TEAM

​Principal Investigator (PI)
Lefteris Michailidis, Ph.D.
Lefteris was born and raised in Northern Greece and received his B.S. in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He then moved to the U.S. for his graduate studies, and in 2012, he received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Missouri. Under the supervision of Dr. Stefan Sarafianos, he studied the mechanisms of action and resistance to HIV and HBV antivirals. Then he moved to New York to work as a postdoctoral fellow at the Rockefeller University in Dr. Charlie Rice’s laboratory. There, he focused on developing innovative cell culture and animal model systems for studying HBV and other liver-related diseases. In addition, he worked extensively on virus-host interaction projects towards the characterization of interferon-stimulated genes in the context of HBV, flaviviruses and coronaviruses. Lefteris started his own lab at Emory University in fall 2021 to continue his work on virus-host interactions in HBV and other viruses. When he is not in the lab he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking/eating Greek food and traveling.

​Associate Research Scientist

Allan Cataneo, Ph.D.
Allan was born and raised in Arapongas, Southern Brazil. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine from Unifil in 2013, and he completed his master’s degree in Experimental Pathology at the State University of Londrina in 2016, where he focused on evaluating the immunomodulatory and leishmanicidal activities of natural compounds. In 2020, Allan received his PhD in Biosciences and Biotechnology from FIOCRUZ, under the supervision of Dr. Juliano Bordignon and Dr. Pryscilla F. Wowk, studying the antiviral effects of the citrus flavanone naringenin against the Zika virus. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Molecular Virology Lab, focusing on developing an anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody panel and its application in high-throughput fluorescence reduction neutralization and immuno-histochemistry assays. From December 2021 to February 2025, he worked as the BSL-3 manager at FIOCRUZ, overseeing SOP revisions, training staff, and conducting experiments within the BSL-3 facility. He is passionate about science, especially in the fields of immunology, virology, and virus-host interactions, which led him to join the Michailidis Lab. When not working, he likes spending time with his wife, Keyla, and their daughter, Laura. He is a big motorsport racing and soccer fan and loves a good hamburger and BBQ.

Postdoctoral Fellows
Adriana Norris, Ph.D.
​Adriana Norris grew up in Savannah, GA and earned her undergraduate degree in Cell and Molecular Biology at Armstrong State University (now Georgia Southern University). She earned her PhD in Biological Sciences from Vanderbilt University in 2024, where she worked on characterizing mouse models of metabolic dysfunction as well as infertility. Adriana joined Emory University School of Medicine as a postdoctoral fellow in April 2024, where she will be co-mentored by Drs. Lefteris Michailidis and Stefan Sarafianos. During her post-doc, she will work on understanding HIV/HBV co-infection using primary hepatocytes as well as patient samples. In her free time, she enjoys skating with her husband, Ryan, hanging out with her cat, Squeak, and seeing movies.

