Amber is a Research Technician at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) and joined the COMPASS team in July 2025. Amber holds an Associate’s degree in Science and Biotechnology from Forsyth Technical college. She is completing her Bachelor’s degree online at East Carolina University majoring in Biology. Amber is working in the Bishop lab and … Read more
Wendy Weichert is the laboratory manager for the Parrish/Wasik lab at Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University.
Dr. AJ Prussin grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia and attended Virginia Tech for his B.S. in Biochemistry and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology. He is currently the Environmental Laboratory Manager for EWR. Prior to his current role, he received an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation postdoctoral fellowship in the Microbiology of the Built Environment (MoBE) Program, to … Read more
Ivan is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology at Virginia Tech. For the Replicate thrust in the COMPASS Center, he has been investigating the ability of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) to replicate in liver cells. This is a new area of research for him and has provided him … Read more
Tiffany Drape, Virginia Tech, will be responsible for our program evaluation. She will work with the team to design, refine, and implement any instrumentation and collaborate on any aspects of the program based on the milestones we have set. She brings significant experience in evaluating programs across multiple disciplines and fields related to agriculture and … Read more
Iris L. Jenkins, PhD, is the Director of Research Integrity and Consultation at Virginia Tech. In this role she serves as the institution’s Research Integrity Officer, directs and administers the research integrity/responsible conduct of research training program, and directs and administers the institution’s research ethics consultation service. Prior to this role, Dr. Jenkins led the … Read more
Dr. Thanigaivelan Kanagasabai is a researcher with extensive experience in molecular biology, biochemistry, cancer biology, and tumor immunology. His doctoral research focused on the molecular characterization of osteoclasts in type 2 diabetic subjects, utilizing cell culture and molecular techniques to explore the underlying mechanisms. Over the past decade, Dr. Kanagasabai has dedicated his research efforts … Read more
James Henderson, PhD, is an Assistant Research Scientist in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan. He has a BS in Mathematics from Michigan State University, a Masters in Secondary Education from American University, and a PhD in Statistics from the University of Michigan. A statistician, data scientist, and health services researcher, his research focuses … Read more
