People

Ariangela J. Kozik, PhD
Assistant Professor

Dr. Kozik earned a BS in Biotechnology from Calvin College before obtaining her PhD in Comparative Pathobiology at Purdue University. After completing undergraduate research on phage diversity and graduate study on the gut microbiome in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, she received an NIH NRSA postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan where she studied the relationship between the respiratory microbiome and asthma heterogeneity. As a Research Investigator in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Michigan, she became a scholar in the Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) initiative of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) while continuing her work on microbial-immune relationships in adult asthma, with emphasis on precision approaches for asthma treatment. She also received additional post-graduate training in Personalized and Genomic Medicine from the University of Colorado-Anschutz. 

Dr. Kozik believes that increasing public engagement with science and the scientific process is critical to a just society, and her science communication efforts have included audiences from elementary school students to adults. Her work to promote equity in science and medicine is centered on racial justice and the needs of trainees with caregiving responsibilities. Her commitment to the next generation of scientists is evident through her advocacy and service work. Dr. Kozik is Co-Founder and Vice President of the Black Microbiologists Association (BMA, also Black In Microbiology),  serves on the Health Equity and Diversity Committee of the American Thoracic Society, and also promotes research on the reciprocal impact of social inequality and microbiomes through her work with the Microbes and Social Equity Working Group.

Kelyah Spurgeon, MS

Kelyah “Kel” Spurgeon is a current PhD student in the Kozik lab. She’s a North Carolina native with a background in engineering and microbiology. She studied biological engineering as a MARC scholar and earned her master’s as a TriCEM fellow, NC Space Grant Scholar, and NIH Bridge to the Doctorate fellow at North Carolina A & T State University. Her current research interest is in host-pathogen interactions with strong consideration of the evolutionary factors involved. She has a serious sweet tooth, loves movies, and brings fresh ideas to the table.

Claire Albright, BS

Claire is pursuing her PhD in the MCDB program and is excited to have joined the Kozik lab in 2023! After graduating from Wheaton College, MA amidst the 2020 pandemic, Claire began work at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, MA. During this time, Claire studied plant specialized metabolism, protein biosynthesis and synthetic avenues for manipulation within bacteria and yeast. Claire has always been fascinated by the microbiome of both plants and humans alike and is looking forward to probing the relationship between microbiomes of the body, extrinsic factors, and human health. In her spare time, Claire loves to read, garden, take on DIY projects and shower her cat with unreciprocated love.