Graduate Students 
Taylor Shue, B.S. 
Taylor is originally from Kannapolis, North Carolina and she completed her B.S. in Biology at Wake Forest University in 2019. As an undergrad, she studied rotavirus replication using reverse genetics to create temperature-sensitive mutant viruses. Taylor is now a graduate student in the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics program working to develop an in vitro HBV/HIV co-infection system. Outside of lab, she enjoys fantasy novels, trying new recipes, and spending time with friends and family.
Alfred Jiang, B.S.
Alfred was born and raised in southern California and received his B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from Yale College in 2018. He received his M.P.H. from the Yale School of Public Health in 2019, concentrating in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases. Alfred’s previous research explored the therapeutic potential of repurposing small molecule agonists from studies of metabolic dysfunction as host-targeting antivirals for the treatment of emerging arboviruses. Outside of lab, he enjoys traveling, cycling, and watching science fiction shows/movies.
Samuel Gallant, B.S.
Samuel completed his undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Biochemistry at Appalachian State University in 2020, where he studied ROS and adipocyte differentiation. After graduation, he continued his studies as a research technician in the Marsico Lung Institute at UNC Chapel Hill. Under the supervision of Dr. Scott Randell, he investigated the toxic effects of military burn pit smoke and tested new gene therapies and small molecule drugs for Cystic Fibrosis. He moved to Atlanta and joined the Biochemistry, Cell & Developmental Biology Graduate Program at Emory in Fall 2023. His hobbies include: rock climbing, playing board games, and watching movies.
Antonis Athanasiadis, B.S.
Antonis Athanasiadis was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece, and received his B.S. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Democritus University of Thrace. He is interested in gene editing, virology, and molecular medicine. Antonis interned in Dr. Ralf Kühn's Lab in MDC, Berlin, as part of the "Erasmus+ program" and worked on prime editing. As an undergraduate student, he spent six months in Dr. Aikaterini Katsani's Lab in Alexandroupolis. He did his undergraduate thesis in “Expression of the protein named DmSEH1/NUP44A on prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems." After spending almost two years in the United States working as a visiting fellow, he joined the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG) Graduate Program at Emory University to pursue his Ph.D. in Michailidis Lab. Finally, in his free time, he likes meeting new people, swimming, and playing basketball.​
George Dangas, B.S.
George Dangas was born and raised in Angelochori, Naousa, Greece, and received his B.S. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the Democritus University of Thrace in 2022. As an undergraduate student, he worked for 2 years in the Biochemistry and Molecular Virology Laboratory in Alexandroupolis - under the supervision of Professor Dr. Penelope Mavromara. He did his undergraduate thesis on molecular cloning, heterologous expression, purification, and evaluation of the antigenic properties of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant nucleocapsid protein. He also managed to develop an in-house immunodiagnostic test via the immunoassay of ELISA using the purified recombinant antigen. After spending almost two years in the United States working as a visiting fellow in Michailidis Lab, he joined the Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology (BCDB) Graduate Program at Emory University to pursue his Ph.D. in Michailidis Lab. Finally, George is interested in virology, immunology, molecular biology, and biochemistry, and in his free time, he likes spending time with friends, playing board games, exploring new places, and watching movies and series.

Rotating Graduate Student

Rachel Choi, B.S.
Rachel Choi is from Atlanta and graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from Georgia Tech in 2024. During her undergrad studies, she conducted research in understanding anti-atherosclerotic mechanosensors under Dr. Hanjoong Jo and evaluating the efficacy of immunomodulatory hydrogels delivering beta cells for type 1 diabetes therapy under Dr. Andrés García’s supervision. Outside of the lab, she enjoys yoga, running, and knitting.
Jayden Harris, B.A.
Jayden Harris is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and completed their undergraduate degree in Biology at UNC Chapel Hill. After graduating, she spent a year working as a research technician in her undergraduate lab. During this time, she studied poliovirus interactions with host cell factors during viral replication. Jayden is a first-year PhD student in the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics program interested in studying virus-host interactions. When not in the lab, they enjoy reading, hiking, playing video games, and hanging out with her cats.

Visiting Fellows
Anthi Maslarinou, M.S.
​Anthi Maslarinou was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece. She graduated from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Democritus University of Thrace in December 2021. As an undergraduate student, she was a member of the Pharmacology Laboratory at the Department of Medicine, where she also completed her Bachelor’s thesis. From November 2021 until March 2023, she pursued her M.S. in the “Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics” program at Democritus University of Thrace. During her M.S. studies, she served as an Associate Researcher in the same laboratory, contributing to projects in the fields of pharmacogenomics, epigenomics, and transcriptomics, and in March of 2023, she successfully completed her Master’s thesis on cancer pharmacogenomics. Her dedication to research led her to join Emory University and Michailidis Lab in June of 2024 to further her studies in molecular biology and virology. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, meeting new people, listening to music, and playing basketball.
Evgenia Moschogianni, B.S.
Evgenia Moschogianni was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece, and received her B.S. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Democritus University of Thrace in 2023. During her Bachelor’s thesis, she focused on the molecular immunobiology field, specifically on “Molecular cloning and characterization of a recombinant ORF-7a polypeptide of SARS-CoV-2”. After graduating from the Democritus University of Thrace, she joined Edith Heard’s lab at EMBL Heidelberg as an Erasmus+ student trainee in October of 2023, where she worked on epigenetic mechanisms in development and disease. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, cooking, and hanging out with friends.

