Caporaso Lab Team

We advance microbiome science and the scientists who drive it through rigorous computation, open-source innovation, and a genuine commitment to the next generation of researchers.

Software Engineers and Scientists

We are a diverse team of software engineers, data scientists, and researchers working at the intersection of biology and computation to build the tools and pipelines that define modern microbiome analysis.

Greg Caporaso

Principal Investigator and Professor

Interests

📚 Books
💻 Computers
🌱 Regenerative Agriculture

Anthony Simard

Research Software Engineer IV

Interests

💻 Programming
🎮 Video Games
🎸 Guitar

Liz Gehret

Research Software Engineer IV

Interests

🤸 Aerial Rope
🧗 Rock Climbing
🚣 Whitewater Rafting

Colin Wood

Research Software Engineer III

Interests

⚽ Bundesliga
🏂 Snowboarding
🇩🇪 German

Chloe Herman

Lead Data Scientist

Interests

🥾 Hiking
🍞 Bread Baking
📋 Metadata Standardization

Jeff Meilander

Research Scientist and Program Manager

Interests

🌾 Sustainable Agriculture
🏒 Hockey
🎒 Hiking & Backpacking

Undergraduate Researchers

Every undergraduate who joins this lab does real science. We align students’ interests with active research projects, providing one-on-one mentorship to build the academic and professional trajectories that carry them into graduate programs, industry positions, and scientific leadership roles.

Cianna Brooks

Interns 2 Scholars Undergraduate Researcher

Project:
- Off Earth Agriculture

Olivia Garcia

Interns 2 Scholars Undergraduate Researcher

Projects:
- Human Excrement Composting
- Microbial Inoculants

Andrew Grusenmeyer

Undergraduate Researcher

Project:
- Vermicomposting Microbiomes

Ailse Soto Herrera

Undergraduate Researcher

Projects:

Charlotte Hurley

Undergraduate Researcher

Project:
- Vermicomposting

Brooke Lercher

Undergraduate Researcher

Projects:
- Vermicomposting Microbiomes
- Vermicomposting Enterprise

Michelle Tang

Undergraduate Research Data Analyst

Projects:
- QIIME 2
- Vermicomposting Microbiomes

Macabe Wood

Undergraduate Research Software Engineer (University of Arizona)

Project:
- QIIME 2

Former Team Members

In science, your legacy is the community you build, the curiosity you share, and the questions you leave open. Our former team members shaped our culture, advanced our research, and have gone on to positions in academia, industry, and open-source science communities worldwide.