OUR TEAM​
ADAM ROSENTHAL
Principal Investigator
Adam_Rosenthal@med.unc.edu
Adam grew up in a Kibbutz in southern Israel. His PhD studies, in Jay Gralla’s lab (UCLA), explored the mechanisms by which bacteria adapt to stresses in the mammalian digestive tract. After graduating, motivated to understand microbial cell-cell interactions in complex settings, he studied the mutually beneficial symbiosis between termites and their hindgut bacteria, and the inner-workings of microbial communities in Jared Leadbetter’s and Michael Elowitz's labs in Caltech. He has since been applying these tools and approaches to industrial settings, first as a group leader at Calico (Google's startup focused on aging) and later as a Team Leader at DuPont. Currently Adam studies the organization of bacteria in infection - as an Assistant Professor at UNC. Outside of the lab he enjoys traveling, and spending time outdoors with family and friends.
WILL LOVELL
Research Specialist
wlovell@unc.edu
Will grew up in North Carolina and received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from UNC-Chapel Hill. Over the last 10+ years, he’s spent time working at UNC in labs interested in researching Hepatitis virus, burn injury, and SARS-CoV-2. Will joined the Rosenthal Lab in 2022 as Lab Manager.
ALEX WALLS
Graduate Student
awwalls@unc.edu
Alex was born and raised in Miami, Oklahoma, and earned his B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Oklahoma in 2022. After entering UNC through the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP), he joined the Rosenthal Lab to study the emergent effects of bacterial heterogeneity in human disease models, as well as in microbial communities. Outside of lab, Alex loves Star Wars, college football, and spending time with friends and family.
MAKALA MOORE
Graduate Student
Makala has her B.S. In Biology and B.A. in Latin from UNC Chapel Hill. She has her M.S. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology from Duke University, where she worked on a project involving the gut-brain axis. She then went on to work at the EPA in RTP, through an ORISE research fellowship studying the developmental impacts of pollution. She has now returned to UNC to complete her PhD in Pathobiology & Translational Science and get a certificate in the program for Translational Medicine. In the Rosenthal lab, she studies heterogeneity within gut microbes and applies Probac-seq to various in vitro and in vivo host models. She also enjoys spending time engaging in science communication and community science activities. In her free time she enjoys gaming, nature, photography, and sleeping!
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MATT PAPPAS
Graduate Student
matt_pappas@med.unc.edu
Matt was born and raised in Minnesota, where he earned his B.S. in Biology from the University of Minnesota. Matt joined the Rosenthal Lab in 2025 to study bacterial evolution. Outside of the lab, Matt enjoys cooking and spending time with his family.
CHRIS BAUMANN
Research Technician
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SIMON KODACK
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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LAB ALUMNI
SAMUEL COOKE
Research Technician, 2023-2025
Now pursuing his doctorate in the Wühr lab at Princeton University
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Kane Barnes, Summer Research Opportunities Program Student (2023 and 2024)
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Urja Bhatt, Fall Rotation Student (2023)
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Emily DiMaulo-Milk, Winter Rotation Student (2023-24)
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Hemajothi Premkumar, High School Volunteer (Summer 2024 and 2025)
- Nasibeh Arabameri, Visiting Graduate Student (August 2024)
- Ella Kang, Fall Rotation Student (2024)
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Carlos Morales, Visiting Graduate Student (October 2024)
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Sarah Fletcher, Spring Rotation Student (2025)
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Mischa Brown, Winter Rotation Student (2025-26)​
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Liron Didi, Visiting Graduate Student (June-July 2026)
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Michael Kim, High School Volunteer (Summer 2026)