Research Team
Cristal Espinosa
Research & Grants Analyst
Cristal is a research & grants analyst at WVU Medicine Department of Surgery. She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry at West Virginia Wesleyan College and in 2021 with a Master’s in Health Science at WVU. Currently, she assists the Department of Surgery with clinical and translational research. Her role is to help coordinate and implement research projects by consenting patients, gather data, assist with specimen collection, and provide experimental support through various lab techniques. In her spare time, she likes to read, play with her pets and spend time outdoors.
Brailey Gouzd
Research Associate
Brailey is a research assistant at WVU Medicine Department of Surgery. She graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology and a Minor in Addiction Studies at West Virginia University. Currently, she is a research assistant for the Department of Surgery. Her role is to help coordinate and implement research projects by consenting patients, gather data, assist with specimen collection, and provide experimental support through various lab techniques. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her family and friend's and cheer on her favorite sports teams.
Tyler Augenstein
Lab Manager/Research Specialist
Tyler graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology, and in 2020 with a Master's degree in Laboratory Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Tyler has two roles in the lab. First, he is the General Lab Manager and aids in the daily operation of the lab (ordering, lab maintenance, etc.). Second, he is a Research Specialist. As such, he maintains several transgenic mouse strains, works on prospective projects from which he gathers preliminary data for future graduate students/Residents, and basically anything else required for the lab. In Tyler's spare time, he likes to road bike, spend time outside on adventures, spend time with his wife and 2 year old son, and occasionally dabble in video games.
Quinn Hopen
PhD Scholar
Quinn is a PhD student in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis program and received her bachelor’s degree in Immunology and Medical Microbiology from WVU in 2021. Her work in the Boone lab primarily focuses on investigating sex differences in immune responses to pancreatic cancer. She hopes to better define how sex hormones and sex chromosomes impact cancer immunity and identify therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes. In her free time, Quinn enjoys spending time outside playing tennis and hiking.
Alyson Stevens
MD/PhD Scholar
Ally is an MD/PhD candidate in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis program. She received her undergraduate degree in Immunology and Medical Microbiology from West Virginia University in 2020. She is currently studying the functions of monocyte and
macrophage subsets in pancreatic cancer. In particular, she is interested in how chemotherapy affects and is affected by these populations. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, baking, listening to 70s music, and playing with her cat.
Mercy Ojetunde
PhD Scholar
Mercy is a PhD scholar in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate program whose dissertation focuses on investigating the role of surface lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (sLAMP1) on macrophages and its impact on neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) degradation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Mercy has a background in microbiology, and she received her MSc. in Biotechnology (Distinction) from the University of the West of Scotland, United Kingdom, fully sponsored by the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission. Her primary interests include understanding the interaction between neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and tumor-associated macrophages/ macrophage clearance of NETs in pancreatic cancer to improve current therapies available for PDAC patients and potentially improve patient outcomes. In her spare time, Mercy enjoys visiting historical/interesting places and volunteering to help others grow through mentorship.
Emily Godfrey
PhD Scholar
Emily is a PhD student in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis program. She received her MSc. in Microbiology and Cell Science from the University of Florida in 2020. Her work in the Boone lab focuses on utilizing bacterial components as novel therapeutics in pancreatic cancer. In her free time, she likes to bake, binge watch her favorite shows, and play with her cat.
Annabelle Smith
PhD Scholar
Annabelle obtained her bachelor's degree in Immunology and Medical Microbiology from WVU in 2024 and is now pursuing a PhD in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis. Her research
revolves around using non-living bacterial products to treat pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Specifically, immunogenic proteins from Group A streptococcus that can force an anti-tumoral response. In her free time, Annabelle enjoys gardening, reading, and bird watching.