I was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, and I was raised to be a curious person. How fitting that I wound up studying and loving biology. After one (very warm) year of living in Birmingham, Alabama, I found my way back to the Midwest and to Indy in 2022. I love growing my roots and having fun here; doing things like birding, admiring my many houseplants, and taking care of shelter cats as a foster caregiver. I’m excited to get to be a part of this team that will be doing such important work. I am confident in our ability to build a strong, inclusive, and kind team, and can’t wait to see what’s in store.

Born in Florida, raised in the midwest. I graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in 2020 with a B.S. in Biology and minor in Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. Currently pursuing my  PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at IUSM. Outside of research, I love all things related to the arts. In my free time I like to sketch and sculpt in addition to spending time outdoors. Super excited to be a part of the Vornhagen lab and continue my scientific journey! 

I have been an Indiana Hoosier my entire life, where I received my B.S. in Biology with a minor in chemistry at Ball State University in 2019 and my PhD in Immunology at Purdue University in 2025. Outside of my academic pursuits, I really enjoy reality TV, all things Halloween, and Disney. I am excited to take my Immunology training and apply this to the outstanding Klebsiella pneumoniae work in the Vornhagen lab. Stay tuned for all our amazing publications to come! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_Bear_(bear)

Interested in being part of Team Vornhagen?

Feel free to reach out via the “Contact Us” page to start a discussion!

Graduate Student at Ohio State University (as a University of Michigan graduate, Jay will not use “The”)

Rising 4th year at IU Bloomington

Graduate student in IBMG program at IUSM

Visiting professor from Seattle University

https://www.seattleu.edu/directory/profiles/christopher-whidbey-phd.php

OBGYN resident at IUSM