Lab Members

Nick is a senior researcher in the lab. He completed his Ph.D. in Australia, working on engineering thermophiles for enhanced bioethanol production. He then joined UCSC working on biofilm formation in V. cholerae and later investigating the link of zooplankton microbiota in host survival. His current projects involved developing tools for screening of regulators in H. pylori that regulate motility, chemotaxis and virulence. Nick likes to garden and enjoys a good book, a good movie, and a good hike. 

Yazzy grew up in Orange County. She graduated in 2019 from UC Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Biology. She joined the Ottemann lab first as a postbac, then as a MS student in 2020, and now as a Ph.D. student in the Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Dept. She is currently studying ribosomal silencing and chronic colonization in H. pylori. When she has free time she enjoys drawing, reading at the beach, and running.

Angela is in the MCDB PhD program. She was born in Arkansas, but she grew up in Oakland, California. She completed her BA at UC Berkeley in MCB, and then from 2018-2021, she completed her MS at SFSU where she studied cell communication via the Wnt signaling pathway at the Burrus lab. Angela joined the Ottemann Lab in Spring 2022, where she will study H. pylori transcriptional responses. During her leisure time, she participates in social justice work, watches Sci-fi movies, cooks low-fat gourmet dishes, and loves reading classical literature. 

Jashwin joined the Ottemann Lab for his PhD in METX in Fall 2024 to uncover the secrets of H. pylori’s chemotaxis and flagellar motor. A vintage tech nerd and dad-joke aficionado, he earned his B.S. in MCD Biology at UCSC and spent five years in biotech, where he recently contributed to creating novel genome engineering pipelines for E. coli-based Cell-Free Protein Synthesis. When not unraveling bacterial mysteries or contributing to American Society for Microbiology initiatives, he’s gaming, 3D printing, and dropping puns that guarantee groans.

Ana joined the Ottemann lab for her PhD in April 2025. She's working to understand the role of the flagellins in H. pylori biology. 

Eric joined the Ottemann lab for his Ph.d. in Fall 2025. He was born in Goleta, Santa Barbara but grew up in Arcadia, California. He completing a B.S. in Microbiology at UCSC., and has worked in the Ottemann Lab since May 2022 first as a Laboratory Assistant and then transitioned to research. His PhD work is related to flagellar proteins and H. pylori motility. In his free time he likes to read, play basketball, and hike the trails around campus. 

Yasveck  grew up in the Bay Area and is currently pursuing a BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCSC. In her free time, she likes to spend time with family and bake brownies.

Corey joined the Otteman lab in summer 2025. He's finishing his BS in MCD Biology, and starting his MS work as part of the 4+1 program. 

Jayann joined the Otteman lab in Spring 2025. She's a sophomore at UCSC and plans to start undergraduate research in 2026.