Research Specialist
Kenny Levenson, B.S. 
Kenny Levenson was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Georgia. Kenny graduated from Georgia Gwinnett College (2021) with a B.S. in Biology concentrating in cell biology & biotechnology. He aspires to do biomedical research in new or emerging areas of study. Kenny advocates for science policy addressing preservation of biodiversity, disparities in healthcare, and change in standards & practice of forensic science in our criminal justice system.​​ He loves having good conversations, being outdoors, hiking, writing portions of songs, the ocean, and commensal & mutualistic microbiota.​
Jens Cuba, B.S.
Jens Cuba was born and raised in Miami, FL. In 2024, he graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Biochemistry. As an undergraduate student, he worked in various research labs and projects ranging from heart rate variability & baroreflex analysis for different breathing methods during exercise in a clinical trial at Florida State to understanding microglia morphological changes after mTBI through the SURE program at GATECH. He has a strong passion for translational research with clinical applications, which led him to join the Michailidis lab in January 2025. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, hiking, walking his dog, and playing pickleball.

Undergraduate Students

Madeleine Sanders
Madeleine is from Northern California and is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. She has previously studied siRNA therapeutics for NAFLD and is excited about cell culturing. In her free time, Madeleine likes running, yoga, and being outside!​
Kaiden Yeung
Kaiden is from New York City and is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology and Sociology. He is very interested in microbiology, and in his free time, he enjoys playing Ping-Pong with friends, cooking, and running.
Chris Rivera
Chris is from Woodstock, Georgia, and is a third-year undergraduate student in nursing school. In his free time, he likes to eat sushi, spend time with his friends, and play chess. He is very interested in virology and excited to learn as much as possible!​
Kirin Karver
Kirin is from Tampa, Florida, and is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology with a specific interest in virology and microbiology. He is a member of the Emory Cross Country and Track and Field team and enjoys hiking and watching movies in his free time.
Khadija Ndoye
​Khadija is from Powder Springs, GA, and is a second-year undergraduate student at Emory University majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology on the pre-med track. Khadija plans to become a neurosurgeon in the future. In her free time, she likes to go out with friends on fun adventures, learn French, cook, and watch true-crime documentaries.
Mahad Sohail
Mahad is from Boston, Massachusetts, and is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology with a minor in Artificial Intelligence. He is eager to expand his understanding of virology. In his free time, Mahad enjoys playing video games, trying new things, golf, and sewing.
Lukas Fu
Lukas is from Birmingham, Alabama, and is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. He is a member of the Emory Swim and Dive team and enjoys trying new foods and hanging out with friends.
Raegan Buchanan
Raegan is from Huntsville, Alabama, and is a first year undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. In her free time, she loves paddleboarding with her German Shepherd, hiking, and trying sweet treats. Her primary career interest is in medicine and medical research.

Alumni

Christopher Jones - Postdoctoral Fellow (2022-2024)
​David Li​ - Undergraduate Student (2021-2023) & Research Specialist​ (2023-2024)
Maddy Koenig - Undergraduate Student (2021-2024)
Madaline Schmidt - MMG Rotation Student (2024)​
​Sarah Hernandez - MMG Rotation Student (2024)
Patricia Liehr - Undergraduate Student (2023) 
Ritika Choudhary - Undergraduate Student (2021-2023) 
Kevin Song - Undergraduate Student (2021-2023)
Tian Qin - Undergraduate Student (2021-2023)
Yessica Lopez Valdez - BCDB Rotation Student (2022)

​Honorary lab pets