A native of Tennessee, Matt graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and was Lead Researcher for the MTSU Engineering Department Chair from 2006-2008. Matt joined Vanderbilt Antibody & Protein Resource Lab in 2008 as Core Research Assistant, specializing in cloning, protein expression, and protein purification. During his tenure with VAPR, Matt conducted presentations supporting the lab and co-authored several scientific publications. Matt was instrumental in developing and piloting new biotechnologies over the next decade to further the advancement of VAPR. 

In 2018, Matt joined the Crowe Vaccine Lab as a Senior Research Specialist, continuing his specialized skills in cloning, protein expression, and protein purification for iCORE. Matt transitioned to Tecan-US in 2019, combining his scientific knowledge with his technological skills. As the Field Service Applications Specialist for Southeastern US, Matt was responsible for implementing a wide variety of biological assays for use on Tecan laboratory automation equipment, including developing and installing scripts and novel approaches to instrument and software usage. Eager to return to his scientific research roots, Matt rejoined Vanderbilt and the Crowe Vaccine Center in 2024, bringing his considerable knowledge and experience with science and technology to the Vaccine Center, where he will continue contributing to antibody discovery as a Senior Research Specialist.

Savannah graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2023 with majors in Biological Sciences and Anthropology. She earned my Master's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2024. She is a PhD student in PMI and will be working with Dr. Van Schaik and Dr. Crowe on examining health over time with specific interests in osteoimmunology and paleopathology. 

Rainelli is a student intern in the Crowe Lab originally from Murfreesboro Tennessee. He is currently an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University majoring in biochemistry on the pre-med track. Rainelli has gained healthcare experience through his time interning in doctor's offices and shadowing at hospitals. His main interests are within infectious diseases and oncology. In his free time, he loves to run, hike, rock climb, and cycle. Rainelli currently plans on pursuing an MD in either immunology or oncology. 

Tia earned her Bachelor's degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Western Kentucky University (WKU), where she later obtained her Master's degree in Biology with a focus on molecular genetics. She began her research career at WKU as a lab manager in the Genetics lab, working with lepidoptera and drosophila. There, she mentored undergraduates and taught the genetics lab course.

In 2009, Tia joined the DNA Core Lab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), the precursor to VANTAGE, under Cara Sutcliffe's leadership. At VANTAGE, she managed DNA extractions, special projects for PIs, RNA extractions, and library preps for Illumina Next Gen Sequencing. She also participated in the BioVU project and completed the VPRAD program to learn more about research administration.

In 2018, Tia moved to Dr. Mark Denison’s lab as a Senior Research Specialist to work on coronavirus research. She tested Murine Hepatitis Virus (MHV) drug sensitivities and assisted with the Moderna phase I trials, evaluating the vaccine's efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. She procured liquid handling robotics to improve experimental consistency and increased sample throughput for drug sensitivity assays. 

Recently, Tia has joined the Crowe lab as a Project Manager, where she aims to develop her administrative skills and support the lab's research initiatives.

Mark Menghini earned a B.S. in Molecular Biology and Physiology as well as a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Wyoming. After graduation in 2020, he was recruited by the Wyoming Department of Health where he worked at the state public health laboratory on the COVID-19 Surge Team. He then earned a M.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Wyoming in 2022 with a focus in virology and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Vanderbilt University.

Luiz Minardi is an Associate Financial Analyst for the VUMC Vaccine Center with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Luiz brings his passion for finance to support VUMC’s research initiatives aimed at making a positive impact on the world. With his free time, Luiz enjoys being outdoors and watching soccer, and with a deep love for learning, Luiz seeks to further his education in the financial field to strengthen his contributions to the Vaccine Center.

Luiz Minardi is an Associate Financial Analyst for the VUMC Vaccine Center with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Luiz brings his passion for finance to support VUMC’s research initiatives aimed at making a positive impact on the world. With his free time, Luiz enjoys being outdoors and watching soccer, and with a deep love for learning, Luiz seeks to further his education in the financial field to strengthen his contributions to the Vaccine Center.

Dr. Thomas received his PhD in Cancer Biology from Wake Forest University in 2004. His dissertation explored how intracellular adapter proteins assemble onto death receptors to propagate the apoptotic signaling cascade. He accepted a postdoctoral training position in the laboratory of Dr Eugene Oltz at Vanderbilt University where he used mouse models to investigate how VDJ recombination and B-cell development are epigenetically regulated by histone methylation. Since 2010 he spent time in academics studying how the oncogenic protein Myc is recruited to target genes and worked in biotechnology where he led efforts do identify HDAC2 inhibitors for treating neurodegenerative disorders, develop genetic based companion diagnostics, and improve blood-based tests to monitor organ health after transplant. In 2023, Lance joined Dr. James Crowe’s lab at Vanderbilt Vaccine Center as an associate basic scientist.

Erica graduated with a degree in Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Over the past 14 years she has worked at academic research centers as a research specialist and lab manager. She has managed labs in the US (UPenn, Vanderbilt) as well as Japan (RIKEN). After spending 4 years abroad helping to start a lab in Yokohama, she has returned to the VVC and is transitioning to a new (to her) side of research by joining the Project Management and Finance teams. She is excited to be back in Nashville working alongside researchers and administrators she respects and admires and is looking forward to learning and developing new skills to support the exciting research happening at the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center.

​​​​​​Katherine (Kat) Webb is a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering department at Vanderbilt University. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2022 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. Her undergraduate research examined altered expression of HIV linked proteins in BCG-infected macrophages within the Parker Lab. Katherine’s research interests include infectious diseases, global health, and diagnostics and therapeutics.