Laura Stevens

Originally from Florida, Laura earned her BS from Grove City College. Following her undergraduate studies, she started her professional career in Germany working for Pieris AG, a biotech company focused on protein expression and purification. After four years in Germany, Laura returned to the states and earned her MS from Southern Illinois University focusing on host-pathogen interactions and antigen uptake at mucosal surfaces. Upon completing her MS, she joined the VUMC team working in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Denison studying coronaviruses and working on development and characterization of novel antivirals and immunotherapeutics. She joined the Skaar laboratory in 2025 to support leadership across multiple programs, help establish a BSL3 Select Agent program to study Bacillus anthracis, and identify key bacterial antigens for development of alternative antibiotic therapies.