Marcy J. Balunas, Ph.D.

Associate Professor 

Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Department of Medicinal Chemistry

Program in Chemical Biology

Rogel Cancer Center

Michigan Center for Infectious Disease Threats and Pandemic Preparedness

Email: mbalunas@umich.edu

Marcy received a dual B.A./B.A. in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Rochester, an M.S. in Plant Ecology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacognosy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She conducted postdoctoral research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD) in conjunction with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Marcy began her independent career at the University of Connecticut Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Katie McBride, M.S.

Research Staff and Lab Manager

Email: kathmcb@med.umich.edu

B.S. Microbiology - 2016 University of Tennessee, Knoxville
M.S. Microbiology - 2018 University of Tennessee, Knoxville

My career in science has taken me all over the place- from working in a food-pathogen detection lab in high school, to monitoring radioactive wastewater at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to studying the human gut microbiome. Now in Dr. Balunas' lab I am helping culture bacteria of interest in our search for novel natural products. Additionally, I am responsible for a lot of day-to-day operations as well as safety, general organization, ordering, and morale (that last one I made up, but I like to think it's true...). Outside of the lab you can find me walking my dog, bingeing the latest HBO-melodrama, or trying to learn the rules to a new board game.

Dulce Guillén Matus, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Email: dulceg@med.umich.edu

I’m an oceanographer interested in the chemical ecology of marine microorganisms. I joined the Balunas lab in 2022 after earning my PhD in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD. My research focuses on the ecological roles of specialized metabolites from bacterial symbionts in marine invertebrates. I’m trying to gain insights into the interactions between host, environment, and microbiome that drive the evolution of bacterial specialized metabolism.

Jennifer Nguyen

Ph.D. candidate - Medicinal Chemistry

Email: nguyenjn@med.umich.edu

I graduated from Ferris State University with a B.S. in Biotechnology and minor in Business Entrepreneurship in 2022. During my undergrad, I worked in Dr. Eric Nybo’s lab on the metabolic engineering of anthracyclines, a main class of chemotherapeutic drug. In the Balunas lab, my project focuses on characterizing bioactive metabolites present in bacterial isolates from a biofilm microenvironment using a metabolomic approach. In my down time, I enjoy reading, making/ eating food, and hiking.

Joey Krampen

Ph.D.  candidate - Microbiology & Immunology

Email: jkrampen@umich.edu

I graduated from Purdue University in 2020 with a B.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering and minors in Biotechnology and Management. During my undergraduate experience, I worked in the lab of Dr. John Tesmer performing structural biology experiments, and I also participated in the HHMI’s SEAPHAGES program to isolate novel bacteriophages and annotate their genomes. In the Balunas lab, my work focuses on using metabolomics to characterize the complexity of diverse biologic samples and investigating methods to improve how we elucidate unique features from complex samples. In my free time I enjoy rock climbing, watching movies, reading, and hiking.

Alana Ponte

Ph.D. candidate - Chemical Biology

Email: aponte@umich.edu

I graduated from Haverford College in 2023 with a B.S. in Chemistry, concentration in biochemistry, and minor in health studies. During my undergraduate training I worked in Dr. Casey Londergan’s lab studying the membrane binding behavior of alpha synuclein. In the Balunas lab, I am excited to apply metabolomics and my background in protein research to investigate microbial metabolism in the context of cancer. Outside of the lab I enjoy baking, playing soccer, and reading.

Hannah Kim

Ph.D. student - Microbiology & Immunology

Email: hannahyk@umich.edu    

I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2024 with a B.S. in Microbiology. During my undergrad, I worked under Dr. Julie Swanson at Los Alamos National Laboratory on the microbial activity and environment of a nuclear waste repository. I also worked in Dr. Grace Chen’s lab studying how sulforaphane, a metabolite in broccoli, ameliorates the effects of colorectal cancer. In the Balunas lab, I am interested in exploring the intersections of host-microbe interactions, the environment, and metabolism. In my free time, I enjoy reading, watching Korean dramas, and solving the NYT games.  

Alyssa Rodriguez

Ph.D. student - Medicinal Chemistry

Email: rodalyss@umich.edu

I graduated from Spelman College in 2024 with a B.S. in Biochemistry. During my undergrad, I worked in the labs of Dr. Indrajit Chowdury at Morehouse School of Medicine and Dr. Davita Camp at Spelman on uncovering the role of neuregulin-1, a small epidermal growth-like factor, in the rat luteal cell proliferation and the bioactivity of peptoids against biofilm formation. In the Balunas lab, I am looking forward to discovering bioactive metabolites and uncovering their biosynthesis in invertebrate-microbe symbioses. In my free time I enjoy watching documentaries/docuseries, learning about digital music production, reading, and cooking. 

Joshua Barbachyn

PharmD Student

Email: jbarbach@med.umich.edu

I am an aspiring pharmacy student here at the University of Michigan who comes from a chemistry background. Here in the Balunas lab, I hope to assist in new drug discovery by furthering my understanding of complex host/microbe/environment interactions. In my spare time, I enjoy going to Tigers’ games, playing with my dog, playing all sports, traveling, and spending time with family.

Connor Daly

PharmD Student

Email: connord@umich.edu  

I graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2018 with my B.S. in Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences. Now I am pursuing my PharmD. In the Balunas lab, I look to assist with compound discovery that could be used as future antibiotic/antifungal therapies. Outside of academia, I like to explore, play video games, and spend time with my family. 

Andrew Xi

Undergraduate Student

Email: xiandrew@umich.edu 

I am currently an undergraduate studying Statistics at the University of Michigan. I graduated from Okemos Highschool. Previously, I volunteered at a lab at MSU that explored the symbiotic relationship between Wolbachia and Mosquitoes. At the Balunas Lab, I hope to work with a wider variety of bacteria-host interactions that can be used for advancements in natural product drug discovery. Outside of the lab, I enjoy watching shows, hanging out with friends, and challenging all you can eat places.