Graduate Students

I am a Graduate Student Researcher in the Immunology Ph.D. program at UC Davis with a designated emphasis in Biotechnology. I graduated in 2018 from CSU East Bay with a B.S. in Biology and a Minor in Chemistry. UC Davis was my top choice for graduate school because of its small-town atmosphere and its wide-ranging interdisciplinary studies. In the Miller lab, I am studying the effects of early-life antibiotic treatment in infants and how the disruption of the airway microbiome early in life can lead to developmental deficiencies in the lung. I am interested in identifying what bacteria are most prominent in the infant lung microbiome following antibiotic treatment and how alteration of the commensal composition affects the developing lung. In my free time, I enjoy running, drawing, and being continuously amazed by all the new things to do in the city of Davis.

I'm a Graduate Student Researcher in the Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group. I graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor's in Microbiology, pursued research in both academic and industry settings, and then went on to complete a Master's degree in Stem Cell Biology at Sacramento State. In the Miller lab, I am utilizing induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into lung progenitors to investigate the toxicological effects of E-cigarette constituents. For fun, I take spin classes, troubleshoot dessert recipes, and watch anime.

My name is Taylor Westmont and I am a Graduate Student Researcher. I am in the Graduate Group of Immunology as well as the Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology. I went to Tufts University and received a B.S. in Biology. Science excites me not only because I find it interesting but because with science we have the potential to change and save people’s lives. In the Miller lab I am working on understanding why pediatric populations are particularly vulnerable to respiratory diseases, including influenza. Specifically I am looking into the role of the lung microbiome as well as the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) in mucosal immunity. Outside of lab I enjoy reading books, drinking tea, eating chocolate, and listening to music.

I am a graduate student in the Integrative Pathobiology Graduate Group. I am currently in the MS track hoping to transfer to pursue my PhD. I graduated with a B. Tech in Biotechnology from Vellore Institute of Technology, India in 2022. At the Miller lab, I will be studying how early life antibiotics use in infants affects the development and establishment of pulmonary immunity. Specifically, I will be focused on characterizing differences in immune cells populations in antibiotics treated infants. During my down time I enjoy, music, reading, trying new kinds of coffee, binge watching tv shows and learning new languages on my journey to becoming a polyglot.