Mills Lab Members 2018
Mills Lab Members 2018

People

Current Lab Members

Principal Investigator

Staff Researchers

Postdoctoral Researchers

Graduate Students

  • Vanessa Dunne-Castagna, Graduate Student - Nutrition Graduate Group (advisor Bo Lonnerdahl)
  • Reid Griggs, Graduate Student - Viticulture and Enology Graduate Group
  • Britta Heiss, Graduate Student - Microbiology Graduate Group
  • Nick Jensen, Graduate Student - Microbiology Graduate Group
  • Chad Masarweh, Graduate Student - Microbiology Graduate Group

Visiting Graduate Students, Professors

  • Yuanting Zhu, Visiting Graduate Student - Sichuan Agricultural University
  • Saumya Wickramasinghe. Visiting Professor— Senior Lecturer Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Junior Specialists

Undergraduate Students

  • Qingying Feng
  • Lizbeth Vargas
  • Shrushti Patel
  • Savita Sastry
  • Valerie Betsis
  • Brittany Baikie
  • Bianca Arao
  • Valerie Chau 
  • Sean Romeo 
  • Zi Fang
  • Maria Sutter 
  • Erik Estrada Santillan
  • Meg Tseng 
  • Sarah Goldberg
  • Brayden Houser 
  • Katrina Fernandez

Mills Lab Alumni

Alumni - Post Doctoral Students

  • Lewis, Zachery.  2015-2017.  Current Employment:  Senior Scientist, Clorox-Renew Life, Pleasanton, CA.
  • Frese, Steve.   2013-2015.  Current Employment: Senior Scientist, Evolve Biosystems, Davis, CA.
  • Pacheco, Alline.  2012-2015.  Current Employment:  Scientist, Evelo Biosciences, Boston, MA.
  • Sela, David.  2011-2013.   Current Employment: Associate Professor, Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
  • Ruiz-Moyano, Santiago.  2010-2012.  Current Employment:  Professor, University of Extremadura, School of Agricultural Engineering, Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Badajoz, Spain.
  • Wickramasinghe, Saumya. 2011-2012;  Current Employment:  Senior Lecturer Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
  • Chichlowski, Maciej.  2009-2012.   Current Employment:  Principle Scientist, Reckitt Benckiser, Sacramento, CA.
  • Kim, Jae Han.  2005-2011.  Current Employment:  Associate Professor, Department of Food Nutrition, ChungNam University, Daejeon, Korea.
  • Eom, Hyun Ju.  2008-2010.  Current employment: Researcher,  Chungcheongbukdo Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Cheongwon, Korea.
  • Marcobal, Angela.  2006-2008.  Current employment: Scientist, Osel Inc.
  • Rawsthorne, Helen.  2002-2004.  Current employment: Senior Research Scientist, Novozymes Biopharma UK Ltd.
  • Phister, Trevor 2002-2004.  Current employment: Scientific Affairs Microbiologist at PepsiCo, UK.
  • Cocolin, Luca 1998-2000.  Current position: Professor, Department of Exploitation and Protection of Agricultural and Forestry Resources, University of Turin, Italy.

