Lab Members

	Hernan Garcia-Ruiz Principal Investigator Email: hgarciaruiz2@unl.edu Education: PhD. University of Wisconsin-Madison MSc. Auburn University.
	Eric Parperides Graduate Student Email: eparperides2@huskers.unl.edu Projects: Investigating the roles of RDR3, RDR4, and RDR5 in plant antiviral silencing Eric Parperides is a third-year Ph.D. student at the University of Lincoln - Nebraska from Crystal Lake, Illinois. He graduated in 2019 from Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry and obtained an M.S. in Biological Sciences from SIUE in 2021. Eric is a Plant Pathology student in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Outside of the lab, he enjoys board games, cooking, and listening to audiobooks. Eric has been working in Dr. Garcia-Ruiz’s lab since the fall of 2021.
	Amany Gomaa Graduate Student Email: agomaa2@huskers.unl.edu Projects: Amany Gomaa is a second-year Ph.D. student at UNL from Egypt. She graduated in 2013 with BA in Microbiology from the school of science, at Mansoura University, Egypt. She was the first of her class and was a TA in the Botany department. She received her master’s degree in 2018 in bacteriophage and was promoted to Lssistant Lecturer in 2018. She is currently on a governmental scholarship to pursue a Plant P Ph.D. at UNL. Outside of the lab, she enjoys traveling, walking, listening to audiobooks, and volunteering. Amany has been working in Dr. Garcia-Ruiz’s lab since the spring of 2022.
	Katie Tran Undergraduate Student Email: ktran19@huskers.unl.edu Projects: Priming antiviral immunity in plants using Salicylic Acid Katie Tran is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln from Omaha, Nebraska. Katie is in the College of Education and Human Sciences and is majoring in Nutrition & Health Sciences. Outside of the lab, she has served as the Belonging, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion chairwoman and Recruitment Records in Gamma Phi Beta, the External Vice President of Vietnamese Student Association, and peer mentor for the Center for Academic Success & Transition. Katie is currently the Senator for the College of Education & Human Sciences, the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee Representative, and Communications Chair in ASUN Student Government. She is also the Sergeant at Arms for the Innocents Society. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, crocheting, and traveling. Katie has been working in Dr. Garcia-Ruiz’s lab since May 2021.
	Jacey Tran Undergraduate Student Email: jtran17@huskers.unl.edu Projects: Inactivation of RDR3a, RDR3b, RDR3c using gene editing. Jacey Tran is a first-year undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln from Lincoln, Nebraska. Jacey is in the College of Arts & Sciences, majoring in Biology while minoring in Biochemistry and Humanities in Medicine. She is currently an Honors Peer Mentor for the Honors Program. Outside of the lab, Jacey is involved in the DEI committee of ASUN Student Government, Vietnamese Student Association, Pickleball club, and the Tennis club. In her free time, Jacey enjoys playing various sports such as tennis and coaching swim. She also enjoys traveling and biking.