Carter OG, Sloan DB. G3 (Bethesda). 2021 Aug 7;11(8):jkab189. doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab189. PMID: 34849814 Free PMC article.
  5. Gene duplication and rate variation in the evolution of plastid ACCase and Clp genes in angiosperms. Williams AM, Carter OG, Forsythe ES, Mendoza HK, Sloan DB. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2022 Mar;168:107395. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107395. Epub 2022 Jan 13. PMID: 35033670 Free PMC article.
  6. Widespread roles for piRNAs and WAGO-class siRNAs in shaping the germline transcriptome of Caenorhabditis elegans. Reed KJ, Svendsen JM, Brown KC, Montgomery BE, Marks TN, Vijayasarathy T, Parker DM, Nishimura EO, Updike DL, Montgomery TA. Nucleic Acids Res. 2020 Feb 28;48(4):1811-1827. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkz1178. PMID: 31872227 Free PMC article.
  7. Exposing new taxonomic variation with inflammation – a murine model-specific genome database for gut microbiome researchers. Leleiwi I, Rodriguez-Ramos J, Shaffer M, Sabag-Daigle A, Kokkinias K, Flynn RM, Daly RA, Kop LFM, Solden LM, Ahmer BMM, Borton MA, Wrighton KC. Microbiome. 2023 May 20;11(1):114. doi: 10.1186/s40168-023-01529-7. PMID: 37210515 Free PMC article.
  8. Chicken Production and Human Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates Differ in Their Carriage of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Factors. Woyda R, Oladeinde A, Abdo Z. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2023 Feb 28;89(2):e0116722. doi: 10.1128/aem.01167-22. Epub 2023 Jan 18. PMID: 36651726 Free PMC article.
  9. Stochastic model of vesicular stomatitis virus replication reveals mutational effects on virion production. King CR, Berezin CT, Peccoud J.PLoS Comput Biol. 2024 Feb 7;20(2):e1011373. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011373. Online ahead of print.PMID: 38324583

Current Fellows

 

Diana Padron-Lowe (Telling Lab)
(PhD, 2021 Cohort)
CVMBS STRONG Fellow 2023
qCMB T32 Fellow 2022 – 24
LinkedIn

Diana Lowe, Rojina Shrestha, Callie Slaughter

 

Callie Slaughter (Snow Lab)
(PhD, 2021 Cohort)
OVPR Fellow 2023
qCMB T32 Fellow 2022 – 24
LinkedIn

 

Melea Barahona (Nordgren Lab)
(PhD, 2022 Cohort)
CVMBS STRONG Fellow 2023
qCMB T32 Fellow 2023 – 24
LinkedIn

Emma Magna

 

Emma Magna (Snow Lab)
(PhD, 2022 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2023 – 24
LinkedIn

 

Meg Hemmerlein (Wilsterman Lab)
(PhD, 2022 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2023 – 24
LinkedIn

 

Rosi Danzman (Prasad Lab)
(PhD, 2022 Cohort)
OVPR Fellow 2023
qCMB T32 Fellow 2023 – 24
LinkedIn

 

Connor King (Piccoud Lab)
(PhD, 2022 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2023 – 24
LinkedIn

 

Victoria Talbott (Metcalf Lab)
(PhD, 2022 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2023 – 24
LinkedIn

 

Alex Alon (Santangelo Lab)
(PhD, 2022 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2023 – 24
LinkedIn

Previous Fellows

 

Carlos Juarez-Guzman (Cris Argueso Lab)
(PhD, 2020 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2021-23
LinkedIn

 

Pablo Maldonado ( Henao-Tama Lab)
(PhD, 2020 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2021-23
LinkedIn

 

Lexi Keene (Stenglein Lab)
(PhD, 2020 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2020-21
LinkedIn

Shady Kuster

 

Shady Kuster (Sloan Lab)
(PhD, 2021 Cohort)
NSF GRFP Fellow 2023
qCMB T32 Fellow 2021 – 22
LinkedIn

 

Victoria Nieciecki (Metcalf Lab)
(PhD, 2020 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2021 – 22
LinkedIn

 

Naly Torres (Nishimura Lab)
(PhD, 2020 Cohort)
NIH F31 Fellow 2024
qCMB T32 Fellow 2021 – 22
LinkedIn

 

Gaby Ramirez (Dobos Lab)
(PhD, 2020 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2021-23
LinkedIn

 

Camron Pearce (Gonzalez-Juarrero Lab)
(CBZ-PhD, 2020 Cohort)
qCMB CBCO 2020 – 21
LinkedIn

Sere Williams (Santangelo Lab)
(PhD, 2019 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2020 – 21
AAAS Mass Media Fellow 2020
GAUSSI Fellow 2018-2019
LinkedIn
AAAS MMF

 

Joseph Stewart (J. Argueso Lab)
(CBZ-PhD, 2019 Cohort)
qCMB CBCO 2020 – 22
LinkedIn