Alumni - Graduate Students

  • Murase, Ayaka, 2018.  M.S. Food Science. Current Position:  Researcher, Suntory Wellness Limited, Tokyo, Japan. 
  • Robinson, Ashanti.  2016.  M.S.  Food Science. Current employment:  Analytical Protein Chemist, Clara Foods.
  • Karav, Sercan.  2015.  Ph.D. Food Science (co-advised with David Block and Daniela Barile).  Current Employment: Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University.
  • Lewis, Zachery.  2015.  Ph.D. Microbiology.  Current Employment:  Senior Scientist, Clorox-Renew Life, Pleasanton, CA.
  • Bokulich, Nick.  2014. Ph.D. Food Science.  Current Employment:  Assistant Research Professor, Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ.
  • Garrido, Daniel.  2013. Ph.D. Food Science.  Current Employment:  Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses, School of Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.  Santiago, Chile.
  • Sela, David. 2010.  Ph.D. Microbiology.  Current Employment: Associate Professor, Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
  • LoCascio, Riccardo. 2009.  Ph.D. Microbiology. Current position: Regional Business Development Manager at Novozymes.
  • Arhens, Kristen. 2008.  M.S. Food Science.  Current position: Senior Research Microbiologist, Eurofins, Livermore, CA.
  • Thompson, Sean. 2006.  M.S. Viticulture and Enology.  Current Position, Senor Winemaker, Schramsburg Winery.
  • Neeley, Zeke. 2005. M.S. Viticulture and Enology.  Current position: Winemaker, Kenwood Vineyards, Kenwood, CA.
  • Allen, Greg. 2004.  M.S. Food Science.  Current position: Winemaker & President, Dolce Winery, Oakville, CA.
  • Kim, Jae.-Han.  2004. Ph.D. Food Science.  Current position: Assistant Professor, Department of Food Nutrition, ChungNam University, Daejeon, Korea.
  • Parry, Cameron. 2004. M.S. Viticulture and Enology.  Current position: Director of Winegrowing, Groth Winery and Vineyards, Napa, CA.
  • Parker (Frazier), Courtney. 2003.  Ph.D. Microbiology.  Current position: Senor Director of Quality, E. & J. Gallo, Modesto, CA.
  • Tamir, Dafna. 2003. M.S. Food Science. Current position:  Administrative Manager of R&D, FuturaGene Ltd, Rehovot, Israel.
  • Orr, Erica. 2003. M.S. Food Science.  Current position: Winemaking Consultant, Seattle WA.
  • Rantsiou, Kalliopi.  2002. Ph.D. Food Science.  Current Position: Associate Professor, Agricultural Microbiology and Food Technology,University of Turin, Italy.
  • Johannsen, Eric. 2002.  M.S. Food Science.  Current Position: Winemaker, Jackson Family Wines, Santa Rosa, CA.

Alumni - Visiting Researchers or Visiting Students  (& positions they had when they visited)

  • Ohta, Moe, National Tax Agency of Japan 2012-2013.
  • Liang, Xiaojin, Department of Viticulture and Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China 2011-2013.
  • Turroni, Francesca, Department of Genetics, Biology of Microorganisms, Anthropology, Evolution, University of Parma 2009.
  • Liu, Shuwen, Professor and Associate Dean, College of Enology, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, China. 2008.
  • Zaunmuller, Tanja, Institute for Microbiology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Germany 2007.
  • Urso, Rosalinda, Department of Food Science University of Udine Italy 2005.
  • Rodriquez, Dr. Maria, Professor Higiene de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Avda. Universidad Caceres, Spain. 2004.
  • Marcobal, Angela, Graduate Student, Department Microbiología, Instituto de Fermentaciones Industriales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain 2004.
  • Lahl, Katarina, Undergraduate Student, Department of Food Science, Technical University in Munich 2004.
  • Lopez, Isabel, Graduate Student, Departamento de Agricultura y Alimentación, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño (La Rioja) Spain. 2001.
  • Manzano, Dr. Maria, Associate Professor Department of Food Science University of Udine Italy.  1999.
  • Cocolin, Luca, Graduate Student, Department of Food Science University of Udine Italy. 1998.

Alumni - Senior Staff

  • Julian Lopez, 2018.  Current Position:  Candidate Master's Public Health , U San Francisco.  San Francisco, CA.
  • Alice Yu, 2016-2018, Current Position:  Research Scientist at California Department of Public Health, Davis. CA.
  • Masarweh, Chad,  2011-2015.  Current Position:  Graduate Student, Graduate Group in Microbiology, UC Davis, Davis CA.
  • Ryazantseva, Mariya, 2011-2013   Current Position: Nurse Practitioner at Diablo Valley Oncology & Hematology.
  • Adamson, Aaron, 2008-2009.   Current Position: Staff Scientist at City of Hope National Medical Center.
  • Clark, Sharon 2003
  • Turner, Kevin 2002