Group Alumni

Karen Woolum

Research Associate / Laboratory Manager

B.S. Chemistry, Wright State University

Current position: Professional gardener and chef

Karen grew up in Shelby County, Ohio on a dairy farm.  After completing her Chemistry degree, Karen worked as an EPA-certified environmental laboratory chemist, then an analytical chemist in food manufacturing for Nestle, Abbot, or Cargill.  Karen enjoys gardening, relaxing at her lake house, and spending time with her husband, her five adult children, and her two grandchildren.  

Matthew Estrada

M.S. Microbiology, The Ohio State University (2024)

B.S. Biology, The Ohio State University (2022)

Current position: Molecular Biologist II; Advanced Testing Laboratory (Eli Lily)

Matthew grew up in a small town in Lucas County, Ohio. He enjoyed being out on the water, playing soccer, and woodworking. Matthew joined the Wesener Group as part of The Ohio State University’s Microbiology Master's program and graduated in the Fall of 2024. Matthew is interested in how bacterial glycans impact host immune cells. 

Abigail Williams

Ohio 5-OSU Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Trainee (2024)

B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Expected 2026), The College of Wooster

Current position: Univ. of Pennsylvania SUIP (Summer 2025)

Abigail grew up in Canton, Ohio. She is currently a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major at the College of Wooster. Besides research, Abigail enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and swimming. She joined the Wesener Lab in the Summer of 2024 as a part of the Ohio 5-OSU Summer Undergraduate Research Experience program. 

Lawrence Mazzoni 

Undergraduate Research Assistant (2023)

B.S. Biology (Honors), The Ohio State University (Dec. 2023)

Current position: Physicians Assistant Student, Stony Brook University

Recipient of OSU Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) Fellowship (Summer of 2023) 

Recipient of OSU Undergraduate Research Scholarship (Fall 2024)

Presented Designing an ideal medium to study bacterial polysaccharide crossfeeding in the human gut microbiota at the Autumn Undergraduate Research Festival.