Rachel N. Wilsey
Senior Research Associate
Rachel.Wilsey@UTTyler.edu
Bio
Education:
Baylor University, B.S. Biology
Background:
Rachel graduated from Baylor University in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. During her time at Baylor, Rachel studied CRISPR-Cas9 mutations affecting cell adhesion and migration in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Rachel joined the Honda Lab in August 2021 and moved with the lab to Texas from Colorado in April 2023. Rachel leads projects focusing on the environmental factors that contribute to NTM pulmonary disease. Her current projects focus on respiratory relevant NTM in the context of the Kīlauea volcano and other related natural disasters. In parallel, Rachel studies the human immune pathways that are implicated in the control of NTM infections, particularly after exposure to various environmental hazards. Rachel also spearheads all projects related to culturing NTM from various environmental samples and tests disinfection methods to reduce environmental exposures. In her free time, Rachel enjoys exploring local coffee shops, going thrift shopping, and hiking with her dog.
Lianghao Ding, PhD
Bioinformatic Analyst
Lianghao.Ding@UTTyler.edu
Bio
Education:
Beijing Medical University, Bachelors of Medicine
Tohoku University School of Medicine, Japan, PhD, Medicine
Background:
Lianghao received his Bachelor of Medicine degree from the Beijing Medical University, PhD in Medicine from Tohoku University School of Medicine in Japan and has 10+ years of experience in next generation sequencing data analysis and genomics research. Before joining the Honda Lab, he was an active faculty member at UT Southwestern contributing to projects related to cancer genomics and computational biology. He joined the Honda Lab in Dec. 2023 and embarked on an exciting new venture into the study of NTM genomics. When he's not decoding genomes, you'll likely find him chilling out with some music or lost in a good book.
Kristin T. Dean
Research Associate
Kristin.Dean@UTTyler.edu
Bio
Education:
University of Texas, Tyler, B.S. Biology
University of Texas Health Science Center Tyler, M.S. Biomedical Technology
Background:
Kristin graduated from UT Tyler with her B.S. in Biology in May of 2018 and continued her education at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler where she received her M.S. in biomedical technology in May 2020. Her Masters thesis focused on the identification of N-formylated peptides as neutrophilic chemotactic factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In June 2020, she began working in the field of NTM as a research associate. Kristin joined the Honda Lab in Feb. 2024 and continues mechanistic studies to elucidate the host-pathogen-environment interactions of NTM while being the lab’s expert in NTM nucleic acid extractions. In her free time, Kristin likes to explore her culinary talents as well as spend time with her husband and three children.
Madelyn M. Terrell
Research Associate
Madelyn.Terrell@uttyler.edu
Bio
Education:
Texas A&M University – Commerce, B.S. Biological Science
Background:
Madelyn graduated from Texas A&M University – Commerce in December 2023 with a B.S. degree in Biological Science. While there, she participated in research pertaining to the role of G1P3 protein in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. After completing an honors thesis and graduation, Madelyn began searching for a job in academic research. She joined the Honda Lab in early Feb. 2024 and assists in translational research related to understanding the diversity of NTM in varied environmental samples collected from across the nation. Moreover, she leads the lab’s studies related to NTM proteins and is elucidating the complexities of the amoeba-NTM relationship. In her free time, Madelyn enjoys jogging, painting birds, and reading horror novels.
Adrian J. Hornby, PhD
Staff Scientist
Adrian.Hornby@uttyler.edu
Bio
Education:
Royal Holloway, University of London, B.Sc (Hons)
University of Liverpool, PhD
Background:
Adrian graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London with a B.Sc. Geology in June 2011. His PhD dissertation focused on the brittle-ductile mechanics of lava dome eruptions, graduating with his degree in 2016 from the University of Liverpool. During his studies, Adrian contributed to projects investigating faulting, fracture and frictional melting textures and mechanics in magma, lava, and volcanic ash. For his postdoctoral fellowship, he investigated how fragmentation modes affect the chemistry and mineralogy of ash particle surfaces in Munich, Germany, followed by a postdoctoral position at Cornell University studying the global effects of explosive volcanism and bioleaching of ultramafic minerals. Adrian and his family moved to Tyler in March 2024 to join the Honda Lab. His current projects are to characterize and investigate the responses of NTM with aerosolized environmental soil, dust and ash samples. In his free time Adrian enjoys spending time with his wife and five children, brewing beer, and squeezing in some reading.
Riley M. Johnson
Lab Volunteer, UTT SOM Medical Student
Rjohnson59@patriots.uttyler.edu
Bio
Education:
Texas Tech University, B.S. Biology
Double Minors: Sociology and Chemistry
Background:
Riley is a current medical student in the University of Texas, Tyler School of Medicine Class of 2028. She belonged to the Texas Tech Mortar Board National Honor Society and graduated from Texas Tech University in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Her prior work experiences include contributions to a histology lab, working as a legal assistant, and being a leader in undergraduate mentoring in physics and chemistry. She is an East Texas native, and excited to begin volunteer research in the Honda Laboratory (starting July 2024). In her free time, Riley likes to run outside, read books, and play piano.
Chelsea "Raulie" K. Raulerson
Bioinformatician
Chelsea.Raulerson@uttyler.edu
Bio
Education:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Ph.D. Bioinformatics and Computational
Biology
University of Alabama, B.S., Computer Based Honors and Anthropology
Background:
Raulie graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Biology
and
went on to complete a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her thesis research concerned identifying genetic
variants
associated with changes in human adipose tissue gene expression that were colocalized
with cardiometabolic GWAS signals. Prior to joining the Honda Lab, Raulie applied
her
expertise to a variety of different computational challenges from detecting somatic
mutations in tumor samples at UT Southwestern to identifying large structural variations
using optical genome mapping technology at Bionano. Most recently, she modernized
workflows for the characterization of bacterial WGS isolates. She joined the Honda
Lab in
January 2025. In her free time, Raulie is quite the bookworm but sometimes manages
to sneak in some sewing and fiber arts between chapters.
Jenea Travier
Research Assistant
Jenea.Travier@uttyler.edu
Bio
Education:
Prairie View A&M University, B.S., Psychology
Background:
Jenea graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology
in May 2024. During her time at Prairie View, she developed a strong foundation in
research
techniques and data interpretation through her work in various research labs. She
also
served as President of the Psychology Club, where she led key initiatives, coordinated
events, and managed club operations, further honing her leadership and organizational
skills. After graduating, Jenea sought to continue her scientific research journey,
which led
her to join the Honda Lab in February 2025. In her free time, she enjoys staying active
in the
gym, listening to music, and reading books.
Momoko Magauran
‘Iolani School (2024-)
Virgina “Jenna” Rogers
Bioinformatician
vr15760@uttyler.edu
Bio
Education:
University of Texas at Tyler, B.S., Major Mathematics; Minor Genomics and Bioinformatics
Background:
Jenna graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and a minor in genomics and bioinformatics. During her time at UT Tyler, she was an undergraduate research assistant where she collaborated with faculty and peers on a research project in graph theory. For her senior project, she focused on different types of statistical models that can be used to analyze healthcare data. She joined the Honda Laboratory in August 2025, contributing to many projects related to NTM bioinformatics. In her free time, Jenna enjoys reading, going on walks with friends, and hanging out with her cat, Bagel.