Tayla Anderson
Undergraduate Researcher
Tayla is from New Orleans, Louisiana. She decided to study science in her sophomore year of high school. She became interested in Staphylococcus aureus after working with it during her sophomore year of college in her microbiology class. She is now interested in researching how Staphylococcus aureus interacts with environmental toxins. After completing her bachelor’s degree in Coastal Environmental Science and Environmental research, she plans to continue her education by pursuing a PhD in microbiology. Tayla spends her free time volunteering with the Coalition of Black Women in STEM and Geaux Green. Her hobbies include yoga, hiking, writing, and poetry.
tande53@lsu.edu
William N. Beavers, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Microbiology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Ph.D., Chemistry
Vanderbilt University
M.S., Chemistry
Northeastern University
B.S., cum laude, Chemistry
Old Dominion University
Will grew up on a family farm in the Loudoun Valley of Virginia. After earning a B.S. in chemistry, he moved to Boston where he worked at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute while getting an M.S. in chemistry. After many years in Boston he moved to Nashville for further graduate school and a postdoctoral fellowship. The Beavers Research Group was established in 2021 at LSU in the School of Veterinary Medicine. Will’s research interests lie at the interface of chemistry and microbiology, specifically focused on antibacterial protein post-translational modifications at the host-pathogen interface. When not in lab, Will spends most of his time endurance running or exploring Baton Rouge with his wife, three daughters, and Waldo the chihuahua.
wbeavers@lsu.edu
Bennett Blank
LSU President’s Alumni Scholar
Bennett was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He grew an interest in science during high school and is now studying Biological Science at LSU on a Pre-Med track. He was captain of the Powerlifting team in high school and a member of the French and Creative Writing clubs. Bennett is a President's Alumni Scholar at LSU. In his free time, he likes to play video games and listen to music. Bennett plans to study medicine and travel the world.
bblank8@lsu.edu
Elliott Collins
Undergraduate Researcher
co-mentored with Dr. Juan Martinez
Elliott Collins was born and raised in San Jose, California, before later moving to Northern Virginia. In high school, he explored robotics, nurturing his curiosity for science and technology. Driven by his interest in microbiology, he is eager to pursue a career in medicine as an infectious diseases physician. In his free time, Elliott enjoys exploring aerial photography and spending time at the climbing gym.
ecoll39@lsu.edu
Asif Iqbal, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Biochemistry
Louisiana State University
M.S., Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh
B.S., Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh
Asif is from the eastern part of Bangladesh. While he was in the second year of his Bachelor study, he got interested in how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, a drug that is used for the treatment of bacterial disease. His interest led him to do master’s thesis in industrial microbiology. In the Fall of 2017, he moved to LSU to start his PhD research in bacterial pathogenesis and completed his PhD in the Fall of 2022. In his PhD research, he investigated the function of a DedA superfamily protein (DbcA) in cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance and virulence of a rice plant pathogen. In February of 2023, he joined as a postdoctoral researcher in Beavers Lab. Currently, Asif is working on host-pathogen interaction and the mechanisms of how bacteria become resistant to host-released antimicrobial agents. Outside the lab, he likes hiking with his wife and reading scientific literatures.
aiqbal5@lsu.edu
Brooke LeBreton
LSU Flagship Scholar
Brooke grew up in Slidell, Louisiana - just outside of New Orleans. In high school, Brooke worked as a recall dental assistant at a local pediatric dentist’s office and interned at an urgent care in town. She was involved in her high school’s student council as senior class president and was captain of the swim team. Brooke is an LSU Flagship Scholar and her major is microbiology. In Brooke’s free time, she makes earrings for her Instagram jewelry boutique.
blebre1@lsu.edu
Alex R. Stackhouse, B.S.
Ph.D. Candidate
B.S., Biochemistry
Henderson State University
Alex was born and grew up in central Arkansas. When he was in high school, he started to gain an interest in science, which led him to study biochemistry as an undergraduate. There he took an interest in infectious diseases, and in the fall of 2021, he was accepted as a graduate student at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine studying Pathobiology. Alex has an interest in studying host-pathogen interactions from a molecular standpoint, and wants to continue to use, and improve his knowledge of biochemistry. Outside of class and lab, Alex likes to powerlift, explore to find hole in the wall restaurants, and when he gets the chance, practice his musical instruments.
astack8@lsu.edu
Wyatt Wittliff, B.S.
B.S., Biological Engineering
Louisiana State University
Wyatt was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He moved to Baton Rouge to study biological engineering at LSU, where he has since graduated. He started and captained the robotics team at his high school. Wyatt spends most of his free time cooking or playing dungeons & dragons with his friends. He plans to do research to expand his knowledge of different parts of the field of science.
wwittl1@lsu.edu